Tragedy

The year 857 after the migration, the state of Purple Rose.

Black smoke cam out of the train chimney massively, filled the train tracks of Purple Rose city. On that stretch of sunny morning, Graham was on his way to find a job in the capital.

Graham who was on the train just looked along the road that the train passed. Villages, hills, caves, coal mines. He was not the least bit feel bored.

But it wasn't just about what he saw along the way. He got on this train for a reason he had been waiting for a long time. The desire to get out of his father's grasp and get a life himself.

Purple Rose, a city known as one of the worst cities in the entire federation. No wonder for a region that existed outside the main administrative region. High unemployment rate, the slowest economic development in several decades, a crime rate that showed an ever-increasing graph. There is much more to tell.

To the Purple Rose people it seemed, this was very natural due to the industrial disparity between the main administrative state and the other states. It was all due to the civil war that took place between the western states and the eastern states.

Practically because of the war, the eastern states are in full control as the main administrative regions, they have the access and ability to use all kinds of infrastructure for their industries. The western states, on the other hand, were much the opposite.

The poor means of economic support made that the place was filled with uncontrollable crime.

But for this eighteen-year-old boy, it was all coming to an end. The shadow of a father that he had always feared, will ended.

"New life huh ?"

"I hope there are no problems."

No problems, a sentence that contradicted what he was about to experienced.

In the machinist's room, everything seemed to be fine. The machinist and his assistant were not the least bit worried about this trip.

"You see this Brock ? There are less than a hundred left." The machinist showed a silver colored mineral stone to his assistant.

"Really ? Where did you get it ?"

"Who else? Of course my wife."

"Huh, you really are a lucky man, sir."

"There's no question about it. She really is...."

"Oh yes sir, how is your son ?"

"You want to guess ?" The machinist gave a small smile.

"Getting better isn't he ? I can see it on your face."

"Yes, he is."

While they were chatted, something strange came to the fore. It was really strange, even when what they saw was still very faint.

"Brock, did you see that?" The machinist pointed to a hooded man about a kilometer ahead of him, not clearly visible but still bothered.

"What? What's he doing ?"

"Honk the horn Brock, now !"

"Okay."

The horn sounded. Once, twice, three times. The man with the hood remained unmoved.

"What the hell is he doing ?"

Instead of walking away, the strange man touched the rail with his right hand. Miraculously, the rail he touched floated and changed direction towards a cliff right beside him. This caused the machinist and his assistant to panic instantly.

"What? What the hell is that ?"

The machinist tried to stop the train, but nothing changed. None of the buttons he pressed in the room worked, as if the man with the hood had really planned this.

"Not working ? If this is the case... Brock use the manual brake."

"Alright sir."

The assistant machinist went out to stop the train via the manual brake. But what he did was in vain, the train was still moving.

The atmosphere in the passenger carriages was just as chaotic as in the machinist's room. They looked at the monitor screen that showed the tracks they were about to cross had changed lanes.

"What's that ?"

"Hey, how did that happen ?"

"We're going to die ? We're going to die ?"

"No, no, no."

"How is this ? What's going to happen ?"

The questions came from almost all the panicked passengers. They rumbled with goosebumps and anxiety. Heads kept turning right and left.

Graham himself who was stared out the window immediately averted his eyes. "What's going on ?"

Just a few seconds after the panic...

Crashhh

The train crashed into the cliff face on the altered track. Carriages after carriages collided with each other. The resulting chaos could not be ignored.

"Arrghh"

"Uaaah, my leg."

"Aaaaa"

It was unclear who and what the passengers were saying. Dozens of pairs of ears were full of anxiety.

Meanwhile, Graham seemed to faint but not for long. He woke up with his body covered in black shadows. He almost didn't see it, maybe indeed not. The shadow was too faint for him to notice. He opened his eyes and saw a head rolling right in front of him. "Huh ?"

Not only that, he also saw people impaled on the black metal part of the carriage body. The horrifying sight made him freeze in fear.

"What ? That ?"

He sat down with his legs clasped together. His whole body was trembled, sweat dripped down his body. He couldn't able to look at the horrifying sight and just bowed his head.

"Why is it like this ? Why is it like this ?"

His erves were tense, and his heart was beating abnormally.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this..."

A few moments later.

Crackk

Chunks of earth from the top of the cliff fell on the carriage. Included the carriage Graham was in.

The pile of hard soil could not be held by the roof of the carriage roof.

The view that Graham saw as a horryfic situation immediately turned dark, covered by the mound of earth that also fell on him. He slowly closed his eyes. "Am I... going to die ?"

He tried his best to stood up, but it was as if he had to carry a mountain. His back was so heavy, he couldn't move an inch.

"Am I this pathetic ?"

***

A few hours after the incident.

A dazzling light entered Graham's eyes. The light came from a large light bulb directly above Graham's head. It was already night time.

