Sublime Station

10:00 pm - Sublime Station

Tonight is the night, at least, I wish it wasn’t. 

Tonight is the night I start at Sublime Station. The very station I spent the long hours with friends during high school. The very station where all my answers lie.

Connecting the two cities, Sublime Station sat on the edge of town. Home to drifters, drivers, and degenerate teens. Not the Vanity Fair ‘Place to be’.

The bell rang as I stepped through the doorway. Blinding fluorescent light filled the already suffocating room. Sublime Station was empty. Though no person was present, a formidable presence lurked over my shoulder.

Looking left, looking right. No one was there.

A small whisper escaped my breath, “Where are you?”

“Right here.”

My snaps back. Before me stands a lengthy man. Judging from the name tag dangling off, he is the manager.

“Rick,” he extends his hand. “Derek, right?”

“Yes.” I quip. 

He stands oddly close. Brown eyes, oily hair, and Sublime Station hot dogs for lunch I presume. Practically sharing the same air. Our hand shake has well expired, yet he continues to reminisce in this moment. 

“So…” I mutter.

“Right, ya.-” He removes his hand, and rubs them on his pants. 

Were my hands sweaty? How could they be sweaty? Does he know? He can’t possibly-

“-This way.” 

I follow Rick through the aisles. In desperate need of reorganizing. Doritos spilling onto the floor. Empty rows of candy. Cases of beer sitting outside of the cooler. 

But…that is not the focus. The mission is clear. I must stay on track.

“Here we are,” Rick opens the back room. “This is the manager's office, or honestly for whoever is on duty, I guess.” 

The room is a small 10x10 with a wall of security monitors. One computer connecting the screens. A desk that stretched the whole wall with drawers and a small safe tucked underneath the table. A small table fills the back right corner underneath the cork board. “Keep An Eye Out” read the top of the wall with a series of images of screenshotted camera footage. Wanted for past crimes I presume. An image tucked between security photos shows an arm with a tattoo. The tattoo.

My gaze fixates back on Rick.

To my guess Rick is about 30. If it weren’t for the cigarette smoke engulfing him, he would look his age. No tattoos present on his forearms. 

He is not the guy. 

“Great.” I mutter to break the silence.

“Man of few words…they would love ya here.” he mutters under his breath sitting in the chair. 

“This is the main security computer. The log in is already saved, but if you need it its on the sticky note in the top drawer here,” he opens the top right drawer. Random thrinkets, old pens, and a singular half eaten candy bar. Through it all, a bright pink sticky note.

Security Log In:

User: Sublime

Pass: 125Station$#

With the ink smudged, and doctor handwriting, it was barely legible.

Rick proceeds to click through the camera views. Footage spanning the entire parking lot and street view. Amazing. The register camera picks up blurry blobs, but its enough. 

I only need enough. 

10:27 pm - Sublime Station

I was finally alone. 

Before he left, Rick walked me throughout the station. Where to find the cleaning products, items to restock, security protocol, and where he likes to dip out for a smoke break. 

I recognize the corner, I was a frequent visitor. Maggie and I used to escape here. Our fortress of solitude we’d like to call it. The pavement still had our initials carved in. 

Focus. I must focus. 

I sit behind the counter. The ideal view. A shot of through all the glass windows that surround the walls. No one in sight.

Yet, the feeling doesn’t escape me. Unsetting feeling like I am being watched. 

This is my moment. 

I turn towards the manager's office, when the bell rings.

The door swings open. An older gentle man walks in. 

Tall, bald, burly, and head to toe in black leather. Heavy steps echo the station as he walks towards the counter. 

“Pack of Marlboro lights.” he grunts out. Reaching for his wallet, I notice his leather sleeves. 

I can’t tell from here. How am I supposed to know?

My eyes focus up towards his neck. A large cross tattoo covers the right side of this neck. Partially covered from his greyed out beard. 

“Cool tattoo,” I motion to my neck while ringing him up, “did it hurt?”

Staring me down, he slowly and reluctantly hands me cash. 

“Yes.” A moment passes.

“Do-Do you have any other ones?” I mutter out as I reach out with his change and cigs. 

Snatching them from my hand, he stomps off. 

“This is gonna be a long night.” I mutter to myself

1:47 am - Sublime Station

Time passed by as small crowds came and went.

Families passing through from the highway. 

Neighborhood drifters dropping in and out for their usual cigs. 

A brunette woman in a red dress buying a bottle of wine.

