They called him Jon. They told him he had always been on the Track, though he thought he could remember a time when everything was not moving. They told him that when he was born he had been placed onto the Track along with all the other babies born around the same time and from then on they had been on their way. He wished he could remember for himself, but it was like flailing for balance without knowing which way was down. When he thought these things he sat quietly in his place and stared out across the Water as it zipped by - left, right, below, behind and beyond. The only thing that interrupted the Water was the Track. Though the Track was only so wide, the Water was wide without measure. They liked it when he sat quietly and thought. Sometimes his thoughts would be interrupted when he heard them whispering that he would definitely make it to the End. He wasn't entirely sure what the End was, but he knew that to make it there was seen as a good thing.
His quiet thoughts were interrupted as Ted kicked him in the process of sliding toward the aisle. "Hey Miss," he addressed the nearest one. "What is it Ted?" she said with impatience. They were always impatient with Ted. He didn't sit quietly and think. He was always talking with the others if not climbing all over the seats.
"I'm hungry."
"Ted, we ate not half an hour ago."
"I know, but I'm still hungry."
"Alright. What would you like?"
"I dunno... cake!"
"Cake is a dessert, Ted, we only eat desserts at the end of the day after dinner."
At this Ted gave a disappointed grunt, turned and pulled himself up onto the back of the nearest seat.
"Ted stop that! What have we told you about climbing around the car?"
Ted was unfazed and continued to climb as he responded, "you said that I might fall off into the Water. But I've climbed around a lot and never fallen once."
"Yes, but what if you did? That would be terrible."
A couple others had arrived from the car ahead and they started appealing to Ted to get down.
"Why would it be so bad to fall into the Water anyway? It looks nice," Ted asked.
"You don't know how to swim yet! And even if you did, you could never get back onto the Track!" she had become stressed because Ted was making his way to the side of the car.
Ted leapt, nose plugged and eyes closed, off the Track and into the Water. The few of them who were close enough to see gasped and screamed and reached at the air as if to hold him back. The Track carried us away so quickly that none of us could even see his splash.
