Listening to people on trains
I’ve been hunting through hundreds of old notebooks, trying to find stories I’ve written in the world of Dwarves in Space. It’s been eight years. Like George RR Martin, I’m due a new book. Unlike Martin, I am not able to spin this into hundreds of other properties while I avoid finishing the next one. So I’m back on the trail.
But.
I found that while travelling on trains, I would write down what I was hearing around me. After one particularly disturbing incident, I wrote down the following:
Little snippets of information from people on mobiles to friends or dates.
“Huh, yeah, still at Cheltenham. Hmm? No. The train’s stopped. We had to climb down while some guy held the doors open.”
“I dunno. The ambulance is here. I thought the train had broken down…”
“…no, the front carriage came off. They’re not letting the people at the front get off. God. I’m going to be late.”
“The train announcer guy is saying ‘until further notice, there will be no trains on Platform 2’ What the hell? Come get me.”
“Oh my God. We ran over someone…”
“Yes, ma’am. It was an accident. He fell from the platform.”
“You know, it almost happened to a friend of mine. Yeah, she was running down the ramp. In high heels, no less. And I wasn’t running for a train, no way. Anyway, she tripped, slid down the last bit. Could’ve fallen onto the tracks.”
“Look at that girl. She’s in shock.”
“Were you with him, darl?”
“no, not with him. Well, not before…”
“Miss, your partner says he needs a blanket. “
“You tell him I’ll get him a blanket when I’m done out here. Go on.”
“Did you know he was here with a girl?”
“The one in the red?”
“Mmm. Poor thing’s in shock. She’s just staring straight ahead. Anyone wanna share a cab into the city?”
“You know if these guys are even organising buses?”
“You got a light?”
“Jeez, how long are we gonna wait?”
Poor bastard. Forgotten already.
Finding Damo 