Short Stories

cough and youre dead

A mother took a firm hold of her daughter's gloved hand as they stood on the icy platform; an unpleasant prickling feeling seeped through the flimsy school shoes she wore on a Saturday, making her thin legs shake and the hair on her arms stand on end. She wore her mother's hat which half covered her eyes to shield her from the weather. The light flakes of snow, passing by the rotten timber above the train platform looked almost picturesque, yet each flake felt like a sharp stab on the mother's head. The two girls wore coats without clothes underneath for the mother had lost her income when informed she should stay away from work- the girl didn't mind though; it was all she was used to.

The almost empty station remained silent.

Much like all other stations around the world, the once grey floor appeared green; grass seeped through cracks in the stonework and moss and algae formed a slippery layer where most train users didn't tread. Poison ivy creeped up the timber support beams (for metal was far too expensive) and began to break apart the wood until it became a part of the support itself, by which means; removing the ivy would result in the inevitable collapse of the station.

The mother jumped at a sound, her head snapping to a granite bench where the coughing sound came from while simultaneously moving the other way, dragging her daughter with her. The girl did not protest.

The mother was not a harsh woman and did not want to avoid the man on the bench but the safety of her daughter- "Mummy" the child tugged on her mother's sleeve, encouraging her to come away from her thoughts. "When can we see Charlie again?" The mother shook her head and did not reply, the child not questioning why in fear of the mother telling her off.

Finally, the rails began to shake and a rusty train appeared from the half-collapsed tunnel, the girl letting go of her mother's hand to cover her ears as the train squealed when coming to a stop. For a moment, everything seemed frozen. Then the doors reluctantly opened to reveal the deteriorated interior of the single carriage.

The mother approached the door first and was shoved into a wall by a heavily built man who was gone as soon as he appeared. The child, clueless, passed her mother and took a seat until it collapsed underneath her. For a moment she stayed there before gaining the effort to stand up and grab hold of a metal pole that had become detached from its other half, being careful not to cut her small hands on any rust. Her mother had always been especially careful considering she hadn't yet been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the mother searched her pockets for the antibacterial wipes she knew she took with her, just in case someone like the man leaving the train had come close to her.

Besides the rusting, the train cart was silent. In fact, it was completely empty besides an empty bottle of hand sanitizer and used antibacterial wipes. It was actually against the law to use public transport and because most couldn't afford it, they wouldn't take the risk of using public transport in case of a fine. This particular train line was still in construction when this law was passed so when a young social worker discovered the station and train cart, he confided in a limited number of locals and drove the train himself. The military haven't yet found it.

The train began to screech again to move forwards when the same man from before sprinted back inside just as it began to speed up, tightly gripping a damp roll of toilet paper. The mother began to laugh. The man bent over, clenching his chest as the mother laughed even louder until it turned into hysterics. "Mummy..." the child whispered, confused and scared.

Finally, the mother was silent, sad tears wetting her face. The man completely understood; it wasn't uncommon for women to act like this. He took a seat, one that did not break opposite the child who was then envious of this man who had the chance to sit down.

"Lowenna," the mother began as she kneeled down and cupped her daughter's cheeks for both comfort and to keep her sturdy on the uneven rails. "You are so, so brave."

She stared into her eyes for a moment before standing up again and looking as solemn as she did before.

Moments went by and the train remained silent.

"Mummy," the child began. "When can we see Charlie again?"

The mother looked down at her child, images of her son's bloody body plaguing her mind. She sighed deeply, quickly praying she would not show weakness to her daughter before replying; "Your brother isn't very well right now, he is in hospital you see and we aren't allowed to go there in case we get infected, okay baby?"

The man on the train looked over to the girl, seeing the concerned frown on her innocent face. The mother ran a hand through her hair, a tear escaping at the sound of a sigh.

A few minutes passed and the train remained silent.

The man looked around the carriage, noticing how it was never decorated. The seats were plain and uncovered and the walls were rusted with no paint or wallpaper. A single, dim light at the end of the cart lit it up as the train continued to operate underground. The man's thoughts wondered to the mother and child; how many people they had lost, if they had an income, whether or not they stocked up...

"Got him too?" he asked.

"What?" the mother's voice cracked.

"Your boy. Sorry, I haven't seen anyone in so long, you see" he nervously chuckled and scratched his head.

The mother wondered whether she should trust this man or not. He may have reported her if he believed her child was diseased...

She leant over to him, the child looking over curiously. "No, it has not, and it never will. It's just easier for my girl this way, this is all she's ever known, you see" she whispered, and nothing more was said.