What do you do?
Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 9:30 pm
You find yourself riding a train to a predetermined location. The repetitive rattle of the wheels, both in sound and vibration, was oddly mesmerizing as you patiently waited to reach your destination two stops over.
Next to you sat what seemed to be a business man, you gathered from his suit, although a little worn, and briefcase across his lap. You first took note of him from the somewhat frown inducing flash that came periodically from the ring on his finger as they steadily rapped against the hard cover of the case. You hadn't had it in your heart to tell him to stop, he seemed rather anxious and perhaps even a little desperate, and you could tell he really didn't need anything more to add to that weight on his shoulders; even if it was something as small as politely requesting him to end his nervous twitch.
Across from you sat a girl, relatively young, in a school uniform of some sort with a shoulder strapped satchel tucked beneath her feet full of senseless badges and names of friends she probably won't remember a few years later. She was lost in her phone that was glued a few centimetres from her face most of the time, which had caused a soft giggle to escape from her every so often. You found yourself studying her more than you would have liked. Perhaps contemplating those years of your own that had since passed or wondering why she was here all by herself and who would have let her be...
You couldn't quite place the feeling.
The brakes of the train screeched in horror as it reached its next destination. Immediately, there was a sudden panic. A bombardment of shoes and feet stamping against the metal flooring. A myriad of people pushing out, and people pushing in, a mundane battle against each other for who'd get to go first, barely cutting a few milliseconds off their travel time.
Within moments, the doors had closed once again, and after a few indistinct and somewhat curious noises later the iron snake was once again in transit.
You were quick to notice that both the girl and your nervous companion were still present. A fleeting thought had you wonder how far down they still had to go before it was cut off by a sudden outburst from a group that had just entered.
"Everyone! Put everything of value into the bag and no-one gets hurt!"
At first you didn't register exactly what was said, and the urgency of the situation hadn't set in, but when an ear piercing scream came a moment later, you understood.
A few men and women clad dark balaclava's, that some were now still hastily putting over their heads, and armed with various guns aimed at your fellow passengers, stood closer to the right most side of your compartment. The only one without a weapon was waving a plastic black bag in the air in an attempt to open it.
Another scream caused a different voice from the one who spoke earlier to approach the woman menacingly and shout, "Shut up you b@tch!"
Quickly being reigned in by the man from before with a hand on the shoulder, to which he added, "Anyone do anything suspicious and we'll be forced to do something we don't want to do."
A contradictory statement to what they seemed to be doing.
And thusly, in a near dead silent train car you saw the criminals slowly progress from those near them, all the way to you who happened to be located somewhere close to the middle.
As your eyes fearfully scanned the compartment for something, anything that could save you, do something, to alleviate this situation, only to pick up on two things:
The girl across from you, who happened to be hurriedly pressing buttons on her phone, most likely in an attempt to call for help.
And the man beside you who's grasp on his briefcase had gotten a little too tight, knuckles white, jaws clenched. A resolute look within his eyes, one that you knew would only end up causing trouble.
You realize you only have enough time to stop one of them from getting the attention of the intruder, thus you now find yourself left with four options:
-You stop the girl, and give her enough time to put her phone away. The man however assaults the thieves, in an attempt to overpower them, but their sheer number is too much and in the struggle he ends up shot. Dead.
-You stop the man. By giving him a bit of doubt, you are able to falter his resolution and thusly they pass him by. The girl however is noticed, and her phone is swiftly taken from her only for them to find out she had been in contact with one of her friends who she asked to call the police. This causes an uproar from the attackers, and almost immediately she is made example of. Beaten. Bloody. Excruciating muffled screams. Only left alone when her form no longer moves. You aren't sure if she is dead or not.
-You do nothing. Why should you bother? They are complete strangers and it is their own recklessness that is going to cause them to get caught. You'd rather not risk it.
-You jump up and immediately get the attention of the intruders by rushing them. This ends up with you getting used to set precedence. You're beaten, beyond recognition, and although it had been only a few seconds, it felt like hours of boots and shoes and fists and broken bones. Until your helpless mewling ends with a shot that echoes softly in your metallic grave.
