Train Journey (Short Story)

“What if…”

“What if what?”

I had been sitting on this train for a while, looking out the window, watching the world go by. I was so absorbed that I didn’t notice someone sit down opposite me.

“Excuse me… You just said what if?”

I take this train every day, but I’ve never seen someone like her before.

“Sorry, don’t mind me, just daydreaming.”

When did she sit down opposite me?

“Daydreaming? What were you thinking about?” she asked, but I don’t think she cared that much.

“Just about things.”

“What things?”

She was very persistent, I could tell she wasn’t going to leave me alone, so I had to think of something to get her to stop talking to me.

“I was thinking about the view.”

“It’s a lovely view isn’t it?” she said cheerfully as she turns to the window, almost as if she was waiting for someone to mention it.

“This is my first time on a train, I wasn’t allowed to use public transport before.” she explained.

“Why was that?”

“I was never allowed out much.”

I didn’t know how to react.

I could see her expression was slowly lowering as if she remembered something she was trying to forget.

We were both silent for a few seconds, we both went back to looking out the window just as the train enters a tunnel.

I turned to her and watched her for a bit as she looked out into the darkness, I could see she looked upset, I guess I should try and change topic.

“Where are you going?” I didn’t know what to ask, this was the first thing that came into my head.

“Same place as everyone else.” she said as if it was a normal response.

“But aren’t we all going to different places?” I bet I sounded like an idiot saying that.

“Hmmm, I guess.” she started to look more and more depressed as we kept talking, I didn’t know what to say to cheer her up.

We both went back to looking out the window in silence.

The train would be out of the tunnel in a few minutes.

…

As the train leaves the tunnel it was about to pass by a lake, every time I’m on this train I try to make sure I always see this lake, It is something that I never want to forget.

“What a pretty lake.” she whispered to herself, I turned to look at her as if I was about to reply,

but I didn’t know what to say, all I could do was turn and watch the lake with a smile on my face.

For the rest of the journey, we both stayed in silence, we could only look out towards the world on the other side of the glass, a world that would only last a few seconds.

A few minutes later the train comes slowly to a stop, the women opposite me stood up.

“Looks like this is my stop.”

She stood there for a second as if she was waiting for me to respond, but I didn’t know what to say, as the train doors open she starts to walk out. I watched as she left the train and saw her walk off the platform with a slight smile. I didn’t know what to feel, I felt sad to see her go, but was glad she was smiling.

I hope that one day we can meet again on this train.

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Slippy’s Comment:

This was my first ever attempt at writing a short story back in September, I originally imagined a person who takes the train everyday and stuck in a routine meeting someone who makes him question the journey he is on whilst seeing beautiful scenery along the way.

After I wrote this I didn’t look at it until now, (it’s currently February) and I noticed that I had originally planned to try and write it again from scratch, I guess past me didn’t like some parts of it, I remember having trouble with the ending as well as the lake, but other then that when I re-read it I actually thought it was better then I remember.

Thanks for reading.