Mercedes walked with her brother to the subway opening. They paid for their coin and then moved to the platform, to wait for the subway trains. Amazingly, for a Tuesday afternoon, the platform was empty. She looked around and smirked.
"Did we miss something? Where is everyone?" She looked up to him.
"Not sure. The less the people, the better. I hate the subway." He shook his head, wondering why, on his day off there was no one around, but when he's chasing a perp, there are 100 people in his way.
"Then why are we taking it? You have a car." She was curious as to why he said to take the subway.
"There is nowhere to park on the streets of Lower Manhattan. You know this. Easier to do this. Take a picture, it only happens once a year." He looked at her as she took out an imaginary camera and made a clicking noise.
"I'm ready for my close-up" He made some dumb poses and then moved his hands to push her away.
"Awe! Just one more. Smile for the camera." She stopped and laughed at him crossing his eyes and sticking his tongue out.
"No more autographs, please. I'll get a cramp" He laughed and pulled his sister so he held her under his arm.
"Where the hell is this train? They are always on time." She was under his arm as it wrapped around her shoulder. She heard the train and felt the breeze coming from the tunnel as the platform rattled slightly. The train stopped and they got onto the 2nd car. Mercedes had a thing about the first 3 cars. She just felt safer. Maurice followed her as they sat in a seat facing forward. Looking around, there was no one the train either. Mercedes looked around, confused.
"What's wrong?" He asked softly, not really noticing that were the only ones on the train.
"There's no one on here too. What's up?" She looked out the window as the train started to pull away.
"Good. No one around, we can enjoy the lack of stupid conversation."
"We make stupid conversation."
"We're different. When it's ours, it's not so stupid." He smiled at her. She just shook her head. She liked sitting on the outside seat.
"So, what are we going to do when we get there?" She wanted a plan, so they didn't have to walk the same 15 blocks 45 times.
"I don't know. You said you wanted to go shopping. Maybe we could stop at the huge Disney store near 42nd and buy Carlos some Piglet Boxers." He laughed.
"Not funny. I like he's cute in his Tweety boxers."
"You think he's cute in anything." He commented, flatly.
"I want to see that new Ferris Wheel in Toys 'R Us."
"Ok, Disney Store, Toys 'R Us. What's next? Saks 5th Avenue?"
"No. Maybe Tiffany's." She knew they could never afford to shop in there. She was just messing with him.
"Umm, hmm, No. Let's just walk up 42nd and through Times Square, down to Broadway, over to 54th, then we can, if we have time, go Staten Island and visit the mall." He knew his sister loved the Staten Island Mall. But they never had time to go there.
"You? On the Ferry?" She looked shocked. He never got on the ferry. He would prefer to pay $7.00 to cross the Veranzano.
"Yes, the Ferry. It's just easier, and it's only $3.00 a person. Then we can take the bus to the Mall. It's a direct route down Hylan Boulevard." He hated taking the Ferry, but he knew she loved it. She loved everything about New York.
"I don't really want to go to Staten Island. What about Central Park? They have that Musical Carnival thing. Why don't we see that? We can either walk the 50 blocks, or take the subway."
"Central Park? All right. I know you like those Musical things." He thought back about his sister's life. She danced, she sang, she could play 3 different instruments. He wondered why, out of all her passions, she became a Firefighter.
"Good! You'll have fun! We get some fried do-" She was cut off by the sound of steel grinding, the brakes squealing and the force of an impact throwing her across the train and onto the floor in front of the doors. Maurice yelled as she screamed and the train went black.
"Did we miss something? Where is everyone?" She looked up to him.
"Not sure. The less the people, the better. I hate the subway." He shook his head, wondering why, on his day off there was no one around, but when he's chasing a perp, there are 100 people in his way.
"Then why are we taking it? You have a car." She was curious as to why he said to take the subway.
"There is nowhere to park on the streets of Lower Manhattan. You know this. Easier to do this. Take a picture, it only happens once a year." He looked at her as she took out an imaginary camera and made a clicking noise.
"I'm ready for my close-up" He made some dumb poses and then moved his hands to push her away.
"Awe! Just one more. Smile for the camera." She stopped and laughed at him crossing his eyes and sticking his tongue out.
"No more autographs, please. I'll get a cramp" He laughed and pulled his sister so he held her under his arm.
"Where the hell is this train? They are always on time." She was under his arm as it wrapped around her shoulder. She heard the train and felt the breeze coming from the tunnel as the platform rattled slightly. The train stopped and they got onto the 2nd car. Mercedes had a thing about the first 3 cars. She just felt safer. Maurice followed her as they sat in a seat facing forward. Looking around, there was no one the train either. Mercedes looked around, confused.
"What's wrong?" He asked softly, not really noticing that were the only ones on the train.
"There's no one on here too. What's up?" She looked out the window as the train started to pull away.
"Good. No one around, we can enjoy the lack of stupid conversation."
"We make stupid conversation."
"We're different. When it's ours, it's not so stupid." He smiled at her. She just shook her head. She liked sitting on the outside seat.
"So, what are we going to do when we get there?" She wanted a plan, so they didn't have to walk the same 15 blocks 45 times.
"I don't know. You said you wanted to go shopping. Maybe we could stop at the huge Disney store near 42nd and buy Carlos some Piglet Boxers." He laughed.
"Not funny. I like he's cute in his Tweety boxers."
"You think he's cute in anything." He commented, flatly.
"I want to see that new Ferris Wheel in Toys 'R Us."
"Ok, Disney Store, Toys 'R Us. What's next? Saks 5th Avenue?"
"No. Maybe Tiffany's." She knew they could never afford to shop in there. She was just messing with him.
"Umm, hmm, No. Let's just walk up 42nd and through Times Square, down to Broadway, over to 54th, then we can, if we have time, go Staten Island and visit the mall." He knew his sister loved the Staten Island Mall. But they never had time to go there.
"You? On the Ferry?" She looked shocked. He never got on the ferry. He would prefer to pay $7.00 to cross the Veranzano.
"Yes, the Ferry. It's just easier, and it's only $3.00 a person. Then we can take the bus to the Mall. It's a direct route down Hylan Boulevard." He hated taking the Ferry, but he knew she loved it. She loved everything about New York.
"I don't really want to go to Staten Island. What about Central Park? They have that Musical Carnival thing. Why don't we see that? We can either walk the 50 blocks, or take the subway."
"Central Park? All right. I know you like those Musical things." He thought back about his sister's life. She danced, she sang, she could play 3 different instruments. He wondered why, out of all her passions, she became a Firefighter.
"Good! You'll have fun! We get some fried do-" She was cut off by the sound of steel grinding, the brakes squealing and the force of an impact throwing her across the train and onto the floor in front of the doors. Maurice yelled as she screamed and the train went black.