{"id":7646,"date":"2014-12-01T09:00:16","date_gmt":"2014-12-01T14:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gadflyonline.com\/home\/?p=7646"},"modified":"2014-12-04T13:26:34","modified_gmt":"2014-12-04T18:26:34","slug":"along-the-rails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/along-the-rails\/","title":{"rendered":"Along the Rails"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"along<\/a><\/p>\n

The train was late again.\u00a0 Commuters muttered with disgust, and time flashed across small, thin screens.\u00a0 An announcement overhead informed those freezing in the winter cold air that the train would be arriving at the station ten minutes later than expected, and the waiting room downstairs was well-heated for those suffering from deep freeze.\u00a0 But by the time the passengers make their way down the escalators to that room, the train would have come and gone, and the next one would not be until another hour or so.<\/p>\n

Shoving his hands into his pockets, William stomped his feet against the concrete platform.\u00a0 His toes tingled from the cold, and his hands were becoming numb.\u00a0 White clouds of air escaped his lips, and his ears waited anxiously to hear the train. \u00a0Tears stung his eyes from the bitter wind, and again, he stomped his feet.<\/p>\n

The approach of the train silenced the chill racing through him.\u00a0 As the doors swung open, warm air struck him in the face, and winter was quickly left outside.\u00a0 A seat was taken beside the window, and the train lurched forward. \u00a0Commuters around him moaned at being late to work, but not him.\u00a0 He had only one place in mind today, and he wondered if that man would be there again.<\/p>\n

The ride to his destination would take almost an hour, and the train would make several stops before he arrived.\u00a0 So, the only thing to do in the meantime was to lean back in his seat and relax, but sleep would not find him here.\u00a0 Nobody talked about the tension that rode beside them, but there was no trust left to allow your eyes to close.\u00a0 Instead, people occupied themselves with reading or listening to music, but not him.\u00a0 His attention fell on the flat television screen in the corner of the car that he rode in.<\/p>\n

“At eleven o’clock this morning, a memorial service will be held on the outskirts of Long Island to remember that day forever marked in history, where so many lives were lost and our world changed,” a reporter stated.\u00a0 “There were no warnings given as the Tsunami slammed into Long Island, breaking it apart, and there was no time to react as it fell into the Long Island Sound. \u00a0Only this small piece of land near Great Neck remains, and here you can see all these people behind me already placing lit candles on wreaths into the water to remember those loved and lost.”<\/p>\n

The train came to a halt, and commuters flowed in and out of the doors.\u00a0 Feet stomped the cold and snow away from where they stood, and bodies quickly filled empty seats.\u00a0 Attention turned to hand-held gadgets, and the train lurched forward.\u00a0 And the ride continued.<\/p>\n

His destination was approaching.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to be late.\u00a0 Sometimes, that man stayed there all day, but other times, he was gone in a blink of an eye. \u00a0William wasn\u2019t sure why this man captured his attention, but there was something in his eyes when he watched the world go by.\u00a0 And William wanted to know what that was.<\/p>\n

“Final Stop.\u00a0 Great Neck.”<\/p>\n

The announcement came a minute before the train reached its destination.\u00a0 Only a few passengers were left.\u00a0 It was another day taken off from work, but lately, William wondered what the point of his job was.\u00a0 What was there to his life, and why did he do nothing but work every day of it?\u00a0 He felt like he was disappearing.<\/p>\n

A memorial park had been created in Great Neck near the waterfront.\u00a0 There were swings, slides and monkey bars, and there were also hand-painted, golden benches. \u00a0William would take a stroll through here on his days off.\u00a0 Last week, he found him sitting on one of those benches, crying, and when he took a seat beside him, the man was gone.\u00a0 But he returned the very next day.<\/p>\n

The man wore a long, brown trench coat with white sneakers, and a baseball cap covered his bald head.\u00a0 He never seemed cold or warm, and he never spoke.\u00a0 He just watched people walk by like he was not even there, and he listened to their conversations.\u00a0 And he would begin to cry.<\/p>\n

Today, he was there.\u00a0 He sat in the same position with his arms slightly crossed and his legs tucked under the bench.\u00a0 His eyes watched people walk by, holding wreaths and candles in their hands, and he gave them a nod.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t seem to notice, and his eyes fell onto the waterfront.\u00a0 A dozen lit candles attached to wreaths held his attention, and a tear slid down his cheek.<\/p>\n

“Morning.”\u00a0 William took a seat beside him.\u00a0 “It\u2019s cold today.”\u00a0 The man did not respond.\u00a0 “Clear skies, though.\u00a0 It\u2019s perfect for the memorial service.\u00a0 Are you here for the service?”\u00a0 The man looked away.\u00a0 “Can\u2019t believe it\u2019s been three years.”\u00a0 A tear slid down the man\u2019s cheek.\u00a0 “All those people\u2026”\u00a0 The man gave him a nod, which was a first.\u00a0 “Did you lose someone here?\u00a0 Someone close?”<\/p>\n

“I lost everyone.”\u00a0 That was the first that William ever heard him spoke.\u00a0 “I could not save them.”<\/p>\n

