AN INCIDENT(?) ON SUBWAY CAR #9
You know that. You love it and hate it depending on the day. The minute. The line to get into Mel’s Diner. The number of tentacles reaching out to grab you from the sewers. The mandatory blood rituals and street cleaning day.
You know that, but you do not think about it. You get onto the subway, with its flickering lights and its sharp smell of formaldehyde, and the rats running alongside with your cart blink at you in morse code to quit staring, kid. You do not think about that either. You are thinking about the long day you’ve had, and that the train was twenty minutes late. You are thinking about how you’re going to avoid being eaten by your landlord next month. You are thinking about the dhampir who ghosted you last Friday. Mostly, you are thinking about how much you hate pumpkin spice.
You are thinking about nothing at all: just letting the clack-clack-clack of the conductor’s arms and the too-sharp corners of the train lull you into that fitful state of dissociation unique to public transport.
Maybe you ride the subway every day. Maybe this is a once in a lifetime experience. But today, random chance has brought you to Subway Car #9 on the 9.47pm [Sͯ̀̇͗̚͡T̍̐̊ͤͫͬ̑͢͏́A̓ͮ̂̈ͧͫ͐̓̀̕͟T̶̨̓̔̄ͧ͐͠͡Ï̶̴ͨ̇ͫC̡̡̔̋͂̏̒ͥ̅ͣ̀̓̀] line, where it has similarly inconvenienced other denizens of The City. Bored, you glance around and see a mushroom person — that’s a first — and look away to the scowling, scarred woman with the bloody knuckles — wow, does she need to go to a hospital? — and triple-take at the gorgeous man in the oil-stained fur coat. You try not to stare at a frankenstoid as he bumps his head on the ceiling — you are not like those born people. You get a headache glancing at the person glitching beside you — god, it’s so rude not to turn that off — and a worse one from the dark-haired woman whose eyeball is out of place, just for a second. You nod to a timid child dressed impeccably. You hear muffled laughter as a pair of twins take too many selfies together. You feel like they’re judging you.
You think: It’s been a while since the last station.
And then you don’t think at all.
The view from Subway Car #9’s windows turns from void, then stars, then, finally, to flesh. Dark red membranes slide over the window, leaving thick streaks of entrails. Half-digested creatures gasp and cling to the outside doors. You think you see the guy who is normally behind the deli counter at your corner store. His eyes are melting.
You are in the stomach of something bigger than your mind can comprehend.
WE ARE [Şͯ͑͛̄ͣͪ̐̔͏̷̞̥̯̳͎̠̣͔̫̝̜T̸̨̰͖̥̩͔̭̘̘̫͓̞̦̜̙͈̑ͦ͋͐̾̌́ͪ͐ͦͣͨ̆̃͋̍̕ͅĄ̸̷̴̱̪̝̗ͯ̆͆̾ͮ͗̄͐̿͂ͦ̋͋̈́̍̈͗̚͘T̈͒̓͊ͮ͞҉͉̖̰̹͔͕̩̞̞̯̮̩́ͅI̡̧̨̲͍͕̥͈̣̘̼̯̞̹͉͕̞͍͎̬͒̈́̂̈́̄̀̈̐̑͠͡ͅC̸̩̯̗̥̦̳̹̳͖̥̍͂͆ͭ̒ͥ̒ͫ̽ͪͩ-] DELAYS, says the conductor through the tinny speakers. WE APOLOGI[S̶̏͒̉͗̃̃͂ͮ͆̑ͥ̿̆҉̧̘̯̥̫̲̯̰̻͇̭͞͠Ş̳̪̳̪͐̈́͊̇ͦ́͜͢͜S̵̹̟̗͈͕̪̟̰̙̼̺͉ͫ̔̾̌̽́̈͊̔͑͐̉̾̋ͬ̍̅̚͘͟ͅS̴̨̧̧̝̱͇̹̟̩̣͈͎̬̦͋̅̅̽ͬ̔S̴̴̘̠̪͇̙̖̹̥̣̦͍̭͎̰̞͉̯̥̬̑̿ͭ͒͑ͤͩ͒̆̍̒ͫͥ̓͋̐͘͢͞Ş̸͖͎̤̟͍̦̠͙̱̮͎̝̲̍́̄̌̊͐̓ͤ̑̅ͨ̄̉̆ͅH̨̰̫̗̳͓͓̟̘̱̞̜̹͈͕̲͚̣ͮ̎ͭ̚͟Ĥ̸̡̧̱̟͈̙̩̤̳̰̖̟͈̤̿͊ͤ̅ͤ̿̀͋̾̒̕͡H̡̨̹̪̞̩͔̖͚͈̻̗͙̭̼ͣ́͊ͭ͒͌̍͛̾͗́̃͆͢H̵̭͉̖̝̾̂̈́͒̾̓ͧ̽̎ͫ̄̽̋̆̇ͮ͑͝͝H--] FOR ANY INCONVEN[C̷̹̤͙͇̩̟͎͍̟̹̖͙͎̍ͣ̇ͩͫͣ̑ͮ̃͒̌̽̎́̚C̵̨̨̡̩͉͎̑̓̔ͣ̆̒̌̃͟C̃̈́̿̈̂͋ͣ̽̓̆ͥͣ͑ͨ͛ͨͯ̚͢҉͖̣͙̱C̢͉̘̦͚̟̲̘͔̾̾̾̌ͫͪͨ͝C̸̶͙̪̥͖̯̳̹̖͉͛̉̂ͯͅC̴̨̬̟̰̻͇͙̗͋ͯ̏ͫ̄̋̈́̐ͧ̀͐̐͊̿͟͡C̼̖͈̤̼͖ͬͭ̓̔̎̉̈̄͘Ḣ̶̢͓͚̖͉͎̖͎͍̜̠͚̓͛̋͌ͫ̏̾ͥ̅̊̕͟].
The metal of the car screams; it is hot and smoky as stomach acid begins to melt through the linings of the windows. You might look at your phone, and think about who to text your final goodbye to, but just your luck: zero fucking bars. You might try to fight, banging your fists against the windows, and sizzle your skin for your efforts. You might cry, which will bring the ire of your neighbor: where do you think you are, they might sneer. New York?
And then you are out the other side. SORRY ABOUT THAT, FOLKS, says the conductor. TRACK MAINTENAͤ̋̎̈̈͜͏͕͓̼̯͎̼̙̙̞͚̦͎̠̕͝ͅNCE.
As if by unanimous agreement, everyone gets off at the next station.
There is slime on your windows, but no other cars. In fact, when you peer through the windows, no one else seems fazed at all.
And it has, once again, made sure you know your place.