I lurched awake from the sharp jerk of the train. It had pulled me from dreams of home – the place I was getting farther and farther from. I turned to the window to gather my bearings but all I saw was my own face staring back at me. The blackness of the night loomed over my image, which was tinged green and freckled with water stains and fingerprints. My eyes wandered about the cabin, falling upon the coffee stain on the carpeted floor, the flickering fluorescent light, the uneven cut of the sliding door that kept it from lining up completely with the other side, and the piece of gum nestled in the seam between the seats, dangerously close to my pant leg.
The compartment was empty except for me and a fly tapping against the window pane. The rest of the train seemed to be dormant, leaving an itchy stillness in the air. I turned once more to the window trying to see beyond myself and into the world that supposedly lay beyond. The subtle blur of flora buzzed by as we moved ahead.
I decided that sleep was my most beneficial and pleasurable course of action. Careful of the gum on the seat, I slid down into the thinly upholstered seat and leaned my head against the chilled wall. Once settled the hum of the light found my ear. The more I began to hate it the louder it got, filling the room and pounding on my head. There would be no more sleeping tonight.
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