“Nobody could.”<\/p>\n

Silence fell around them.\u00a0 It seemed like a lot of people took today off, and small crowds continued to walk by, oblivious to the two watching them. \u00a0Maybe his supervisor would understand why he did not come in today.\u00a0 He was from Long Island, but then he moved to Queens to cut down the commute to work.\u00a0 But that was not why he came.<\/p>\n

“I can\u2019t tell you what you seek.”\u00a0 The man glanced at him.\u00a0 “You left before it was too late.”<\/p>\n

“Before what was too late?”<\/p>\n

“The Tsunami.”<\/p>\n

Maybe it was guilt that brought him here originally.\u00a0 He lived on Long Island all his life, and he knew many that died.\u00a0 He had decided to move on the spur of the moment, thinking it was the right choice, and then Long Island was destroyed. \u00a0He was cut off from a world that he knew and loved.<\/p>\n

The man beside him continued to cry, and William noticed something odd about his tears.\u00a0 They were almost like little crystals, and as they fell, they disappeared.\u00a0 There was no trace of water or tearstains on the man\u2019s pants or the ground.\u00a0 It was like he was never crying, and no sobs escaped the one sitting beside him.\u00a0 But the tears were real.<\/p>\n

“Why are you crying?”\u00a0 He asked that question only once or twice before, and the man never answered him.\u00a0 “Is it because of what happened?”\u00a0 Now, the man stared right at him, almost intently.\u00a0 “Is it for them?”<\/p>\n

“For them and for you.”\u00a0 The man brushed some tears off his cheek.\u00a0 “I wish I could talk to them.”<\/p>\n

“Talk to who?”<\/p>\n

“The dead.”\u00a0 William was about to say something, but the man cut him off.\u00a0 “I would tell them that I was sorry.”\u00a0 He glanced at William.\u00a0 “I am sorry, and that is why I cry.”<\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t understand.”<\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t expect you to, William.”<\/p>\n

“How\u2026\u00a0 How do you know my name?”<\/p>\n

“I know everything.”\u00a0 The man looked at his feet.\u00a0 “I know that after a great tragedy, life goes on.”\u00a0 His eyes returned to William.\u00a0 “And life will always go on.”<\/p>\n

“Do you know what I see?”\u00a0 The man looked at him, questioningly.\u00a0 “I see us living but not living.”<\/p>\n

“This is not the life you wanted.”<\/p>\n

“No.”<\/p>\n

“But you\u2019re alive.”<\/p>\n

“I know, and I shouldn\u2019t complain.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t there when it happened.”\u00a0 William stared out at the waterfront.\u00a0 “Maybe, I should have been.”<\/p>\n

“There\u2019s a reason why you weren\u2019t.”\u00a0 The man turned away.\u00a0 “It\u2019s good to have hope.”<\/p>\n

“What if I lost it?”<\/p>\n

“I doubt that.”\u00a0 The man smiled.\u00a0 “You were always a believer.”\u00a0 His smile faded.\u00a0 “I can\u2019t save everyone, William,” \u00a0he rose from the bench, \u00a0“but maybe I can save you.”<\/p>\n

“You never told me how you knew my name.”\u00a0 William tossed a pebble toward the waterfront.\u00a0 “How do you know me?”<\/p>\n

The man was gone.\u00a0 William\u2019s eyes raced along the park, but there was no sign of him.\u00a0 The swings gently rocked back and forth with invisible riders, and the wind slipped across the slide. \u00a0People continued to move on by without a second glance at him, and he sat alone, looking for the one that vanished.<\/p>\n

Then, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.\u00a0 It was a small, white feather drifting nearby.\u00a0 It was soft against his skin, and it felt warm.\u00a0 Where did this come from?<\/p>\n

The memorial service had begun.\u00a0 Dozens of people clustered together as a priest read the prayers.\u00a0 A train flew through the station, and the next one would not arrive for another hour or so. \u00a0William followed a small crowd of people that passed by.\u00a0 He would pay his respects to those he loved and lost and to those who never had a chance.\u00a0 As a dozen lit candles attached to wreaths floated across the waterfront, he started to cry, and as he did, someone touched his shoulder.\u00a0 But when he turned around, nobody was there, and he felt guilty for hating his life.\u00a0 He was still here, and he was still alive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Melissa R. Mendelson is a published short story author and self-published poet, who has been featured in The Outreach for Breast Health Foundation\u2019s Anthology: Beyond Memories; Names in a Jar: A Collection of Poetry by 100 Contemporary American Poets; Espresso Fiction: A Collection of Flash Fiction for the Average Joe; Bartleby Snopes Literary Magazine. \u00a0She also has written several fan fiction stories, which can be found at fanfiction.net.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The train was late again. Commuters muttered with disgust, and time flashed across small, thin screens. An announcement overhead informed those freezing in the winter cold air that the train would be arriving at the station ten minutes later than expected, and the waiting room downstairs was well-heated for those suffering from deep freeze. But by the time the passengers make their way down the escalators to that room, the train would have come and gone, and the next one would not be until another hour or so.<\/p>\n

Shoving his hands into his pockets, William stomped his feet against the concrete platform. His toes tingled from the cold, and his hands were becoming numb. White clouds of air escaped his lips, and his ears waited anxiously to hear the train. <\/p>\n

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