Graham looked around, he realized he was in a room and asleep on a light green mattress. He felt his own clothes and found that he was wearing patient clothes.

Although he had to look at his surroundings for a few minutes, he finally realized the intentions of the nurses passing by in the hallway. Regardless of who saved him, he was already in the hospital.

"What... is this a hospital ?"

The sign at the entrance of the room read "Central Care Hospital", further confirming his opinion.

This place was the only hospital in Purple Rose, some other health facilities only included private clinics owned by some citizens. Could say Graham was lucky because the cost of cared here was not too expensive.

But who brought him ?

Knock knock

The sound of a knock on the door made Graham avert his eyes.

"Can I come in ?"

"Y... yes."

Afterward a man in a black suit entered the patient room where Graham was sat. A man with a thin beard and long hair who didn't look too old, probably around his forties or less.

"Who are you ?"

"Ah, you can call me Detective Morgan." The man showed his badge. "So, there's something make want to ask you, your name is Graham ? Isn't it ?"

"Yes, I'm Graham."

"Alright, first of all can you tell me about the incident ?"

Graham immediately recalled it, there was no way he could forget something as horrific as that.

"The incident ? You mean, the train ?"

"Yes, yes, you're right."

"I don't know, I could tell you but would you believe me ?"

"Of course."

The detective pulled out a small memo from his pocket. Graham reminisced a little about what he had experienced.

"I was just on the train, and the monitors showed the tracks changing lanes in a... i don't know, it's just don't make any sense."

"Don't make sense ?"

"Yes, the tracks changed course towards a cliff. It sounds absurd doesn't it ? I also thought it was just my delusions, but..."

"Then what happened ?"

"Then, the train hit the cliff. It made all the carriages collide. I fainted and...."

Graham, who had been spoke fluently, suddenly stopped and held his head. He recalled the human heads rolled in front of him, as well as the people pierced by the metal of the carriage body.

"Are you okay ?" asked Morgan in confusion. "Hey mate, you still there ?"

"Hey man, are you okay ?"

Graham didn't move and was still held his head with both hands. His eyes glared down, he was still traumatized.

Soon a security guard from the hospital entered the patient's room. He came in with an annoyed look on his face.

"Damn detective, we told you not to come in but you still did."

Morgan turned his head and found the security guard already stood in front of him.

"Come on, come with me."

"Hey wait, I can explain."

"Don't talk so much !"

The security guard forced Morgan to get out of the patient's room immediately, even if it meant using handcuffs.

Graham still didn't budge and just held his head.

A female nurse walked into the patient's room. She had been waiting for Morgan to come out since earlier.

Graham who saw the arrival immediately turned his head.

"Can I help you ?" the nurse asked.

"Eee..."

"It's okay, whatever questions."

"Eem, how long have I been here ?"

"Eight hours since you arrived."

"Eight hours ? And the cost ?"

"Not to worry, we've contacted your family. Your father said he'll be here soon."

"Dad ?" Graham's heart skipped a beat. "Sorry, can I go home now ?" Graham spontaneously grasped both of the nurse's hands. That made the nurse blush.

"Uh, but..."

"Please."

"But are you sure about your condition ?"

Graham's eyes returned to normal, now his psychic felt a little strange.

"Condition ? That's right, I don't feel any serious pain. Even though I was buried under the rubble earlier, shouldn't I have gotten seriously injured." Graham muttered under his breath but the nurse accidentally heard him.

"Seriously injured ?"

"Eh? No, that's not it. I mean..."

"If there is a serious injury we will not allow you to go home."

"I.... I bumped into something earlier, so I feel like I'm badly hurt. But I'm fine." Graham smiled broadly.

"..."

"Please, I have to go home now."

Graham continued to plead. His efforts were not in vain.

"Okey... if that's what you want."

After through several stages, Graham was finally able to get out of the hospital. He stopped a taxi that passed in front of him.

Graham boarded the taxi with a glum face for the duration of the ride. For some taxi drivers, customer service is always number one. Inevitably, the driver who saw him felt he needed to be talked to.

"You know what ? This taxi has a service to vent. Any problems."

"Umm... Have you ever given anyone a troublesome time ?"

"Uh that..."

"No need to answer that. I have no problem with it."

Thinking of vocabulary for some people is very difficult. This taxi driver was no exception, but experience helped him.

"Of course I have. All adults must have troublesomd others at some point. That's how they grow up. Don't feel embarrassed, there will come a time when you won't be a bother to others."

"Um, is that so ?"

"Yes, take it easy. It doesn't matter."

After a few minutes of traveling, Graham got out of the taxi. A worn-out house greeted him. He entered and took in his surrounded.

He finally reached his room. He put down the things he had brought with still the same face.

Sigh...

He exhaled heavily, after all, today was really bad. His desire to no longer trouble his father, was exactly the opposite.

Knock knock knock

Knock knock knock

"Graham, open your door, you little shit."