Denatured
By Adam Morgan
Chapter One
The train exploded past me, the passengers on the inside a mere rush of colours and their faces a blotch of life in the dull station. Sparks rushed into the air, escaping the ground like small bursts of fire erupting from the rails as the train ground to a halt. The doors opened with a whistle, slightly stalling half way. I stepped inside, my shoes leaving the cold, dismal station into the warm, cosy train carriage. I hoisted my bag onto the baggage shelf and looked to the seat directly beside me, and then looked to the rest of the carriage. Every single seat was full. Businessmen, families and kids. Wearing their stupid clothes and listening to their stupid music. I hated that, it was so rude, just sitting there, not listening to anything or paying attention to the people around.
I gripped a pole next to me; not daring to think about kind of hands had touched it, and waited for a seat to become vacant. The train rattled on, screaming as it burst through tunnel after tunnel before returning to normal, running along the track. The people around me were silent, which creeped me out a little, I didn't like silence, I like it when I could hear people interacting, talking, touching, loving, being people. I stared at the ground, I needed new shoes. My red trainers were now really uncool and the left one was tatty and the heel was worn down. But I still loved them, even if nobody else did. The train once again began coming to a halt and the group of kids stood up, shoving their hands into their pockets and shuffling off the train like penguins. I wasn't going to sit there. Three more people rose, one right next to me took his briefcase from the shelf and carried it off, carefully avoiding my head as he dragged it down, which was sweet. I smiled at him as he manoeuvred himself round the corner of the doors. I sat down carefully, testing the seat with my hands. He looked at me again as he walked past the window, his smile made me forget what I was doing and I sat down, regardless of personal hygiene.
I sighed as the train began its slow acceleration down into another tunnel, the train seemed to rock a little as we exploded out of the other side. The sun was now out in full force, burning my face, causing me to recoil and once again look out into the train. Only about five people remained on the carriage, a few men in very slick suits, probably talking about stock or something like that. The small patches of fields by the road line were full with cows and men, digging, ploughing, doing farm stuff. I was a city kid at heart and had no idea what they were doing.
Another tunnel loomed ahead; I had to crane my neck to see it in the window. The train rocked again as it rattled on, creaking as it approached, speeding up as the tunnel's darkness ate up the train inch by inch, like a mouth opening up, the tunnel swallowed us. Another odd whooshing noise erupted into my ears, but this was different, there was a painful squeal accompanying the wind. It was almost a scratchy noise, like the train was rubbing along the tunnel sides. The train rocked to the right, bouncing off the wall, I was tossed over in my seat. Instinctively my hands leapt onto my head, I crept onto my knees as the train tossed itself back to the left, and I was thrown back into my seat, banging my head on the chair's metal base. My eyes tight shut, they opened briefly to look for something to grab onto. The pole had lifted out of its stand and was banging against the door, shattering the window, spreading glass all over the floor, something above had exploded, everything had gone dark, I could see it through my closed eyes, the light had popped. I fell back, my eyes slamming shut. Something hit me on the head, hard, it may have been the seat but I was past caring, I embraced unconsciousness like a blanket and didn't let go.
By Adam Morgan
Chapter One
The train exploded past me, the passengers on the inside a mere rush of colours and their faces a blotch of life in the dull station. Sparks rushed into the air, escaping the ground like small bursts of fire erupting from the rails as the train ground to a halt. The doors opened with a whistle, slightly stalling half way. I stepped inside, my shoes leaving the cold, dismal station into the warm, cosy train carriage. I hoisted my bag onto the baggage shelf and looked to the seat directly beside me, and then looked to the rest of the carriage. Every single seat was full. Businessmen, families and kids. Wearing their stupid clothes and listening to their stupid music. I hated that, it was so rude, just sitting there, not listening to anything or paying attention to the people around.
I gripped a pole next to me; not daring to think about kind of hands had touched it, and waited for a seat to become vacant. The train rattled on, screaming as it burst through tunnel after tunnel before returning to normal, running along the track. The people around me were silent, which creeped me out a little, I didn't like silence, I like it when I could hear people interacting, talking, touching, loving, being people. I stared at the ground, I needed new shoes. My red trainers were now really uncool and the left one was tatty and the heel was worn down. But I still loved them, even if nobody else did. The train once again began coming to a halt and the group of kids stood up, shoving their hands into their pockets and shuffling off the train like penguins. I wasn't going to sit there. Three more people rose, one right next to me took his briefcase from the shelf and carried it off, carefully avoiding my head as he dragged it down, which was sweet. I smiled at him as he manoeuvred himself round the corner of the doors. I sat down carefully, testing the seat with my hands. He looked at me again as he walked past the window, his smile made me forget what I was doing and I sat down, regardless of personal hygiene.
I sighed as the train began its slow acceleration down into another tunnel, the train seemed to rock a little as we exploded out of the other side. The sun was now out in full force, burning my face, causing me to recoil and once again look out into the train. Only about five people remained on the carriage, a few men in very slick suits, probably talking about stock or something like that. The small patches of fields by the road line were full with cows and men, digging, ploughing, doing farm stuff. I was a city kid at heart and had no idea what they were doing.
Another tunnel loomed ahead; I had to crane my neck to see it in the window. The train rocked again as it rattled on, creaking as it approached, speeding up as the tunnel's darkness ate up the train inch by inch, like a mouth opening up, the tunnel swallowed us. Another odd whooshing noise erupted into my ears, but this was different, there was a painful squeal accompanying the wind. It was almost a scratchy noise, like the train was rubbing along the tunnel sides. The train rocked to the right, bouncing off the wall, I was tossed over in my seat. Instinctively my hands leapt onto my head, I crept onto my knees as the train tossed itself back to the left, and I was thrown back into my seat, banging my head on the chair's metal base. My eyes tight shut, they opened briefly to look for something to grab onto. The pole had lifted out of its stand and was banging against the door, shattering the window, spreading glass all over the floor, something above had exploded, everything had gone dark, I could see it through my closed eyes, the light had popped. I fell back, my eyes slamming shut. Something hit me on the head, hard, it may have been the seat but I was past caring, I embraced unconsciousness like a blanket and didn't let go.