Tranquility Inn

Tranquility Inn

I was tired. I was growing impatient. What’s more, my wrench slipped from my hand and landed on my large right toe. I let out an involuntary scream of agony. It took a great deal of restraint not to curse and hiss out in sheer frustration.

Of all places, why should my (until now!) trustworthy car get a flat? Why should I find that the wheel nuts were rusted solid in position and when I eventually did get them loose, why should they slip from my fingers and go rolling down the slope and be lost for ever? But why?

Just my darned luck as it were, it began to drizzle! I threw the wrench into the boot of the car in disgust and wiped the sweat off my brow on my sleeve. I jumped back into the driver’s seat hoping that the rain would pass as just a drizzle and I could get to my labours of fixing the flat and be on my way again.

The clouds grew thicker and the rain began to increase steadily; the drops became larger and the noise of them thudding on my car’s bonnet was like Hercules pounding on my head mistaking it for one of the Hydra’s own! I certainly would have preferred the sledge-hammer.

I waited. And hoped. The digital clock display on the dashboard said 7:30 PM. It was growing dark. I tried the FM tuner in the car. Static. I fiddled with the tuner this way and that. More static! I began to think of all the improbable reasons for me to be having such a miserable day. Here I was in the middle of nowhere, caught in an unseasonal downpour and with a flat and a wheel that could not be removed! And it was going to be night soon. I did not want to be in such an uncomfortable and potentially risky situation. For who knew what fell creatures and luck the night would bring?

Eventually I must have dozed off, for if you allow it, the pitter-patter of falling rain coupled with sheer boredom and helplessness can actually lull you to sleep.

* * *

The incessant knock on the window glass upon which my head was resting woke me up with a start. I squinted to clear my vision. What new twist of the foulest luck was this? The digital clock read 8:05 PM. I realized it was still raining; a steady downpour. I looked at the source of the knocking again. It was a hooded figure. Just a few metres away, I saw two round sources of light, which must have been a car’s headlights, refracted into a million diamond fragments by the rivulets of rain streaming down my window.

I rolled the window down slightly. I saw a man wearing a raincoat with a hood to protect his head.

“Are you having any trouble?”, he said.

“I have a flat and I lost the wheel nuts and it is raining. I am tired and hungry. Yes, I am in trouble.” Where were my manners?!

“I can see that too. I might be able to help. I live around these parts. Lucky for you that I was held up at work. Most days I am home long before this time!”

I made amends quickly. “Thank you kindly. My name is Steve. What’s yours?”

“They call me Sam. Station Master Sam. Pick up your keys and come with me if you will. I have my car right here and I know a lovely little cottage inn where you can have a nice cuppa and get your spirits back. We can take care of the car in the morning.”

I thought for a moment. The rain did not look like abating. There was no way I was going to get to London that night. “That would be very nice thank you. How far is this place?”

“Not far from here. A mile and half at most.”

So, there I was feeling all good again that a saviour had come to my rescue. Things were going to be OK after all! I picked up my keys, turned up the window and stepped out in the rain. Sam was holding up an unfurled umbrella. I have no idea where he produced that from, for I had not noticed him holding one - furled or unfurled, until then. At any rate, things were beginning to look better and so with a small glow of warmth beginning to spark in my heart, I set off with Sam in his car.

The car jolted along on the uneven road and its headlights played a medley of its own on the road. The rain had reached the proportions of a deluge by now and progress was slow, but steady. I was beginning to feel slightly better and tried making conversation.

“So you are the station master, eh?”

“Yeah.”

“Get many trains coming to this town? By the way, what is this town called? Is this even a town?”

Sam smiled at me and looked ahead at the road again. “My friend, you are in Tranquil Vale. We get one passenger train every day that brings a few tourists and some supplies. It used to be an every day regular service but lately the visiting tourists have dwindled a bit. I guess it is just a small out-of-the-way spot that not too many care for.”

“That is a nice name for a town! I bet it must be peaceful here. Tranquil, eh?” I did not think the pounding rain was helping the town live up to its name just at that moment!

“You bet. I wouldn’t go away from here for anything.” Sam smiled and concentrated on keeping the car on a straight line, at least as straight as he could manage.

In just a little while, we could see the faint glow of yellow in the distance. Gradually it grew in size and intensity until we were almost next to it and stopped. Sam shut off the engine and we stepped out and quickly ran into the entrance of the Inn. I could not see anything on the outside because of the darkness and the thick blanket of rain. However the yellow lantern hanging in the middle of what must have been the porch of the Inn was welcoming indeed.

As we walked in, a rather portly looking fellow with a cherubic face hustled towards us. I had a colourful apron around him, which I thought he had last removed during the war!

“Sam, what brings you here at this time of the night? And in this rain too? I see you have brought a friend. Let me take your raincoat off.”

