Now she had to speak. All she could say was thequestion, "What?"

Wanda answered, "The energy is more strong then youwould expect."

Kim managed to ask, "What energy?"

Wanda, "The psychic energy that people have. I cansense it. Particular in Mapleville. That's why many Psychics aremoving there. As they move there it becomes stronger. That's why Imoved there."

Kim, "What has that to do with cheese?"

Wanda, "I really don't know. But it's known theenergy can cause objects to change their shapes. Sometimes apsychic event is a warning of what's to come. I hope it's nothingto do with this train."

After this Kim and Wanda chatted a while, but notabout the psychic energies. They completed their drinks and, withMatt, began their return to the second coach car from the engine.As they walked through the third coach car, they noticed a motherand daughter who were setting together. They were watching a blackand white movie. Something that would have been made in the 30s.However they were watching on a modern flat screen device. Thescreen had a split cord going to two pair of earphones. The motherand daughter had their own earphones while sharing the picture.

After they arrived at their seats, the conductorannounced the first stop will be Clumber Plains. The stop will bein three minutes. The passengers deboarding at Clumber Plains,should check above and below their seat to gather theirpossessions. The passengers going to Clumber Plains should go tothe lower level of the third coach car from the engine. Kim watchedas the pirate walked past her on his way to the third coach car.The black bag in his hand. The sack inside. The two cans and thespoon, inside the sack.

After an hour of traveling the conductor announcedthat the next stop will be Nashville and everybody going toNashville should check around seats.

He also said, "There will be two doors open forleaving at Nashville. Nashville is the first smoke break. Sowhoever wants to leave the train for a while should go to the lowerlevel of the fourth coach car from the front of the train. Stayaround the door. The train will be leaving as soon as the newpassengers have boarded."

Matt and Kim went to the fourth car and stood outsidethe train while the passengers boarded. There was a younger man,probably in his early twenties, talking with a small group ofpassengers about how he was in the army and had a fierce lookingeagle tattoo on his back. He said his army unit symbol was a fiercelooking bird. And his tattooed bird was fiercer then that.

A middle age man with another group about twenty feetaway was listening. He walked over to the former army man and heldout his hand and said, "I like to thank you for your service."

The former army man did not shake the other man'shand. Instead he said, "Don't thank me, I spend two years workingin an office in Texas."

The middle age man return to his group. The Formerarmy man continued talking, saying he has been out two years andhas not been able to find a job in Texas. He said he grew up about125 mile northeast of Cincinnati and he was going to Frankfort tolook for a job. That he had passed through there once while he wasin the army and thought he could find a job there.

Then the conductor shouted that the train was leavingand everybody should get onboard.

The train ride through north Tennessee was a pleasantjourney. The train reached Kentucky. The clouds started moving. Arain storm was in the distance. Lighting blots were hitting theground. The thunder was not heard as the distance storm approached.Suddenly the storm was on the train. The heavy rain, thunder, andlightning.

The storm caused a strange feeling in Wanda. Wanda'sreaction was strange and frightening. She spoke to Kim, "I don'tlike this. This is not good."

Kim replied, "It's just a passing storm. Should go bysoon. A quick moving storm. Should be over as quick as itarrived."

Wanda, with a removed look, said, "No it's thecheese, in the café car, prediction."

The train moved threw a thick woods and curved into atunnel. It was black outside. Wanda and, Matt and Kim, sat waitingintensely to see the end of the tunnel. Finally there was a lightand the train emerged into a rocky, treeless area with a creek ofrushing water running beside the train. The rain continued. Therewas a bolt of lightning that hit the ground a quarter mile away.The clap of thunder reverberated in the train. Then it disappeared.Everyone looked around. Everything seemed ok. The rain continued.The thunder and lightning became more distant.

A conductor walked by. Wanda asked, "Where arewe?"

The conductor replied, "We're going through Gopherpass."

Wanda, "Does it always rain like this. Cause thecreek to rise like this. It's out of its banks."

The conductor, "There's a dam upstream about a halfmile. When it rains a lot they let the water out. In a little bitwill be going through another tunnel and will be out of thepass."

A lingering flash of lightning hit the ground aboutone half mile up the creek."

The clap of thunder was louder and different. Thevibrations of the thunder persisted longer.

Wanda glared at the creek as water rushed by, "It'sthe dam. That's what it was, it's the dam."

Matt and Kim sat there stunned and speechless.

Wanda watched the creek waters rush above the banks.The train curved to the right and entered the second tunnel. Thetrain curved to the left. The tunnel continued. The train continuedon the curve.

Wanda looked into emptiness, and audible, under herbreath, spoke, "Get off the train."

Kim looked through their car door to the first car.The passageway, between the cars, was filling with passengers. Theaisle in the first car was filled with passengers pushing towardthe back of the car. A conductor ran down the aisle towards thefront car.

A young man, seated toward the front, said, "We’regetting off." and stood up.

The conductor running forward shouted, "Nobody getsoff this train. Stay in your seats."

The conductor opened the door to the passageway andshouted, "Nobody allowed in this area. Get back to your seats.Everybody, get in your seats."

The train curved right. The woods reappeared. Therain was falling. The thunder and lightning were in thedistance."

The passengers returned to their seats. There wassilence on the train. A few miles down the track people beganspeaking with each other and began walking to other cars. No onespoke of the storm or the tunnel.

The Evening

As the clouds cleared the sun was just setting belowthe tree tops in the west. The trees were almost bear with only afew yellow and orange leaves still on the branches. Matt and Kimsat on one side of a café car table and Wanda sat on the other. Themood the storm had left on the train had been slowlydisappearing.

A middle age lady sat by the window across the aisleat another table. The café car was getting crowded. A second middleage lady with a young man, who looked the age of someone recentlyout of high school, came to the table. The lady asked the settinglady if they could sit down. She said it was ok. The lady sat withthe other lady and the younger looking man sat across from her.

The lady by the aisle glance across the aisle atWanda and said, That was a scary storm we went through back there.And going through those tunnels made it worst."

Wanda said, "Scary it was."

The lady asked," Where are you from?"

Wanda answered, "I'm from West Virginia now. I'velived in Kentucky for 7 years. before that. Where are youfrom?"