Katie

Steam hissed out of the pistons as the train pulled out of the
station.
The smoke stack billowed out clouds of dark fog. Katie stood on
the
platform shivering in the cold winter air. "he's not coming." She
thought as she listened to the chug, chug, chug of the train as
it
disappeared from sight. "He had to come. He promised he would." All
of
the train's passengers had left by now. Each of them heading for a
worm
bed or a roaring fire side. She rapped her scarf tighter about herself.
The station was deserted, except for herself and one other
person.

A tall man wearing a long, navy blue trench coat and a thick red
scarf.
He walked towards Katie for a short distance and then sat down on
a
bench. "It's very cold this evening." he said. His breath
condensing
into a cloud in front of his face.

"yes." Katie replied. "Yes it is."

There was a short pause. Then Katie too, crossed to the bench and
sat
down. The bench provided a little more shelter from the cold.
There was another pause, a longer one this time.
"Are you meeting someone?" the man asked, trying to brake the
silence.

"Yes, actually I am." Katie sighed. "He was supposed to be on
that
train."

" I'm supposed to be meeting someone too. But either she is late or
I'm
at the wrong station." he said with a worried grin.

Again there was a pause.

"Perhaps they where delayed." The man said without much hope in
his
voice.

"perhaps." Katie said and shivered once more.
The man fished a timetable out of his pocket and scanned it for the
info
he was looking for. "The next train isn't due to arrive for another
half
hour." he said. "maybe they'll be on that one."

Katie didn't answer. "where are you Iain Snell." she thought.
"why
aren't you here?"

"There is a canteen around the corner. Do you want to go get a coffee
or
something?" the man asked. "just until the next train gets in." he
added
not wanting his proposal to sound like a pick up line.

Katie hesitated. She had just met this guy and no matter what his
intentions, that HAD sounded like a pick up line. Could she trust him?
On the other hand, It would be warmer in the canteen and there would be
more
people. She would probably be safer in the canteen anyway. "Okay."
She
said. "Why not?"

##################

It was much warmer in the canteen. The heat from the small kitchen
came
through the wall and warmed the table They sat at. Katie ordered a hot
chocolate with cream and her new companion ordered a Cappuccino.
Katie
gave him a questioning look as there waitress left. "The only form
of
caffeine I actually like" he said.
They talked. About nothing really. But still they talked. Katie
found
herself listening to his voice rather than what he actually was
saying.
He had an accent she had never heard before. It was rich and
guttural.
But she couldn't place it. She didn't ask. It wasn't like she was
ever
going to see this guy again. She didn't even know his name, and
he
didn't know hers. Probably a good thing.

The time passed and they're mugs emptied slowly. When the bill
came Katie reached for her purse, but the man insisted on paying.
Before
Katie could object to this, which she normally would have done, a
whistle sounded. The next train was pulling into the station.
They made there way to the platform and stood waiting once again. The
train stopped. Steam clouds rose from below the level of the platform.
People came and went but no_one came for Katie.
She waited until the train pulled away and sighed deeply. "He
really
hasn't come." She thought dejectedly. Then she realised that her
mystery Cappuccino drinker was also still waiting.
He smiled at her sheepishly. "Looks like we lucked out this time."
he
said his voice full of depression.

"Yeah, I guess so." Katie replied her own disappointment welling up
inside
her.
"here." he said handing her a peace of card. "If you are ever in my
part
of the world, look me up."
Katie took the card and looked at it.
She blinked.
She read the first line again.
She blinked again.
"Hay wait!" she called turning round. But she was too late. The man
had
gone. vanished in the smog left by the train.
Katie wanted to cry but she couldn't for laughing. It was so
ridicules
that it was funny. "Who would have thought it possible?" she thought
and
turned to leave the station. Dropping the card as she did. It
fluttered
in the air for a short time and then fell to the deck. If there had
been
anyone looking, they would have seen the text quite clearly.
Perhaps
they could even read the name.
The name: Iain Snell.
As it was the station was empty. there was no_one to read the card.
The
only sound was the chug, chug, chug, of the last train as it sped
away
from the station.
THE END