Delayed Departures
Chapter one:
It was a cold morning, the air was damp and a small breeze was added in the central of New York. The day had been busy with trains and other public transport working extra hours to satisfy the new customers coming in due to the Christmas period. The workers remained drifting through the city like ghosts doing their jobs and keeping out of the way of the busy shoppers and their leafial customised bags. On the tube below the main streets an entrance was opened allowing you to enter this busy enterprise. As the doors opened the people fled on like rats infecting the area and using the remaining spaces where they were available. "Sorry" the young girl replied her brown long locks flying behind her like a kite as the doors shut the instance after her bags and her body had successfully squeezed inside the carriage. She stood awkwardly as she felt her body being pressed against the other passengers standing around her, some reading newspapers they'd picked up through the central, others listening to loud music via their phones or iPods. And others just plainly listening to others conversations. As the tube came to every stop a bunch of people left, only for the next stop to gain more people. as they approached the busiest line, Monica prepared herself. She had been travelling on this tube for the last 7 years of her life; she knew what was to be expected for the main station in the middle of New York shopping areas. As the doors open like vampires they attacked, smelling the room and invading it. As Monica felt her body be pushed she didn't fight back, feeling her feet slip and the weight on her back become numb, her body began falling to the floor, the man who sat opposite her reached out, quickly putting his arms under her back, helping to straighten and steady her. "Woo you okay there?" he asked concerned, this was his first experience of a tube, he lived outside of the city and was travelling due to work commands. "I think so" Monica replied, she was shy and embarrassed by her first encounter with this stranger, in all of her uses of using public transport nothing had happened quite like that.
The man stood up, his height instancing shadowing Monica's, he moved allowing her to sit on the seat, she smiled softly at him before accepting and quickly sitting down, feeling firm and safe again. He stood opposite her, as he held onto the bar in front of her above her head. "What's your name then?" he asked, his accent sounded different to most of the people she worked with this gave her the conclusion he wasn't from around here. "Monica" she smiled, she always hated that name, she was teased at school for her weight and having a name like Monica only worsened the situation. The young man looked at her, he looked intrigued. "I love that name" he smiled back at her "Why I hate it" she made the statement the passion appearing from her voice. He looked shocked, sensing the hate in her voice "Well I think its unique" he laughed, a small chuckle soon followed.