The Gifted: New York

Brooklyn

We then somehow managed to handle our luggage as we ran down the stairs of the subway station. We would have to then switch lines if we were to go to Brooklyn. Not much would change, I thought, after all, it's much more quiet there. We waited for ages for the train to show up on the railing. I then saw a pair of lights glinting in the dark. Wait, no! They were eyes. I don't believe this! It was exactly the same zombie I saw in my dream! What on earth was a zombie doing on the subway rail? 

The figure loomed closer and closer, but before it could reach the platform, a silver train compartment rammed it, and squeezed it flat on the ground. I then looked down when the train door gaped open in disgust. Its rotting arm flapped about, flaying on the ground. The train was no better than the zombie itself. A rotting stench gagged my throat. Not a fresh start in New York. Someone should really clean the trash here!

"Yuck!" Ed choked on the smell.

"We need to hold in here, 4 more stops to go!" I gurgled.

"Did you see what I saw just now?"

"What? A zombie with a rotting arm and freaking maggots coming out of its eyehole?"

"I think I saw that too. At first I thought he was in one piece. Let's hope this train is too!"

"Any idea what that thing was doing here in New York?"

"It can only mean one thing. We're not alone, and someone maybe watching us."

We looked at each other in horror. We might have put ourselves into more trouble than we bargained for. 

---

As the age-old train shrilly screeched on the railway and came to a stop, the doors finally opened, and fresh air quickly swept into the compartment.

"Bloody! That was the worst ride I ever had as a person in my 17 years being alive." I gasped for air as I could feel a lump at the back of my throat.

"Even my air freshner didn't work. I wouldn't sit if I were you, the seats were so dirty."

"Apparently their cleanest was far below the par." Choking on my saliva, I went into a coughing fit as I dragged my luggages. With a violin strapped on my back, I felt stiff. That thing had been on me for 30 minutes. Not only that, a bubblegum was stuck on my pants, and after trying to take it off, bits of them were still stuck on my garment. Looks like sitting was not going to be enjoyable during the rest of the journey.

The second ride was slightly better, at least the train didn't stink so much as the first one did. People were staring at my ass because of that bubblegum. I might consider taking the night trains. I heard they were a lot cleaner. A young man then stared at my ass and a smile slowly crept as his face as he reached for his pocket. 

"What you lookin at, Huh?!" I asked agressively.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm going to move........ um, over there." Beads of sweat ran down his forehead.

"That's right," I whispered under my breath. "Get away from me you creep."

Look, I don't wear anything with too much cleavage, but that guy is creepy. I wore long winterwear, and there's not much to look beneath my pants. As I shifted my position, my backbrace decided to give a bit of an abrasion on my ribs.

"Crap! That hurt. I think I need to get a foam-layered back brace." I mumbled.

I needed to wear that thing for 3 months straight before I would go to another therapy session back home during summer. Ed stood just beside me amongst the crowd in the train. It was not rush hour, but people still flooded the train. So much was going on. In one corner, a baby was crying, in the other, an old man puked. In the middle, an old lady was bickering with a young man.