Waning Crescent

- I've never seen anything like this before !! - the driver touched in one wire of the high tension pole. It seemed as if it was bitten off.
The train had avoided the cliff by no more than 10 feet. The flashlights' focus spread in several directions revealing cut down trees, mud, wires and rocks.
Around the crater, scattered in different places, the carcasses of dead animals lying in the ground were visible. Parts of hares, foxes, raccoons and other animals gave the location an even eerier and unsafe feel.
As if the environment wasn't sinister enough, far away in the horizon there was a diffuse green light, at north-east, extending to the sky.

The passengers were starting to gather around the site, recovering of the fright.
One them, a tall man in his forties, with tanned skin, grey hair and a sweaty shirt, kneeled at the edge:
- Something is not right. Look...the ground. I had four classes of Geology in college, and I tell you. The cave-in that happened here wasn't normal. The collapse shouldn't produce such a thin grain. This soil has a texture like sand. As if... something very big melted in here at a very high temperature. And that something produced also very corrosive chemicals. And this colour...
- Come on, I know that it's hot, but this is unheard of ! What could do this ? Such a ravine... could only be made by a bomb or something! - exclaimed someone.
- I don't know ! But I would really like to. - replied the "college" man, frankly amazed.

Dan didn't even know what to think. But how would he go to meet his sister ? The train couldn't proceed any more, not only because of the chasm, but also because the power had gone out. What should he do now? First, maybe the best idea would be to call Autumn via his cell phone. It was in his handbag. The train crew was deliberating what would they do, too. The situation was completely unprecedented.
The tailleur woman appeared then next to him. He handed back her binoculars:
- Oh, here they are. Thanks.
- You're welcome. That makes us even now, don't you think ? - she replied, speaking quickly. Her voice sounded familiar, which was weird, thought Dan.

Meanwhile, the crew decided that the people should return to the train, as they would be better there, and a help signal would be sent through the radio.
- The closest stop is Crese. Surely they will send alternative transportation soon.
Not all passengers were calmed by the news. Instead of being relieved by the fact of the train not falling to the crater, started to complaint about the fact that they had schedules to keep.
- I have to be in Opletu before eleven o'clock. - said one.

Many began to use their cell phones, maybe to call for more urgent transport, if possible. Dan tried to call his sister but there was no reply. "We're in the middle of nowhere. Nobody is going to get transportation that fast", he reasoned. Then that woman found a way to surprise him again:
- I have an automobile coming to pick me up, in about 10 minutes. Does anyone want a ride ? Although I can not take more than 3 persons; I'm sorry.
Everyone became static, like statues, for a moment. One woman asked her where was she headed. She answered Surnua; it was a little beyond Opletu. She was planning to stop in Uhra and go by car, anyway. Uhra was the stop after Crese, which explained the fact that she had a ride so soon.
The road still headed near Uhra. Dan volunteered immediately.

Minutes later, a black van arrived, and four persons entered, instead of one. Dan sat next to the lady:
- A pair of binoculars, first, and now this. You're full of surprises, Mrs...?
- Colta, Ralle Colta - was the answer. Despite Dan had treated her by Mrs, there wasn't a wedding ring on any of her fingers. Maybe she was divorced ? - I'm just an attorney of a military company. I'm also a criminologist, and came here to talk to a witness to a case that has been recently dearquived. The goggles are for gazing the stars in the night. As you see, the moon is barely visible, because it's almost new moon, and this is the time that certain stars are seen with more ease. Binoculars are for observant people, don't you agree, Mr...?
- Medetre. - replied Dan.

The lost ravine (cont.)

A metallic cricketing sound was echoing in the air, but it had a strange and ominous feeling attached to it. Tones of medium dark blue dominated in the exterior giving an unsettling feel. The people that managed to get up quicker were leaning in the windows trying to see what happened. Many of the travellers were still in the ground, without strength to get up.

Dan could feel the panic creeping in the passengers. The women began crying angstly.
-Oh my God, what was this?!?! Was this an earthquake?! - screamed anxiously the elderly woman that sat next to Dan throughout the journey.
- Did...we...collide against...another train ? It looks...just like...Titanic!! - babbled the skinny barman looking frantically to the ceiling. Despite the obscurity in the carriage, Dan looked at him and could saw that he was white pale.

In that instant a man irrupted through the door that would lead to the front's room. It was one of the stewards.
"Everybody's alright? Is there anybody injured?", he said in a very nervous face. A man who was near the door ran straight to him, hugged him with strength and asked him abruptly what had happened. Behind the steward came, through the same door, three more stewards, with worried faces and carrying LED flashlights. They quickly aided the people that were, still, on the floor.

- There is... a huge hole in the ground!! - said the woman that Dan had helped before, in a solemn tone. "What?!", he thought, and for the first time he gave her a good look at. He noticed that she was a little more than half a foot shorter than him, had long deep jet black hair in a ponytail, a small perky nose that gave her an insolent boy look, and an inconspicuous grey executive tailleur suit, with according shoes. Her black eyes were big and inexpressive. Her ponytail finished on her lower back, as if it was a horse's mane.
Dan then saw that she was wearing, strangely, a set of binoculars to see through the night. That was an object that, seemingly, had nothing to do with her. And that's how she could tell what was blocking the path. She didn't seem terribly worried or carried away by the events, though.

Dan asked her if he could borrow the set to see for himself. And with a very rational expression, she lent them.
He saw then the immense crater that engulfed a lot of the space he could see and occupied much of the port side of the train, and extended to the prow side and right side. Dan grabbed one of the flashlights and jumped through the window to get a better view, ignoring the stewards' thoughtful warnings. There were some people outside already, recklessly.
He walked to the train's prow, diverging the poles, and other obstacles, as he heard (and saw) other people getting out by the doors. The railroad disappeared inside that chasm. Dan estimated that it would be, at least, 200 feet wide. The train driver was already there, along with members of the crew, discussing what to do.

-Incredible! It's... true !! What could cause this massive gap ? How... how is it possible ?- Dan said, positively daunted, contemplating the hazard.