(SSSC) Platform 19

I couldn't Post in (FACFC) so is it scary enough?

“Platform 19”

As Frank woke he could hear the wind howling outside and felt the seat he was sitting in shake as the bus he was riding in turned the corner. “What the hell…??” he thought as he looked out the window? Frank wondered what he was doing on a bus when the last thing he remembered was being on his way to fetch the kids from school in his SUV - which showed years of wear but he really didn’t mind.

He looked at his wrist for the time and he didn’t have a watch on. Frank was a lawyer and he always had his watch on. It’s something he never forgot – kind of like an extension of his personality though he was happy to pull on a plain sort of suit that didn’t really echo his successes in life.

He looked to the lady on his right and asked gingerly, “umm, sorry, could you give me the time?”

The lady replied, looking ahead to the front of the bus, “it’s 15:58.”
“Thank you.”

He looked out the window again with a worried look on his face. He was sure the time was wrong as he remembered looking at his watch just before digging in his briefcase for a copy of today’s paper. His watch had shown 15:58!!

How did he get here? He thought he needed to see a doctor. Perhaps he was overworked – stressed – yes perhaps that was it. He thought again about why he didn’t have a watch on. Did it fall off?

He looked to the woman again, “excuse me; sorry to be a bother, where is this bus headed?”
“I am not one hundred percent sure myself.” she replied with a soft smile.

She was in her 90’s he imagined. He looked around and he noticed the bus was pretty full. What also caught his attention was that it was mainly elderly folk. There were two kids playing in the front of the bus and a lady holding a baby.

“I guess this is normal,” he thought to himself. He wondered if he should ask the bus driver where the bus was headed and stood up to go to the front. He immediately dropped down in his seat with a blank look on his face. He could feel he wanted to shout out but it felt like his scream was just an idea. There was NO bus driver!

He looked around and noticed that no one was talking and all looked out of the window. He turned his head and looked out the window hoping to see some familiar surroundings. Frank let out a sigh. Yes, he knew the area. He stared out the window trying to make sense of what he was seeing. There were no people on the roads, no cars driving around, NO taxis hooting and no delivery guys on bicycles – nothing normal!!

Frank grabbed the rail on the seat in front of him and tried to think. “THINK,” he thought to himself, “THINK!!”

Suddenly the bus stopped outside the station building. He looked out the window and saw the people getting off the bus ahead of them. Then the door opened and the folk on his bus climbed off one by one. He looked at them all moving toward the station entrance. “Are they ALL catching a train?” he thought.

He stared, mesmerised, at what was going on. After a few moments he heard, “Frank, you need to get off the bus. You have another leg on this journey.” He looked around and saw no one.

“Hello,” he called. “Anyone here?”
“Frank, you need to get off the bus.”
Another bus pulled up behind his and he turned to watch a stream of people climb of that one too. “My goodness!” he thought. “I wonder what is going on here- what did I miss.”
“Frank – you need to get off the bus.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
... Continued Below ...

[edit on 16/10/2007 by shearder]

Frank stood up and moved towards the front of the bus where he climbed down the stairs and turned to watch the bus move off at a hell of a speed.

He walked toward the entrance and went slowly inside and looked around. He noticed a lot of people milling around and looking at schedule boards. A man walked up to Frank and touched his arm, “Frank.”
“Yes?”
“You need to come with me.”
“What’s going on?”
“You need to come with me Frank.”
Frank followed the man who was dressed really weird; it also didn’t seem as if the guy had shaved in like 50 years. He was wearing a long off-white gown type garment. “AH! Looks like some sort of monk!” he thought.

They entered a large hall that looked like some sort of waiting room with row upon row of seats.

“Frank.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know where you are?”
“Uh… Nope. Can you help me out there! I need to fetch the kids from school. Do you have the time?”
“No Frank. Time is not an issue here.”
“Here…?? HERE? Where the hell is here.”
“Not hell Frank,” the stranger smiled. “Not yet and not for you.”
“Who are you?”
“You can call me Simian. Though you will learn names are not important here.”
“WHERE THE HELL IS HERE!! Can you answer me? I am sure my kids are worried. Is this some sort of mind game? Have I been brainwashed? Where is my family? My wife – my kids? Where are they?”
“It’s not their time Frank.”
“OH God help me,” Frank thought out loud.
“Oh he has Frank.”

Frank looked at the man with a blank stare on his face. He had a feeling that he knew this was leading to a realisation he wanted to have noting to do with.

“We know it was sudden Frank and you had no idea what has happened.”
“What did happen?”
“You were driving along and there was a sudden cloud burst.”

Frank remembered the weather wasn’t all that good that afternoon.
“And then?” Frank asked.
“Well a gust of wind caught your car while you were looking down and pushed your car toward the pavement where you struck a lamppost.”
“Are you saying…,” Frank stopped to think, “Are you saying… Are you saying what I think you are saying?”
“Yes Frank. Although you are no longer thinking, not as you know it to be, but yes, you have passed on Frank. Frank, follow me – I need to show you something.”

Frank followed Simian into a small room and sat down in a chair that was pointed out to him. In front of them was a sort of screen; only it wasn’t a screen – more like what you would see coming off the road in the heat – kind of like a heat wave.

