The usual crowd
By Jim King
7:21 just left Caledonian Road, next stop King's Cross St. Pancras, always a long dark stretch this one, miles between the stations. Just glimpses of faint lights, bare brick walls and odd open areas as we go.
The usual crowd. Brown suit man, always wears that rumpled old suit. Derby hat man, tall and elderly, never takes the hat off. White haired woman, looks old but always walks so quickly to leave the carriage. The two students, late teens maybe, wearing the uniform of jeans and t-shirts. Chinese man, always nods as I come on. Times reader, never see his face, always in the same seat, always hiding behind the times. Just his legs and his hands and his paper. Giggling girls, twenties, heads together, talking quietly, giggling loudly. Serious man always sitting so straight and staring ahead.
Another Monday morning.
7:22. A minute late today. Past Caledonian Road and into the long dark. Lights keep flickering out, a few seconds here and there. Wheels clanking beneath us. Bare bricks and faint lights outside.
The usual crowd, Chinese man nods as I look at him, others ignoring me. The usual crowd.
7:20. Running early, just left Caledonian Road. Into the long dark run beneath the city. Lights bad today, just after we pulled out of the station they went out for thirty seconds, then again a minute later.
The usual crowd, got a nod from the Chinese man as I boarded. I wonder if he ever moves from that spot, he is always there when I board. Darkness again for a long time, right in the middle of the run. Looking around, everyone in their usual places, wait, where is Derby hat man, not on the train today.
7:26 Running late, someone gargled a message over the tanoy, track work I thought but who can ever understand those messages anyway. Lights even worse, flickering on and off every few seconds.
The usual crowd, got my morning nod. No Derby hat man again. Lights off for a minute this time. Only one student today, I thought I saw both but its only one, head back against the glass and fast asleep just like always.
7:23 A bit late but nothing special. Friday today, weekend in sight. Be nice to have a weekend lay in, the kids want a trip somewhere, the zoo is easiest. I’ll decide tomorrow.
Lights out almost as soon as I board, moving now, lights more off than on. Daily nod from the Chinese man, does he ever move? The usual crowd, Derby hat man still off on holiday, just one sleeping student, Times man still reading. Lights off again. Back on. All the usual people, no wait, no white haired lady today. The usual crowd is getting smaller, no one else joining us though. Carriage will soon be empty.
7:19 Running early. Another Monday, another week. Zoo was good, kept them busy for hours. Not sure watching the lions be fed was the thing for young children to watch though.
The usual crowd. Brown suit man, always wears that rumpled old suit. The student, asleep as always, in jeans and t-shirts. Chinese man, nods like always as I come on. Times reader, never see his face, always in the same seat, always hiding behind the times. Serious man always sitting so straight and staring ahead. Giggling girls, no not today. That’s odd I thought I heard them giggling when I boarded but the lights are off so often on this run I didn’t see them. They really need to sort these lights out. I should complain.
7:21Leaving Caledonian Road, another long run into the darkness. Air feels damp today, like rain, odd I never noticed that before. Lights on and off, like strobes. Chinese man nodded as always, Times man never moves, Brown suit man still wearing that old suit. Darkness, long lasting. Faint lights flicker past outside, inside all shadows and the clank of tracks. Light. St Pancras at last, getting off as usual. Did serious man get off already?
7:21. On time. Carriage dark, half the lights are not working, everything is shadows. Lights going on and off, second week now. Useless underground.
Carriage all but empty, where is my usual crowd. Daily greeting nod from the Chinese man, Times man ignoring me as usual. Darkness again. Almost used to this now. Looking around, just the three of us, Brown suit man not taking the train today.
7:24 A bit late today. Carriage still dark, is it too much to ask that they keep these things working.
Morning nod from the Chinese man, hard to see inside the carriage, so dark as we pull out of the station. Long dark run beneath the city. So far below the light and air. Feels damp again, maybe rain up top. Light back on, Times man still reading, how does he do that with the light so bad. Chinese man must have moved, didn’t see him but it’s so dark when the lights are out. I have never seen him move from that spot.
7:20 Friday again. Been a long week, be good to have two days off. The kids want the beach this time, long drive, not what I want after a long week.
Just Times reader today and the sleeping student. Too early for many people I suppose. Lights off again most of the run. Two weeks now and they haven’t fixed them. Useless types, don’t care we are stuck down here. Lights outside, brakes on. St. Pancras and work. One train ride home packed in with hundreds of others and two whole days off. Student must have woken up, didn’t see him but he’s left the train. He normally goes onward.
7:23. Another Monday, beach was a disaster, rained all day. An hour in the car and it rained all day, kids drove me mad.
Times man in his usual seat. No one else today, no greeting nod. Everyone off on holiday. Just the Times to look at. How does he read in this light, barely see my hand in front of my face. Odd, that picture on the front page, wasn’t that the same as last week. Wasn’t that the same as the week before?
Lights flickering. Darkness. Paper rustles. A lamp outside, rushing past, briefly illuminates the carriage. Times newspaper a flicker of white as it falls to the floor. Two hands, pale and pink as they fall to the floor. Darkness, teeth, cannot scream, silence, cold.
