More and more people were filling up the back car where I sat. That girl sitting with me was wrong, she had to be. I couldn't have been his last pickup. How could she know that anyway? Unless the volume of the front was getting too much for more than just me. 

I had fallen asleep in my seat, waking up to the buzzing chatter of people. A couple of girls had taken the seats across from mine, my companion nowhere in the car. They saw I had stirred and each gave me a little frown. As if I was the one who disturbed them. With a returned look, I grabbed my bag and left the group of seats, making my way to the front. 

Some watched me leave, some continued to talk about things I couldn't discern. I began to wonder if any of them ever slept on the train, and my question was put to rest once I saw a man sleeping a few seats down. Lucky bastard he was. 

The cars rattled and rolled along the tracks like there were rocks under them. I grabbed on to anything I could so I wouldn't fall, but of course life isn't fair, and I fell head first into a couple a few cars up. 

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," I said picking myself up from their lap. I lifted my head to see a rather big woman staring down at me, with a face not too pleased. She was blonde, her hair cut really short, above her shoulders. There wasn't much of her outfit either, all of it sinfully red. She a few tattoos as well, barely covering her skin. 

I stepped back a bit, perfectly content to go my own way without forgiveness, but the man sitting across from her stopped me. "Eh, don't worry yourself, lass, you meant no harm."

A small man dressed all in black with the most interesting English accent met my gaze. He greeted me with a smile, unlike the woman whose space I had just barged into. I made sure no one was in the aisle before backing up to stand in it. "Don't be shy then, sit with us a bit, Rosie's jus' a bit down today, ya' know?" He noticed my reluctance to sit by his companion and moved closer to the window. "Hi, I'm Brian," he said giving me his hand to shake. 

"Hello," I nodded, sitting next to him, leaving a small distance. He folded one leg over the other and clasped his hands. 

"Have ya' got a name for yourself?" he asked. The woman looked me up and down, wrinkling her nose a bit. 

"I don't give my name out," I said, turning quickly away from her. "I-don't know you." Brian smiled and nodded.

"Ya' sound like the bloke who lives up front," he said. The woman, Rosie, pulled a black purse from under her chair and began rummaging. For what, I never would find out; she didn't put it down until after I left.

"You don't mean that thing driving the train," I said. 

"I do," Brian said. "He's a loner that one, never gives his name to anyone he doesn't know, doesn't like, or doesn't care about." I frowned, pulling my bag closer to myself.

"How do you know all that?"

He shrugged. "Helps that I sorta got to know him a good while back," he said. "Didn't like me in his space I'll tell you that...but I held me ground an' now I know more than I probably should." He looked accomplished, like he achieved something no one else on the train did. Which, I suppose, was true, as silly as the feat seemed. "Ya' haven't seen him, have ya'?"

"Once," I mumbled. 

"How'd ya' like him?"

"Not at all, he's-whatever the hell that thing is in there-is not fit to drive this train, with hundreds of people on it-" Brian held up his hand to silence me. 

"Hang on there, lass, I think he's more fit to drive this train than anyone, even the most trained conductors," he said. "After all, this is his train, see. No one can control it like he can." I scoffed.

"Well-he's not very becoming," I huffed. Brian laughed.

"Most of the ladies here say he's a handsome devil," he said. "A course, they haven't seen him like ya' have."

I shifted in my seat, looking at Rosie who had continued to shuffle in her purse while I sat there. "He certainly didn't tell me his name," I said.

"Don't surprise me," Brian said. "He don't give out his name to jus' anyone, ya' gotta ease it out of him, or he's jus' gotta like ya' right away. Heh, Rosie here couldn't even get his name out, eh, Rosie?" Rosie looked at his smiling face with disdain, then continued to search her bag. I fiddled with the strap of my own. "Don't mind her, she's a little down today."

"So I've heard," I said. "So...you know his name?"

"Yep," Brian nodded. I scooted a bit closer to him.

"Care to share what it is?" He shook his head this time.

"Can't do that."

"Why not?"

"It's his name, he's the one who gives it out. An' if ya' know what's good for ya', ya' won't go up there an' force it out of him or you're off the train." I sighed.

"Wouldn't that be a dream," I muttered. Brian pulled something out of his pocket and offered it to me. "What are those?"

"Fags, me dear." I shook my head.

"No thanks." He took one of his own and set the rest back in his pocket. "Are you allowed to smoke on this train?"

"Dunno," he said lighting it up. "But since our driver here is a little smokestack himself I'd say it's alright." I put some distance between us again, keeping away from the smoke. "Oh, did you want one, Rosie?"

She didn't answer. 

"So. What's a lass like yourself doin' on this train? Ya' don't seem to enjoy yourself."

"How can I? I can't hear myself think!"

"It can get a bit loud...hey. You're that last pickup, ain't ya'?" I sighed.

"Supposedly, yes, but I saw more people get on, they were coming in droves a few hours ago to the back of the train."

"Ah, but the train never stopped, did it, lass?" I considered this. And thought myself to be extraordinarily dumb at that moment. "They were probably jus' goin' to the back to blaze up or somethin'."

I slumped in my seat, thinking about what that girl had said. "So...this is why he hates me," I said. Brian frowned at me. "I'm the last one on."

"Aw, he doesn't hate ya', lass. He may not like ya' real well, but-hey. He doesn't really like anyone." He snickered to himself. "Except of course, some of his nightly visitors." He looked to Rosie again who sighed, still unable to find anything in that very empty looking bag. "Rosie here took a chance an' headed up there. But-appears she wasn't the only one to try it that night an' had to wait in line after numerous others." His smile grew at the story. "Supposedly he takes one look at her an' sends her away." I gave him a weak smile, unsure how to react to this. Do nothing, I'm rude. Laugh, I'm insulting Rosie. Not like I cared when she didn't acknowledge my presence. "Prolly thought he'd never be able to breathe under her or somethin'." Brian's laughter seemed to shake the whole car when I realized we were driving over rocks again. When he controlled himself, he smoked for a minute. "So. What're ya' here for?"

"Parents dropped me off." His eyes widened.

"Your parents put ya' here? Kids'll usually be sneakin' away from 'em to get here. You're lucky, real lucky."

"I don't feel lucky."

Brian patted my knee, something I wasn't expecting but wasn't objected to. "Maybe one of these days you will." I kept that in mind.

"You don't mind," I started. "if I ask you a question, do you?"

"Not at all."

"Where exactly are you from?" He grinned.

"Not my usual question. I like it. I'm from the English border, a Geordie," he said. "Talkin's real fun when ya' got an accent like mine, eh?" I stood from the seat and slung my bag over my shoulder. 

"I should really get going," I said. "It was nice to meet you." I aimed my statement at Brian. Rosie hadn't taken to me very well. 

"Nice to meet ya' too, lass, not many people to meet with on this train. Plenty to see, none to talk to, ya' know?" I nodded. "Take care of yourself, an' remember what I said!" I left their seats and continued on my way to the front of the train, knowing not to try getting into the engine again. Brian was wrong, I was nothing like that creature stoking the fires. As I left I could hear Brian slightly before going out of earshot. "Come on, Rosie, she's jus' a young lass..."

I sped up.