Strangers in the Night

by Aly


The gentle rocking of the train was lulling her senses. Passing a hand across her tired eyes, Aly tried to wipe away the anguish and frustration of the past months. If anyone deserved this break, she did.

She was finally on her way to visit her best online buddy, Trace. She had scrimped and saved and managed to purchase a train ticket. Only problem was, the trip would take several days out of her all around time to spend with her good friend.

Lying in the bunk in her compartment, she felt far from secure. Rolling to her side she pulled back the cover over the small window and peered out into the inky nothingness beyond the tracks. With a chill, she set the covering back to rights and eased back into a comfortable spot.

Sheesh! She didn't like the darkness one little bit!

Closing her eyes she thought ahead to the fun times Trace had planned for them this week. Shopping... a concert... a day trip to visit her cousin Shadoe... maybe even a round of golf! Now that should be an adventure!! Aly smiled to herself in the darkness imagining it. She had never held... much less swung... a golf club in her life.

On the edge of sleep finally she had almost crossed over into that blessed dreamland when she was startled awake by something.

Heart pounding, she sat bolt upright in the bed and wondered what in the nubbins had happened.

Just then... she heard it.

*click*

************

Click?

As the hairs on the nape of her neck began to raise with her gooseflesh, a scream was building, ready to erupt.

Opening her mouth to alert the other passengers to her situation, Aly was suddenly seized in a crushing grip, one large hand clamped over her lips to silence the alarm.

Eyes bugging out and sweat sheening her face and limbs, she stared into the darkness, waiting... just waiting for whatever was coming. Her heart was racing in her chest and she felt faint suddenly.

At that very moment, she heard a whispered ,"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." The voice was unusual, lightly accented, melodic.

And masculine.

Nodding her understanding, Aly was slowly released and a small light was produced by the stranger, casting an eerie glow about the tiny space.

"Please, don't scream. I won't hurt you. I only need a moment of your time, and the security of your cabin. Please."

The green eyes stared intently into her own dark brown eyes.

With a shaky breath, Aly steadied herself and pulled the covers up to her chin. Trying not to blush to the roots of her hair, she acted as if a stranger bursting in upon her in her pajamas was an everyday occurrence.

"I won't scream. Please.. just leave. I ... I ... this is pretty strange." She was mesmerized... hypnotized. The green eyes bore into hers as if seeking something. Probing the depths of her innermost thoughts and feelings.

She was being invaded.

************

It was hard to look away.

Forcefully, she pulled her eyes away from his and plucked an invisible piece of lint from the bedclothes. He moved back to the door and eased the covering aside so he could scan the passageway.

She assessed his looks with an appreciative eye and a small smile curved her lips. He was quite a handsome man. Breathtaking actually.

He turned at that moment and caught her eyes upon him. She turned away and an apple would have been envious of her red glowing cheeks.

Smiling slightly, he moved back to sit beside her. Taking her small hand into his own larger hand, he moved his thumb across the backs of her knuckles absently. "You are Aly, no?" The green eyes impaled her yet again.

Aly's jaw dropped in surprise... or was it shock? He knew her name? Why? Who was he? "Ye.. yes. And you are...?"

"You can call me Michael. "

"Nice to meet you Michael. So can you please tell me why you are in my cabin in the middle of the night... in the middle of nowhere?" His movements on her hand were turning her legs to jelly.

"Trying to escape... like you." The hand was now making soft, slow circles on her thigh while his eyes began to glow like deep dark emeralds. Her heart began to thud in her chest, making her breath come in shallow gasps.

Closing her eyes, she could feel his breath fan her cheek as he placed a feather light kiss upon her jaw. The small cot bowed to his weight as he moved closer to her.

"Come... we have only this one night. Let's make our escape together." His voice played upon her senses making her head spin. She felt as though she were falling into an abyss.

"Come... let us enjoy one another..."

Falling....

"This one night... let us escape..."

Falling....

"Ma petite... come to me..."

Falling...

The sharp knock on the door brought her head around in confused disorientation. "Hey ALY!!! You are finally here!!!"

Trace surged into the small cabin with the force of a windstorm. Aly blinked and looked around in stupefied confusion.

"Trace? But... I... we... how...?" Trace looked at her bewildered friend and could almost see question marks hanging over her head. "Was it that good?" She asked.

Aly only looked at her in confusion.

"A dream?"

Trace laughed and began flinging Aly's things into her bag to speed up their disembarkment. Aly thought back over the night and was puzzled. A dream?

Shrugging it off finally, she laughed with her friend and told her about the dream she had had of a stranger in the night. As they closed the door behind them, Aly glanced back into the cabin for a last look.

Her breath caught in her chest.

There... on the small ledge of the window... was a small hand-held data organizer.

Taking the object in her hand, she pressed the PLAY button on its face. That light, slightly accented, melodic voice spoke.

"Sometimes all we have is our dreams."

The End


This story ©Copyright Aly, 1999

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