Part 1
Jeff Robinson was on one of many platforms, in one of many stations of the New York subway. It had been a long, strange day for Jeff and he was just glad to be going home.
A woman, who was exactly Jeff’s type, appeared on the platform. Upon seeing this woman, Jeff removed his wedding ring.
As he and the woman remained waiting on the platform, an unsettling calm filled the night air. Jeff and the woman both felt it, though they did not express it.
More moments passed, all the while Jeff had been working up the courage to use one of his cheesy lines on the woman. Right as Jeff summoned that courage, a gang of hooded young men appeared.
Jeff felt his fresh courage wilt with each step that the gang took towards him.
The light of his train was fast approaching the end of the tunnel, but not fast enough.
Jeff started reaching for something in his jacket in the event that he had to defend himself.
However, the gang was not interested in Jeff; they were interested in the woman. Each man tried to surpass the last man’s vile cat call as they encircled her.
The woman looked over at Jeff — her eyes begging him to intervene. Jeff felt another wave of courage pass over him, partly due to the sight of his train pulling into the station.
“Hey!” Jeff yelled, his voice cracking from nervousness.
The gang ominously turned to Jeff, their hoods obscuring their faces in shadow.
“Leave her alone or I’ll call the police,” Jeff added.
The train doors then opened. The gang allowed the woman to board. Jeff, certain that the woman was safe, also boarded.
Jeff continued to watch over the woman (now in the adjacent car). Jeff wasn’t religious, but he began to pray for the train doors to close — letting that be the end of it.
Jeff’s worst fears were realised as he watched the gang enter the woman’s car. He sprinted to the gangway.
“Excuse me, miss. Would you like to sit with me?”
The woman nodded and followed Jeff into his car and beyond it, until they were in the car farthest from the gang.
They got seated.
“I’m Jeff Robinson.”
“Lisa Taylor,” she replied.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about, Ms. Taylor. I won’t let those punks do anything to you.”
“Thank you. And ‘Lisa’ is fine.”
“Don’t you have a gun, mace or anything to defend yourself with, Lisa? This city is getting more dangerous by the minute. You’re crazy for going out at night by yourself — being an attractive woman like you.”
Lisa stared at the callous on Jeff’s bare ring finger.
Jeff buried his hands in his pockets as though he were hiding his shame.
“I’d rather rely on good Samaritans like you, Jeff.”
Lisa then gave a playful smile that preceded the flickering of the lights in every train car. Accompanying the light issues was that feeling — the one Jeff and Lisa had experienced back on the platform: an unsettling calm.
The night air turned cold as they watched their breath become visible.
Jeff and Lisa then sensed the presence of another person in the car with them. They knew that the other could also sense it since they were both drawn to look at the same spot where they were expecting someone to be; yet, there was no one.
“What are you guys looking at?”
The pair were startled by whoever asked that question –as they should be — since it was asked by one of the gang members who stood over them.
Jeff and Lisa didn’t respond. Instead, Jeff removed one hand from his pocket, and slipped it into his jacket in one inconspicuous motion.
“Nevermind,” continued the gang member, “Hand over your phones and wallets.”
The man subsequently produced a knife.
Lisa handed over her belongings, without protest.
As the train slowed to its next stop, the gang member’s tone grew urgent.
“Hurry up!” he shouted at Jeff.
The train stopped and the doors opened once again.
“Give the lady back her stuff, you low lives!” Jeff yelled as he pulled a can of mace from his jacket.
Jeff proceeded to take the knife while spraying the mace directly into the eyes of the former knife-wielding man.
The maced man made a run for the open doorway; his cronies were about to follow when the man’s foot was grabbed by something from the gap between the platform and the train.
Jeff, Lisa and the remaining gang members watched and listened as the maced man was pulled down into the gap. The sounds of his bones being crushed to fit through that narrow opening could still be heard over their screams.
