Going home on a Friday

Today is a regular, happy, normal day for me. Coming back from my new job of railway engineering, or more specifically, train designing. It had been a dream job for me for a long time, taking the passion in aiding the transportation industry, mainly trains, of course, it has been a passion since I was a little kid. The calming clattering of handles from above while the train takes you wherever you want to go. Or the bullet train going beyond what was made before going speeds you never imagined. 

It was the slow mark of the day, everything settling down to a hush as the sun set over the hills. I waited at the train station along with other people who are coming home from work. Taking a moment to grab a drink from the vending machine to kill a bit of time, I hear the speakers barely muffling out an audible announcement for the waiting passengers on the train coming from the distance. Ah yes! That is my train. Picking up my freshly cold drink and stashing it in my bag, the train halted with a small screech, opening its doors for the oncoming passengers. I make my way to line up and stream into the carriers, each person taking its place away from another before there were simply too many people to avoid. Taking the seat beside the doors, I started to wait for my destination.

The rails against the wheels made me awfully sleepy with everyone so quiet on this ride. I was wide awake for the first ten minutes, hearing a few small chatters between adults and kids, talking about what was going about their day or planning to stop somewhere. But then my eyes slowly fluttered shut, listening in to the soft noises of the train almost like a melody, head leaning onto the wall before…

I snapped my eyes open, alarmed by the distant screaming and… A balloon popping erratically?

The people in the carriage all snap their heads at the source of the sound, the once calm atmosphere became an unsettling alarming one. People started to get up and attempt to get away from the noise, almost knocking each other down, still groggy from my sudden wake-up, my mind grew a bit dizzy from the sudden shouting. Then, the carrier door slid open, everyone was too busy to take notice of it until three bangs could be heard, and people screamed. 

My eyes grew wide, wait wait wait no- This can’t be reality- The passengers started to drop like flies, which gave more panic into the people. This fear gave me the courage to stand up in an attempt to escape, crowding myself around them, guiltily shielding myself from the gunfire. The time quickly passed and the people behind me were taken out with a bang, yelling from the armed men made my head swirl for a split second before I felt my hand at the bar. I was near the exit.

Stepping out and onto the next carrier, I found myself quickly going past the people to who knows where. People were picked off one by one, screaming, sobbing, fear…

I took one final step and realized it was the first carrier on the train. My hands trembling, my head swirling, it wasn’t until I realize there was only a handful of people who had survived along with the passengers originally from the first cart, who looked terrified seeing the blood soaking our clothes.

The door slammed open, the guns raised, I didn’t know what to do.

Everyone turned to them, and just like the others, started to drop. One by one…

I watch as the gun was finally pointed at me, its nuzzle still smoking from its other meals… Goodbye.