Chapter 6 – The Storm Cloud Express
Alice and
Dorthy kept staring off into the distance. Somewhere southeast of Dusk Thorne
the locomotive called the Storm Cloud Express climbed higher into the
foothills of Colorado. In the mid-1870s, carnivals and circuses were no longer
horse-drawn wagon shows. The transcontinental railroad permitted the same
locomotive to pull a train long distances across the United States. The gauge of train rails which at one time varied across the country, eventually became standardized because of this feat. After that, it was considered more profitable at
the time to have a large show travel by train.
The Storm
Cloud Express and the entire carnival train was unique for its time. The
carnival moved between the foothills of Appalachia to the foothills of the
Rockies, a vast distance, and provided shows and other entertainment to as many as 100 different
towns for three seasons of every year. The flatcars were fitted with
removeable ramps which could be installed between the cars when the train was
stationary. Pullies were installed which allowed loaded wagons to be moved down
the entire length of the train. Loading and unloading could be done in an
amazingly short period of time.
The size
and logistics of the train allowed for expansion of the number of acts or
carnival booths. The Josiah Pandemonium’s Dark Carnival train was much longer
than the famous Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, which featured numerous cars easily
over sixty and seventy feet in length. The number of circus and carnival trains
peaked in 1903 and then rapidly declined. By 1945 many more carnivals were traveling via trucks as more
interstate highways were built. Right after WWII only 6 circuses or carnivals
traveled by train.
Josiah,
preferring this more private mode of transportation with his company, kept
updating his equipment and kept the Storm Cloud Express in good repair
mechanically, often using supernatural resources. By 1982, the Storm Cloud
Express and The Dark Carnival was a completely unique endeavor. Many people would turn
out just to watch the Storm Cloud Express pass through their small town.
* * *
“Can you
feel him approach child?” Dorthy inquired in a whisper. Alice locked eyes with
the old necromancer.
“I feel
something…what is coming? Who is he?” Alice whispered back.
“He is
less of a ‘who’ and more of a ‘what’…he looks like a man. In reality, he is a
terrible type of darkness. He, or should I say ‘it’, has been here before.
Josiah Pandemonium is his name now, but he has had many names. This thing that
looks like a man is immortal and cannot die an ordinary death. He means to harm
the innocent. He threatens what lies resting now, waiting to come into this
world.” Alice instinctively moved her hands over her womb.
Dorthy saw
Alice’s movement. The old woman nodded. “That’s right. We must protect others
in Dusk Thorne and guard your unborn child. I’ll speak to Isadora Browning and
Winnie. All of you need to help Doc heal. We will need his talents as well.
“I can’t
see what you see yet. The train is too far away. I need to see what is coming.”
Alice implored Dorthy.
“It isn’t
for the naive or untrained eye.”
“Show me!”
Alice said suddenly. “Show me anyway. I need to see.”
“Very
well.” Dorthy grabbed her hand. “You are a Seer. Let it begin here!”
A wave of
coldness spread over her. Alice felt nauseous. Then she looked past the town of
Dusk Thorne and into the foothills. She saw the Storm Cloud Express climbing
toward her little town. She saw into a club car. She saw dark magic curling around a lone
figure sitting in the dark. He was smoking a cigar, and he smelled foul. His
eyes were like that of a biblical carrion-bird. He was staring back at her.
Then he winked. Alice psychically recoiled from the encounter. She nearly
passed out and ended up on her knees next to Dorthy.
“I
understand now. I mean sort of.” She looked up at Dorthy as Naydene ran over
from Tim’s truck to help her up.
“Sup?
Hormone Roller Coster time again?” Naydene teased. Alice had broken the news
about her pregnancy to her husband Joe and the others around the time she was a
person of interest in Calvin Pryde’s murder. The investigation was minimal.
Lawrence Goodwin, then Deputy Sheriff of Dusk Thorne, and several members of
the department had been participating in a drug ring ran by Pryde as well as Pryde’s
human trafficking organization. Goodwin saw Alice’s slaying of Pryde as an act
of self-defense. It was advantageous for him to make any further investigation
of Alice (and myself) go away as he was running for Sheriff in an upcoming
election.
His department
burnt Pryde’s body along with several hundred zombies on the Tyler farm before
it could be examined. Then all the officers involved testified that Calvin
Pryde had become a supercharged Zombie, an Abomination, a member of the undead with traces of
Honkey Kong in his system. He had attacked Alice, and she had shot him in the
head (four times). The investigation was considered closed. I never received my army .45 semiautomatic that Alice used to kill Calvin back. Apparently, it is still in an
evidence locker somewhere. So, I’m still waiting.
Alice
regained her feet. She looked at Naydene. “Nope, this wasn't the baby. It was different.” Alice
touched her abdomen. “She usually just creates ‘happy hormones’.”
“You said ‘she’?
How do you know it’s a girl already?” Naydene asked excitedly.”
Alice
looked at Dorothy “Witchy stuff. I just know”. She winked at Dorthy and Dorthy
winked back. Dorthy brushed Alice off a bit.
"So, the other thing? Learn a new trick? Naydene teased.
“The first
time is always the roughest.” Dorthy announced.
“Suffering
Sock Monkey! You aren’t kidding.” Alice laughed.
“What!
What just happened?” Naydene said at high volume.
“We just
went remote and peeped at the Boogie Man riding that train that will be pulling
into town.”
“How?”
Naydene was nearly beside herself.
“More
witchy stuff. My first time.” Alice looked at Dorthy.
“Now what?”
Alice said uneasily.
“You’ve
just had your first genuine experience as a Seer. You saw him, but part of that
was an illusion. I need to contact the Wampus. He can debrief you and give you
some more background on Josiah Pandemonium.” Dorthy adjusted her shawl. “And I need
to speak with Doc. I'm worried about him.”
“Um, now
that I’m officially doing ‘witchy stuff’ should I start accessorizing? Should I
go out and buy a pointy hat or something” Alice said shyly.
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