R e t r o s p e c t • PSYPHY

Chapter 2: T i m e b o m b

My train ride was becoming exceptionally grueling. And despite having a passenger - It was like I was the only one aware of how long we've sat here. "C'mon now," I murmured; hoping that the girl next to me would hear. She glanced over, but didn't say anything. You can't be serious! Who does that?! I sucked my teeth - that seemed to get her attention. 

"Something the matter?" she asked politely. Her voice was that perfect combination of quaint yet tolerable. It was sort of high-pitched; making me presume that she was no more than two years younger than me. 

"No, I'm fine." I lied to her. Of course she didn't know so she smiled and faced forward like she was - watching a movie on her laptop. I narrowed my eyes at her. She was so fixated on that movie that she hadn't sparked conversation in over an hour. It would've been understandable if it was a good movie - or even if she were wearing headphones in the first place. I sighed, and adjusted my position in the seat. I should've done what I was thinking and asked her. I mean, who watches a movie with no sound? It's like she's actually trying to be a weirdo. Nonetheless I didn't have the balls to say that. Instead, I settled with looking out the little window by my seat. It was amazing how these petite optics would captivate any passenger. Most of the time you weren't seeing anything new. And even if you were seeing something new - it probably was just passing by at speeds you could hardly register.

I was supposed to be wearing glasses, so the images I saw were merely blurs that flickered by. All and all, the window seat was actually worse than the aisle one - Although one thing was pleasant about this view. No matter how fast the train went - I could always tell that it was still snowing. The angelic flakes rained down in slow motion, contrary to the train's speed. "Beautiful," I whispered with a smirk. 

"What?" The woman next to me just so happened to have caught wind of that one. 

"Oh, sorry 'bout that I was thinking out loud." Surely that would make things seem, normal. 

However... "Really?" she shut her laptop. "Go on," she turned in her chair and faced me. Her expression read that of intrigue and fascination.

I raised an eyebrow at her, "Well...I basically just-" 

"EVERYBODY GET ON THE GROUND, NOW!" The sudden exclaim caught both of our attentions. 

A short gasp escaped the woman as she looked down the aisle. Her hair lolled over her shoulders with every movement. Her eyes were sharp and motions even sharper. When she looked back to me she grabbed my hand and began panting. "Oh-my-god-oh-my-god the train-" 

"What? What's going on?! Who just yelled that?!" I was utterly lost. 

"S-someone in the other c-cart. I-think-they're-robbing-the-train." She said.

My eyes widened. I couldn't believe what she just told me. "Robbing the train? Did you just say someone's robbing the train?" one of the other passengers were nosy enough to pick up on our conversation.

The woman vigorously nodded - and the man beside her used that as an indication to dismay. "Dear merciful Jesus someone's robbin' this here train! Everybody~run!!" he hollered as panic and unrest consumed the passengers. Screams, wails and hollers soon populated my section of the cart. The woman next to me still firmly held my right hand in her left; squeezing it and tapping her foot against the floor anxiously. Normally, I'd go to calm her down - but there were just too many people here experiencing the same affect. She was just a lot more chilled than the rest. So all I could do was try and sooth her; assuring our safety as I did so.

Amongst the screams and cries I spoke to her softly. "Hey, hey. Look at me. It's going to be fine, the conductor already sounded the alarm. We're gonna be okay." Tears were already rolling down her face. I honestly thought that I was doing a good job - keeping my composure around all of this. The woman nodded some more letting me know that she could handle things from here. While the conductor and train officers rushed through our cart, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. Sometimes most people just needed to be held, and told that they were safe. The world was cruel and things like this would happen all the time where my dad lived. At this point it really wasn't much of a surprise.