High schoolers buying a series of chips, sugary drinks, and attempting to hide the fact that beer-like shaped can hug their jacket pocket. 

I don’t care, I don’t actually work here. At least not until I get what I need. 

The time has finally come. I break it towards the manager's office before another interruption.

Tonight is the night I find the truth. Tonight is the night I find Maggie.

2:09 am - Sublime Station

“September 19th. Come on, September 19th..” I mutter under my breath as I take a seat and rummage through the footage. 

May 20th, to July 15th, to Aug 30th. 

Almost there.

September 19th. 

A chill enters my body. As if seeing a ghost. 

The footage shows the obstructed view behind the register. A woman matching Maggie’s description walks into the Station. Entering alone, she was last seen wearing a tan trench coat. It was storming the night she disappeared. 

We never found out what brought her out here to Sublime. She was supposed to meet me at the school parking lot after her theatre rehearsal and never showed up. I waited for hours. After the pit of fear filled my stomach, I called her parents who set out a missing persons report. Shocker to find out that the police did nothing to find her. 

“Degerenate teen ran away from home” read the headlines. I hated seeing them drag her name. Our town was already small enough that headlines like that would only add fuel to the light flames burning in my chest. Even her parents believed it. “She was always sneaking out,” they said. Sneaking out for me to take her to rehearsals. 

For me to take her to costume fittings. 

For me to run lines with her before her big shows. 

Her future was bright on the stage, but that light did not shine towards her parents. They wished for more out of her that she did not possess.

“Maggie” a whisper leaves my mouth seeing her. 

She was seen walking through the station. Weaving through the candy aisle, picking up a pack of sour patch kids. Circling to grab two diet cokes and making her way towards the register. 

The infamous register image. 

The police had an image circulating at the start of their investigation of the obscured register camera. It showed blurry blobs focused on the counter. The image showed a man with a snake tattoo on his forearm. They had reason to believe he was involved until the rumor spread that she ran away. I always believed, I still believe.

I zoom in on the footage. Maggie hands cash to the clerk. Then, the man appears. 

A gasp escapes my breath. This was not in the police report.

The man stood next to Maggie over her shoulder. He reaches cash to the clerk. Presumably paying for her. As he extends his hand, the tattoo is present. How could the police not dig into this? 

Maggie turns to the man, talks to him, and leaves with him. 

“Where are you going!” I yell hoping she can hear me. 

I change the view to the parking lot and near the pumps, a clearer image. She is laughing with him. Laughing. Why is she laughing with him?

She enters into a car parked at the pump. This is not her car, nor the car she entered with. Its a black sedan. No stickers or obvious markings. 

“Who is that?” my eyes peel to the person resting upon the car at the pump. A third person. 

“Wait, is that?” The figure turns around to show a brunette woman. The same women from earlier buying wine. 

My heart dropped and pushed away from the desk. 

“How could this be? She ran away!” 

I spent three months looking for her. I asked everyone she knew, everyone in town. For this, for her to leave on her own. 

A bell echoes through the office. Someone is here. 

Frozen in place, I turn my head back to the screens.

“Oh my god.” fear stuck me still. 

The brunette woman in the red dress stood in the station, staring at the camera. 

What do I do? Do I go out there? Do I call the police? 

My mind a mile a minute. Before I can decide, she decides for me. She motions her hands guiding me to come out front. 

Slowly. I walk to the front. Mad. Scared. Angry. Confused. I felt it all rush through my veins. After walking through the hallway, I reached the front. 

“Hello Derek” she spoke sharply.

“Where is she?”

“No bullshit, I like it”

“That doesn’t answer my questions” I bite out.

“You're right, it doesn’t… Come with me” she turns to exit the station. 

“No!” I stood, “Answer me! Where is Maggie!” 

Tonight is the night, tonight I get the answers I have been looking for.

“Outside” her voice trails as she exits the door.

In almost an instant I push through the doors behind her. Only, Maggie was not outside. A black sedan parked in front of the station. The man from the footage in the driver seat. 

“Get in the car” she snaps.

“But, Maggie?”

“I don’t ask twice” mystery lady walks to open the car door. 

Leaving me no choice. I hop in the car. 

2:15 am - Sublime Station

“Hey Derek”

“Mags?” I couldn’t believe my eyes. Months of searching, questions, investigating and she was right here. In front of me. I wrap my arms around her and take her in. Just as warm as I remember. My arms engulf her and bury my head within her neck. 

“I missed you” I whisper.

