I awoke to the sound of the train scraping the rails as it flew down the tracks and the rocking side-to-side motion it gave. I was on the cold, hard ground in what I figured was a cargo railcar and I didn’t see anyone else around. There were several crates stacked around and a bag lying next to the door that I assumed went to the next railcar. The lights were flickering and dim.

I had no idea how I came to be inside this train. I had no idea where it was headed or what had happened to me. My memory before this train is blank. I couldn’t just lay here, so I had to do something to get my memory back or at least get off the train.

As I approached the bag, I noticed a placard next to the door. It said “100.” I grabbed the bag and searched it and found a small hammer that looked like it was about to fall apart, so I left it in the bag and put it over my shoulder, just in case I needed it.

I tried the door. Locked. There was no window to the next room, but there was a window on the door that was on the opposite side of the car. I headed there next and tried the handle. Locked again. I should have known. The window was small and circular, not something I could fit through.

I could see out of the window and I saw there was a small platform to stand on with a guard rail to prevent you from falling. The sun was shining. There were cherry blossoms blooming on the trees. It was, honestly, very pleasing to the eye. Where was I? How did I get here? Why was I here?

I needed to get out of this railcar. Aside from the crates scattered throughout, there was nothing else in the car. There wasn’t any food, any water, anywhere to sit or sleep—nothing. Since I had a small hammer and nothing else, I chose to see what was inside the crates to see if they would help me escape.

I took the hammer to each and every crate; first trying to pry them open but then ultimately smashing through them. All of them were empty except for the last one, which held a small key with a circular tab at the end marked with a “99” on it. I could only assume that would take me to the next railcar, which was the 99^th railcar. The hammer had unfortunately snapped in two by the time I got into the last crate. So, I discarded the pieces and headed for the door.

I slid the key into the lock and turned it and the lock clicked, then the key disappeared into the door. Unusual. I proceeded to the next railcar.