Friday, November 1, 2013

The MRT Ride

A friend of mine told me this story of a man who rode an MRT. It had happened a few months ago. For obvious reasons his name has been changed and what remains is a man's story about his ride on the MRT.

It was rush hour and Gonzales was on his way home. The traffic along Edsa was horrific ... So the MRT ride going North was bearable, not comfortable but bearable: Despite being packed like sardines it was at least fast, unlike the slower than slug movement of cars and buses going North. 

The seats inside the coach were a prized place and it was not uncommon that people often took the round trip - going to the last station and going back again via the same train towards one of the Northern stations. 

But today Gonzales was in a hurry today. So fortified with his cellphone s music player and headphones and steeled with resolve, Gonzales was able to push and shove himself into the coach. Of course his husky body made it easy for him to insert himself into the train. Just imagine a barako pig forcing his way into a group of pigs eating slop, you get the idea.

Gonzales was in a hurry.

At each station the number of people crammed inside the coach increased. Even with passengers going out, more passengers were going in. 

Gonzales was in a hurry.

The next station, the central one, was Gonzales' last station. Again he pushed and shoved his way out of the coach, people grunted and cried out.

Gonzales stepped out of coach and proceeded to the escalator. Then everything seemed to disappear in a flash. But Gonzales was not unconcious although he fell forwaed, his eyes were transfixed on the crowd that began to surround him. Gonzales was falling slowly.

Gonzales was looking at the crowd then he saw it. It began as a faint shadow inside the crowd. Then it began to form a shape. First a human shadow. Then a bigger figure more animal than man. Dark as night it was. Its eyes were red as blood and its fangs white as ivory. From its mouth came a pink forked tongue that was used to search something in the air. It then stopped. The creature had found its prey. It looked at Gonzales. The Dark Creature began to move through the crowd. Passing through one person to another. Each person seemed to shiver as the creature passed through. But the creature was looking at Gonzales. He was going to him.

Ny now Gonzales lay on the floor of the MRT station. The Dark Creature was above him and looking down. Its forked tongue moving more violently sensing it was near its prey. The creature leaned over Gonzales. Its claws forced open the mouth of Gonzales. The Dark Creature looked at Gonzales and although not speaking the creatures
spoke,"One year of your life for being rude and stepping on me."

Gonzales blacked out.

He came to his senses a few minutes later at the hospital. A few days later he was released. It was months later when he rode the MRT again. 

Gonzales was never in a hurry again.