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I tighten my shoe laces and zip up my bag. “Today’s the day,” I tell myself as I hoist my bag over my shoulder and bolt down the stairs. My Ma is waiting to intercept me and shower me with kisses when I reach the last step. Darn no way out, she’s blocking my exit.
“Hey Ma.” I sigh “Can I go now?”
“Let me drive you Joey, it's no big deal.”
“Ma I can get there myself!”
“Okay okay stay safe, be nice, don’t forget to write!!!, Oh and don’t forget your cards dea-”
“Ye-AH OKAY MOM! Enough, I’m old enough to take care of myself!”
“Of course you are I forget you're 17 now”
“MA! STOP” I scream while flailing my arms like a scrawny chicken. I push her off of me as she smothers me with motherly, slobbery kisses. I understand that she doesn’t want to send her son away, but I have to do this to become a stronger duelist!
“Ma I’m gonna miss my train, I have to go!”
“Of course baby, have a good trip.” Ma waves and smiles softly as I leave for the train station. She looks like she might cry seeing me leave. I turn around and blow her a kiss. “Off we go Joey, to become the best duelist, even better than yug.” (yug is Joey’s nickname for yugi)
I leave my small apartment in New York, New York to head off and turn over a new leaf. I’m currently training to become the best duelist in the duel monsters world. In order to do that I need to find experienced duelists to challenge. So I cross countless streets and several shady alleyways, lined with trash and drugs probably, before coming to my destination: a small train station on the outskirts of New York city. It's nice for a New York train station, with only a few rats and none of them are the size of dogs. These rats are cat sized thank god. I step inside the dimly lit station and get out my ticket. Huh that's strange it doesn’t say where I’m going on the ticket.. It just says red line. Huh I’m sure I’ll be fine. What’s the worst that could happen, I end up in a town led by a no good dipstick mayor?
Screeeeeee- Suddenly the sound of a train halting to a stop alerts me. The loud speaker scratchily announces “Red line train 11. Red line train 11. First call for train 11”
Huh that must be mine. I grab my duffle from the grody train station benches and head for the train. Oddly enough I don’t notice the lack of people at this train station, mistake number 1. The door opens as I step up to the door and the conductor asks me for my ticket. “Ticket please.” I hand him my ticket and he asks “You alone kid?”
“Ah Uh yeah I’m going to meet a friend.” I lie sort of. Well I am alone that is true, but i don’t know any friends that live where I’m going. I kind of assumed I’d just stumble upon some badass duel monsters champ or somethin like that. “Have a good trip. EEeh” He says with a strange screech. This should have been the second red flag. Not only should the screech have alerted me but this conductor had a.. A tail? No it can’t be? This is real life not dragon ball Joey, No man can have a monkey’s tail? Right? Maybe he’s a furry I can’t judge. I see some weird people in New York. Of course I just vanish this thought to the back of my head and take my seat on the seemingly empty train.
The train is chilly and dark, and I start to think I should have worn a heavier jacket. Lucky for me Ma secretly packed a hoodie. As I start to pull the hoodie over my blonde mop of a mullet, I hear soft padded foot steps like those of a cat. As they draw nearer I poke my head out of the head hole and push my bangs out of my eyes. I blink a couple times. There’s no way. “Mind if I sit here?” asks a large blue cat standing on his hind two paws.
“Uh s-sure” I spit out confused and flustered. Why is this dapper little cat in a red argyle grandpa sweater talking? Why is he on this train? Is he a furry too?
He meows and then begins to talk again “Thanks again! It sure is nice meeting friendly folk on the train… You aren’t a psycho, right? Just kidding! Say, by the way… what’s your name?”
“Ah it’s Joey, Joey Wheeler. I’m on my way to becoming a world class du-.” The cat interrupts me before I can finish.
“Hrmm… Well… Hrmmm… Joey… Now THAT is an odd name. Mya ha ha howr! Not that my opinion means much. What matters is do YOU like the name Joey?” He says this as if he's preprogrammed to ask me these questions. What is he also programmed to insult my Ma’s naming skills? I happen to like my name!
I look him straight in his little cat eyes. “Of course I like my name, my Ma chose it for me!” This guy’s really starting to piss me off.
“You’re right! Of course! What was I thinking? I think it’s a very cute name for a very cute girl. I, uh, I’m sorry I said it sounded funny. Honestly!”
I stare him down now, I’m done with this“What the Hell Man WHAT’S with you IMA DUDE!” The blue cat ignores me. I sigh. When’s he gonna stop bugging me? I hope I get there soon. Wherever there is…
“Hey where are you heading anyway?” He asks
“Ah uh” quick, make up a lie Joey you can do it, simple, uh.”Duelville!” I say cracking my voice. Oh god he can probably tell I’m lying.
“Woah Duelville huh. I haven’t been there in years. Ya movin there?”
“Uh yeah I’m leaving my family to make a name for myself.” Well, that wasn’t a lie. I do want to make a name for myself and support my family the best I can.
“EEh EEh! Duelville ahead anyone for duelville?” announces the strangely ape like conductor.
“Oh looks like that’s my stop!” I say, regretting ever letting him sit by me,”I guess I’ll be seeing you then!” I force out my best NewYorker smile. It looks kind of aggressive and foreboding.
“Nice meeting you Joey, I’m rover by the way. Enjoy your new life in Duelville. Mrow.”
“Ah thanks I’ll be going now.” I collect my stuff and stomp off. Guess I really am going to Duelville wherever that is. Just as I’m getting off the train I hear Rover mutter one last thing. “Mya! I haven’t done this much traveling since, 2001 I think.”
“EEh. Thanks for traveling with us today!” says the clearly monkey train conductor, as I hop off the train and into an unfamiliar train station.
“Hey where am I anyway?” I ask. No reply. The monkey and the train are already gone almost as if I were just dreaming. Wake up Joey. Maybe this was just an annoying dream. I blink but the clean fresh wood train station is still in front of me. Huh well I can just go outside and ask for help from the towns people right?
I step outside the station into the bright green countryside filled with trees, bugs, and animals. Wait! Animals? “I’m not in New York anymore.” huh “Is this what a drug trip feels like?” maybe I should have listened to Ma. Wait I didn’t do drugs. One of the animals runs up to me. It's a yellow shih tzu dog with a green skirt and yellow sweater. It wears a bell in its hair ,and I can only assume it's a girl. The dog speaks up.
“Ahem WELCOME MAYOR!”
Did she just say mayor? Where? I thought I was the only one on that train. Besides Rover. He didn’t get off though. Hmmmmm. I stand there blankly considering all possible outcomes. Until the dog speaks up again.
“Ah Mr. Mayor? We’d like to welcome you to our humble town, Duelville!”
“Duelville?” I sputter
“Yes. Welcome to Duelville!”
~End of chapter 1~