Ambrosia

The train began to slow into a rest as Allison's tired eyes began to open. Rested on Jamie's shoulder, she yawned and rubbed her eyes. She turned her head to see Jamie was still asleep. His even breaths against her were calm, but rough. The shaking of the slowed train made it hard to stay comfortable while sitting still. She lifted herself off of him as she looked around. The entire cart was empty except for herself, Claire, and Jamie, who were all sound asleep still. There was no one else. A loud thud was heard on the Train suddenly, the high pitched screaming of the breaks scraping against the metal tracks echoing. Allison looked out to see that it was stopping in the middle of the tunnel.

"What's going on...?" she asked herself.

BANG!

Allison gasped as the entire train shook. She looked to Claire and then to Jamie, only to see that they were still fast asleep. She looked around herself when a sudden flash of pale past the window behind her. She turned quickly, to see nothing was there. Her face was going white and she was unsure if this was a dream or not. She felt her heart racing as her breaths began to grow heavier.

BANG!

Allison's eyes widened as she looked to where it was coming from. She listened closely to hear the singing of a faint voice.

"The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout," BANG! "Down came the rain and washed the spider out," BANG!

Allison continued to hear the singing as the slams against the cart came faster with each push. Finally, it was silent, the singing had stopped for a moment. Allison leaned in, getting a better listen to what was really going on.

"...And the itsy bitsy Allison went up the spout again."

Allison's fists clenched with panic as a pale face appeared in the window across from her.

"Hello, Allison Grays," he spoke. His eyes were behind blonde, choppy bangs, "How's life? Cut short?"

Allison immediately shook her head as she let out a loud scream. Jamie and Claire immediately awoken as they shook with confusion.

"What's going on!?" Jamie looked at her.

"It's talking! That Tantalus is talking!" Allison screamed.

Jamie's heart skipped a beat when she said this. Looking to the windows, he saw that there was no Tantalus in sight. Where did he go? Where did Tom go?

"...That bastard," Jamie shook his head, "He left!"

"W-who?" Allison asked.

"Tom, this guy on the train. He warned me this would happen."

"Warned you that what would happen?"

"...Tantalus... that can talk and control their emotions."

"That... can't be possible," Allison bit her lip, "Maybe I was just going crazy--"

"I didn't believe him at first either, but Tom seemed really nervous to be talking about it."

"...This is so confusing... how would a Tantalus get down here?!" Allison shook her head.

"I don't know, but he must be a smart one--"

BANG!

"Oh, Allison, are you scared?" the voice had returned.

Allison looked more uneasy, as though she was getting sick. Jamie looked at her and blinked.

"Is that the voice?" he asked.

Allison nodded.

Jamie turned around to where the voice had come from. He narrowed his eyes as he clenched his fists, "...Jason?" he spoke quietly.

"Aw, you know my name! I'm touched!"

Jamie's heart skipped a beat again. He shook his head, trying to deny that it was him.

"So, if you know who I am, do you know what I want?"

Jamie stayed quiet as he looked to Allison.

"Do you?" he taunted.

"...Allison..." Jamie's voice cracked.

"That's right," Jason sang.

Allison started crying as she looked around. No one seemed to notice that Claire was gone. Jamie pressed his hand against his forehead as he looked at Allison, who started to cry loudly. She was confused and full of an antagonizing fear as tears spilled from her eyes. Jamie couldn't bare watch her cry. He knew she had no idea what Jason wanted from her. If she did, it would only make the situation worse.

"Allie, Allie, Allie!" Jason sung more, "Why so upset?"

"What do you want!?" Allison screamed at his voice.

"Sweetie, I want you!" he laughed.

"Leave her alone," Jamie's voice lowered.

"Why? This is so much fun!"

"Leave. Her. Alone!"

It went silent for a long moment before he spoke once more, "Why don't you make me...?"

Jamie was full of rage when he heard this, "Leave the damn girl alone!"

"Angry, are you? It fuels you, doesn't it?"

"Shut up," Jamie clenched his fists.

"Jamie Fuller... my, my, don't try acting like the hero now, we all know how you used to be!"

"What would you know..."

"You used to be that troublesome kid who got a rebellious image from the law. Oh how your parents tried to help you--"

"Shut up..."

"'Oh, Jamie, we love you! Let us help!' but you only shook them away. Soon they only saw you as a disappointment. And you know what you told them?"

Jamie gripped his head more, "I said shut up!"

Jason's face then appeared in the window, smirking, "You told them to die. You know, I did you a favor last year. You wanted them dead, so I did something better. I infected them. Though it was a shame they didn't make it. Hospital got to them too quickly."

"SHUT UP!" Jamie screamed again as he ran forward, as if going to slam into the window, "YOU KILLED MY PARENTS! IT'S YOUR FAULT!"

"Hold it!" Tom suddenly jumped in with Claire next to him from the cart entrance. They held machine guns and pointed them towards the windows.

"Jamie, back up!" Claire hollered.

Jamie immediately jumped back as Jason glared at them.

"Get out of here, Jason, before we shoot," Tom spoke coldly.

"Why let him live1? He's a dangerous Tantalus!" Jamie breathed in quickly.

"He's still a human! Life is still sacred!" Tom looked at him, "I don't kill unless it's necessary!"

"He's a dangerous Tantalus--trying to kill Allison!"

"W-what?" Allison whimpered more through the tears, "What's going on!?"

"Allison, please, calm down," Jamie looked over at her sympathetically, almost reaching out to her.

"Whether he wants her dead or not, he's still human," Tom closed his eyes for a moment. They all looked back to the window to see that he was gone. The train had started moving again, so he might of stayed still.

"I told the engineer to start the train after I left. I saw Claire running forward to warn others who brought her back with me."

Claire nodded, "I assumed there was more Tantalus with him..."

Allison who stopped crying, but continued to stream tears looked to Claire, puzzled, yet relieved.

"...Allison, what's wrong?" Claire's eyes widened.

"...Claire... Jason might of taunted her," Tom blinked.

"No, Allie, come on, don't believe what Jason says!"

"He wants me dead, Claire! I don't know why, but he's trying to kill me!" Allison cried more. Jamie was almost weakened now as he slowly walked towards her, wrapping his arms around her, trying to comfort her.

"Allison, just calm down, he's gone now..." Jamie whispered into her ear.

"I don't want to die! I can't die yet! I need to cure Ambrosia!" She then sucked in, "And this means you'll get hurt too!"

"How?” Jamie asked.

"If he's after me, he'll be after my friends and family, too! You guys are all in danger for staying with me!" she tried to deny it, but knew it was true.

"No, Allison, we want to be here," Claire walked up, hugging the two of them.

Allison held onto them tightly, almost gasping for air through the tears. She was obviously scared for her life and of her friends' lives. Tom, who didn't know how to act decided to stay by the door, watching awkwardly, looking down every once in a while.

There was still a lot of time to pass.