the ride home And Other Short Stories

the subway

We lived in a small town. From a to b was usually around 5 minutes. Everyone walked everywhere.

I was on my way to school. Nothing had changed. School was normal. normal history, normal maths, normal sport, normal E&P and normal english. On my way home I saw a strange thing: the entrance to an underground building. It was blue with blue steps leading to a blue lit room and it was not there earlier. I thought "maybe I just missed it for the eight years I've been here," so I walked on.

The next day everyone was talking about these new subway entrances. Everyone. No work was done. No quotas fullfilled because everyone was focused on the subway. The following day I heard a few stories of people riding the subway and stepping off as new person, and some who never got off.

I was of course skeptical. So I decided to ride. I went to the nearest station. The building was as blue as the ocean. Everything was blue. Even the trains. I decided to ride. Getting off at each stop and getting back on the next train. I dont know why, it was just a train. At the first stop, nothing. Second, nothing. Third forth fith, nothing. I stopped getting off and rode to the end. The last stop. I emerged from the subway exit to find myself back at my "a" instead of the "b" I should have been at. I walked home. My dad was waiting for me. I live with my mum. I hadn't seen my dad for years. He greated me as if nothing was odd. But something was. An evil glint in his eye, a nervous twitch. He was always so kind to me.

I asked him what we were having for dinner. He told me to stand up. I did. He walked behind me and took off his belt. I was of course scared. He beat me. Over and over. I ran to the police station. Surely this wasnt legal. They laughed. "It's perfectly legal," they said: "in fact, it's illegal not to do it once a day," I sulked off. I went to the park to think things over.

A few hours passed. I was still sat on the rock I chose. I started to write my story. "Curfew has begun anyone found outside as of now will be shot," I stopped writing. A police cruiser rolled into view. There was an almighty bang. The car rolled away. I was unscathed. I ran back to the subway and rode back along the way I came. I went home. My mum was there. I hugged her. My dad came in. I didn't lock the door. There was another bang. My mum dropped like a rock. He followed me home."All who are outside will be shot," he said pushing me at gunpoint back to the subway.

We rode back. The police where waiting. Like a fireing squad they shot and the world became silent...