Night Train

A large river fills the window frame, illuminated by silver starlight. The sound of the swirling water is not audible above the chuck, chuck, chuck of the train. But it is easy to imagine the sound. (no audio) The water ripples its way through the land. Gurgles over rocks and pebbles, flows around fallen tree trunks, and rushes down little waterfalls. (no audio) And there, the shimmering scales of a school of fish, a large sparkling spot under the surface of the river. The school swims for a while in the same direction as the train, then leaps out like a group of synchronized swimmers. Another leap and another, graceful as dolphins or mermaids. They follow the river as it runs into the open sea. Watching their journey is a comforting reminder that this river, like everything else in the world, is connected to something greater. (no audio) A large, still lake is visible outside the window. Its moonlit surface shines through and transforms the train compartment in a cool nighttime blue. The surface is so still it could be a pane of glass. The snowy mountains surrounding the lake are reflected in the water, doubling the picturesque alpine view. Two identically beautiful sceneries, one of them upside down. In the distance, something can be seen floating on the water. Is it a bird? No, it is the triangle of a small sail, a lone sailboat drifting on a midnight cruise, flowing with the water's gentle current. What would it be like to dive into the cool water, floating like a cork, gazing up at the stars, weightless? You would feel light as a feather, floating in a magical void where time stands still. Under the infinite black of the night sky, you might even think you're in outer space. A wide meadow of flowers is seen through the window, stretching in all directions and into the horizon. Hay bales lie scattered in the darkness, their silhouettes resembling the rounded backs of sleeping giants. The wild flowers cloaked in the evening's colors shimmer with tones of deep purple, dove gray, and Prussian blue. They're petals catch the night light here and there, reflecting the glow of distance stars. No wind blows here, yet the flowers appear to nod as the train passes, as if to say good night to the sleeping passengers aboard. The train chugs up the mountainside into a magical, snowy landscape, allowing passengers to experience all seasons in the span of just a few hours. The train sighs softly as it climbs, inviting you to sink even deeper into the soft velvet chair. In here, the cozy compartment of the sleeper car is as warm as a foxhole. On the inside, the window is slightly steamed up while outside a thick, white blanket of snow glistens in the silvery light. A crescent moon hangs high in the sky, watching the landscape below like a sleepy eye. The train climbs higher and higher, slowly and steadily into the...