she sat with her hands in her lap and a smile on her face.
the tracks click-clack-clicked beneath them. the car of the train jostled to the left and right every so often.
it was an antique.
outside, it was cold. they were in the countryside. they had long ago left the city, where filth lurked in every corner, and the atmosphere oppressed spirits like Stalin's Soviet Russia.
she had insisted on taking the scenic train. she had no love for the bullet trains. she wanted to see things, to enjoy the experience of riding in something from the past.
he only wanted to get off of it. he sat across from her, arms folded against his chest, and said nothing. not that this was unusual.
her eyes roved across the lush country that rushed past them outside. there was a giant forest looming just on the horizon; she wondered what was hidden inside of it.
"it's pretty," she said. "this place."
"it's boring," he said. "nothing to do out there."
she looked at him flatly.
"there's plenty to do," she insisted. "you just suck when it comes to nature."
he looked into her eyes, his face expressionless. she let out a little sigh.
"i thought you said most of this planet was ruined."
"i said half of it was. i said nothing as to the other half."
she looked away again and pulled her legs up onto the rest of the seat, making herself comfortable.
"what is it that intrigues you oh so very much out there?"
"solitude," she said.
"that's funny." his sarcasm was more than evident "i seem to recall your fascination with the city."
"that's different. sometimes it's good to be mixed in with a lot of people. but a lot of the time it's not. out there it's quiet, and it's solitary. i could walk for hours and always find new things, and see new things, and be alone the entire time. it gives me time to think. moments of clarity." she shifted in her seat quietly. "the weather out there is perfect; look at the sky, see how gray it is? it's like it's going to rain, but it won't. i know that it won't. and the air is crisp, and cold, so you would need a jacket, or something to keep warm with. there's only a little wind, so you don't have to worry about it getting even colder. and then, all you would do, is start walking. into the trees. sprawl out on the grass and stare at the sky, and just let time pass as the clouds move above you. just...think. nobody but you for miles and miles and miles. being the only sign that we exist, that there's any such thing as a human being in the whole wide world...that's something that's special. i treasure that feeling so much..."
he said nothing. they were quiet for a long time. silence seemed to be one of the most popular topics of conversation between them.
"i'm going to go find alcohol," he said, after a while. he stood up and looked at her, waiting for a response. after a pregnant pause, he opened the door to their compartment and left.
she curled up in the cushioned seat, alone again. she shut her eyes and imagined that she was the only person left for many miles. she could hear the train blowing its horn, faintly, as if from a great distance - a reminder that civilization existed somewhere.
for now, she was content in her daydream.
gradually she drifted to sleep to the click-clack-clicking of the wheels on the tracks.
in her dream, she had someone to share that feeling of isolation from the world with.
her lips curved themselves into a tiny smile, and her sleep was comforting.