survive – Christy Grace Scarlet Pen

I gripped the frozen steel bar, my fingers ash white in the below zero temperature.
This train wasn’t going to stop.

The wind whipped through my fur-lined coat; unable to protect my organs from the harsh winter that I wasn’t used to. I watched the countryside pass by – which would have otherwise been beautiful – in a blur.
The icicles that were pooling on the steel frame outside, would also have caught my attention. Swirling inside themselves with water that had frozen into a beautiful point, they hung on each edge. My creative eye would have stared at those icicles for hours, but their beauty was muffled as I watched the mountain getting closer.

This wasn’t a passenger train; it was designated to carry cargo across the country. That’s why when I finagled my way onto it – claiming I had permission from all the authorities – I was curious to see the differences in a passenger line. Before my exploring had begun, frantic yelling at the front had fuelled my curiosity further and I had confirmed it. This train was heading towards a mountain with no tunnel, no tracks, and no working breaks.

Without listening for the WHY, I pumped my legs and headed towards the best vantage point of the potential danger; the car closest to the mountain. After I’d realised that I couldn’t see without leaning out of the door, I obliged and the frozen wind forcefully met me there.

Quickly a hand pulled me back inside and I saw the train driver screaming at me. As the cold wind continued to rip through my ears, his words were deafened. His eyes were frantic as he pointed towards the back of the train cars.
I followed the driver and tears began to form in my eyes. Ignoring them, we ran through the first, then second, then the third car until we reached the final one. With only moments before the impact, the driver leaped out of the train and onto the snow-covered tracks. He thundered onto the ground and rolled.
Before I could see if he was okay; before I could decide if I wanted to risk being injured or killed from the fall, the sound of steel smashing behind me propelled me forward and I closed my eyes for the impact.

I hope you enjoyed this short story.
What do you think happened to the person in this story? Did they survive? Let me know how YOU see that ending!

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Proof Of Life (Furious Fiction)

FURIOUS FICTION

Another month, another 500 word story. This month, it started with a question, included the words ‘Jam, Jungle and Jackpot’ and ended with the word BANG – Enjoy!

PROOF OF LIFE

“How long has it been?”
Caleb stopped rocking back and forth and looked up at Rebecca, “Who cares? We’re going to die here no matter what.”
She glanced at the bolted door then back to Caleb. He had resumed rocking and humming softly to himself. Just like when they were kids. Rebecca stayed perfectly still for a moment, listening for movement outside the door. She took a deep breath and pushed herself up. Caleb looked up, his breathing getting heavier, “What are you doing?” he hissed, as she waddled towards the door.

She paused and looked over to him, “They leave the same time every day.” Inches away from the door, she heard the knob turn. The door seemed to open in slow motion, as she stood frozen in the doorway.
“Well, well, well,” The woman pushed her back down onto the cold, hard floor. “Looks like we’ve got an attempted escape,” She snickered back at her partner then faced Rebecca again. “You can take your chances out there in the Jungle if you like,”
Rebecca saw Caleb shrink into the wall as the woman pulled a gun from behind her back.

“You try anything like that again, and I’ll jam this gun into your side and pull the trigger.”
“What do you want from us?” Rebecca asked as the man closed the door behind him, pulling out a camera. He aimed it at Caleb and took a picture as the woman held the gun steady at Rebecca.
“We hit the jackpot when we found you two. Do you know how much your Father will pay to get you back?” Rebecca frowned as the man moved over to her. The flash blinding her momentarily and the man looked at the pictures and smiled.
“Got em. Proof of life.” He said, putting the camera back into his pocket.

The woman reached into a bag on her hip and pulled out a bottle of water. She threw it in Rebecca’s direction and turned, talking quietly to the man. The water inside the bottle started shaking slightly and Rebecca looked over to Caleb. He flinched as the shaking started getting stronger. Their captors didn’t seem to notice and Rebecca pushed herself towards the wall. Sounds began to disappear as Rebecca kept her eyes glued to the door.
BANG.

The door swung open as police entered the small room, guns poised at Rebecca and Caleb’s captors. The woman lifted her gun towards Caleb and the man tried to run for the window. An officer tackled him to the ground and the woman pulled Caleb up, pointing the gun at his head.

Her face was scrunched as she yelled at the officers in front of her. One of them grabbed Rebecca’s arm and pulled her up. She fought to reach for her brother as the woman made the fatal mistake of aiming the gun at the officers. The silence was shattered as the officer next to Rebecca fired.
BANG.

Thanks for Reading this Furious Fiction by Christy Grace