I sit down in a moving train, humming in the wind, wheels screeching on train tracks, my body pressed against my seat as we pick up speed. People chattering; I mean, what part of ‘I am not interested’ doesn’t he understand?; phones beeping, the searching eyes of strangers meeting.
‘Nächster Halt, next stop: Vienna International Airport‘ so booms the robotic female voice through the train’s speakers. As we stop at the station, excited tourists flood out onto the platform, their loud jabber subsiding and replaced by a quiet murmur.
A forceful crunch breaks the silence as someone bites into their sandwich, flakey crumbs and sunflower seeds plummeting to the floor like hailstones in a snow storm, rolling down the aisle as the train is set into motion once more.
Headphones now in my ears, I watch as trains from the opposite direction whizz past, catching a glimpse of life on another track.
Sticky Situation 