“Hello Parker, it is a horrible night out there. Not one to be out in. The train came in today with supplies and was late, you see and so I got held up at the station. On my way back home, I found this gentleman here needing a spot of assistance. His car is broken down.”

“Ah, so! You did the right thing Sam. Good on you. We can get Kenny to look at the car in the morning and he will set her right in no time at all. Kenny is a whiz with motors see!”

Parker led us in and left us with some fresh towels so we could dry ourselves. The raincoat and the umbrella really had not done much to keep us dry, in spite of us having spent only just a few moments out in the rain jumping in and out of cars. There was a crackling fire in the hearth and a general warmth in the room that felt comfortable. As we toweled ourselves dry, Parker appeared again.

“Good Sir, would you like a hot cup of tea? Or coffee perhaps? Would you prefer it with a dash of brandy, as a lift-me-upper?”

“My name is Steve. I will have the coffee Parker but lay off the brandy. I have stayed away from it since a long time. Do you reckon we could get a spot of something to eat? I just realized, I am awfully hungry! I know it is late…”

“No worries Steve, Sir! Ingrid and I will be happy to organize a simple supper in no time.”

Parker brought us our coffees quickly and vanished for the second time in few minutes, leaving Sam and I sitting in the cozy front room of the inn.

For the first time that evening I had the chance to actually look clearly at my saviour. Sam was middle-aged. He seemed generally at ease with himself and those around him. It was an easy guess that he definitely knew everyone in Tranquil Vale and that everyone in Tranquil Vale knew Station Master Sam. He had a perpetual smile on his face, not the kind that is forced and looks quite out of place like overdone makeup, but a genuine one etched into the lines of his face. He was of average height and his frame was neither too lean nor too stocky. Having hung up his raincoat and hat and umbrella, he was dressed rather simply but neat. In all he seemed the quintessential warm, small town gentleman.

Sam sat there on his sofa sipping his cup of hot cappuccino, his eyes almost closed. He must be tired after a long day at the station, I thought. I was tired myself. Oh how I longed for a nice supper. Something simple but hot and served with love would fill my stomach and sooth my aching mind and rid me of my troubles at least for the night. A good night’s sleep and I would be game to take on my car in the morning. For some reason I thought I would love to have simple porridge or some soup! Ah, I thought, how the mind plays tricks on you!

I looked around the room. The fire was still burning quite vigorously in the hearth. There was a nice ornate little engraved clock on the mantle over the hearth. Lovely paintings of rustic scenes adorned the wall above the fireplace and also the sides over the sofas on either side of the hearth. There was a lady buying fruit at a Sunday market stall, a general crowd at a fair, children playing in the muddy banks of the creek – all scenes from the town. The pictures might have been rather old but were incredibly well done by the artist. The whole room oozed happiness and contentment.

I was contemplating whether it was the coffee or the ambience in the room that was making me feel quite cozy and comfortable. I had nearly forgotten how much of a foul mood I had been not so long ago. Just then Parker returned to announce supper. Sam woke up, “I must have dozed off!”

Parker led us to the adjoining dining room. There was a nice old mahogany dining table with six chairs around it. A veritable feast was laid out on the table. The aroma that wafted towards me as I went into the room was heavenly. Ingrid came out from an adjoining corridor from what I presumed would have been the kitchen with a covered dish and set it in the middle of the table. “Dessert,” she announced plainly. We all sat down to eat, Parker and Ingrid joining Sam and I after a little bit of cajoling from our part.

It was a feast fit for a king and I ate like there was no tomorrow. Three courses and dessert later, I was feeling positively cheerful. Ingrid led me upstairs to my room for the night. I found myself in a petite and cozy room. The bed was warm and inviting. I fell into it and in no time at all was fast asleep, all the troubles of the day forgotten. I remember dreaming of angels tucking me in, in a bed of feathers and singing me a lilting lullaby. That is all that I can remember, for I must have slept soundly indeed.

* * *

I woke up refreshed in the morning, stretched myself and pulled the bedroom window drapes apart. The rain had gone and the sun was out shining from a clear blue sky dotted with a few tiny white fluffs. I quickly dressed and came down only to find no one around! No Ingrid, no Parker, no Sam. What had happened to Sam?

I looked in the kitchen. Sure enough there were the dishes from last night's supper in the sink waiting to be cleaned and some left-overs on the counter. I walked into the dining room where we had had supper last night. I found the table not cleared away, which was surprising. Our plates were still at our places at the table with dried bits of food on them. I was now sure that at least last night was not a figment of my imagination; it had actually happened. I was beginning to get more and more puzzled. I went out to the front. That is when I noticed for the first time a nicely done wooden sign in the front of the inn with a sketch drawing of a beautiful valley between undulating hills with the words “Tranquility Inn” in the middle.