By Jim King
7:21 just left Caledonian Road, next stop King's Cross St. Pancras, always a long dark stretch this one, miles between the stations. Just glimpses of faint lights, bare brick walls and odd open areas as we go.
The usual crowd. Brown suit man, always wears that rumpled old suit. Derby hat man, tall and elderly, never takes the hat off. White haired woman, looks old but always walks so quickly to leave the carriage. The two students, late teens maybe, wearing the uniform of jeans and t-shirts. Chinese man, always nods as I come on. Times reader, never see his face, always in the same seat, always hiding behind the times. Just his legs and his hands and his paper. Giggling girls, twenties, heads together, talking quietly, giggling loudly. Serious man always sitting so straight and staring ahead.
Another Monday morning.
7:22. A minute late today. Past Caledonian Road and into the long dark. Lights keep flickering out, a few seconds here and there. Wheels clanking beneath us. Bare bricks and faint lights outside.
The usual crowd, Chinese man nods as I look at him, others ignoring me. The usual crowd.
7:20. Running early, just left Caledonian Road. Into the long dark run beneath the city. Lights bad today, just after we pulled out of the station they went out for thirty seconds, then again a minute later.
The usual crowd, got a nod from the Chinese man as I boarded. I wonder if he ever moves from that spot, he is always there when I board. Darkness again for a long time, right in the middle of the run. Looking around, everyone in their usual places, wait, where is Derby hat man, not on the train today.
7:26 Running late, someone gargled a message over the tanoy, track work I thought but who can ever understand those messages anyway. Lights even worse, flickering on and off every few seconds.
The usual crowd, got my morning nod. No Derby hat man again. Lights off for a minute this time. Only one student today, I thought I saw both but its only one, head back against the glass and fast asleep just like always.
7:23 A bit late but nothing special. Friday today, weekend in sight. Be nice to have a weekend lay in, the kids want a trip somewhere, the zoo is easiest. I’ll decide tomorrow.
Lights out almost as soon as I board, moving now, lights more off than on. Daily nod from the Chinese man, does he ever move? The usual crowd, Derby hat man still off on holiday, just one sleeping student, Times man still reading. Lights off again. Back on. All the usual people, no wait, no white haired lady today. The usual crowd is getting smaller, no one else joining us though. Carriage will soon be empty.
7:19 Running early. Another Monday, another week. Zoo was good, kept them busy for hours. Not sure watching the lions be fed was the thing for young children to watch though.
The usual crowd. Brown suit man, always wears that rumpled old suit. The student, asleep as always, in jeans and t-shirts. Chinese man, nods like always as I come on. Times reader, never see his face, always in the same seat, always hiding behind the times. Serious man always sitting so straight and staring ahead. Giggling girls, no not today. That’s odd I thought I heard them giggling when I boarded but the lights are off so often on this run I didn’t see them. They really need to sort these lights out. I should complain.
7:21Leaving Caledonian Road, another long run into the darkness. Air feels damp today, like rain, odd I never noticed that before. Lights on and off, like strobes. Chinese man nodded as always, Times man never moves, Brown suit man still wearing that old suit. Darkness, long lasting. Faint lights flicker past outside, inside all shadows and the clank of tracks. Light. St Pancras at last, getting off as usual. Did serious man get off already?
7:21. On time. Carriage dark, half the lights are not working, everything is shadows. Lights going on and off, second week now. Useless underground.
Carriage all but empty, where is my usual crowd. Daily greeting nod from the Chinese man, Times man ignoring me as usual. Darkness again. Almost used to this now. Looking around, just the three of us, Brown suit man not taking the train today.
7:24 A bit late today. Carriage still dark, is it too much to ask that they keep these things working.
Morning nod from the Chinese man, hard to see inside the carriage, so dark as we pull out of the station. Long dark run beneath the city. So far below the light and air. Feels damp again, maybe rain up top. Light back on, Times man still reading, how does he do that with the light so bad. Chinese man must have moved, didn’t see him but it’s so dark when the lights are out. I have never seen him move from that spot.
7:20 Friday again. Been a long week, be good to have two days off. The kids want the beach this time, long drive, not what I want after a long week.
Just Times reader today and the sleeping student. Too early for many people I suppose. Lights off again most of the run. Two weeks now and they haven’t fixed them. Useless types, don’t care we are stuck down here. Lights outside, brakes on. St. Pancras and work. One train ride home packed in with hundreds of others and two whole days off. Student must have woken up, didn’t see him but he’s left the train. He normally goes onward.
7:23. Another Monday, beach was a disaster, rained all day. An hour in the car and it rained all day, kids drove me mad.
Times man in his usual seat. No one else today, no greeting nod. Everyone off on holiday. Just the Times to look at. How does he read in this light, barely see my hand in front of my face. Odd, that picture on the front page, wasn’t that the same as last week. Wasn’t that the same as the week before?
Lights flickering. Darkness. Paper rustles. A lamp outside, rushing past, briefly illuminates the carriage. Times newspaper a flicker of white as it falls to the floor. Two hands, pale and pink as they fall to the floor. Darkness, teeth, cannot scream, silence, cold.