The Chariot of Death

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A chariot that looked very old and worn suddenly stopped at an old station that was no longer operating. The two humans standing on the edge of the railroad track stared at the train door which slowly began to open wide with a blank gaze. They looked like soulless humans who were losing their way. Pale lips and an expressionless face. The two of them looked like two undead who were still normal human beings but weren't really human.

"Welcome to The Chariot of Death."

The two humans compactly stepped their two feet into the old chariot when a creature in the form of a human in black robes welcomed the arrival of the two humans. A long stick that had a sharp curve on it continued to stay beside the creature and followed it wherever it went. The chariot door closed again when the sound of the train's hum could be heard in all corners of the station and then soon the chariot started moving again when the horn sounded twice.

"Follow me." Said the creature in a cold tone.

The creature led the way for the two humans. They walked past empty carriages that looked luxurious enough for the size of an old war chariot that was hundreds of years old. The interior of the train is predominantly dark red and black. Starting from a dark red train bench to a mini bar complete with a bartender in it.

They passed by the carriage without being interested in stopping. The two humans who were behind the shadow-like creature continued to walk and stared straight ahead with a blank gaze. There was neither emotion nor passion in their eyes. It really looks so empty and disoriented. They also did not show emotion or reaction to the train they were traveling on.

"Please make a drink that I usually drink here."

"OK."

A young man who was sitting in front of the bar in the second carriage they had just entered immediately caught the attention of one of the humans who was at the very back. Their gazes met as they crossed the bar to get out of the second carriage and headed for the third carriage. The man stared at the woman's back with a lopsided smile because he could feel what would happen to the two humans later. What a tragic story.

"Very interesting." Said the man while licking his lower lip.

"Is my drink attractive?" Asked the bartender with his innocent face.

"Not a drink. I mean. Your new hair looks really nice lately." The man replied randomly.

Suddenly the bartender immediately looked at the man who was sitting in front of him with a scared and wary look. There is not a single being that can be trusted on this chariot because they are all created devoid of desire, feeling, emotion and passion. They are like empty containers that can be filled at any time and emptied at any time. They all have human form, but they are not.

Don't ask about the clarity of their existence as what creatures because they also don't know. They don't even have a name, date of birth or family. They don't know what real life is. All they know is their routine which is always the same every day. Oh, they don't even know it's day or night. Morning or afternoon. Because their world is only limited to this scrap metal.

All the creatures on this chariot also have no memories of the past so they always drink the drinks provided by the bartender so they can remember all the events that happen on this train every day. They also don't feel hunger and thirst because they lack desire and passion. They also don't do the things humans do because they don't need them.

"Please come in." Said the creature as the door of the third carriage opened.

The two humans entered the third carriage without thinking twice. The creature that escorted them stopped in front of the door because their task had been completed here. The door that was open was closed and locked again. The two humans could no longer escape because the two doors on either side of the carriage were locked.

A neatly dressed man in a black suit complete with a black tie and loafers of the same color welcomed the two humans warmly. The two humans walked forward to a table with four chairs in the middle of this carriage. This third carriage was different from the two carriages they had passed before.

There are no fancy furnishings or a drink bar. There is only one table and four wooden chairs that are placed on the side in the middle of this long carriage. The man carried the two cups of hot tea he had just made on the long table that was to the right of this carriage. The man placed the two teacups on the table when the two humans were seated on their respective chairs.

"Please drink." Said the man with a smile.

The two humans drank the warm tea together and then put their respective cups back to their original places. Gradually, their eyes showed a change to become more vibrant and radiant. Their gazes were no longer empty and they both started to show an emotion and passion but their bodies still felt cold and looked pale.

One of them stared at the man with dark hair with a shocked look while the other just bowed his head down in guilt. The man just smiled in a friendly manner as he put his hands together on the table. The two of them were silent with great confusion. They didn't know where they were because their memories were suddenly cut off in the middle.

"Who are you?" Asked the young woman who sat on the right.

"You can call me June." The man replied with a smile.

"Why am I here?" Asked the woman curiously.

"You will find the answer later." The man replied as he poured the tea back into their cups one by one.

"Am I dead?" Asked an old woman who sat on the bench to the left with a sad face.

"You two are already dead." The man replied with his signature smile.

"No! This must be a lie! I'm not dead! I'm still alive!" Shouted the woman on the right hysterically.

The old woman beside her just sobbed and June gave a piece of tissue to her. June gave the two women plenty of time to calm themselves down from the painful reality. Death is something that is difficult for all human beings to live and lose is something that is most feared in human life.

In essence, humans were created to experience three predetermined things. First birth, second loss and third death. Every human being must have experienced these three phases in their life and that phase will continue to rotate until the final limit of this universe. Nobody knows when this world will end because humans never know the plan of the creator. We are just one of the many creations that he creates.

Gradually the two women calmed down and they weren't crying hysterically anymore. June continued to smile in a friendly manner even though her gaze looked unfriendly. Those two golden eyes look very creepy when exposed to light and look very dark when in a dark place. The man was always smiling in a friendly manner but somehow the aura he emitted didn't show that kind of hospitality at all.

"Do you remember why you were here?" June asked, handing the two cups of tea to the two women.

"I am not sure." Replied the young woman.

"I remember vaguely." Answer the old woman who was beside him.

June smiled again. The man took a candle from the drawer of the table and put the candle on the table. He lit a fire on the candle wick using one matchstick he took from the drawer as well. The atmosphere of the carriage was getting dimmer because it had just entered a long cold and dark hallway and the candle was the only light inside this carriage.

"Let's start this long story."

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To be continuous.