Making too much noise had made the mutant monster more aware of the presence of its prey.
It let out guttural growls, even louder as it turned toward them.
Lucas's little heart pounded in his ears.
Anxiety surged through his whole body, urging him to sprint, but what were their tiny legs against a monster enhanced by an unknown virus?
"Brother… wahhh!" Little Carlos cried, tears in his eyes and snot on his nose.
He tripped, falling to the ground, and helplessly clung to Lucas as he hit the wet ground.
Lucas was knocked down too, his body aching from the impact and his face cut by broken glass, but he did not dare to care, his panic tightening around his breath as he looked back.
He and his younger brother—they were about to die.
What if they just stopped, and there was no more suffering?
He wasn't even sure if he and his younger brother could survive the next few days.
Lucas couldn't help thinking darkly, bracing for the worst.
Yet hearing his younger brother's painful cries gave him a sliver of courage.
He struggled to his feet, wincing at his injured leg, and helped his younger brother up.
Slinging him onto his back, Lucas pushed forward, weaving through scattered ruins.
He didn't stop running.
'Arnnttt...'
The mutant monster stopped and howled at the sky, frightening the birds nearby.
Lucas knew it was announcing its presence to the other infected.
"Brother… leave me… leave me behind… huhuhu!" Little Carlos murmured from Lucas's back, hoping his big brother could escape safely.
His little mind had decided he would become the monster's food as long as his older brother survived.
Even though little Carlos tried to be brave, his arms around Lucas's neck tightened, betraying his courage.
"No… Carlos… don't hug so tight…"
"Wahhh, brother… am I heavy? Leave me… ah, No—don't leave me alone. I don't want to become food for mutant monsters!"
"No… you're not." Lucas coaxed, trying to soothe him. "And, stop crying."
It was hard for Lucas to run with his clingy little brother making every step heavier.
Choo… choo!
The sound of a train announcing its arrival echoed across the entire area, reverberating through every ruined street and alley.
Both children's hope flickered in their little hearts, imagining adults with superpowers coming to save them.
Finally, they might be rescued.
Still, Lucas didn't dare slow down.
He couldn't fully trust the adults of this world.
As they braced for salvation, what appeared wasn't armed vehicles or adult heroes, but a shimmering mist opening before them.
From the sudden portal tearing through reality, two brightly colored pink train wagons burst forth, racing toward them with a thunderous CHOO-CHOO-CHOO!
That rattled the debris around them.
The mutant monster suddenly bounced back as it slammed against an invisible field just a few steps away from the two children.
Lucas and little Carlos looked up in an awe, silence hanging between them, as the train hovered before their eyes.
There were no metal railways beneath it, unlike the pictures in storybooks.
It floated two feet above the ground, clearly suspended on nothing at all.
A mechanical female voice echoed all around, crisp and clear, reaching both children's ears.
"Welcome, passengers! The Heavenly Train is here to serve you. Please board safely."
Thereafter , a glowing, floating step appeared before the entrance.
Its soft, ethereal light radiated as it hovered in perfect alignment with the sliding doors.
The doors slowly parted, revealing the sleek interior of a modern train.
"Brother… what's that?" Little Carlos whispered, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Train… a train… it's a train, Carlos," Lucas confirmed, trying to recall the picture books the old grandpa had shown him long ago.
He also remembered his little mother mentioning how she always took the train to work.
"Oh… it's like the toy I saw at the Base owner's son's place! Wow! A big toy! Brother, brother, can we go inside?" Little Carlos clung tighter to Lucas's back, practically bouncing with excitement.
The younger brother's brown eyes sparkled as he completely forgot about the mutant monster behind them, utterly captivated by the enormous "toy" before him.
Lucas didn't move.
He stood frozen, holding his younger brother on his back, hesitation written all over him.
He finally remembered the day the old grandpa had shown him a picture book from decades ago.
Train Transportation was once widely used by people all around the world.
Now, in this apocalyptic era, such things were long gone.
Why had it suddenly appeared here?
The train didn't look anything like the ones in the picture book, and there wasn't a single person inside.
Where had that voice come from?
Lucas remained suspicious and alarmed, staying on guard.
However, he could no longer bear the noise his younger brother was making on his back and glanced behind them.
The mutant monster seemed to be merely watching, unable to approach for some unknown reason.
Could the sudden appearance of this train be keeping it from attacking them?
Then he spotted one, and then two more mutant monsters approaching from different directions.
He bit his lower lip, took a deep breath, and decided to enter the train with his younger brother, who was still looking around in wonder.
Whatever this train was...whether they had somehow entered heaven or the Gods were saving them, it was better to go inside than risk becoming food for the mutant monsters.
"Brother, it smells so good!" Little Carlos hopped down and ran between the two connected wagons, exploring the train cars, with his older brother following behind.
No adults or other humans could be seen, only the two of them.
Lucas stayed on guard, keeping a careful watch on his younger brother as he moved about, alert to any possible danger.
They noticed how clean and pleasantly scented the entire train was, only the dirt they had tracked in from outside had left the floor slightly unclean.
Before they could explore further, the sliding doors suddenly signaled that they were closing, prompting Lucas to help his younger brother take a seat.
Both of them felt a mix of nervousness and curiosity.
"Dear Passengers, the next station is Wishing Stop Station. Please prepare your tickets! "
Lucas's eyes fell on the glowing cards in his little brother's hands, and he suddenly went silent, lost in thought.
He suddenly hugged his younger brother, who looked back at him with questioning eyes.
As the train began to move, it entered an open rift in reality.
The scenery outside shifted from the ruined landscape to a dark, grey sky.
Lucas and Little Carlos felt a sudden pang of fear, but they held onto each other tightly, silently wishing for safety, and that their growling stomachs would soon be filled.
The mutant monsters below had already been unable to follow, left behind as it searched in vain for the scent of the two children.
Meanwhile, Aria Vale Ashford had already changed her clothes for a stationmaster uniform and waited, ready for the train that would carry its first passengers.