Train of Thought

The
Train of Thought

A long distance away from anything resembling familiarity to you and me. In an un-exotic place filled with boredom and lack of adventure. There lived a young man named Marley no older than nineteen. Marley lived with his grandfather Owsley stuck in rut of unfortunate events that proceeded to repeat each other. Stuck in this place of depressing weather, hard labor, & isolation, He had one friend Tri a Tripaca Indian who has lived here in Achron since he was a boy.
Marley met Tri when he was 15 through his grandfather. Tri’s father had been a good friend of Grandpa Owsley’s before he passed 6 years ago. Owsley had gotten both of them jobs at the same run down Iron mill that was a pretty good job despite its appearance. Everyday after a hard day of work they would spend hours at the Zone billiards the local pool hall working the smoke filled room trying to find games. It was hard for them to get games because everyone knew they were by far the best players this small town. In between games Marley begins to talk about how he feels that he needs to get out of this slow depressing town but doesn’t think his grandfather would understand. Tri ignores what he says trying to concentrate on a particularly difficult shot. As usually it was an uneventful night of breaks and re-racks they made a little money but not much it was a short night as most Tuesdays were.
It seemed like an ordinary night on the slow snow filled ride home until Marley pulled into his driveway and saw that the lights were still on in house. His grandfather was normally sleeping by this time and would never leave the lights on as a boy his grandfather would say “the lights were night to be wasted you never know when your going to need them.” Which Marley remembered because of the oddness and intensity his grandfather said it with. When he walked in he called for his grandfather “Owsley…..Owsley” he said repeatedly until he turned the corner around the wall that split the two rooms and saw him sitting on the old living room chair he walked over and noticed right away that something was wrong he rushed over to his grandfather’s side trying to wake him but his lifeless body just fell onto the floor making a loud thud Marley’s grandfather had died. He was an old man and they both had known for some while that his time was wearing thin. Trying to handle the fluster of emotions that he felt Marley sat down on the couch next to his grandfather’s chair looking deep into his lifeless open eyes and saw that he had an old leather back book clenched tightly in his left hand, the cover of the book read
Life’s Spiritual Destination
Marley takes the book slowly out of his grandfathers still warm hands and calls 911 to report his grandfathers death before the authorities got there he had a chance to look in the book, on the first two pages there was a small hand written map Titled the Oasis. Marley calls Tri to tell him about Grandpa Owsley. Tri rushes over to the house and arrives as the ambulance is leaving. He walks into the house and see’s Marley reading the old book. “Have you ever heard of the Oasis Tri” said Marley. “Yeah your grandfather brought me there for my Spirit quest”. “What’s a Spirit quest?” Marley asked inquisitively. “It’s a right of passage for my people, at age 13 when the young boy’s of the tribe become men. Your grandfather took me after my father died”. “Why” said Tri “did he say something about it.” Marley explained how the book was clenched in his grandfather’s hand. He through the book to tri to see what he thought, Tri began to look over the book flipping through the thick pages. When a small folded up paper fell out Tri picked it up of the floor and unfolded it. “Did you see this”? “No what is it” Marley said lifting his face out of his hands. “Looks like two train tickets folded in this note” Tri handed the tickets to Marley and began to read the note.
Marley, If you are reading this then I have passed on due to life’s systematic decay. In these last months I’ve noticed that travel has been more on your mind then ever  yet these yearnings’ won’t be resolved by a visit to a friend in a nearby city. Think about going the distance now, like taking a trip to an exotic place in a faraway land. I’ve put this note in a book witch you’ve probably found. I left two train tickets for the Train of Thought and drew a map in the book. I want you to take Tri to guide you he’s been to the Oasis and all of its levels once before. The people will already know of my death, there holding a benefit for the time of alignment. Be kind to these people and keep your mind open to things you have not yet seen. Remember everything I’ve taught you.
Good luck,
Grandpa Owsley
“This is insane” said Marley “these tickets are for this morning. How could he of known that he would die tonight?” “What s the date today?” asked Tri. “I think it’s the 19th” “No, No the whole date!” “It’s 12/19/04” replied Marley. “Just as I thought it’s the begging of the alignment. Whether he thought he would die or not the time of alignment is the only time you can get to the Oasis by train.” Marley stands up looks at Tri and tells him “we’ve got two hours till we have to catch the train & the Achron train station is on the other side of town”. “The Train of Thought is at a different train station an hour or so past the other train. So we should probably just leave now.” Marley heads out of the house to heat up the car it’s got to be at the most negative 10 degrees by the time he’s down brushing the snow of the windows Tri walks out the front door with a blue back pack the wind slamming the door behind him. Marley looks over so fast almost pulling a muscle in his neck. “What’s with the back pack”? “Some old stuff I remember your grandfather bringing last time we went. All right I’m driving let’s go. Its freezing out here you got the tickets?”