Welcome
to Needless Things Spotlight, where we focus on new fiction from
talent around the internet.
Today's
short form story is the first part of several that will be published
over the course of the next several months.
You can find the first chapter of this story here.
This Is Car Number 187
D.
D. DeJesus
II.
The
headlights of the train flash on and off, as rubble falls from the
ceiling on to the immobile transit. The shouts of panic echo
throughout the stale, cool darkness of the tunnel. The passengers
beat and pull on the sliding doors, hoping that at least one of them
will give way for they can make their escape.
Joseph
snatches his attention away from his phone and begins to slide it
back into his pocket, when he is suddenly pushed to the side and
drops it on the floor. Catching his balance, he looks up to see the
homeless man that was sleeping across from him earlier, tugging at
the sliding doors.
“God
dammit!” shouts the homeless man slapping his palms on the glass
windows of the doors.
“Try
the emergency latches!” shouts Ralph to the passengers.
The
homeless man spots the emergency latches on both sides of the doors
and notices that he cannot possibly pull up both latches at the same
time. He turns to Joseph, who is picking up his phone and offers him
a hand.
“I’m
sorry about that, kid,” said the homeless man extending a dusty
hand, wrapped in what appears to be old athletic tape. “I’m
Steward.”