pulling a train...

[Laurel]

name Jen

"Hey!"

outward appearance
She's out of breath. Her eyes light up when they meet Al's. He's okay. Thank god.

She feels silly for worrying.

She looks at Brett, then notices the suited man collapsed on the ground, hat knocked onto the floor beside him.

She slides into the seat beside Al, hugs him tight.

insider information
Everything's fine. He's warm in her arms. Brett smiles down at them. The mystery man is unconscious on the floor. She senses that's a good thing.

Al - and Brett - have a lot of explaining to do.

Later.

She pulls him tighter.

what she is thinking/doing
Thud. Jen twists around to find Brett on the ground. Hat-man is standing. His hat lays beneath the seat. A huge gun - bigger than ones in the movies - in his hand, barrel in their direction.

"Let's talk," Hat-less Hat Man hisses.

No. She's furious.

Jen lunges at him.

"NO!" Al shouts.

A loud sound.

A tearing pain. She's flung onto her back by the force.

He shot me.

I've been shot.

 

[Laurel]

name Al

"NOO!!!!!!"

outward appearance
Al falls beside Jen. Tears pour from his eyes. He doesn't feel them.

insider information
This is his fault. He killed her.

what he is thinking/doing
No, she's moving. Her head is covered in blood, but her eyes open.

"Al..."

Before he can answer...

 

[Lorilei]

Well???

http://replygif.net/thumbnail/1112.gif

 

[Laurel]

name Brett

"Motherfucker..."

outward appearance
From the floor, Brett kicks out his feet, sweeping Chip's legs from beneath him. Brett rises, then jumps on the fallen hitman.

insider information
Chip had 2 inches of height and 50 solid pounds on Brett. But Brett was the captain of his college's wresting team. And survivor of more than one parking lot brawl with guys bigger than him.

what he is thinking/doing
Brett catches a blow on the chin from Chip's meaty paws, but his jaw isn't glass. He rolls away from Chip, then flips around, grabbing Chip's arm, pulling it behind Chip's back.

Chip whips around and socks Brett in the ear. Bells ring out. Brett is stunned. He bends over, grabbing his head, trying to regain his balance.

Chip pulls his foot pulled back.

Brett waits for the shoe to connect with his face.

CRACKBOOOM...

 

[butters]

ohh my gosh!

baited breath waiting for the next instalment

 

[Laurel]

name Al

thud

outward appearance
Al stands above them, smoke briefly curling from the gun's barrel.

insider information
It wasn't the first time Al had shot a man, but it was the first time he didn't feel an immediate regret.

Staring down at the hitman's body, blood pouring from his mouth, a neat hole in his temple, Al felt nothing but relief.

what he is thinking/doing
He peers at her head.

Jen is covered in blood, but her eyes are open and aware.

A long slash cuts across her head. The bullet just grazed her...

Behind him, a bullet hole in the seatback.

How is that possible - to be grazed at such close range by a high-caliber handgun?

He doesn't care why - what angels or luck made this happen. He's just so very glad that it is so.

"Jen, you're gonna be okay. Stay with us..."

 

[Laurel]

name Jen

I'm alive.

Woah. He shot me, but I'm alive.

outward appearance
The whites of her eyes shine out of a face painted solid with blood from her head wound, her blonde hair a deep red.

She sinks into Al's arms.

insider information
The feeling is delicious. Despite the throbbing pain - like nothing she'd ever felt - Jen was floating. Maybe it's shock. Partially. But also Being Alive.

She must remember this feeling forever. She must never take life for granted. Ever.

what she is thinking/doing
She's starting to feel woozy. Her eyes falter. Noise as people flood the car. Someone on a phone pleading for an ambulance. Someone lays a blanket over her.

Al's eyes as he cradles her. He finds her hand, holds it briefly, then lays it atop the blanket. She starts to fade as watches him reach into his pocket...

"Al, I'm so sorry. I-"

She feels him slide something onto her finger. A ring. A moment passes, the implications sink in.

Tears burst from her in a flood.

 

[Laurel]

name Al

outward appearance
The train is chaos. Station workers block spectators from the car, usher in paramedics and police - who recognize Al, weary, bloody, arms supporting a very injured young blonde.

insider information
It's a perfect fit. Just like her.

