Welcome to Flash Fiction Friday and the one hundred and thirteenth piece in this series. This week’s is a 493-worder by Christopher Farley. This story will be podcasted in episode 35 (with three other stories / with two other stories and some 6-worders) on Sunday 29th December.
The Third Rail
It isn’t just cold, it’s damned freezing. I haven’t my coat with me. Why? Because I hadn’t intended on hiding in a draughty, dilapidated tool shed at a deserted train station at 2.30 on this Arctic-like morning. My breath fogs and my teeth chatter. I try to stop but it’s impossible. My feet are numb and I have to be careful not to make a noise whilst trying to rub some heat back into my body. I went for drinks after work. I must have had one too many as I found myself at the end of the line and no return train till the morning. I started walking up the tracks, now sober enough to be extremely careful of that third rail.
I look out the crack in the door. He’s still there, standing, looking up and down the platform, the platform behind which I’m hiding, freezing and praying for the first train. When is the first train? 5am? Is there not a staff train? He’s not breathing fog in the frigid air, which strikes me as strange. Not as strange as the hell-sent train that keeps passing up and down every 5 minutes or so. Sometimes he steps into it and disappears. The train never stops though.
I had walked about two miles up the line to the next station when I felt, rather than heard, a train coming. Luckily I was level with the platform so I jumped up and stood inside the little waiting shelter, to see if it would stop. It didn’t. That wasn’t all though; I could see through it. A sick, jaundiced yellow light lit the interior but I could see the other platform through the train. I thought it was the booze. After it passed, I made my way along the platform when I heard it return. I discovered the shed and hid inside. Lucky really, because the man appeared on the other platform, he just stepped out as the train shot by. He was looking for something. Me?
I’m now crouching, changing position helps. I feel the train coming so I return to the crack in the door. It flies past and is gone. He’s gone too. The man has gone! Maybe in 5 minutes I can get away. My crouched position helps me move and I let myself out the shed. The exit’s on the other platform though so I jump down on the tracks, avoiding the footbridge but as I do I hear brakes; furious, screaming brakes. The light of the train in the distance is now coming back towards me, fast. The train knows I’m here. He knows I’m here. Now I’ve nowhere to hide, it’ll find me. He’ll find me.
The train’s approaching fast now. What can I do? If I stay I’ll die of hypothermia if I’m lucky, I don’t want to think of the endless, terrifying possibilities of death by supernatural causes.
I stare at the third rail.
*
I asked Christopher what prompted this piece and he said…
Last Thursday night I had an awful night’s sleep. In one of my waking moments I had this vision of a man, a not particularly nice man, standing on a train station platform, looking at me. It remained with me during the day and so I jotted something down around it that evening. Obviously a man, nasty or not, just standing there just wouldn’t do so I added, hopefully satisfactorily in 500 words, a touch of the supernatural.
**
Thank you, Christopher. I loved it.
Christopher Farley. He lived a sheltered life in the wilds of Kent from where he was saved by the written word. So much so that he still corresponds with certain people with a pen and paper!!
Upon moving to London, a bit like Dick Whittington, searching for streets of gold, he happened upon a beautiful Italian lady who later decided to take him to the sunny realm of southern Switzerland, where he can still be found, smiling inanely, continuously in search of Weissbier.
When he is not working or drinking he sits in front of the computer, searching for fictional inspiration. You can find Chris via his blogs http://christopherfarley.wordpress.com and http://talkingtosh.wordpress.com.
***
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I loved this story when I first read it on Chris’s blog and it made me jump out of my skin; so real and vivid. I really enjoy his writing and if you read and enjoyed this story, please go over to his blog and read the others he has there. Really great reading and so enjoyable. Well done Chris and thanks again Morgen for a wonderful post. 🙂
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Thank you, Jane. I’ve forwarded your comment to Chris.
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Thanks so much Morgen.
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Hi Jane, sorry it’s taken so long to get back. I got the tablet last week, as well as a new phone and my email setup went to sh…sugar.
So, first things first, thank you as ever for your support and encouragement (Morgen, this goes for you too). I always appreciate your comments and feedback – both of you.
I have to be honest; I’m struggling for ideas at the moment. It’s not a block – blocks don’t exist for people who don’t write for a living – however, I think I’m having a wee lean patch.
I did however write a 1,000 word post-murder scene (I can confide as the 3 of us like a dead bode or two every now and again) because I had this Raymond Chandlereque phrase “After all, no one likes to see a dead body, except maybe an undertaker or a professional hit man” going around my head.
Once again thank you and I’m looking forward to In A Word; Murder.
Chris
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You could try my writing prompts, Chris. I post them at 5pm UK time on this blog so you don’t even have to subscribe to the writing group blogs. 🙂
PS. You’re very welcome. It’s always a pleasure hosting and chatting with you.
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Chris, I tried to reply but the send button disappeared….no idea what is going on. I hope that you have managed to finish your story and I look forward to reading it soon. It is a pain when you cannot find a way to write, even if the ideas are inside your head. I am trying to write but a family illness (uncle in a coma) is causing all sorts of problems as you might imagine and I am needed to offer emotional support to mum especially (her brother) and so time and opportunities are in short supply even though ideas are not. I hope you will get over the lean patch and come up with one of your wonderful stories. I love them. I do hope you enjoy In A Word: Murder and that you will let me know your thoughts. So far I have had a rave review (by a critic) for one story: Dreamer (apologies for bad language in it) and readers have been in touch with their encouraging comments about Hollywood Cover Up, so I am thrilled. I really hope you like them. Meantime I am sure Morgen is as anxious to read your new story as I am. Good luck, let me know. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Reflections and commented:
Thank you Morgen.
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