“Oh Lord!”
“It’s ok Frank. I need you to just relax.”
The screen started to change. He could see himself laying in a hospital with hordes of people around him. Pipes and all sorts of things sticking out of his battered body. The screen changed again and he could see his family sitting in a waiting room and crying and talking, but he couldn’t hear a word they were saying.

“Is there some sort of volume control on this thing?”
“Yes Frank. I can allow you to hear what is being said.”
“Well do it… please.”
“Frank, you are here because you need to move on.”
“You are not telling me this!!”
“Frank you need to go to Platform 19”
“What is Platform 19?”
“I can’t tell you Frank – I can’t tell you.”
“OK then, turn the volume up!”

“… And he didn’t even know I was pregnant. I wanted to tell him tonight that I am already 3 months,” Frank’s wife sniffed.
“Oh lord!” Frank said softly.
Frank watched and listened to the others talking about this and that and how wonderful he was and it kind of made him feel a little better - but not much.

Frank watched as the sheet was pulled over his head and he shuddered. He looked around and found himself, once again, in a huge hall. It was the hall he entered after getting off the bus. He looked around for some sort of signage and noticed a number of signs hanging from the ceiling. There was one indicating the general direction of the platforms.

“AH! Platform 19 is that way!” He thought out loud.

He walked in that direction following the extra signs as he went. He noticed not many people were heading in that direction and as he got closer, and signs showed the path to other platforms, the number of people grew less and less till he was the only one on the way to Platform 19.

Frank stopped and looked around. He saw no bathroom signs. He didn’t need to go but he just felt like going to the bathroom – like it was the normal thing to do; go to the bathroom, wash his hands, dry them and check that his hair was ok and his tie was straight. “TIE!!” Frank felt his chest and felt no tie. He looked down and was wearing a blue gown. “OH GOD, get me out of this!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
... Continued ...

Frank pushed forward and came to a sign with an arrow pointing down and it said “You have reached Platform 19.”

Frank walked between the pillars and looked around. It was eerie and it seemed he was the only one there. A man walked up to Frank and said “We have been waiting for you – this is sooner that expected, but that’s ok. Come with me.”

Frank resisted. “I don’t want to. I just want to go home.” Frank was visibly terrified.
“It’s ok Frank. It will be ok.”
“Nothing so far is ok!”
“Frank, take a seat here. There will be a train in a little while.”
“Train? To where?”
“This platform is for those that will be reincarnated.”
“WHAT? I don’t believe in that!”
“Frank, it doesn’t matter what you believed or didn’t, it is true.”

Frank thought for a minute. “I have some memories that don’t fit with who I am.”
“Who do you think you are Frank?”
“Frank Olds!”
“No, that’s who you were in the flesh. You have had many lives before that.”
Frank closed his eyes and put his head in his hands.

“I have a memory of a little boy, looks like the 20s – riding a bicycle. Oh I see a little wooden cabin in the mountains, with a stream. The little boy is…”
“That’s YOU Frank!”
“…he is heading toward the stream. ME?”
“Yes Frank.”
“Ok – I will go along with that – for now. I put my bicycle down and head toward the stream. Oh it feels cold and it’s white. I see this Platform.”
“Yes, you slipped, bumped your head and drowned.”
“Ok. Let me see…” Frank closed his eyes. “Ok, there is fighting. Not sure the time period. OK; looks like armour, body armour, kind of like chain mail. Medieval; looks like gladiator type fighting. I am swinging a mace – it’s heavy – specially made for me – it’s the first time I am using it in a real fight. Oh; it takes too long to bring back – I am tired. What? I can’t see anything. I see this Platform.”
“Yes Frank. You have died many times.”
“And now? Where am I off to? When do I get there?”
“Frank, time is not as you know it here. You will be off soon.”
“Soon?”
“Yes, a family is waiting for you.”
“What about my family?"
"Time has passed as you know it Frank.”
“Okkkkkkk…??”
“You will go now. You will join your new family”
“Why do I have to do this again?”
“There are a number of tests, Frank, that you need to pass. There are lessons you need to learn.”
“Why am I the only one here?”
“Frank, you are an old soul and you have learned much. You do not have to go through the same processes as younger souls and come directly here. I am glad to say that you haven’t changed. I have met you thirteen times. Frank, you take care – your train is arriving.”

Frank looked up and watched a huge silver engine glide into the station and stop 4 cars down the platform. A door opened and a man stood there looking at Frank. He smiled and motioned with his hand for Frank to board. Frank walked toward the coach and climbed on board.

Frank looked out the window and, as it appeared to him, they exited the station and daylight hit his eyes. Then Frank realised he was looking up at a big round light – the sort seen in operating theatres. He felt himself moving through the air with something holding him up.

He was placed in another pair of, what felt like, hands. Frank looked up and saw a familiar face. He knew that face. It was his… Frank could feel his memory fading and couldn’t remember her name.

Frank tried to call out but all he could muster was a gurgle…

“If ONLY your father could see you my darling daughter. I think your name will be Francine.”

