As the vision faded from Akatta’s mind, her sense of peace and security was shattered in an instant. In one second she was reliving a pleasant memory of her youth and in the next she was cast into the unknown. Opening her eyes, she desperately looked around her surroundings for a trace of the familiar. She was on some kind of train, but no train like she had ever rode before. Everyone around her was dressed in strange clothing, and to her shock she discovered that she was as well. Her jeans and windbreaker were replaced by an oddly fitting dress with long sleeves, a high collar and a full ruffled skirt. It was like something out of one of the paintings of old women who attended church with her mummo.

For the first few seconds she thought this was another vision or dream but then she quickly realized she was only seeing it with her good eye. She always dreamed with normal vision, like from before the accident. To her terror, she understood in some bizarre way this must be actually happening. How was this possible? Her breathing began to quicken and she felt the panic rising up inside. Where was she? What was going on? She reached out for something solid and felt the arm of her seat on one side but warm flesh on the other. Looking over she saw the gymnast from the Olympics. “Oh, my God, Grace. What is going on?” She clutched the other woman’s arm with an iron grip, trying to ground herself, trying to find reality in the midst of all this chaos.

The train whistle sounded, and in her head it was like an alarm. A warning that life had gone off track. She was floating adrift, untethered and alone. She grasped Grace’s arm like a lifeline, like it was the only thing that could save her and pull her back to sanity. Akatta began muttering under her breath in Finnish, “Pelastaa minut tästä kauhu . Tuo minulle turvallisesti kotiin.”

Akatta felt bands for tension squeezing her chests. She could not breathe, she could not think. Tears overflowed her eyes and ran down her cheeks, blurring her vision as she looked to the seat across from her, at the Japanese: an Indian man sitting there would confused looks on their faces. They were all here, the group that had shared the pretzel in the hospitality tent. Those from the Olympics. That place that seemed so far away now, so foreign, so unreachable in the reality that was not reality.

Awan opened his eyes groggily as he rightened from his uncomfortably slumped position. The light streamed onto his face from the window next to him, causing his head to ache. ‘I must have had a little bit too much to drink last night.’ Awan thought to himself as he slowly became more aware of his surroundings. The soft clacking of a train moving along a track, scenery passing by outside of the window, the small passenger room he found himself in……the hat on his head. Something definitely didn’t feel right.

He heard a woman across from him exclaim. “Oh, my God, Grace. What is going on?” Awan sat up straighter, eyes now wide open. He recognized the three women sitting around him as the women he met at the opening ceremonies last night. Last night? It felt like just a moment ago…when did he get here?

He heard the woman muttering in Finnish as his heart began to start pumping at a faster rate. “What…What’s going on? What did we do last night? Where are we going? I’m gonna’ be late for my first day for my internship!” Questions and exclamations spilled out of Awan uncontrollably as he tried his best to gather what was currently happening and why he was on a train wearing someone else’s clothes. He began to stand up just as the train jostled slightly, making him stumble backward back into his chair.

Awan attempted to stand up again. “I… I’ve gotta’ get back to Tokyo.” He looked at the other three, his expression visibly one of panic, and stumbled to the door. He grabbed on to either side of the door frame with shaky hands and peaked out into the hallway of the passenger car. “Excuse me?!” He yelled out.

Lilly opened her eyes with a start, the details of the borrowed memory quickly fading, but leaving her with a general sense of love, warmth, and a strangely pleasant sadness. She quickly took in her surroundings. A train in motion. Everyone, including herself, dressed in old-fashioned clothes. Not very comfortable clothes, in her case anyway. She sat next to the American man from the hospitality tent, and she saw the two women she had shared her pretzel with sitting across from them.

This was strange. How could she have gotten here? She looked down at her hands. No longer the old hands from the memory, these were her real hands. This was no vision. This was happening, unlikely as it seemed.

Well, no sense in fighting the obvious. Lilly often found herself in situations where she felt in over her head. The best response to a strange situation was usually to pretend she knew what she was doing until she actually figured it out.

Lilly took stock of the situation. The blond across the way was having some sort of emotional break down. Her seat partner had frantically called to the train attendant, who was now leaning over them both, looking increasingly concerned.

Lilly was not sure what was going on, but the commotion her new friends were making was probably not going to help. Lilly didn’t know where she was or she she got there, but no one would believe that she had just been in the memories of an old woman a moment ago, and in Tokyo moments before that. The only possible way forward was to adapt to the situation and learn as much as she could.

Lilly smiled warmly at the man who had arrived. “Forgive him,” she said, trying to sound calm and confident. “He is just concerned about our companion. Traveling can be very difficult on her nerves. Could we trouble you for a glass of water?”

Awan looked back at his Japanese acquaintance with a confused expression. “Glass of water? I think we need a little more than that.” Having somewhat accepted his current circumstances, Awan took a deep breath after hearing the concerned tone of the attendant.

“Okay okay, sorry. A glass of water might not be a bad idea….But can you tell us exactly how far away we are from Tokyo?” He asked George as sincerely as he could in his current state. “I kinda’ have somewhere I’m supposed to be, and I’m pretty sure I’m gonna’ be late. What train is this exactly?”

He looked back at his traveling companions, giving a little shrug as if to ask if anyone else was looking for the same answers he was.

Akatta turned her head to see the Native American man who had joined them in the hospitality tent in Tokyo, speaking to a man in some kind of uniform. She deduced he must be some sort of attendant or conductor. At the mention of a glass of water, Akatta piped up, “Yes, a glass of water would be great. Thank you”. She realized her accent had come out a little heavy. That tended to happen when she was stressed. She wiped her eyes with her free hand and tried to pull it together. She still firmly held on to Grace’s hand with her other to provide some sense of stability.

“Where did you say we were again, Missouri, Springfield?” She addressed the conductor. All the American names were jumbled up in her head. She had been to Yankton for a World Cup archery event years ago but she didn’t think that was near Missouri. She needed to focus. She needed to be strong. This wasn’t the accident she reminded herself. She could do this.

As her new friends talked to the train porter, Lilly reflected on their situation. Despite her demeanor of confidence, she felt unsure. It wasn’t the bizarre situation in which she found herself – Lilly had played out enough adventures and fantasies in books, games, and daydreams that she felt able to roll with the punches on this one. She had been able to play the part and hopefully avoid the suspicion of the train porter. It was her standing with her companions that had her worried. The other two women had obviously clicked with each other so quickly. As they shared the pretzel and enjoyed drinks, Lilly couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe they would have preferred to be alone. Lilly couldn’t help but feel a little hurt that it had been Grace’s arm that Akatta had grabbed when things started to happen, not hers. Even in the strange clothes, the other three looked like they fit into the scene, while Lilly felt like she stuck out. She definitely didn’t see anyone else who looked Japanese. Surely everyone else on this train could tell that she did not belong here.