Once she's safe, he'll make a anonymous call to the media. Tell them the location of the goods.

He wants to give Jen the best life he can. That cash would've put them ahead of the game. Instead, he'll just have to work hard, save. Risks like that weren't in his genes. Like Brett always said - he was a nice guy. He'd gotten out of his depth. Time to tread water back to where he had a surer footing.

No amount of money is worth losing her.

what he is thinking/doing
"Hush." He lays his finger gently on her lips.

"Jen, will you marry me?"

She laughs faintly. "You're asking me now?"

He chuckles. "Now, and every day, forever."

She hesitates, and his heart skips a beat.

"Yes, Alfred James Armstrong. I will marry you."

An unparalleled joy. They hold each other until strong hands softly separate them, lift her onto a gurney. He follows her off the train, and into their life together...

 

[Laurel]

/end

Yeah, cheese as fuck, I know, but it was fun...

Thanks butters.

 

[Wings]

/end

Yeah, cheese as fuck, I know, but it was fun...

Thanks butters.

God damn. That was satisfying as fuck. Thank you!

 

[butters]

/end

Yeah, cheese as fuck, I know, but it was fun...

Thanks butters.

epic

 

[Lorilei]

What a fun thread!

 

[RobDownSouth]

"Jen, will you marry me?"

She laughs faintly. "You're asking me now?"

He chuckles. "Now, and every day, forever."

She hesitates, and his heart skips a beat.

"Yes, Alfred James Armstrong. I will marry you."

An unparalleled joy. They hold each other until strong hands softly separate them, lift her onto a gurney. He follows her off the train, and into their life together...

Plot twist ending! Twas a Rom-Com all along! Bravo!

<obligatory>
And then aliens attacked!!!!!
</obligatory>

 

[RobDownSouth]

Guess what came in my mailbox today?

I've been reading this for an hour now. No real plot for this book, just a lot of interesting tangential observations.

 

[butters]

Guess what came in my mailbox today?

I've been reading this for an hour now. No real plot for this book, just a lot of interesting tangential observations.

oh, i'm glad you got it, i remember you saying you found one. have you ever come across a book formatted this way before? did you find it quite 'british' given its london setting/commuters or does it crossover quite happily to your metro(?)?

 

[butters]

train's in the station, ready to depart, folks!

new day, old tracks, 7 years on. all contributions welcome.

 

[RobDownSouth]

This was a fun thread back in the day....before the Great Purge, before AJ and Que teamed up to drive Laurel off her own board.

 

[butters]

name: Danny

outward appearance: Occupying a seat in the corner, with no one else near, he's young, slightly built, clean-shaven, sat slumped and spread-kneed in mid-blue straight jeans and workman's boots covered in cement dust. An equally dusty black hoodie with hood drawn up hides most his face, a black cloth mask hiding more. Battered khaki tool bag between his boots. Incongruously clean hands, with thumbs busy flying over the cracked screen of his grubby phone.

insider information: He's not as young as he looks; he has no body hair at all due to a genetic twist of fate; deep undercover agent but with a hand-cleansing ocd (especially in these covid days)...normally keeps his hands covered by gloves in this latest operation. Is in contact with his chinese counterpart, 3 cars along, discussing the eta of the expected human-trafficking container shipment.

what they are thinking now: Do I have enough disinfecting wipes to clean my hands after using this fucking phone and is taco-tuesday a thing in Guizhou?

 

[butters]

this was a fun thread. a trip down memory lane!

 

[TwinkleStars]

for you writery types:

in less than 250 words, write a passenger on a tube train (underground), broken up between the headlines of

• name
• outward appearance
• inside information
• what they are thinking/doing

a voyeuristic snapshot that delves inside. the headlines don't count in your word tally.

one post = one passenger. could be interesting, especially here, on this board.

the idea comes from geof ryman's book 253, where he's written 252 pasengers plus the driver, separated out into 7 carriages and covering the course of a 7 minute journey on the london underground, dedicating 253 words to each person. given the characters here on the geebee, i think we have the makings of a fascinating commuter ride.

the intention is for purely fictional creations and not about this being used as a shit fest. i'm sure eeyore won't mind me taking liberties for the example - yanno, sice he couldn't pass up the opportunity to snipe.

oh, do what y'all like. you will anyway

To much work. I'd rather do the dishes.