The Metro (less than 400 words)
Based on the song “The Metro” by Berlin
She passed through turnstiles as I walked an open field. Her stride was uninterrupted; her movements were masterfully unplanned. The steel hit my thigh and resisted me. Even it was jealous. Brutishly, I marched through the gate while she danced ahead.
The doors opened. She turned around and called to me. "Hurry," she said. "It's the last car until morning!"
Walking became skipping just for her. Catching the train was no priority. She grabbed my wrist as I caught up and jerked me into the car. I landed in her arms and her back slammed into the doors opposite our entrance. "Kiss me," she said. She didn't have to.
The doors shut behind me, and the train started to pull away. The force of take-off bumped us into the seat armrest at our right. We both laughed and she guided me down the car to a seat of our own. The ride would be longer than a few hours, but I didn't bring anything to pass the time.
Toward the back was an empty row, for us. Her head lie over my shoulder. Her cotton hat kept my neck warm. I drifted into sleep with a smile...
I awoke to the darkness of the tunnel. How much time had gone by, I hadn't known. Someone was leaning against my arm, but that was typical of these crowded trains. Quickly, the daylight struck, replacing the dimmed lights of the car. A soldier was sleeping next to me, before the light woke him. Dawn.
Couldn't I have dreamed of travelling across the stars? Or flying through a cool, night sky? A feeling came over me as I remembered a letter she wrote. "I'll love you always" filled my eyes. The soldier turned, and then looked away, and I forced myself back to sleep.
The stopping train jostled me out of another memory. The rain played a sad song on the aluminum over my head, as I made way to the door. Waiting, book in hand, the crowd finally cleared the exit. I saw her standing there.
"Sorry".
She meant it, but the bandage fit loose on my wound. It aggravated my skin. I searched for the perfect words. Words, I couldn’t find. Words, I never needed. I remember hating her for loving me.
