The Tube Through London

• Yan Yan Ng, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2022

The suffocating exhaust fumes exhaled strongly. Covering the station in a bitter pungent odour like the discontent on every face. Filth was defined where degrading stained paint would peel from the caved- in walls whilst the dust layed lifeless on the concrete leaving a musty atmosphere to unresist. Rust crawled across the cold metal railing, as it reflected to the colour of deep orange. Its clear presence lurked amongst, It's grime of mould and infested insects huddled in the shabby confinement room.

Guilt flushed over Iris’s cheeks whilst panic coated her mind like a glazed donut. Few tubes were only available as pouring provoked business men and women hoarded to the front. The forlorn girl stood amongst the mass of the piling strangers. Everyone waited for their ride, the seconds felt like minutes and the minutes felt like hours. All until an anchoring bellow circuited across the station meeting everyone's ears. The doors of scratched sheets of steel swiped opened in gesture of aboard. As the tube were filled to maximum capacity still more people had to surge through one of them was Iris. He rails commenced its slow betraying drive as if purposely betraying those on board. Amongst the blurring haze was the splattering sound of commotion however against this was a deathly whisper of a low lifeless sound… Until, trauma.

Everything came still. Not a word, not a sound, not an emotion processed within. Life just fell for a second. – Black. Blackness shuddered over the tube as a scream went by, as a back chilling scream erupted. Iris felt fear. She looked across to her shoulders. Beside to her left was a distorted arm. She’d noticed half her am was lost as pearly pale bones jutted out from her skin’s surface. Blood spilled, dripping across the still cold floor as the arm’s contents was left with a flapping sheet of skin. More blood began to spill, as the more unconscious she began feel. Goosebumps thundered across her slimy sweating skin as an eerie chill crawled from behind. Her heart stopped…

She saw her life disappearing before her eyes. Her fond memories casted life into her mind from the ones with her siblings and cousins enjoying a laugh together or whether giving a hug to her parents at the airport. All her valuable memories stood her life together. A life grew inside..

Her heart pumped with adrenaline, I’ m alive. Her awakening caused her to realise she’d been losing more blood since. A pool of deep crimson surrounded Iris , her blood was decreasing. She may never live however she.

Paramedics soon arrived late for her life as her dead rotting body was left.

The world is too late.

R.I.P IRIS MAY