Ambient Short Stories

You're on a train

Writing on a dark academia train bound for a snowy mountain village
Abbie Emmons YouTube video

All was quiet on an almost empty train. Only the vibration of the train tracks provided a constant rhythm to soothe the mind. The train travelled at a steady speed, and the landscapes outside ran by like they were on a conveyer belt.

The woman sat comfortably in her seat, with a book open in hand and a cup of tea in the other. She'd glanced to the window having finished her chapter, to take a moment to appreciate the afternoon glare of the sun, and the endless trees and fields.

She enjoyed the occasional train ride, and more often of late she'd been taking trips to nowhere, just to enjoy the bliss and serenity of the isolation the train brought. It allowed her time to think freely, to daydream of what ifs and what could have beens, and to reflect on the life she's been living so far. Too often she has felt constricted in her hometown, trapped and unable to become her own person.

She sipped her tea and glanced back to her book. She'd begun to read the next chapter when a shadow appeared over her. Afraid that it was her husband who'd managed to find her (even though it was an absurd idea because he never asked about her interests, and would therefore never know about her secret train rides) and concentrated on the pages of her book, determined to ignore the strange shadow.

After a few moments the shadow passed, and she breathed a sigh of relief, only to find that the shadow had transformed into a person sitting directly opposite. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that he wore black shoes. It was odd because her husband always wore brown shoes. Too curious to know any better, she looked up and saw the most handsome looking man she'd ever seen.

The first feature she noticed were his eyes; a deep brown like the shades of trees in a forest. They reminded her of the time when she'd taken a train to the middle of nowhere and ended up in a village that sat next to a forest, and she'd walked for hours completely lost in a trance by the scenery.

The man coughed and she'd realised she'd been staring. She noticed that his brows were furrowed and his lips moved. He was asking her a question.

'I'm sorry Miss, Do you mind if I sit here?' His lips said.

She was embarrassed at her staring, and her cheeks reddened. She frantically nodded her head and looked back down to her book. Her breathing had quickened and her heart was pumping faster. She found it hard to read the words on her pages, and her thoughts Embraced the memory of the strangers face. Other than her husband, she'd never seen such a handsome man; those deep brown eyes, dark eyebrows, a straight and narrow nose, strong jawline, a shadow on his cheeks and jaw from where he hadn't shaved for a couple of days, and dark hair that was hidden beneath a phedora hat. He wore a simple suit and trench coat. He looked like a man on business or a man that was part of the law.

The man reached out and tapped her hand. She looked up at him again, and he wore a concerned look on his face.

She watched his lips move again. 'Are you all right, Miss?'

The woman's eyes widened slightly and she forced a small smile on her face. Again, she nodded.

The man didn't look convinced. 'I asked you a question a moment ago, and you hadn't realised I was talking to you until I tapped your hand.'

The woman's breathing hitched. It was unusual for a stranger to notice straight away. Most thought she was being rude and were petty enough to make it their mission to exclude her from conversation, as if she didn't exist in the first place.

'Can you not hear clearly, Miss?' The man asked. He still wore a concerned look on his face, but there wasn't any pity which is usually what she saw when her husband explained to others of her hearing. If anything there was a curiousity.

The woman shook her head.

The man's lips rounded to an 'O' shape and he sat back in his chair slightly. He then raised his hands and began to sign to her.

'Please accept my sincere apologies for not noticing sooner.'

The woman gasped, and immediately closed her book, having forgotten already what page she was on. 'You know how to sign with your hands?'

The man smiled. 'I studied the art of sign language for 2 years while I was at university.'

The woman was completely shocked. Not even her husband had bothered to learn how to talk to her; he'd made sure she could read his lips when he tried to talk to her and was never interested in what she had to say other than the nodding or shaking of her head.

The man raised his hands again. 'Forgive me for being so forward, but what is a beautiful woman such as yourself doing sitting alone on a train, with no luggage with her?' The woman was taken aback and her cheeks reddened. Her? Beautiful?

After a moment, she answered 'Some people take long walks to clear their minds. I take long train rides.'

His shoulders twitched and a smile appeared on his face again. He must have chuckled, she thought. 'It's nice to find someone who shares the same interest.' He signed.

The woman's heart fluttered and her cheeks reddened again.

'Please, Miss. Do you mind if I accompany you on your long ride? I'm heading to a village a few miles away, and I know of a great restaurant that serves the most delicious roast. Would you care to join me?'

The woman was torn. She so enjoyed the isolation the train ride brought her, and the blissfulness of being alone with her thoughts. Yet, here was a handsome man, who knew how to talk to her, who shared the same interest of train rides, asking to accompany her and join him for a meal. She couldn't remember the last time she was asked on an outing that didn't involve her being excluded from conversation.

The man stared deeply into her eyes, silently pleading. When he boarded the train, he'd originally sat in a completely different seat, a few carriages away from this one. He'd had a sudden feeling that he needed to take a walk, so when he travelled through the carriages and saw the woman he now sat before, he knew he had to talk to her.

She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. Her eyes were the same shade as his, and they were full of longing and loneliness. Her round face and pale complexion contrasted with her dark hair that had been pulled neatly into a bun, save for the few strands that had fallen freely and were hanging at the frame of her face. It made her look young and sweet, though he could see from the lines in the corners of her eyes that she was an experienced woman. She wore a simple dress that clung to her slim frame, and no flesh was showing apart from her face, neck and hands. Her whole attire and mannerisms told him that she was a respectable woman, but as he stared into her eyes, he saw that not only did she crave companionship, but adventure and excitement.

Even after spending only a few minutes with her, he could tell there was something special about her. And though he was a skeptic about the supernatural forces, he couldn't help feeling like it was fate that made him move from his original carriage to this one.

It took him a moment to realise that she hadn't given an answer to his offer. He reluctantly signed to her that if she thought him too froward and offensive he would excuse himself from her and leave the carriage. As he was about to get up, he heard her gasp and she placed her hand on his. He slowly sat back down and studied her face. It was like she was truly torn about the offer, and he watched as her soft lips parted slightly in the realisation of what her answer was going to be. He couldn't help wondering what it would be like to kiss her.

She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. 'Yes, I'd love for you to accompany me,' she signed, and her cheeks reddened when she added 'and to join you for a meal.'

Relieved, he sighed and smiled widely at her. He had the feeling this was the start of something wonderful, and thanked his lucky stars that he'd decided to change carriages.

She returned his smile, suddenly shy and giddy. Her heart was pounding and she was shaking slightly. She also had the feeling that this was the start of something wonderful, but there was that niggling fear of what this meant for her and her husband. Someone was going to get hurt.

And as the man and woman exchanged names and continued talking to each other, while the train continued at its constant speed, and the tracks provided the same constant rhythm, she prayed to God that nothing bad would happen to her or her handsome stranger.