The Subway Encounter

Day 1: Action/Adventure - The Subway Encounter: You're about to board the last subway for the night when a man stumbles into you and falls to the ground. He pushes a small, wrapped package into your hand ... and dies. Just then you notice a blood pool under him. What do you do now?

Time stood still. I gripped the package as if it held my life. The man, a rather shaggy vagabond, slumped down on me pulling me down with him. I staggered; then stepped back to let him fall. That was when I noticed the blood pooling under him. My breath caught in my throat, I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out. I gasped for air instead, pulling it in like I was about to be drowned. I jerked my eyes up to see what was around me. I was alone. But I could hear footsteps running and they seemed to be coming closer.
I strained to make out the sounds, but then was caught up in the rumble and swoosh of the train’s eminent arrival. I backed away from the man, grateful none of his blood had gotten on me. I stepped behind the pillar of concrete holding my breath and praying I could get away. I jammed the package into my knapsack and hoisted it back onto my back. There I stood trying to barely breathe as I heard others enter the subway platform. Running feet like gunfire and grizzled voices swore at each other. In the confusion, I was not sure how many were there. I heard scuffling and scrapping, grunting and a thud.
Then just as the train was about to rush through, I heard an angry bellow. “What the hell...God damn fool. We needed the package. You didn’t get the package.”
The other man’s reply was cut off, washed out by the thunder of racket the train hurled into the station.
I stood stock still. Terror gripped every cell of my being. And I wanted to keep every cell of my being. I was not sure if they left or were searching the subway’s platform.
In front of me the train sat, its doors thrown open calling last call, I couldn’t move. If I did, they would know I was here, if I didn’t, I would be left back with them. My heart pounded. Thunder roared through my ears. But still I did not move.
With the train perched there, hissing out its arrival, I strained to make out any sounds beyond it. I could hear nothing, no voices, no footsteps, no nothing. Had they gone or were they waiting? My brain scattered to make sense of this. I needed to get away and I needed to get rid of this package.
Mama had always told me to go to the police. I had to get there. But how? This was the last train out of the city. If I didn’t go I would be stuck here, but then, I could also be dead.
The train’s closing doors and hissing departure filled the station and I chose that moment to back further into the stairwell just behind me. Not sure how I managed it but I moved and slipped back finding a small door into a utility closet of sorts. I slipped myself in closing the door as carefully as I could. I decided it might be best just to stay here. I reached out thanking the forgetful person who had forgotten to lock up and clicked the lock into place. My ears strained for any sound.
I do not know how long I stood there, but eventually my terrors drained off leaving me weak- kneed and I sank to the floor.
How long I stayed there I do not know, but I was awakened with someone fumbling with the door. Blinking up into the light, I heard. “What the hell? How did you get in here?”
Before panic fully took me I made out the man’s custodial uniform for the transit company.
“Please help me. I need to get to the police.” My voice was a raw whisper.
He helped me up. Having been there so long my body had seized and I found it hard to move. As I exited the small enclosure I let my eyes dart around the platform. The regular bustle of bodies shifting and moving on there way surged around me. Soon I was swallowed up in the mass. I moved away from the custodian who merely stared after me his eyes wide. He had work to do. Apparently there had been another jumper in the night and the tracks were covered with dried blood and mangled bone.
Following the surge of the crowd I moved along and found myself on the surface. I hailed a cab. At this point I didn’t care about the cost.
At the police station there was a tension that seemed to bounce around the precinct. When I mentioned the package all police eyes swivelled to me.
“And Officer Rainer?” The officer behind the desk asked. I gave him a puzzled look.
“Where did you get this package?” He asked as he pulled an odd shaped object out of the bag.
“Some guy gave it to me... then he died.” I told them the rest of my story, then listened as I found out the shaggy man who had given me the package was an undercover cop. At that point my eyes rolled back into my head and I sank to the floor.


Word count = 857 - this does not include the prompt itself.