The Third Wagon
“Train R-744 departs in five minutes from platform number nine,” the metallic voice of the dispatcher was heard over people’s heads. Iren continued to stare at the half-empty cup of coffee, around which, like fallen leaves, gathered crumbs of an almond croissant. She often went to this cafe when she worked at the station, so she decided to spend her last day in this city here. Looking at her watch, Iren got up from her chair, grabbed her purse, and ran to her car, shaking off the remnants of breakfast of her new dress on the way. Her mother would say that this dress was no good, except that it would look beautiful in the coffin.
Opening the ticket on the phone, Iren began to look for the train wagon number. Third, lucky her. Iren ran along the platform and counted the numbers of the wagons, trying to keep balance on her high heels. “Second. A little more,” the girl reassured herself. Seeing the conductor near the third wagon, Iren happily began to wave with her arms.
“Huh, in time,” Iren showed her e-ticket to the conductor, “Could you imagine, I arrived an hour before departure and was almost late. Have you seen that?” Iren, feeling incredibly relieved, decided to amuse the conductor.
“Yes. And not just that. For example, now I will watch a blonde in heels trying to run 200 meters in two minutes. This is the tenth wagon, lady. We count them from the other side,” the conductor replied ironically.
Iren jumped out of her shoes, grabbed them, and ran to the third wagon on an emotional spectrum of horror, despair, and resentment. She shouted and waved to the conductor, who began to climb the stairs to the wagon.
“Wait, ma’am!” I have a ticket!” Iren shouted. The woman went down the stairs to the platform as Iren reached the wagon, entirely out of breath.
“You’re delaying the train,” the conductor said indifferently.
“Sorry, I got confused,” Iren gasped.
“Where’s your ticket?” the conductor asked.
“Here, on the phone,” Iren began to search the ticket with trembling hands. Taking her phone out of her bag, she saw that it was completely discharged. Slowly looking up at the conductor, Iren, without saying a word, turned back and was about to leave, but the woman stopped her.
“Come in. Charge the phone and show the ticket. If there’s no ticket, we will drop you off at the next station,” said the conductor.
Tears of despair mingled with tears of joy in Iren’s eyes. She entered the wagon, thanking the conductor many times and almost strangling her while hugging her so that the conductor probably had time to regret her decision.
Entering her compartment, Iren helplessly fell into her seat. She couldn’t believe that a new life was waiting for her.
When Iren finally fell asleep, the train was already shrouded in darkness. Through the silence of the night, one could hear only the monotonous chuff-chuff. However, in a few minutes, the train will stop, and residents of the neighboring town will wake up in the middle of the night. In the morning, everyone will find out what woke them up. Everyone except Iren and the other passengers on the train.
