It was pitch black all around them, but they didn’t mind, it somehow reminded them of their midnight talks during summer camp, before there even was a thing called electricity.
“There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.” Gail said as the little light that was there, shined on her big glasses.
“And airborne diseases, flesh-eating bacteria, traffic accidents and random acts of violence.” Clemmie added sporadically while they sat next to each other waiting for the lights to come back on.
“Ok, ok.. I get it.”, Gail said as she tapped her friend on the shoulder.
There was a lot of talking around them so Clemmie had to speak up, which happened to receive everyone’s attention, “It takes only one cough, one sneeze, one spittle of saliva, to pass on some kind of animal crossover flu that could kill us all.”
Gail had been experiencing Clemmie’s paranoia for over 30 years now, so knew not to get into things to much, “You watch to much TV.” She said.
Some of the lights came back on and show just how much people were cramped in the subway car.
They subway car was like a pack of sardines, or better said a pack of pregnant sardines, even more accurate if they were pregnant of quadruplets.
The subway had been stuck in a small tunnel for over an hour now, and Clemmie imagined there was about an inch of water on the floor already.
For her that water was actually everyone’s sweat that had drizzled down from their forehead, armpits, crotch and butt, and ran down their legs and eventually out of their shoes onto the floor.
The sliding door between their car and the one behind them opened and they couldn’t see what was going on but someone was singing out off key.
People were moving out of the way the best they could even though there was no room left to maneuver in, some ribs cracked and some shoulders dislocated in the process.
And then there was a tall skinny guy dancing naked in front of them.
“At least he’s not completely naked, and smart enough to wear socks, these floors are nasty, he could get some kind of toe infection that is so bad they have to amputate his legs.” Clemmie rattled as the man was yelling, “I’m a poor comfortist, Money please.”
The lights went off again and they felt something fleshy slapping them across the face.
The engine turned back on and so did the lights, the subway began to run again and everyone sighed out of relief.
The two friends opened their eyes and saw the man was gone.
“And I dance!” The heard the tramp say in the distance.
“There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.” Gail said as the little light that was there, shined on her big glasses.
“And airborne diseases, flesh-eating bacteria, traffic accidents and random acts of violence.” Clemmie added sporadically while they sat next to each other waiting for the lights to come back on.
“Ok, ok.. I get it.”, Gail said as she tapped her friend on the shoulder.
There was a lot of talking around them so Clemmie had to speak up, which happened to receive everyone’s attention, “It takes only one cough, one sneeze, one spittle of saliva, to pass on some kind of animal crossover flu that could kill us all.”
Gail had been experiencing Clemmie’s paranoia for over 30 years now, so knew not to get into things to much, “You watch to much TV.” She said.
Some of the lights came back on and show just how much people were cramped in the subway car.
They subway car was like a pack of sardines, or better said a pack of pregnant sardines, even more accurate if they were pregnant of quadruplets.
The subway had been stuck in a small tunnel for over an hour now, and Clemmie imagined there was about an inch of water on the floor already.
For her that water was actually everyone’s sweat that had drizzled down from their forehead, armpits, crotch and butt, and ran down their legs and eventually out of their shoes onto the floor.
The sliding door between their car and the one behind them opened and they couldn’t see what was going on but someone was singing out off key.
People were moving out of the way the best they could even though there was no room left to maneuver in, some ribs cracked and some shoulders dislocated in the process.
And then there was a tall skinny guy dancing naked in front of them.
“At least he’s not completely naked, and smart enough to wear socks, these floors are nasty, he could get some kind of toe infection that is so bad they have to amputate his legs.” Clemmie rattled as the man was yelling, “I’m a poor comfortist, Money please.”
The lights went off again and they felt something fleshy slapping them across the face.
The engine turned back on and so did the lights, the subway began to run again and everyone sighed out of relief.
The two friends opened their eyes and saw the man was gone.
“And I dance!” The heard the tramp say in the distance.
