Everyone else on the train was fast asleep. After three hours, it was the next logical step in the traveling process. When you first get on the train, you are excited because you are about to get from where you are to somewhere much more exciting. Every aspect of train travel is still fresh and you can’t wait to get to your seat, meet the person sitting next to you, get coffee in the dining car, and crack open the book you brought specifically for this train ride. And who knows, maybe the person sitting next to you will turn out to be the love of your life.
After the initial excitement wears off, you are able to sit comfortably and enjoy your ride. You’ve got the perfect mix playing on your iPod, you’ve settled nicely into your book, and you really feel as though this trip will be effortless.
After another hour, the relaxation has worn off and you realize just how weary you are becoming. You find yourself staring out the window at the country side and realize you haven’t actually seen anything. Your eyelids grow heavy and before you know it you’re drooling on the potential soulmate sitting next to you.
Amy was not yet at the drooling stage, though it appeared every other soul on the train was, including the fellow sitting next to her, who, she thought, was very much a potential soulmate. They had not done much talking so far, but that doesn’t mean their relationship doesn’t have potential. How did she know this? It mostly had to do with the book he was reading: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. This happened to be one of Amy’s favorite books of all time, and David Foster Wallace just happened to be the author to whom she look up the most. Since this boy, who was pretty attractive if she was being perfectly honest, was reading this book, she decided that there was plenty of potential. Maybe when he wakes up she’ll try to make conversation about something other than their final destination and their favorite mode of transportation.
It did not look like he was about to wake up any time soon, however. He was mumbling and breathing heavily, though very attractively. If one could breath attractively. If it were possible, it would be this fine specimen who discovered it. That’s it, Amy decided that this boy was the One. She could just tell. Maybe she should stop staring at him so obviously. He might wake up.
Okay. Back to staring out the window. It was incredibly beautiful outside. They were traveling from Vancouver, British Columbia to Seattle, Washington. It was a ride she knew well. Her best friend lived in Seattle while she was stuck in Canada. Vancouver, thankfully, is a pretty nice place to live, but she has been there her whole life and she is so beyond jealous that her Best Friend Since Diapers gets to go to a different country for college while she is stuck in the same place she’s always been. To make the jealousy ebb, she takes the trip to Seattle as often as she can. She loves everything about the city. The people, the weather, the coffee. Oh, the coffee. No one loves coffee as much as Amy. She considers it in a food group of its very own. At this very moment she was holding a giant cup of coffee black as midnight on a moonless night. Perhaps that is why she was not asleep. She didn’t mind not sleeping, though. She preferred to stare out the window. The view is not something one gets to enjoy every day. The fields, the water, the sun, the green beam of light shooting across the evening sky...
Wait. What was that?
Next thing she knows her neighbor is getting thrown onto her and she right up against the window. Did the train crash? It didn’t feel like a crash. It felt like it sped up and stopped at the same time. Being right up against the window she couldn’t help but look outside and when she did she noticed that train had, in fact, stopped. But the scenery was not the scenery she had been looking at only moments before. It had a strange, glowy tint to it, but not the kind of tint you would expect from a setting sun or clouds after a heavy rainfall. It was as if she could see the life emanating out of every object: the plants, the hills, the railroad tracks. She must have been dreaming. Of course! Without realizing it, Amy had hit her head on the window and was knocked unconscious! It was the only conclusion that made sense. That was, until-
“Um? Excuse me, could you...I mean, you’re on my-” A deep voice said suddenly very close to Amy’s ear. Startled, she tried to turn around and realized she was crushing something, or someone.
“Um. You’re on my arm.” Oh! She was on her soulmate’s arm!
“Oh I’m so sorry! Here, let me move. Gosh I didn’t hurt you, did I? I’m so sorry I should have moved oh my God I am so-”
“Sorry, I got that. Thanks, I’m fine. What happened? Did you see anything? You were looking out the window, weren’t you?” How did he know that? Had he been watching her?
“Um. Yeah, I was, but, I mean, I didn’t see anything. There was like, a light, kind of. A green light. But it was just for a second. I mean it just, like- across the sky, you know?” She gestured with her arm, trying to demonstrate. It didn’t seem to be working.
“A green light? Hm. Well, I have done extensive research into shooting green lights, and that means only one thing. Do you know what that is?”
Amy felt like this boy might be teasing him, but she thought she’d give him a chance.
“No, I don’t. What does it mean?”
“It means that someone, I’m not pointing any fingers or anything, but someone is heavily into drugs. Do you do drugs, ma’am.” That’s it. He was definitely teasing her.
“First of all, I most certainly am not heavily into drugs. And second of all, do not call me ma’am.” There was nothing she hated more than being called “ma’am.” Except for maybe “lady.”
“I know, I know. I’m just kidding. Seriously though, I don’t know what it means. I don’t even think there is such a thing as ‘research into shooting green lights.’ Unless you live in Roswell. I’ll go see if any flight attendants know anything.” He stood up and straightened his button-up shirt.
“Flight attendants? This is a train.” This boy was turning out to be quite strange.
“Oh, yeah, you’re right.” He wandered off without saying anything else. She was left sitting there, looking baffled.
