Write a Book in a Day 2018

CHAPTER TWO

Penelope stood in the doorway of the train, marveling at how the dirty smog blended with the dirty yellow light of the train station.

A horn sounded over the PA and a booming voice fell over the station “This is Yarra Valley station. The next stop is Badger Street Mall.” The doors were about to close when a boy wearing a black hoodie jumped between them. “QUICK!” he shouted and his four mates followed him into the carriage. Hunter and Penelope noticed they were all wearing the same colour and style of clothes: baggy tracksuits in dull colours. They couldn’t have been over 14 years old, and all had gigantic backpacks, which made Hunter and Penelope assume they had to be up to no good. All of a sudden, the kids began to push elderly passengers out of the way to take a seat. Hunter shook his head, then looked towards Penelope expectedly. No reaction. Penelope glanced down intently at her nails as she inspected her fresh manicure. “How aren’t you seeing this?”. Hunter asked, frustrated. “What?” Penelope looked up, dumbfounded. Hunter sighed, the edges of his face curving upwards. “What are you smirking at?” Penelope asked bluntly. “Look outside.” Hunter smugly replied. Penelope reluctantly turned her head. “I don’t see any-” She stopped. The serene grass fields that were filled with farm animals and beautiful flowers were no longer there. “What is going on?” A rushing indulgence of colourful noise spread through the carriage. The young boys who were now spread throughout the carriage stood frozen. Untouched numb to the unnatural conditions. The Elderly passengers hang mid air on their way to the floor. “Hunter!” Penelope screamed. “What are we doing? What is going on? What? What……” Her voice trails off as a glimmer elixir starts flowing into the carriage. Transposing through the windows. Seeping through the cracks. It was like space itself was bleeding. The elixir starts pooling at Hunter’s and Penelope’s feet. “Hunter!!!!” The gloop starts crawling up the legs of the two. “Hunter!!!” Penelope screams at the top her lungs. The elixir is now covering both their legs constricting any movement.