Got home late today, my 5:30 train from Central was running about an hour late due to what the staff would only refer to as a “Railway incident”, I think they can stick their railway incident up their asses, i need to get home to start prepping for tomorrow
When it did arrive, the sun was only just starting to come down and i prepared for a long and tedious ride home, in and out of tunnels, shoulder to shoulder with strangers, my nose invaded by their scent
But when it did get there, i realised i was wrong
I was in the most busy station in all of New South Wales, shit even in the whole country, and not a single person was on this train
I stood there with my bag in one hand and my phone in the other, absolutely stunned at the prospect of it
A cold draught drifted by me and i feel suddenly alone, i went to grab my coat from my bag when i was rudely interrupted
“Doors closing, please stand by”
When the rhythmic beeping began i was drawn out of my daydream, and made it only narrowly through the closing doors of the mighty Waratah
I made my way to the top floor and found a seat, which was an easy endeavour on an empty train, i sat at the end of a row of seats that ran perpendicular with the trains window and unlocked my phone
There was a notification, a rare occurence since im pretty shut off, i must’ve missed it in either the day dream of the ensuing rush, it read
“0419 051 228, Hey is this Stacy?, its Patricia, or Patty i guess, you still up for tomorrow?” Ofcourse i was, i opened the message and got to finalising
“Yeah ofcourse, mine or yours?”
She mustve been just as excited as i was, because my reply came back in an instant
“Is it easier for it to be at mine or yours?, i live in Redfern”
That’s only a stop away from work, and ill need to be there tomorrow to finish up some things i missed whilst daydreaming today so its perfect
“Yeah yours, i live a bit further away than that”
I neglected to mention specifically how far away, or that it was in the western suburbs
“See you tomorrow then, bring something sweet ;)”
Holy shit, is this for real? Mum would be so proud
It had been about an hour on the T1, and the train was beginning to fill up but there was only two other people in my cabin, and both were parents with kids so i felt pretty comfortable, i clicked my phone off and had a nap
I was awoken first to the loud speaker above my head,
“Next station is, Richmond”
Shit, how long had i been out for?, this is my stop!
I struggled to get myself back to consciousness, until i heard something
The loudest sound i’ve ever heard, to this day
It felt like it was coming from inside of me aswell as out, it felt like a bomb going off in my head
it was the sound of a Didgeridoo
My head jolted up and my ears began to ring at this ancient sound that encumbassed me, and as it did the first thing i noticed was that the lighting in my cabin went from a warm yellow, to a much more sterile white
As i looked up i saw in my reflection, a tall dark skeletal figure, with its arms wrapped around my shoulder, in the very same way i held Patty not five hours prior
I felt like jumping out of my own skin, and when i went to scream for my life, nothing came out
I looked to my right, at the beast that was inevitably about to end my life, and to my relief, there was nothing there
I was frozen still for twenty seconds, as the Didgeridoo howled and my blood began to freeze, and it was only then, when the Didgeridoo relented, that i got to my feet and began my sprint to the stairs
I don’t know if it was the heels, the train putting on the breaks or the seeming demon i was sure was on my trail that made me fly down the staircase and faceplant at the bottom, or a combination of all of them
the only thing i could be sure of now, was how seriously i wanted out of this train
As i made my theatrical exit from the trains cabin, blood dripping from my nose and my hair looking as if id just woken from a nightmare (an apt state in this situation), i was surrounded suddenly by strangers
I hit the floor at Richmond even quicker than i landed on the polka dot floor of the Waratah, but this time i had atleast five hands trying to help me up
It wasn’t going to happen, i was in this for the long ride and as i turned my head to see my newly acquainted saviours, i noticed that one of them was much taller than the others, and mucher darker too
Just as i was teetering on the edge of consciousness and recognizing my attacker, the station master blew the whistle and the train began to move again
The sound of the train starting up sounded all too familiar too me, the building bass warbles of the engine and wheels, fading just as i into unconscious, to the next station on the line
Sounded far, far too familiar.
I woke up in Patricia’s arms, at the local hospital, the comfort i felt in them was both suprising, and completely expected
She helped me piece together what happened, putting what i remembered of what was sure to be the worst day of my year, along with the pieces that she had from recovering me
From this, we hypothethised
One of my saviours must have looked at my now partially shattered phone id dropped on my way to the floor seeing the most recent notification, it would have read
“0419 051 228 Hey Stace?, you home safe yet?, give me a call when you are and we’ll sort out tomorrow.” And rang that number with their own phone
“So, here’s the deal” She said to me,
“I got a call from some old lady at like 8:30, saying that she’d seen a woman fall face flat out of a train, already covered in blood at Richmond station, and that the lady had a text from me,
I freaked the fuck out, and immediately jumped in my car, when i got here you were being carried on a stretcher by EMT’s, it looked like i wasn’t the only one they called, i said i was a friend and asked if i could hitch a ride with you and he said sure, thats all i know
Mind to tell me how you ended up eating gravel at the station?”
