The dream carriage

I was on my way to the train terminal with much confidence. You must have seen all of you the tempting advertisement about the innovations of the new first class carriages; plush seats, a rich bar with any drink you may wish to have, pretty stewardesses; but that luxury is nothing compared with the dream carriage, it's the utmost desirable entertainment and pleasure.
Is it my opinion? No, not at all! I haven't had the pleasure yet of riding in this carriage that's simply what was written in the poster. I couldn't stand the temptation and I've bought a dream carriage riding ticket.

The train terminal was not crowded and passengers did not huddle around the ticket cash boxes to my amazement; and despite the wide publicity I haven't seen many passengers on the platform. The train was already there with its doors wide open; its passengers must have boarded it and settled in their seats in the carriages. While walking along the platform that was desolate all of a sudden I've noticed my destination, it was the very last carriage, which was taller than the rest. No one welcomed me and no one checked my ticket. I crossed the door and entered the first floor that was in fact the train's first class carriage. A staircase led to a second floor and colorful exciting sign was stuck above its threshold:
"Welcome to the dream carriage." 

It was indeed a very exciting moment but I'd no one to share it with me. I climbed the stairs thoughtful with hardly any physical effort, as if I was floating on a cloud. This very start encouraged me very much. I haven't wasted my money I thought satisfied, as the ticket's fare wasn't cheap at all.
I've hardly crossed the threshold and I was immediately disappointed. I've expected a much more luxurious sight, different from all I've ever seen before. The dream carriage interior in my first glance looked like an ordinary train carriage, with seats on both the aisle sides.
Maybe I'd better descend to the first class carriage, I thought looking behind me, to see whether some other passengers are about to join me on that virgin ride of mine.
Only then I've noticed some kind of a control panel yellow and elongated at the height of my face. It was fixed on the left wall at the entrance of the carriage. A vertical line of buttons five all in all were on it, looking like some beer bottles' caps, and near each one of them was a caption, an alighting explanation.
As I approached that panel I felt a kind of a light electric current, a laser beam was reading my thoughts and all the panel captions started to blink. It was in fact a touching screen and the buttons served as an advertisement to some unknown brand of beer something like Dreamnic, Anyway at the first button I was asked to touch it to identify myself. So that's why no one welcomed me, and without touching it I won't be able to enter the dream carriage. The second is supposed to display the personalities that I adore, so be it. The third one ensured a special atmosphere while the fourth one activated background music. The fifth one seemed suspicious to me, I didn't think I'll touch it.

I touched the second one and two figures popped up each one in a different double seat, at some distance from each other. The nearest to me sat next the carriage window, the farthest sat near the aisle, touching the third turned the carriage into a real plush one; or was it some sort of a colorful and transparent cloud that filled it and did not stop to swirl. I've forgotten all about the background music, so confused and embarrassed I was. I sent my hand forth to try and touch this cloud to feel its humid vapors, I didn't feel a thing thus there was no need to worry. I moved slowly towards the first figure the one next the window and I looked curiously at her nape. I reached her and sat besides her looking at her face. I didn't recognize her and I've never seen her before. She did have exquisite features typical to a plastic doll no doubt, but I didn't dare to touch her to verify if I'm right.
'Didn't you miss me?' She turned and asked me with an alluring smile that increased her vitality, as if she was a living creature.
'What,' I said with my mouth agape so astounded I was. 'You're not supposed to talk…'

'Do you prefer that I'll keep my mouth shut and we would talk with our hands?' She asked putting her plastic hand on my thigh.
I leaned over to her and sent my hand to embrace her farthest shoulder…
I've almost fell out of my bed! I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall opposite my bed, the time was six am. Well I can sleep another hour at least and return to the dream carriage.

© Haim Kadman 2013 – all rights reserved.