Level Crossing

It was an overcast afternoon, the air still brisk, the Spring still not arrived.  Debbie walked beside Jef, her boyfriend, their steps falling together.  She laughed at one of his pathetic jokes.  It was only funny because it was so bad, only worthy of a quick laugh.  They walked together hand in hand towards the level crossing.  Jef had to go to London for the day and, despite the terrible foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach, Jef had finally managed to talk Debbie into seeing him off. 

As they neared the crossing, Debbie's stomach tightened.  She stood still, her forehead creasing as she frowned.  'Come of Debs. Get a move on!'  Jef reached for her hand, grabbing on and yanking her forwards.  The beginning of the end - their 2 year relationship on the rocks.  Debbie sped up slightly, catching up with him.  Her heart started to hammer in her chest, although she hadn't the slightest clue why. 

Debbie, dressed in a knitted jumper, jeans and her new Ugg's, shook her head. 'Slow down Jef.  I can't keep up with you!'  Jef pulled her on, faster, faster.  'If you don't hurry the fuck up I'm going to miss my train Debs!'  She snatched her hand out of his, turned to walk away with him.

'Oh come on Debs.  Don't be like that!'  The whine in his voice irritated her, ground on her nerves to the point where she wanted to slap him.  She started to walk in the opposite direction. 'I'm sorry!'  Jef shouted at her.  Debbie turned slowly, looking at his face, trying to decide if the apology was genuine. 'I didn't mean to snap at you.  I just can't miss this train.  I can't be late for this interview.  Please, Debs, don't go,' 

Against her better nature, Debbie went back to him.  After two years this was beginning to wear thin.  They way he spoke to her like she was nothing more than a piece of dirt stuck to the bottom of his shoe.  'If you speak to me like that again, Jef, I swear to God, I will leave you!'  The words, spoken slowly as if to a child, made his heart jump. 

Jef knew how close he was to losing Debbie.  He knew that he pushed her and that, if he pushed her much further, she would go and never look back.  Debbie made him feel good. She was someone to control, someone to mother him.  He put his hand in hers, kissed her forehead.  'I'm sorry Debs.  I really am.  Please forgive me.'  Debbie shook her head in disbelief.  This man would never learn, she decided, but, for now, she gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Debbie hated the level crossing.  It made her nervous.  Often, while she crossed the tracks, Debbie asked herself, What if something goes wrong and a train comes?  What if the barrier doesn't lower and the lights don't flash and the alarm doesn't sound?   Now, she pushed those questions as far back in her mind as she could.  They started to cross, the wooden slats of the crossing creaking beneath her feet.  Just one foot in front of the other.  The other side of the crossing only metres away.

She took another step, her foot went down awkwardly but Debbie barely noticed until she tried to take another step.  'Jef, my boot's stuck!'  The feeling in the pit of her stomach worsened.

'Don't be daft girl. Come on!'  Jef tried to pull her forwards, stumbling when she didn't move. 

'Seriously! My boot is caught!'  The alarm started to sound, the lights flashing, the barrier dropping.  Debbie started to panic.  She crouched down, trying to free herself.  'Jef, help me!'  She cried at his retreating back.  The distant rumble of the train as it trundled, out of sight, towards her. 

Richard, a 17 year old school drop out, looked around him is utter disbelief.  There was a girl stuck on the level crossing.  Everyone could see her, could see that she was starting to panic and yet not one of them moved to help her.  He ducked beneath the barrier, darting towards her.

'Oh, thank God!'  Debbie moaned, relief flooding her body.  'My boot's stuck and there's a train coming!'  The words came in choked sobs.  Richard knelt down beside her, tried to figure out how she was stuck. 

'So what's your name?'  he asked the girl casually as he tried to twist her foot free.

'My name's Debbie,'  she replied. 

'Ok then Debbie.  I need you to wriggle your foot.  We've got to get you out now,'  Debbie wriggled her foot, feeling it loosen. The train was visible now, chuffing towards them steadily.  'Almost...'  Richard pulled her foot free.

'Thank you.  Oh my God, thank you so much!'  Richard wrapped an arm around her waist, helped her back behind the safety of the barrier. 

Jef watched 'the boy', as he would later refer to him, wrap his arm around his girlfriend.  How dare he touch his girlfriend!  How fucking dare he!  Jef felt pissed.  That he'd walked away from her when she needed him didn't even enter his mind.  All that he could think of was some little squirt touching his girlfriend, his property.  'Deb's!'  He shouted across the tracks, over the sound of the warning alarm. 

Debbie turned to look at him, her face a picture of thunder.  She could hardly believe that he would put his own life before hers. Could hardly believe that he would leave her there at the mercy of a train. 'Deb's, you're on the wrong side.  I have to be on this side so I can get on the train,' 

Richard was shocked that a man could speak to a woman like that.  His mother had always taught him to treat woman with respect.  This girl, Debbie, deserved respect.  He watched the inner turmoil as different thoughts ran across her face, like a refection ripples in a pool of water.  'Don't go,' he said, holding onto her arm. 'There's no time to cross now.  The train's almost here,'  Debbie nodded, taking a step away from the barrier.

Jef's face reddened as he realised he didn't have the desired amount of control over her.  He didn't think, as he stooped under the barrier.  He stomped towards them, grabbed Debbie by the hand.  Debbie pitched forwards onto her hands and knees, back on the tracks.  'Get off me!'  She screamed at him, now at the end of her tether.  The train was much closer now. 

'Fine, have it your way!'  Jef shouted back as he crossed over, safely to the other side.  'Fucking bitch!'  He mumbled it under his breathe. 

Richard lent forwards, again reaching for her hand.  Their finger tips touched, their eyes meeting.  He grasped her hand and pulled.  The train only bore down on them but Richard knew he could save her.  Then his foot slipped on the damp wooden boards at the edge of the crossing.  Debbie's eyes desperate, begging him to save her.  A onlooker roughly pulled Richard back, Debbie's hand slipping from his.  'If you hold on, boy, you'll lose an arm!'  Richard struggled against the man's grip but to no avail. 

He watched her as she surrendered, rolling herself into a ball.  The train screeched, the noise almost deafening as the emergency brakes were applied.  And then she was gone.  Richard crumpled to the ground, the man still holding onto him.  She was gone.