What We Never Got to Say

ii.

THE VOICE FROM the loudspsaker woke Elaine up from her slumber. She had slept during the whole train ride and can feel the sleep weighing her down even more than it did more help. People had already left and there were only a few people inside the train, including her. Realizing that, she moved immediately, quickly wiped the drool on the side of her lips and casted the heaviness of sleep residue away.

     Elaine quickly took her luggage, which was a suitcase, when she realized that her purse wasn't anywhere in sight. Shit. More people moved out of the train and once again the voice from the loudspeaker spoke in the usual, formal, disembodied manner, "Attention passengers: this is your conductor speaking. The train is about to leave the station. Please stand clear of the closing doors."

Bloody hell.

     She moved quicker, her heart pounding hard in her chest. All her money, phone, ATM cards and other valuables were in her purse. She looked under the seat, the table, and the seat across from her–that twat. She remembered seeing a mysterious man who sat across from her, but she had only taken a glance and was not able to see his face. The train began to move and for the goodness of heaven she ran, suitcase in hand, as she tried to calm herself from panicking even more.

      Elaine reached the door just in time, and thankfully it opened. When she stepped out into the platform, she was engulfed by the busy crowd–people bumping her shoulders as she stood there still, feeling the heat and sweat in her palms due to the panic and anxiety. She looked around trying to remember that man's face, as more people shoved her along and bumped her.

     She was like fighting the current of a sea of people and it was crushing her the same way as fear and panic clouded her head and she couldn't think clearly; it was making her dizzy. The crowd made her feel claustrophobic and she was sweating–the people coming back and forth around her were adding up to the pressure of not being able to identify the mysterious man who most likely had taken her purse.

    She moved out of the crowd–people were still continuously bumping her since it was rush hour–and sat on the bench in the platform. She panted and breathed heavily. Where in the bloody world is that man? She looked around, looking at others' faces and tried to recall the man who had taken her purse. She remembered him wearing a gray beanie with its hood over his head. Goodness gracious, how can she find him when there're just too many people? The robber had most likely changed his clothes so that it will be harder for Elaine or anyone to spot him. Can she even get any luckier? Elaine can feel her eyes watering–her mind isn't functioning and all she can think about is how badly she wanted to strangle that damn man who took her one chance of having a nice and peaceful vacation.

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THEODORE WAS RIGHT about his assumptions about that man: He was a wolf in disguise, waiting to attack. After the phone call from Julie, he had been secretly observing the man, who was just 3 tables away from him across the aisle, during the whole ride. There was nothing suspicious about him at first, until, by the time they reached the station, his real motives were exposed–well, at least to the keen eyes of Theodore.

    The voice from the loudspeaker spoke:
"Attention passengers: this is your conductor speaking. We have reached Derby Station, Derbyshire. Please proceed to the doors safely and Mind the Gap."

     People began to move out, taking their kids or belongings with them as they leave the train. Theodore was watching the man earnestly; he knew what he's up to. And he was right–the man waited for the right time when more people moved to the doors and tried to get their way past each other. That was the perfect timing for him to take the woman's purse, who was still sleeping soundly–nobody bothered to wake her up anyway–and also the perfect timing for Theodore to move quickly as possible to catch the culprit.