As she cranes her neck to nervously observe those walking past, her appearance becomes pronounced. Her troubled face could tell a thousand stories. Tears escape from her passionless, yet fearful eyes. Droplets of tears trickle down her face, like solitary raindrops on a windowpane. She doesn’t respond to her own emotions, neither do the train passengers who don’t contemplate each tear falling from her timid eyes. Each tear representing another moment of hurt and agonizing pain she has suffered.
She raises her head to acknowledge an elegant, middle-aged woman. Wearing a spotless business suit she stands poised over the slouched run-away. Every strand of her hair glitters in the shine of light. Perfectly made up, she would be more suited to appearing in glossy magazines than a dismal, muggy train station. Her eyes dazzle, full of life and enthusiasm, and she slowly raises her left eyebrow. She studies the youngster, rolls her eyes, jolts her head and strides off, becoming another shadow of the dreary, winters night.
The lonely teenager unwraps her arms from around her quivering body and slowly stands up, stiff from the nippy midnight air. She mooches along the platform with no apparent destination. Raising a shaky hand, she looks closely at the train times, each line and curve of concentration gradually invading her anguished face.
The sound of footsteps becomes louder again as two young men appear from the darkness. The buzz of conversation soon drowns out the silence that was once there. Quietness again, as they halt in conversation and frown at the helpless teenager. Seconds later, they have vanished, sniggering to each other and become more shadows of the dreary, winters night.
Umbrellas are quickly raised, as drizzle starts to fall from the morbid blanket of the sky above. Train passengers scuttle to shelter, pigeons flutter off into the gloominess, and even the litter is blown to safety. But there she stands, without a care in the world, or so she tries to believe.
The commotion, scramble, dash, shrieking, shouting and race of life all gets too much for her as she heads off into the shadows. Maybe to find a more lonely, desolate place or just to get away from life in general. She slowly strolls away from the hurry, and becomes another shadow of the dreary, winters night.
