The Train
Jason was tired. Being on holiday could be damn exhausting . The Zoo, river cruise, the movies, the beach. The kids never stopped. Damn tiring. And now here we are at the railway museum. Big place. Lot of walking and climbing up and down, in and out of rail carriages of yesteryear. Good grief, yesteryear? Jason had ridden in such carriages as a child, back in the old country. Another lifetime he nodded to himself whimsically.
Susie and the kids had gone for a ride on the miniature train than ran around the museum grounds. A good thirty minute trip well worth the eight dollar family fare. Jason had had enough though and decided to skip it. Instead he climbed into one of the carriages and sat in a compartment to rest for a while. It was old and musty but comfortable. He sat in a window seat, leaned back and closed his eyes.
How long had it been he mused? Forty years? At least! He remembered the gentle movement of the carriage,the clackety clack of the wheels riding over the rail joints. He remembered the unique smell of the old steam train. The smoke and the soot. He remembered walking along the narrow passageway to go to the toilet. Looking down at the couplings which joined the carriages together. The squealing screech of the wheels as the train went through tight bends. And the darkness of the tunnels. The crowds and the happy excited chatter of holiday makers as they traveled to Dover and the beach. Perhaps up to London. He remembered Charing Cross station, what a huge and busy place. Wonderful long gone days. Jason drifted into sleep.
A sudden jolt, a shrill whistle and the sense of motion jolted him awake. Clack...clack....clack ...clack. Clackety clack, clackety clack. He was moving! My god he was moving! He gaped out of the window in shocked disbelief! Towns and fields dotted with livestock went flashing by. A cloud of steam and ash drifted past, filling his nostrils with the long forgotten smells of a working steam engine. Clackety clack,clackety clack, ever faster. As suddenly as it had begun moving the train slowed,it was pulling into a station.
A platform appeared. A group of people stood waiting to board the train.
***
“Mummy, where is Daddy?”
“I don't know sweetheart” Susie replied. “He seems to have disappeared.”
“I want my Daddy” the little girl wailed.
A secretly frightened Susie swept the child into her arms.“It's alright” Susie crooned, he has probably just gone home. It's alright she smiled encouragingly.
The train stopped and a number of people approached his carriage. An elderly woman sat down next to him. Another six people entered the carriage. Nobody spoke. Slowly the train pulled out of the station and Jason turned to the woman.
“ Hello”... this might sound stupid but I don't know what is happening, where I am.”
The woman smiled sadly. “You are on the train dear.”
Clackety clack, clackety clack. The countryside passed in a green blur.
“What train? How?...
The train slowed then stopped and two passengers shuffled off. Soon they were moving again.
The womans gray eyes locked with the brown,frightened eyes of Jason. She patted the back of his hand. The palm of her hand felt like ice. “ You will know soon enough” she assured him.
Jason swallowed hard. “Where...where are you going” he asked her.
She smiled wanly, “To where I came from of course.”
“And where is that?” Jason demanded fiercely
“Home.” The train stopped. “My goodness,this is me. Goodbye.”
As she reached the carriage door Jason called “WAIT!”
She shook her head and got out. The train moved on. Clackety clack,clackety clack.
Jason stared out of the window. The carriage swayed soothingly. Clackety clack,clackety clack. The train stopped again. Jason caught site of the stations name. In big black lettering on a grubby white background, the sign read :
ASHFORD.
He could see his friends from long ago. Valerie, and Teresa, hes sister Pitrie and Susan. There was Martin, Trevor and Elaine. He looked down and there beside him on the seat was the green toy cross bow he had shot Philip with. There were three bolts made of wooden doweling, complete with their brown rubber suckers ,rendering them totally harmless. A toy. “Hurry up Jason, we have been waiting for you” the children chorused happily.
Malcolm had been a curator at the railway museum for many years and was used to the musty smell of the display carriages. He didn't even notice it anymore. He had however, never seen anything untoward. Now as he walked around checking all was well, he saw him. A man sitting in carriage 73. Malcolm entered the carriage and strode down the long carriage toward the man.
“Excuse me sir” Malcolm began “You really must leave, the museum shuts in” he looked at his smart fob watch. “Now!” “ I must ask you to leave the museum sir.”