“I missed you too. That's why I am here”

I froze. Memories of the last hour rush through my head. September 19th. Sublime Station. Maggie willingly leaving. 

“I needed to see you Derek”

I push off of her in disbelief. Who is this person before me?

“I-I want you to come with me. With us?” A smile forms on her face, anxious for my response. 

“Mags?”

“They showed me a way out. The world!” Maggie said with her glassy eyes. She is different, but I can’t place it. It's like she is there, but not all there.

“Mags?”

“Please listen. Dorine and Anthony came to one of my plays. You remember, the one with the witch. Well, they saw something in me. Something I didn’t even see in myself. ‘Real talent’ they said! Can you believe it! They said they knew someone that could get me out of here. An actual agent Derek! It's everything we talked about!”

She was manic. Hands in the air, eyes a mile a minute. She wasn’t Mags. 

“Mags?”

“Derek, listen. It's everything we talked about. I couldn’t do this without you. Let's go, the car is gassed up and we can leave tonight!”

“What were you doing all these months” I spoke so softly it nearly came out a whisper. 

“We have to go” Anthony said. “Maggie!”

“Wait, Hold on” she quips at him, “Derek, come on. Lets go”

“Maggie! Where were you!” 

“I- I was with Dorine and Anthony!” she lets out, “I already told you!”

“WHY! You didn’t tell me why! Why stay all these months-”

“-Maggie! We are going!” Anthony persists.

“Hold on! I almost got him!” Maggie lets out.

My blood cooled. Almost got him, why did she have to get me. Why did they have to get from me? What did they need me for?

“Derek, sweetie. You need to come with me. Dorine knows you have been looking for me, and I- we can’t have that” her voice stills to an eerie calm “I can’t have people knowing where I am at”

“Knowing where you are at,” my eyes fixate on Dorine and Anthony, “or knowing who it was who took you.”

“Quite him up! We agreed you can bring him, but not if this keeps going!” Anthony barks from the front.

“Derek, you don’t understand! They saved me!” Maggie pleads.

“That’s it, its over.” Anthony reaches for something in the glove box. A gun. Nerves shot through my system. I don’t know what took over me, but I lunged forward and grabbed his arm with the gun. Anthony tightens his grip and pulls the trigger mid struggle.

Bang

Everyone stills. My eyes turn towards Dorine in the passenger seat. A small cough escapes her lips as blood pours out. 

“Baby!-” Anthony turns red as he aims the gun towards the backseat, “You motherfucker-”

Bang

The back windshield shatters and I make a dash escaping the backseat. I ran inside and towards the manager's office. I lock the door and scope out the room.

“Think, think. Fuck, what did Rick say”

Piecing together the events of tonight, I try and remember the warnings Rick gave. 

If ever a robbery, a shotgun lies in the safe.

Casing the room for the safe, I crouch down to investigate the lock. 

“Fuck, whats the code” I turn my head up towards the desk to open the drawer, when something catches my attention. Anthony and Maggie entering the store..

No time to waste. I open the drawer and riffle through the junk. Random trinkets, old pens, and a singular half eaten candy bar. And the bright pink sticky note. But where is the safe code? This is only the security login. I riffle through the drawer once more, nothing. 

All hope is lost. 

“Fuck!”I throw the desk items on the ground. The pink sticky note flies to the ground, ever so slowly. Landing upside down. Revealing an inscription on the back. 

The safe code.

I quickly grab the code and open the safe. A shotgun.

I have only shot once with my dad. Granted I wasn’t paying attention, but there is no time like the present. I quickly load the weapon with the few shells in the safe, then check the camera. There is nowhere to be found.

Bang

The door holding the manager's office shoots out. I ran to hide under the table. The door opens up with Anthony slowly entering the room. I poke the gun out from the table. Just enough. All I need is enough.

Bang.

Anthony falls to the ground. The blood sprays off his back and onto the floor. His squish movement slowly came to a halt. I kicked the gun that remained in his hand away.

“Derek…What did you do?” Maggie stands in the doorway. I can’t read her face. Is she sad over his death?

“Maggie, they are not good people. They were lying to you!” I run towards her and grab her by the shoulders. “Maggie I love you--”

The air in my lungs struggles to breathe as a pinch hits my chest. I look down to find Maggie holding a knife in my chest.

My eyes meet back up at Maggie’s. Pools filled her eyes. 

“Mags..”

“Why Derek.. Why did you look for me” she whispers.

My body hangs heavy on the knife until it falls to the ground. 

Tonight was the night. The night I learned the truth. The truth behind Sublime Station.