[edit on 16/10/2007 by shearder]

Good story! Great ending! Loved every second of it!

reply to post by tetsujin420


Thanks a TON. I am glad you liked it
Makes it all worth writing hehehe

Shearder, I expected nothing less than stiff competition from you.What took you so long?
Flagged and starred.

Originally posted by AccessDenied
Shearder, I expected nothing less than stiff competition from you.What took you so long?
Flagged and starred.

Thanks a TON AD!! Thanks for the star and flag I am glad you liked it!

I was not going to enter this one and was planning the FACFC but then realized it was only colaborative and my pardner may not make it so i wrote another and then it didn't belong, IMO, so i didn't want to waste it LOL and even though it isn't really scary i posted.

Excellent story mate. Even if it wasnt a ghost train filled with Jack Daniels.

And trust me it was scary, the poor bloke was reincarnated as a girl!!! Ohh the horror....

mojo

Originally posted by mojo4sale
Excellent story mate. Even if it wasnt a ghost train filled with Jack Daniels.

And trust me it was scary, the poor bloke was reincarnated as a girl!!! Ohh the horror....

mojo

LOL yeah as a girl. But has anyone picked anything else significant up at the end? Ok he was reincarnated into his own family...

any ideas?

Originally posted by shearder

Originally posted by mojo4sale
Excellent story mate. Even if it wasnt a ghost train filled with Jack Daniels.

And trust me it was scary, the poor bloke was reincarnated as a girl!!! Ohh the horror....

mojo

LOL yeah as a girl. But has anyone picked anything else significant up at the end? Ok he was reincarnated into his own family...

any ideas?

Yeah - he was his own daughter! I thought it was a great ending as well.

Originally posted by Monger
Yeah - he was his own daughter! I thought it was a great ending as well.

Hit the nail on the head.

Thanks a ton Monger! Much appreciated - glad you enjoyed it.

[edit on 17/10/2007 by shearder]

A great read. Thanks for posting.

Although it wasn't scary, strickly speaking, it dealt with death and the paranormal and other tropes of the horror genre.

The theme definately lays an eastern religious foundation, from everything from the reincarnation to his not having to believe anything since his faith is worthless. I liked the part where he briefly began to regain all of his lost memories from lives past and was intrigued that he was reincarnated as his own daughter.

But I was wishing there was more. I found myself questioning the purpose of the tale. As a quick look into reincarnation, it works okay, but I think you could take it much farther.

I presume that the 'lessons' Frank has already learned, and the fact that he was one of many reincarnated souls, but the only one who had advanced to platform 19, has something to do with him being reincarnated as his own daughter, but there should be more.

You've managed to raise a question in my mind as a reader, but I don't think the text can deliver any answers for me. I'd like there to be more clues as to what type of lessons he has yet to learn and why being reincarnated as his own daughter will provide an opportunity to learn them.

Maybe a little preface or prolouge, showcasing a deficiency in his soul (maybe he craves wealth) or a character flaw (maybe Frank is incapable of empthy), which his new life as a woman could help rectify.

This is just off the top of my head, but if I were to read and then reread, these are the types of clues I would be looking for.

I think you have a good base with room to launch your work into a more meaningful tale and maybe something people could even learn from.

Thanks for reading Enrikez. This was a "quick" submission. If you knew how many times i edited to keep it short and interesting

This can be seriously a long story and have much before and after his demise/re-incarnation. I absolutely agree with what you have said and I could had added much detail. But time and the amount of detail i originally had would just make it too long a read for many. Yes, i tried to keep religion ot and leave it in a neutral state

Thanks again.

reply to post by shearder


I know what you're saying about editing and length concerns

I think the story is perfect for this board, and I think it is also perfect for expansion and deeper exploration of the ideas, should you ever be so inclined to dig this back up and take a fresh look at it.

I really enjoyed it a lot. thanks for posting.

Originally posted by Enrikez
I think the story is perfect for this board, and I think it is also perfect for expansion and deeper exploration of the ideas, should you ever be so inclined to dig this back up and take a fresh look at it.

I really enjoyed it a lot. thanks for posting.

Thanks again. This could work out like a steven king novel with the right reworking. And also, based on what lessons he has learned or needs to learn, i can put a section in the middle of the book, as S.K. does and ramble off topic for a couple of hundred pages LOL

Edit for spelling - SHOCKING!

[edit on 23/10/2007 by shearder]

LOL

King does have that 'verbal diarrea' thing down pretty well hahaha

Dying = scary
Wife = scary
Leaving wife = scary
Leaving kid = scary
Coming back = really scary

Not scary! I can't sleep now.

MonKey

LOL thanks for the read ChiKey. Much appreciated. I assumed you enjoyed it? hehehe

EXCELLENT story, I loved it! Been too busy to take time to read in the past week but knew I would enjoy what ever you wrote, I was right! And no explanations needed the ending was abundantly clear , the whole story actually had familiarity as well as twists, good job!

Happy Halloween my friend!

AHHHHHH thanks antar. Was wondering if you would get to it considering you write great stuff too!!

Thanks for the read and for the fab comments.

HAPPY Halloween to you too my friend.