She cared, a lot, where would i be right now if it weren’t for them?
I explained my ordeal, i wouldve cut out the spooky parts but there seemed to be no other explanation
She looked at me, astonished
“Holy shit, seriously?”
“Yeah i know right.” i replied
“Its a good thing youre here now though, ill stay the night then take you to mine tomorrow if thats okay”
Of course it was okay, it was more than okay i never could’ve dreamed her reciprocating, let alone spending the night with me, or maybe she was just worried as a friend, i’d find out tomorrow
“Yeah that sounds good Patty, i think i’m off though, ive got some transcri-”
I fell asleep, in her arms, in a hospital bed.
I woke up, and felt quite warm, which was a shock considering how thin my hospital blanket was, i grabbed at it, it was definetly thicker, a different texture too
I opened my eyes to my blanket and confirmed my suspicions, this was a different blanket, where the old one was thin and blue like a rag, this one was a thick doona, i scanned my surroundings to see what else had changed, and it seemed that everything had
i was in an entirely different room
i threw the blanket off and went to stand up, doing so i realised i felt like complete shit and was hit with a massive wave of vertigo, i came to my sense and began to walk towards the door,
Before i got there i realised i was walking slower than usual, my clothes felt heavier than they should have, so i looked down
Not only was i in an entirely different room, in an entirely different building, but i was wearing someone elses clothes, i got to the door and swung it open, not knowing what to expect
I was greeted to a beautiful apartment, filled to the brim with plants and decor, the walls were covered with all the greats, Bowie, Dylan, Elvis all the classics, a bit too mainstream for my taste but each to their own
i was immediately shocked aware to the sound of a TV around to my right, it was a Seven News report about a railway suicide that had occured the night prior, as my brain began to ponder the significance of such a coincidence, i realised there where more pressing issues, where the fuck was i?, i couldnt remember a thing from last night after i got out of that awful train
“I called Bruce, he told me to take care of you”
It was Patty, yesterday we were only acquantances but now surely we’re close, close enough that she’d lend the spare bedroom to a girl in need
“Thanks so much Patty, is there anything i could do to repay you?”
as she began to reply i found myself marvelling at the apartment again, it was the complete opposite of what i was expecting, she was very well groomed in the workplace and if people knew she lived here, it would ruin her reputation
“Come over here and snuggle up while i watch the news.”
How could i resist?, i did exactly that
as i jumped under her blanket, and began to sip on the coffee she made incase i woke up early, the anchor began to speak
“A man has died last night due to what appears to have been a suicide, on the T1 rail line towards Central, the man in his thirties was seen running at full speed towards the track, despite the oncoming train,
Some witnesses claim that he was in the process of being chased when the incident occurred, but the police have informed Seven that there is no information of any chase had been recovered in the forensic investigation following the incident.”
Patty turned off the TV, and began to stroke my hair as i fell back asleep.
I woke up a few hours later to find a Woolworths bag next to me labeled “Stacy” in which there were toiletries a towel, and some chocolate
I took in for a moment just how caring and empathetic Patty was, then began to mow down the chocolate bars like a possum in rubbish
I took my new toothbrush and toothpaste and tried my best to figure out where Patty’s bathroom was, when i found it i applied the toothpaste to the brush, and attempted to begin my morning routine as if nothing weird had happened to me, despite having the strangest day ever only a day before
as i ran the water over the brush, i looked up and saw the reflection of my collarbone in my oversized borrowed teeshirt, and realised what horrors may lay behind me
I raised my head towards my fate very slowly, as if that would slow the monster itself, only to find when i reached eye level, there was no monster at all
I brushed my teeth as usual and had my morning shower, when i got out i dried off then entered back into the lounge room, when i did i found Patty, with ten bags from various stores
She spoke,
“Sorry i didn’t have much since i wasn’t expecting you, but this should do you for now, i’ll keep it here incase you ever don’t feel safe by yourself and want to drop by”
She’d gone clothes shopping for me, ten pairs of shirts and six pairs of tights
“I got your size from the clothes they gave back to me in the hospital, i hope thats okay”
You bought me free clothes after saving my ass from freezing at a train station, thats more than okay, youre god herself
“Thats fine, Patty you really dont have to-”
She interrupted,
“I know, Stacy, i want to, youre the only friend i have in that hellhole, and i know you’d do the same for me.”
I think i’m in love.
.
.
.
"I hear it always. I hear the scream. I know he's waiting for me on the other side.”