I walked around the Inn and looked around. The soft warmth of the morning sun was pleasant and a gentle breeze was rustling the leaves of the woods around. The cottage itself though looked quite run-down. There was considerable overgrowth around the building and the paint had all but faded away. It was as if no one had been there for a while. I would not have noticed all this in the dark and the rain last night. There was no Sunday market here anymore, nor any children playing at a fair.

I noticed a garage next to the main building itself and walked towards it. I found the door slightly ajar. I tried to push it open but was surprised by the effort it took, for the door was rusted in its hinges and creaked loudly as it gave under my forceful pushing. I looked inside. There was a mustiness in the air within. I flicked the switch at the door but no light bulb came on. As I moved in cautiously, a ray of sunlight glinted off something and I found it was my car! How did it get in here? I did remember Parker, the inn-keeper mention someone called Kenny would fix it in the morning. So Kenny must have fixed the flat and brought it in for me. He had even given it a good waxing for the chrome gleamed bright. How nice, but when did he fix it? I looked at my watch. It was only 7 :30 am!

By now, as you can imagine, a few hairs were standing up straight on the back of my neck and I thought since no one was around there was no point in me staying there any more. I got into the car and drove off in the direction of the railway station. I was hoping I could meet Sam there, although there was this nagging feeling that I might not. Maybe there was a special early morning train that day that he needed to signal.

I reached the station in about five minutes. It did not look good at all. I got out of the car and walked up to the station building. There was no station master at this station! In fact the station was completely dilapidated. I walked onto the platform only to find even the tracks were missing in sections. No train would have passed through here in fifty years!

This was all turning out to be a bit too much for me to handle first thing in the morning. I was beginning to feel a little weird and confused. Slowly the daemons within my head threatened to surface with one scary thought after another. I turned back towards my car. I took two steps and then broke into an involuntary run. Sweat started pouring out from every pore. I fumbled for the keys in my pocket and somehow managed to fit the key into the ignition and started the car. I put the car into first and slammed my foot on the accelerator.

That is when Sam came running out in front of the car, but it was too late. for me to stop. I hit him head-on and he bounced off the windshield and fell by the side. I screeched to a halt and looked back. Sam's body was nowhere to be seen. I screamed in terror. It must have been pure adrenaline flowing through me at the time that allowed me to put the foot down on the pedal and get away from the spot. Soon I came to a T junction with a sign pointing right that said Motorway M1 London – 50 miles. I turned right.

* * *

One week later

It had taken me a week to recover slightly from my ordeal. I spent that week cooped up at home and jumping at every small noise I heard. Finally I could take it no more and so decided to find out exactly what had happened on that evening and the following morning.

I went to the County Library. I enlisted the company of an old friend to research this place called Tranquil Vale. After about an hour of rummaging through old encyclopedias and news articles, we found something. It was my friend who found the news article in a copy of the Sun Daily and he read it out loud. The article was dated only a month ago and read like this:

'The story of Tranquil Vale, by Amanda Starlight, junior editor.

Sixty six years ago, a meteor hit the moon in the area known by astronomers as the Mare Tranquillitatis, which is Latin for the Sea of Tranquility. The meteor broke into many pieces and caused a large crater on the surface of the moon. One piece was thrown so far out that it escaped the lunar gravitational field and entered the Earth’s gravitational field and therefore got sucked into the earth’s atmosphere. Half of it burned away on its fall towards Earth, but a reasonably large piece fell in a remote valley some fifty miles from London just off the M1 motorway.

Initially tourists were attracted to the place to see the meteor and so a small community soon developed, thriving on the tourist business. One couple, Parker and Ingrid Pleasant set up a small Inn at the site of the meteor fall and named their inn Tranquility Inn. The administration commissioned a railway line to pass through this valley and a small station was built there for tourists to alight.

For the first year, everything was normal and business was good. There was a train passing through every day ferrying tourists and bringing supplies. However all that began to change. Rumours started coming out about strange, unexplained happenings in that place. People came back with experiences they could not clearly explain. Soon a general sense of unease crept in and tourists stayed away from the place. Then the science fiction groups came out with stories about lunar radioactivity, parallel worlds and time shifts. All this was too much for this little township to handle and in in less than three months it all but closed down. The few people that were living there moved elsewhere. It was however said at the time that Parker and Ingrid Pleasant chose to stay on in their inn along with the station master and a local motor mechanic. No one has gone near the place for over sixty years and it is not known what happened to the couple for all that remains now of Tranquil Vale is a few dilapidated buildings, the inn and the station included and some fragments of railroad track.'

My friend stopped reading and looked up at me. I was beginning to feel a profound sense of shock come over me. What exactly had I been through? My friend looked at me and asked, “Steve, exactly what took you to this place? What were you doing there?”

I looked at him and thought hard. With a vacant stare on my pale face, I slowly but honestly replied “I have no idea.”

The End