Alice tried desperately to keep her eyes open. Ever since she saw the grotesque scarecrow in the field, Alice tried to stay alert. If Freddy was able to reach her mind at so great a distance, who could say what else he is capable of? By now, Alice was on her second train. She travelled via the California Zephyr from Denver to Emeryville. Then, she had to transfer onto another train to take her from Emeryville to Portland, Oregon.

Since the fatigue threatened to overtake her, Alice relied on the frequent trips that she took to the bathroom. But as the hours pressed on, the water wasn't feeling as cold on her face. Neither was the endless stream of caffeinated beverages. Alice stared at the bags under her eyes. Hold up girl. Once you see your cousin, you can sleep all you want.

The train jerked forward, and Alice hit the corner of her head on the mirror. She bounced back and hit the wall. Alice used her sweater sleeve to stop the bleeding. She could hear the train's wheels screeching as if it was trying to come to an abrupt stop.

Alice looked up at the mirror, and saw a woman's face. The woman looked wraith-like as her body was catapulted out of the mirror, though the glass didn't break. Alice pushed herself back on her elbows as the female figure jerked like a person experiencing electrical shock. The woman's convulsions were so strong that her body flipped over from her back to her stomach in an instant.

"Nancy?" cried Alice, as she suddenly recognized the wraith's face.

Nancy's spirit looked up. Her body was glowing in a greenish color. The blood on her face and body was even a darker shade of green.

"Alice?" asked Nancy, as she recognized her cousin. "I thought being dead would free me. I never knew it could hurt this much. I'm trapped."

"Nancy, grab my hand. I'll try to free you," said Alice, as she made her way towards Nancy's spirit.

The train was rocking back and forth chaotically. Alice didn't know what was happening.

Nancy's spirit tried to reach Alice, but it was as if she was being held back.

Alice chanted in the hopes that it would free Nancy's from her captivity: "Obsecro vos veterem, vt innocentis animae. Sit pax in tenebris carere auctoritate."

Suddenly, Nancy's legs were pinned down by a gloved hand. Nancy screamed from the blades that dug straight through her skin. It was like a psychic pain, as the blades didn't draw any blood. She tried valiantly to reach Alice.

"Let go of her!" yelled Alice.

Nancy's spirit began to fade. She managed to utter one last thing to Alice: "Neil Gordon."

Before Alice could fully register the name, her body shot up in the air for a moment. She fell back down as the train fell on its side. Alice lifted herself by the sink, and crawled up until she reached the handicapped handrail. She tucked her body upwards, letting her legs and feet rest against the toilet. That is, until it broke free from its place and crashed against the ground. Alice averted her eyes, as sparks flew in the air. It was as if steel was scraping against concrete outside. Alice had enough strength to lift her legs up, and wrap them around the handrail.

The bathroom door flung open, and an old man fell through. His fragile body thudded against the ground. His blood mixed with the water from the broken toilet. It was probably only a matter of seconds, but it felt like a lifetime for the train to come to a stop. Alice stilled hugged the handrail. She could hear passengers screaming in panic. Alice could hear police and ambulance sirens in the distance. What the fuck happened? Whatever the case, Alice couldn't stay in the bathroom.

"Hello…are you okay?" asked a frantic Alice. The old man was unresponsive. I need to get help for him, thought Alice, as she proceeded to swing herself to the bathroom entrance. Alice crawled over the side and found herself in what was the hallway. The cabin was filled with cries for help. She crawled slowly over bloodied bodies towards the passenger seats. There was a woman whose eye socket was a tangled mess. Since they were just as still as the old man, Alice couldn't tell if they were unconscious or dead. Her body ached. Ironically, the wound on her forehead had coagulated. It was the new bruises and cuts that hurt Alice the most.

As Alice neared the beginning of the seating area, the wall beneath her gave a thunderous creak. Alice flung herself over the side, and fell over one of the passenger seats. She flinched as her shoulder pressed against broken glass. She could hear the hallway collapse, and the walls caved into the bathroom area. The injured passengers shrieked because of the loud crash.

Alice sheltered herself from the debris in one of the seats. I'm too late, thought Alice, I couldn't save him. There was no way that the man survived. Not even the people that she had crawled over. Alice could hear the sirens outside of the train. She just had to be strong. They would free all of them soon enough. Even as the exhaustion kicked in, Alice fought to stay alert. But it was a losing battle. She rested her head against the seat and lost consciousness. Neil Gordon.