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Gunshots went off from the passenger cabin. Some metal-eaters flinched, most didn't care. One ran right at the bullets, face first, mouth open. It caught one, unfazed, and went about its attack as if it'd been tossed a grape from a bunch.
It was hard not to shudder at the sight. Even knowing that they ate metal... it was something else to see them eat your best methods of defense for breakfast.
But you were dilly-dallying. You knew there were people in the passenger's-- "--get t' the cabins!!--" --no way to deny it now. Mary called after you, but you motioned for her to stay there. You weren't certain she-- "--stand down, don' shoot--" --understood that. However, you knew for certain that she understood the visible pain coating her skin and burning her cheeks. "Mud ev'rywhere..."
A small family's worth of people poured out of the passenger carriage as the door's hinges were eaten by the demons. Your attempt to get closer was thwarted by a shrill cry from one of the steel-snackers throwing itself in front of you. Looking up at least let you see that the passengers seemed as unharmed as you had been in that cell. Most of the demons' attacks towards humans focused on you and the sheriff's posse.
<span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">BANG</span></span>
The sheriff fired a round into the heavens. More metal-eaters were alerted... and you slowly began to lose them. Their eyes were on the sheriff now.
This was your chance! You took it instantly, sprinting across the deteriorating rails, avoiding the metal-eaters as best you could, running to the passenger cabin and climbing up its side, trying to help people out. Clearing debris, carrying belongings, even carrying a person.
A small boy, probably not older than five, his mother, his father, what you assumed to be their grandfather--
"Easy on the pocketwatch. I've got money in it."
--you ignored his odd comment and continued helping him and his family out of the carriage.
The train was completely on its side at this point. What remained of the wheels has became circular saws, the pipes being broken and eaten off the bottom of the train had become an unholy kind of sadistic staircase, and half of the route back down to earth needed to be taken on the top of the metal eaters' heads.
You'd only ceased the back-and-forth journey when you saw the carriages completely empty of valuables and people.
The first thing you did upon getting your feet back on (comparatively-)solid ground was toss a glance to the sheriff--
Oh Lord.
