This entry, which won that particular contest, was a very personal entry. You see, it had been a very trying time for me. On July 2nd, 2018, my wife of thirteen years passed away. In the time that had followed, I was having a hard time getting back into what was to become my daily work routine. You see, during the days between her passing, and the services, I had to get myself together. I had to handle getting the services together, as well as prepare for what I knew was going to come down the line. I had to now adjust to being a single parent for a soon to be teenage daughter. I had to now live a life I had never envisioned. The days that followed had been very hard for me at work. My thoughts had been preoccupied with dark thoughts, trying to cope with the loss of my wife.

Then, @batkevin74 had come up with the idea of Train Robbery for this contest. For the first time since my wife's passed, my brain had snatched on an original idea that it could run with. It also was a way for me to get my pain out. I could put into prose the struggle going on in my mind since my wife had passed. While my job is currently menial, the one plus I can't shake is that it allow my mind to puzzle things out, and plot stories out. My train of thought was no longer hijacked.

This story, as the name signifies, was the struggle I had gone through every day since my wife passed. It is what I still go through every day, but now, since writing this, I have a better grip on the struggle, and can keep my cool when it comes to those darker paths. I hope you all enjoy this story, if you didn't read it in the entries.

(I should also note that this story was not proofread before I entered it. That was because of time constraints, and how sure I felt about it.)

The engineer of the train tried to keep it steady as it chugged towards its destination. It had been weeks since he had it running, and now that it was running, it was missing one passenger. While that was a blow, it didn‘t mean the end of the run. He‘d just need a way to replace that passenger while the train made its run through the land.

To most, the landscape the train passed through would appear odd, but it was the usual route the train took. It passed through woods, plains, and past different cities. Sometimes, it passed an ornate castle, and even a futuristic structure. The engineer was used to it, since he knew the usual cargo on the train.

As the train chugged on, one of the two passengers on the train, a young redhead who looked in her twenties at the moment, approached him. For this train, that wasn't uncommon. She smiled at him, and said, "Nice to see this train is running again."

He nodded, looking back at the other passenger, a young blonde girl in her early teens, or preteens, quietly playing a 3DS. She appeared content, even though the seat next to hers was empty. He then responded to the redhead's statement. "Aye, it is. The train was out for a bit, but now it is back. It is a slow process, but nice to see most of the usual cargo."

The redhead nodded, and looked back. "Yes. I was checking things out. Game show sets, blackboards with mathematical equations, and some things from my school. It is a good sign."

The engineer nodded in agreement, but with what had happened in the past few days, he was also staying alert. This was a delicate time, and there were those he knew would want to detail this train. This train offered something more valuable than anything else out there, and it needed to get to the station.

All of a sudden, a panicked sound pierced the quiet of the surroundings. He looked off in the direction it appear to come from, and he saw them. It was a quartet of figures, the apparent leader cloaked, and decked in black. It was them. Each one road their own steed which kept up with the train. That wasn‘t a good sign.

He turned back to the redhead, shouting, “Get in the…” The words stuck in his mouth. The redhead had reverted to the form he had first seen her in. A silent, more slender girl, who hands were as sharp as knives. She would be in no shape to get the other to safety. He glance at the other passenger, and to his horror saw that the girl had transformed into that of a baby in a carrier.

He turned his attention back to the course ahead of him, and to his horror, the sky had darkened. The panicked cry got louder, the same word repeated over and over in a hysterical tone. It filled him with dread. This didn‘t need to be happening now. This train needed to complete its run. It needed to get back to the station.

All of a sudden, he heard footsteps behind him. At first, he thought the redhead had recovered, but he heard more steps behind him. He glanced back, and gasped as he was forced away from the controls. The cloaked figure had bored the train as swiftly as they had appeared. While he couldn‘t see their face, their voice was a mixture of male and female. “This train isn‘t right. The cargo needs to go.”

He tried to protest, but the one that was making the panicked cry wouldn‘t stop, and fear started to take over him. A glance over at his passengers only made it worse. The redhead was now cowering as the third of a group, a tall menacing figure wearing some sort of mask, and whose hands had mouths on them loomed over her. The other passenger, still in the form of a baby in a carrier, was being picked up by some faceless individual dressed as some sort of government official. It was a nightmare.

He closed his eyes, and he felt tears coming. He had failed. The train‘s cargo would be ruined. The passenger‘s all gone, who knew what their fate would be, but it wouldn‘t be good. It started to overwhelm him, causing the hijacker to laugh more. This was going to cause great distress to the owner of the station, if and when the train arrived.

As his eyes were closed, he heard another voice speak, one he hadn‘t heard in weeks. It was that of the missing passenger. He heard her say, “Now I know you are better than this.” The engineer opened his eyes, and while he was still seeing the cloaked, black clad figure issuing ordered, and a dark hue taking over his train, he saw another figure. It was indeed the missing passenger, looking radiant in a wedding dress. She was also translucent, a literal spirit. As he looked at her, she smiled, and he felt better. “I‘m sorry I had to go, but I know you can handle this. You have to protect her now.” He knew she was right, and in that moment, everything started to change.

The panicked cry stopped, and the figure that had been making it clutched at its throat. This caused all the other figures to pause. He then saw the leader turn to face him, and while he still couldn‘t see their face, he could tell they were shocked. In that moment of shock, the engineer took his chance, and uppercutted the figure, sending them flying into the air.

This caused the other two figures to drop their targets and back away. The redhead reverted back to the form he saw her in most now, as did the baby. The engineer, full of faith in himself, physically grabbed those to and hurled them off the train, which was now taking on a scarlet hue.

The figure that had made the panicked cry tried once more to make a sound, but the engineer grab him, and brought the figure face to face with him. As it tried to work its mouth, the engineer looked into the face that was his own, and said, “GET OFF MY TRAIN.” He then hurled the figure, and the train picked up steam, moving with a speed it hadn‘t seen for a long time.

As it did so, the passengers spoke to one another again, both greeting the spirit of the second passenger. He retook control as the redhead said, “He finally remember. You were missed.” The young preteen nodded, and the redhead said, “Are you retaking the center seat?”

He glanced back to see the spirit shake her head, and then motion to the preteen. “It‘s hers now. She‘s the most important one. It is still our job to inspire, but she‘s the most important one, especially for the next few years.” He nodded, and even the redhead nodded. That one was the most important, and it fueled not only him, but the train as well.

Eventually, the train pulled into the station, to be prepared for its next run as another train departed. The owner, the engineer knew, would be feeling better now.

Elsewhere, the owner of that station left his job that day feeling better. The loss of his wife was still fresh to him, and he still worried about how to provide for his daughter. He now felt better, as he realized that his wife‘s spirit would be looking out for them. It would be a trial, and they would come through it. They were just now starting to redefine normal with out that important figure in their lives.

Again, this story allowed me to get through some of the grief I had been going through since my wife passed. I want to thank @4donkeyjohnson, @darkchild, @batkevin74 and @blueecho for voting for this story. I am honored that you all loved it.

As this is post is part of my blog on here, I am going to add into this two links that were set up to help both myself and my daughter. A friend of mine set up a Paypal pool to help us out. While we have had help so far, right now, I know I will need the help. Also, my late wife's place of employment has set up a GoFundMe to provide for my daughter's continuing education. You are not obligated to help in either of these, but if you do, we both appreciate it.