What do you do?
Next to you sat what seemed to be a business man, you gathered from his suit, although a little worn, and briefcase across his lap. You first took note of him from the somewhat frown inducing flash that came periodically from the ring on his finger as they steadily rapped against the hard cover of the case. You hadn't had it in your heart to tell him to stop, he seemed rather anxious and perhaps even a little desperate, and you could tell he really didn't need anything more to add to that weight on his shoulders; even if it was something as small as politely requesting him to end his nervous twitch.
Across from you sat a girl, relatively young, in a school uniform of some sort with a shoulder strapped satchel tucked beneath her feet full of senseless badges and names of friends she probably won't remember a few years later. She was lost in her phone that was glued a few centimetres from her face most of the time, which had caused a soft giggle to escape from her every so often. You found yourself studying her more than you would have liked. Perhaps contemplating those years of your own that had since passed or wondering why she was here all by herself and who would have let her be...
You couldn't quite place the feeling.
The brakes of the train screeched in horror as it reached its next destination. Immediately, there was a sudden panic. A bombardment of shoes and feet stamping against the metal flooring. A myriad of people pushing out, and people pushing in, a mundane battle against each other for who'd get to go first, barely cutting a few milliseconds off their travel time.
Within moments, the doors had closed once again, and after a few indistinct and somewhat curious noises later the iron snake was once again in transit.
You were quick to notice that both the girl and your nervous companion were still present. A fleeting thought had you wonder how far down they still had to go before it was cut off by a sudden outburst from a group that had just entered.
"Everyone! Put everything of value into the bag and no-one gets hurt!"
At first you didn't register exactly what was said, and the urgency of the situation hadn't set in, but when an ear piercing scream came a moment later, you understood.
A few men and women clad dark balaclava's, that some were now still hastily putting over their heads, and armed with various guns aimed at your fellow passengers, stood closer to the right most side of your compartment. The only one without a weapon was waving a plastic black bag in the air in an attempt to open it.
Another scream caused a different voice from the one who spoke earlier to approach the woman menacingly and shout, "Shut up you b@tch!"
Quickly being reigned in by the man from before with a hand on the shoulder, to which he added, "Anyone do anything suspicious and we'll be forced to do something we don't want to do."
A contradictory statement to what they seemed to be doing.
And thusly, in a near dead silent train car you saw the criminals slowly progress from those near them, all the way to you who happened to be located somewhere close to the middle.
As your eyes fearfully scanned the compartment for something, anything that could save you, do something, to alleviate this situation, only to pick up on two things:
The girl across from you, who happened to be hurriedly pressing buttons on her phone, most likely in an attempt to call for help.
And the man beside you who's grasp on his briefcase had gotten a little too tight, knuckles white, jaws clenched. A resolute look within his eyes, one that you knew would only end up causing trouble.
You realize you only have enough time to stop one of them from getting the attention of the intruder, thus you now find yourself left with four options:
-You stop the girl, and give her enough time to put her phone away. The man however assaults the thieves, in an attempt to overpower them, but their sheer number is too much and in the struggle he ends up shot. Dead.
-You stop the man. By giving him a bit of doubt, you are able to falter his resolution and thusly they pass him by. The girl however is noticed, and her phone is swiftly taken from her only for them to find out she had been in contact with one of her friends who she asked to call the police. This causes an uproar from the attackers, and almost immediately she is made example of. Beaten. Bloody. Excruciating muffled screams. Only left alone when her form no longer moves. You aren't sure if she is dead or not.
-You do nothing. Why should you bother? They are complete strangers and it is their own recklessness that is going to cause them to get caught. You'd rather not risk it.
-You jump up and immediately get the attention of the intruders by rushing them. This ends up with you getting used to set precedence. You're beaten, beyond recognition, and although it had been only a few seconds, it felt like hours of boots and shoes and fists and broken bones. Until your helpless mewling ends with a shot that echoes softly in your metallic grave.
What do you do?