The Storyteller

A New Story

Oh wow, you actually want to read it. Well.

We all love to picture ourselves in a storybook situation. Or maybe a storyteller situation. You can choose which you may want to be, the storyteller or the listener. But would you mind if I was the storyteller just this once? I mean, I don't want to force you into it, but I have some really interesting stories to tell and I think you'd like them. But it is your call after all! I'll just wait for you to either keep reading or go away, but I really want you to hear me out.

So I guess if you're reading this, you're entrusting me to tell you a good story? Aw, thanks! You really won't regret this, I promise that I'll make the best story that you're going to read for a while, I hope. Okay, here we go...

At any moment now, the story will be told

....okay...

Now it is!...

Maybe now...

Okay, I'm sorry, I'm just a little rusty. Not really done this in a long time and I'm a bit unsure if I'm even going to do this to a standard that you'll like. Oh god, what if I bore you and you're only reading this out of pity, what would I do then, how do I even know if you're reading this now? I'm literally just a bunch of words on a white background, in the most basic font! No, no. I just have to take a deep imaginary breath, and try to think about how I can do this that is clever and cool and original.Hm.

Wait! I know what to do! Just one moment.

So picture just you and me together. Not in a romantic way or anything like that, I mean, I know I'm clearly irresistible and you can read me like a book. But just you and me in a specific spot, so it's easier to focus and I don't have to think of other people's judgment at my story-telling skills. Let's say... A train carriage in the tube, with just us in the carriage and minus the deafening noise. We can be facing each other on either side of the aisle. I hope you don't mind but if rather be sat at the end next to the pole, just something to lean on to look cool and mysterious, maybe wear a cool hat that hides my eyes so someone's like 'whos he?' And someone else replies 'no clue' and it makes them really want to talk to me and listen to my woes, but they're too intimidated by my casual nature, and I'll have a cool multicolored scarf that compliments my long brown coat, and I realise that I'm getting distracted. Sorry.

So on with the tales.

One more thing, just to really set the mood. So I'm obviously going to explain how we got into this position and start the great adventure about how we became great friends and how you always desired my attention from the moment you laid your beautiful eyes on me. So.

You get on a train in the middle of the night. You don't have a location in mind, and they don't ask for a ticket. It's easy money for you since you don't have anywhere to be the next mourning, so you think about just enjoying the ride. It's pitch black outside, so all you see out of the windows across from you as you sit down, is a reflection of the white luminescent lit carriage inside. You see yourself in your regular clothing, maybe a bit tired from the previous day or a bit bored from an uneventful event you see the blurred outline of the blue and dirty train seats you sit on, cut off every now and again by an uncomfortably shiny blue pole. Only then do you see the reflection of the back of my head, and you realise I'm sitting in front of you.

I'm the only person you've seen on this train tonight and you suspect that I'll be the only one you'll see at all. But you're not worried, you're used to it being quite at this time, and you're not intimidated by me at all. All I'm doing is looking down at a worn-out, brown leather notebook in my hand, reading gently and flicking a page every now and again. And we sit in silence for a while. But you don't know how long since you're not wearing a watch and you can't see out the window.

It's a calming atmosphere, and the hum of the train on the tracks could almost lul you to sleep.

But then I close my book. Sigh loudly and lean back on the blue seats. You were just leaning on the railing looking off to the window, so my act takes you off guard a bit, but you're not worried. We make eye contact and I smile. You don't have to, so it's your choice if you did or not. And then we break it. But you notice that I'm playing with the book in my hand and I keep looking up at you every now and again, then I sit up and slouch, leaning towards you. You can choose how you wanted to react: leaning back or forward or staying as you were, it doesn't really matter as long as you don't slap me.

I swallow loudly, then sigh. I'm really nervous about something, which you can tell by the bouncing of my left leg but you don't know what and you don't want to ask. Then I speak, and for some reason, you decide to listen.

'So, I don't really know if you're interested in what a stranger has to say, but you look like the type of person who enjoys a few tales'.

Then you turn to the next chapter.