05-01-2014, 12:30 PM
Elias and Tehya exchanged greetings. Then Tehya responded to his question about where they were from with an enigmatic smile that vanished quickly. "Not from here,"
was all she said. Obviously she did not want to talk about it. But she added, "I find the snow pleasant."
The statement seemed offered in lieu of mystery. She seemed relaxed, as if relieved about something. And there was still that solitariness about her, though not as insistent as before.
Elias look irritated though and answered tersely "It doesn't matter."
Then he looked down and an expression passed over his face. Connor didn't know him to be sure, but it seemed like sorrow. Maybe not. But the way he held himself, the way he looked down, the way he'd answered...the impression remained. Connor felt bad that he had questioned them, however friendly he meant it.
It's so easy to prejudge people, he thought. You see a man dressed in a particular fashion and you think you know them or what they belong to. But we are all just lonely people. And this guy who seems to be projecting alienation and rejection, does so for a reason. Connor thought back to the days when he was in his early 20s and empathized. There were any number of reasons to feel that way.
He was about to apologize for prying at them, when Elias looked up, calling his attention to the platform across the tracks. A woman with a coat over her scrubs was sitting, earbuds clear even from this distance. The woman probably worked around here and was on her way home.
The platform across the tracks was nearly identical to one they were on, with high ornate ceilings and a winding staircase leading to the surface. The light on that side seemed to be not as bright as their's. Probably a few fixtures had gone out. Connor watched the woman for a moment and then let his gaze float upward to the ceiling of this place. His eye drifted to the shadowed section above one of tunnels. It was almost black in the corners of the arches and alcoves.
Something flickered, black against black. He stared at in intently and gradually everything faded from his attention except for that spot. It was just shadows, but- just barely- there seemed to be volume, almost like dark smoke. He had the feeling that something was looking back at him. He let his eyes relax and open, trying to take in more light from that area, to see what was there. You're doing it again, he thought. You're letting your imagination run away again. There's nothing there. Relax.
He gave the shadows one last look- Was there something there?- and brought his eyes to the woman. A man had appeared behind her, hand in his pocket. The way he moved said he was trying to be unseen. He brought his pocketed hand to the woman's head, leaned in and said something to her. Fear suddenly covered the woman's face. She brought her hands up to her ears and pulled out one of the earbuds and listened. Connor couldn't hear what he was saying.
Elias spoke Connor's own conclusion. "I think she's about to be robbed."
At the very least, he thought with worry. The woman stood stiffly, the man's pocketed hand now at her back. Her eyes were wide with terror as the man gestured with his head to the stair case.
Connor yelled out, "Hey! Get away from her!"
He jumped down the 3 feet from the platform to the ground. Quickly but carefully trying to avoid any rails- he didn't know which, if any, were electrified- he made his way across, kicking rocks and some discarded drink containers. As he passed the mouth of one opening he looked and thankfully saw only blackness. No trains coming yet. The man had looked down at him- still only partly across the way- in surprise and pulled the woman back.
Connor yelled again, "Leave her alone!"
He got to the second set of rails and then heard the sound of the train. Now!?!? He looked down the tunnel and saw light in the distance. He still had time to get across before the train came- he hoped. It was hard to gauge how fast the train was moving just from the way the light got bigger. He hurried and briefly tripped on a rail and went to a knee. Thank god it wasn't electric, he thought frantically. Only a few steps to go, He looked at the platform and the people on it.
Edited by Connor Kent, May 1 2014, 03:24 PM.
was all she said. Obviously she did not want to talk about it. But she added, "I find the snow pleasant."
The statement seemed offered in lieu of mystery. She seemed relaxed, as if relieved about something. And there was still that solitariness about her, though not as insistent as before.
Elias look irritated though and answered tersely "It doesn't matter."
Then he looked down and an expression passed over his face. Connor didn't know him to be sure, but it seemed like sorrow. Maybe not. But the way he held himself, the way he looked down, the way he'd answered...the impression remained. Connor felt bad that he had questioned them, however friendly he meant it.
It's so easy to prejudge people, he thought. You see a man dressed in a particular fashion and you think you know them or what they belong to. But we are all just lonely people. And this guy who seems to be projecting alienation and rejection, does so for a reason. Connor thought back to the days when he was in his early 20s and empathized. There were any number of reasons to feel that way.
He was about to apologize for prying at them, when Elias looked up, calling his attention to the platform across the tracks. A woman with a coat over her scrubs was sitting, earbuds clear even from this distance. The woman probably worked around here and was on her way home.
The platform across the tracks was nearly identical to one they were on, with high ornate ceilings and a winding staircase leading to the surface. The light on that side seemed to be not as bright as their's. Probably a few fixtures had gone out. Connor watched the woman for a moment and then let his gaze float upward to the ceiling of this place. His eye drifted to the shadowed section above one of tunnels. It was almost black in the corners of the arches and alcoves.
Something flickered, black against black. He stared at in intently and gradually everything faded from his attention except for that spot. It was just shadows, but- just barely- there seemed to be volume, almost like dark smoke. He had the feeling that something was looking back at him. He let his eyes relax and open, trying to take in more light from that area, to see what was there. You're doing it again, he thought. You're letting your imagination run away again. There's nothing there. Relax.
He gave the shadows one last look- Was there something there?- and brought his eyes to the woman. A man had appeared behind her, hand in his pocket. The way he moved said he was trying to be unseen. He brought his pocketed hand to the woman's head, leaned in and said something to her. Fear suddenly covered the woman's face. She brought her hands up to her ears and pulled out one of the earbuds and listened. Connor couldn't hear what he was saying.
Elias spoke Connor's own conclusion. "I think she's about to be robbed."
At the very least, he thought with worry. The woman stood stiffly, the man's pocketed hand now at her back. Her eyes were wide with terror as the man gestured with his head to the stair case.
Connor yelled out, "Hey! Get away from her!"
He jumped down the 3 feet from the platform to the ground. Quickly but carefully trying to avoid any rails- he didn't know which, if any, were electrified- he made his way across, kicking rocks and some discarded drink containers. As he passed the mouth of one opening he looked and thankfully saw only blackness. No trains coming yet. The man had looked down at him- still only partly across the way- in surprise and pulled the woman back.
Connor yelled again, "Leave her alone!"
He got to the second set of rails and then heard the sound of the train. Now!?!? He looked down the tunnel and saw light in the distance. He still had time to get across before the train came- he hoped. It was hard to gauge how fast the train was moving just from the way the light got bigger. He hurried and briefly tripped on a rail and went to a knee. Thank god it wasn't electric, he thought frantically. Only a few steps to go, He looked at the platform and the people on it.
Edited by Connor Kent, May 1 2014, 03:24 PM.