The man did not move, not did he respond in any way at all.
Malcolm picked up the green toy crossbow. He stared at the man and Jason stared back through unseeing eyes.
C Gainsford © copyright 20011.
Susie and the kids had gone for a ride on the miniature train than ran around the museum grounds. A good thirty minute trip well worth the eight dollar family fare. Jason had had enough though and decided to skip it. Instead he climbed into one of the carriages and sat in a compartment to rest for a while. It was old and musty but comfortable. He sat in a window seat, leaned back and closed his eyes.
How long had it been he mused? Forty years? At least! He remembered the gentle movement of the carriage,the clackety clack of the wheels riding over the rail joints. He remembered the unique smell of the old steam train. The smoke and the soot. He remembered walking along the narrow passageway to go to the toilet. Looking down at the couplings which joined the carriages together. The squealing screech of the wheels as the train went through tight bends. And the darkness of the tunnels. The crowds and the happy excited chatter of holiday makers as they traveled to Dover and the beach. Perhaps up to London. He remembered Charing Cross station, what a huge and busy place. Wonderful long gone days. Jason drifted into sleep.
A sudden jolt, a shrill whistle and the sense of motion jolted him awake. Clack...clack....clack ...clack. Clackety clack, clackety clack. He was moving! My god he was moving! He gaped out of the window in shocked disbelief! Towns and fields dotted with livestock went flashing by. A cloud of steam and ash drifted past, filling his nostrils with the long forgotten smells of a working steam engine. Clackety clack,clackety clack, ever faster. As suddenly as it had begun moving the train slowed,it was pulling into a station.
A platform appeared. A group of people stood waiting to board the train.
***
“Mummy, where is Daddy?”
“I don't know sweetheart” Susie replied. “He seems to have disappeared.”
“I want my Daddy” the little girl wailed.
A secretly frightened Susie swept the child into her arms.“It's alright” Susie crooned, he has probably just gone home. It's alright she smiled encouragingly.
The train stopped and a number of people approached his carriage. An elderly woman sat down next to him. Another six people entered the carriage. Nobody spoke. Slowly the train pulled out of the station and Jason turned to the woman.
“ Hello”... this might sound stupid but I don't know what is happening, where I am.”
The woman smiled sadly. “You are on the train dear.”
Clackety clack, clackety clack. The countryside passed in a green blur.
“What train? How?...
The train slowed then stopped and two passengers shuffled off. Soon they were moving again.
The womans gray eyes locked with the brown,frightened eyes of Jason. She patted the back of his hand. The palm of her hand felt like ice. “ You will know soon enough” she assured him.
Jason swallowed hard. “Where...where are you going” he asked her.
She smiled wanly, “To where I came from of course.”
“And where is that?” Jason demanded fiercely
“Home.” The train stopped. “My goodness,this is me. Goodbye.”
As she reached the carriage door Jason called “WAIT!”
She shook her head and got out. The train moved on. Clackety clack,clackety clack.
Jason stared out of the window. The carriage swayed soothingly. Clackety clack,clackety clack. The train stopped again. Jason caught site of the stations name. In big black lettering on a grubby white background, the sign read :
ASHFORD.
He could see his friends from long ago. Valerie, and Teresa, hes sister Pitrie and Susan. There was Martin, Trevor and Elaine. He looked down and there beside him on the seat was the green toy cross bow he had shot Philip with. There were three bolts made of wooden doweling, complete with their brown rubber suckers ,rendering them totally harmless. A toy. “Hurry up Jason, we have been waiting for you” the children chorused happily.
Malcolm had been a curator at the railway museum for many years and was used to the musty smell of the display carriages. He didn't even notice it anymore. He had however, never seen anything untoward. Now as he walked around checking all was well, he saw him. A man sitting in carriage 73. Malcolm entered the carriage and strode down the long carriage toward the man.
“Excuse me sir” Malcolm began “You really must leave, the museum shuts in” he looked at his smart fob watch. “Now!” “ I must ask you to leave the museum sir.”
The man did not move, not did he respond in any way at all.
Malcolm picked up the green toy crossbow. He stared at the man and Jason stared back through unseeing eyes.
C Gainsford © copyright 20011.
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