ONCE UPON A TRAIN RIDE
It was cold.
It was dark out and this is Chicago the night before Thanksgiving.
The wind was gusting, tipping the scales towards 60 mph.
And I am standing on the platform waiting for the Metra train to arrive.
I was on my way to visit my friends downstate for the Holiday.
As an employee of the railroad I was “Dead heading”, this was a perk the railroad allowed us.
We could travel for free anytime we wanted.
I knew today the train was going to be crowded with everyone trying to get to home to see friends and family.
As I boarded the train I was discovered just how right I was.
The train was filling up fast and people were scrambling for a seat.
Picking a seat at the rear of the last car I waited to see who I would be my seat mate for the next three and a half hours or so as we made our way to Springfield.
Oh please not the three hundred pound guy headed down the aisle.
OK I dodged that bullet he picked a seat ahead, I guess there was no way for him to share a seat since he took up all the room on his chosen row.
Holy crap will you look at this girl!
She was at best five foot tall and maybe a hundred pounds at best.
Best guess, twenty years old.
Long brown hair with bangs and a pixie like face.
She was wearing a skirt that fell to her knees along with white knee high socks