Meet Me in the Middle

Chapter 12

10 years later...

Cassandra stood near the train station.

The cool evening breeze fanned her face as numerous other commuters like her awaited their ride. Adjusting to a new city had been hard on her, with her parents being hundreds of miles away; it wasn't the smoothest transition since she had to brave it all by herself. The past few years have been quite a whirlwind for her. Moving out of her childhood home with her dad being diagnosed with lung cancer the day she was set to leave made it even more heart-wrenching.

But that was three years ago. Not that much had changed. However, she feared the worst with the cancer's persistence.

Stepping carefully toward the front doors, she slowly traversed her way through the shoulders, squeezing their way into the packed cargo. The crowd seemed awfully snobby today; she thought to herself.

Picking agriculture as her major had been a long-time decision coming. She had hoped to attend a more small, liberal arts school close to home but alas, destiny deemed her more fit for the city life. Smuggling through her tote bag for her pair of earphones, she sighed as she listened to some classical music. Tuning out the constant mumbles and scuffling of the commuters around her.

Her mom had been a huge fan of classical. Remembering the smooth melodies bouncing around the living room while she knit. A nostalgic memory that kept her holding onto the old records in her playlist.

A huge commotion caught her attention as she was pushed aside. With the train still speedily moving, she sensed people start to run backward. Fearing the men who were shouting in the front cargo. Screams and children's cries soon followed.

"Everyone shut up!" The deep growl of a man's voice echoed through the tube. His orders soon followed as everyone tried to keep to themselves as much as possible. The terrified mothers gently coddled their young and tried their best to calm them down. "Give us all your belongings now!"

A robbery.

She'd heard of some cases happening in nearby stations, with the occasional gunman and police altercation being reported on the news. With that, they started to go down the cargo, sternly patting down each commuter and taking whatever valuable they deemed worthy enough to steal.

Cassandra started to feel claustrophobic, her breath slowly getting caught in her throat as her body rocked in agony. She tried to calm herself down but the now bothersome classical piano music on her eardrums made it impossible to do so.

As she gripped her sleeve trying to remain grounded, chaos ensued once again.