The Last Train from Brighton

The Last Train from Brighton

Gus had just finished work in the hot sticky kitchen, he walked the half a mile to the train station and got on the last train back home. The train station was quiet with just a few people milling around. The old Victorian station looked huge under the lights, it reminded Gus of the romantic movie, The Last Station. 

Gus got on his train on platform 3 and looked around the carriage; there were only two other passengers, a couple in their twenties. The train took off with the usual shudder and headed north at a snail's pace. Gus was thirsty and wished he’d stopped off to grab a drink. 

The young couple got out at Preston Park and Gus was all on his own. He stretched out and put his feet up to relax. He’d had a twelve-hour shift in front of a hot grill, he was sweaty and exhausted, he longed for his bed. Gus was reflecting on his life and wondered if there was more to it than just working. He had a little boy called Robin, but hadn’t seen him for two years as his ex had left him for a well-off investor and refused Gus's contact. He lived in a house share in Crawley, and his house mates were not his friends, they didn’t understand his humour. Both guys worked at Gatwick airport as air stewards. 

The train took off, it gathered speed and travelled past the next few stations. Suddenly the train began to brake heavily as though someone had pulled the panic alarm. It was weird and unusual, and Gus just wanted to go home. He wanted a cold shower and a warm cosy bed. 

The train quickly came to a halt and Gus was tossed forward onto the seat in front of him. It was dark outside, and the only light provided was from his train carriage. He got up and walked towards the door, it suddenly sprang open. Outside there was a concrete platform but no there was no sign indicating where he was. Gus looked down the dark empty platform, there was nothing other than one metal bench. 

Gus got back on the train and looked up and down the carriages, but it was completely empty, other than the usual litter left by the late-night traveler’s. He walked over to the map on the wall to find his location, but because of the train’s speed and random stop, Gus had no idea where he was. Maybe somewhere around Burgess Hill, but he wasn’t sure. 

He decided to step off the train and walk up to the driver’s carriage. As he cautiously approached the first car, each carriage he passed became dark, the lights flickered and then turned off. One after the other until he reached the driver’s car, it was eerie. Gus nervously edged towards the door; he tentatively poked his head up to the window. It was empty, then the lights flickered and went out. Every door suddenly closed, with a swoosh and a clunk. He tried to open a door, but it was locked. 

Gus stepped back to look at the whole train, it was so dark now all he could see was the moon light reflecting off the windows. He looked round at the platform and surroundings. He could hardly make out anything other than a gate in the six-foot wooden fence, it was like a bad dream.

The thirty-year-old Gus said, “Hello…. hello, is anyone there? Hello, anyone, driver, can you hear me?”

There was no reply, it was deftly quiet. 

Gus got his phone out of his pocket but there was no signal, he only had one bar of power left but wanted to use the torch. 

He walked over to the gate; it was unlocked and made a squeaky sound when Gus opened it. He heard a noise from the train and shot a glance back to see if someone was there, but all he saw was the train disappearing into the distance. He was all alone and he was petrified. 

He thought to himself, “What the hell is going on? This is crazy, where am I? I just want to go home.”

Gus stepped through the gate, there was a pathway leading to a light in the distance. He didn’t know what to do, he checked his phone again, but no service. He had no where else to go so headed towards the light. As he got closer, he could see the light was glowing behind a door, the light was streaming through the door frame. He looked at the door and knocked, but nothing, he knocked again, this time a bit harder and the door opened a few centimetres. 

Gus pushed it open whilst saying, “Hello, is anyone there?” 

Again, there was no answer. Finally, he pushed it fully open to reveal two doors. One door was white and glossy, the other was dark blue. Above the doors was a sign that read, “Choose your destiny” with smaller writing underneath which read,

“Whichever you choose, how you play the game,

The choices are yours, no one else is to blame.”

He didn’t know what to do, but after a few moments, he pushed open the dark blue door. The light turned into a vision; it was of his life. He was watching himself waking up in his tiny bedroom and getting ready for work. Then walking to the train station and going to the restaurant. At no point did he talk to anyone. When he got to work, he said hello to a few people, walked into the kitchen and began to prepare for his shift. He looked miserable.

The vision then showed him in his bedroom, opening a letter from the court. It stated that he was now granted access to his child, and he could see him at a family contact centre the following week. He watched himself crying with happiness that his battle at court was over and he was able to hold and speak to his son again. 

The next vision was Gus walking to the contact centre looking nervous. He saw himself hugging his child and playing games together, it made the real Gus cry with happiness. It was amazing, as it’s all he ever wanted to do.

Before Gus knew it, the vision had disappeared, and the blue door had closed. He composed himself and moved to the white door. He pushed it open still with a few tears in his eyes. The new scene came into play. It showed Gus walking back to the train station from work, he stopped at a shop and picked up a drink and a scratch card. Whilst on the train, Gus got the scratch card out and began to reveal its secrets. The silver crumbs danced down his legs as he scratched and divulged the magic numbers, his dream had come true. Gus watched as he had just won £2 million pounds in the vision. The following scenes saw him in expensive clothes, driving a Ferrari with a beautiful woman on his arm. He owned an amazing house with a swimming pool and throughout the vision he watched himself smiling and laughing all of the time. He had never looked so happy and carefree.

All of a sudden, the vision ended, and the white door closed. He stepped back and heard a booming voice which said,

“Make your choice Gus, choose a door, and live with the consequences.”

Gus didn’t know what to do. On one hand he could give up a job which he hated, and live life like a playboy. Wining and dining beautiful women, having anything and everything he wanted. It would be amazing, but then his conscience woke up and he remembered the vision in the other door. Being able to see his son and watch and help him grow. However, he would still be broke and in a dead-end job living in a shared house. 

The booming voice spoke again and said, “Make your decision now Gus, walk through the door of your choice”.

Gus made up his mind and opened a door, he walked in and there was a platform with a train awaiting him. He opened the train door and sat down. The train left and stopped at Crawley Train Station. Gus got out wondering what had happened as nothing had changed. He felt disappointed and walked back to his home. As he got in and walked up stairs to his room, he saw a couple of letters for him. He got to his room, opened the door and lay on the bed, still in a daze of what had just happened. 

He pulled out a drink that was in his coat pocket and a scratch card fell to the floor. He picked it up and lay it on his bedside table. He looked at his mail, and there was an envelope from the family court. He looked at the scratch card and then the looked at the envelope, he began to sweat.

He reached forward and grasped the letter from the court with one hand and had the scratch card in the other. He thought about what he wanted, what he really really wanted and then…

He opened the letter. 

The End.