A Leap on the Loop Line

“This is a safety announcement. It is not permitted to cycle, skateboard or roller-skate anywhere within this station” -

The canny, echo of an announcement called out to every crevice of the station startling Philo Green to the core, as he shook and quivered with a cold chill from the midnight air.

Philo stood atop a bridge over looking the vibrantly lit, fluorescent covered station below.

The light intrusively spliced into his eye sockets, leaving a sting in his temple, as he looked below and about the stations edges.

“Gulp!” Philo swallowed hard as he climbed onto the hard, cold metal bridge frame, intentionally exposing himself to the harsher cold elements and safety-less heights above the sharp infinite rail line below; it felt vast experiencing a natural level of vertigo.

Taking a deep breath Philo looked to the lifeless railway ahead of him. Nothing was about him, stretching endlessly ahead. The station lay empty and lifeless.

Before he could take a final bitter cold shaking sighh, a final announcement erupted onto the platforms abruptly slicing through Philo’s sorrow and self loathing; without care and with heavy interruption.

“All our trains and stations apply a none smoking policy. Please do not smoke anywhere aboard our trains or in our stations” -

Philo’s heart skipped a beat, he almost leaped out of his skin from the repetitive announcement, he had heard for the twelfth time that evening.

Anger, wrath and bitterness filled his mortal being. He looked to his hand which held a letter addressed to a “Poppy sweetheart”.

Philo put the illusive letter into his person.

Buckling his belt up a notch. Fastening his sweat, creased suit. And pushing his tie knot tightly up to his throat.

With a tear in one eye, fire in the other, the adrenalin took to his body and his final breath left his lips. he took a leap from the great hight, to the hard, rustic, metal below.

A rouge bolt of lightening violently caste out of nowhere, as if Zeus himself the god of gods lit up the tracks around him and appeared unannounced.

Philo falling in slow motion did not pierce the ground before the bolt hit the station floor surging the networks electrics.

In a split second of darkness, a large, dark, soundless, eerie figure jolted quickly before him.

Philo hit a flat edgeless plate. The pain was not as heavy as he would have first thought.

In fact all that it did was knock the wind out of him.

Philo blinked on the impact, opened his eyes in hesitation and drew breath once more from the encounter.

Philo attempted to open his eyes. There was a similar intrusive light that crept into his sockets like that of the one before scattered about the station.

His eyes stung and left them blurry, his ear drums rang sharply and left them deafly, and his body ached leaving him like jelly.

All Philo could feel, sense or focus on was the roaring vibration of that of a metal shell beating along a rugged track.

Eventually Philo could hear his breath, see his cold trembling hands and stand on his shaky feet.

“Sir?! Sir?! Are you alright sir?” came from an oddly dressed women standing ready to comfort him.

Philo stood sheepish, baffled and confused as if awaking from a loss of contiousness, only to find himself in an embarrassing predicament. In a carriage filled with a sea of eyes all gazing over at him, he slid to a seat; cautiously.

The women followed obviously in the seat across the table in front of Philo.

“Well sir are you alright? I must say you did act rather irregularly to say the least”

Philo coughed and spoke as silent as a mouse

“erhh… y.. ye yep I am ok, just an upset tummy.. urgh you know cheap meal deals always are a hit or a miss.. especially the ones at stations” the lady looked over at Philo with a perplexing gaze as if she did not have the faintest idea as to what he was talking about and took to reading a paper from in front of her; hiding her head.

Philo took to looking away as well best not to upset her or anyone else further and took to his thoughts like what the hell just happened? And where am I? Am I dreaming? Am I dead?

He looked to the window at the side of him that appeared most irregular for he could not see the faintest thing outside it. Odd indeed he though not a light, a vehicle or a building in site; nothing.

He turned his head away and said aloud “just a tunnel”

The women across from him revealed her an uncomfortable look at Philo briefly as he spoke, above her paper and placed it back instantly as they crossed eyes.

Philo took to looking about the train which also looked strange the interior aged, with more timber than plastic, and the chairs not like any train seat Philo had sat on before.

He looked then on to the people, the old men in casual suits with cardigans replacing the jackets, the young women in contrasting long frocks, to slightly revealing clothing like that of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys.

All would be normality if wasn’t that every person about the place was in similar 60s attire; where they all going to a show with a theme he thought? Yes; yes that must be it he thought.

Before long Philo became more irritable mostly from a distinct whistling coming from the train itself.

The women warming more to Philo across from him lowered her paper and said “never been on a whistler before? A locomotive?” Philo returned the perplexing look that she gave him before “loco what?” he said almost feeling loco himself.

“A train dear boy!” She lowered her paper further and looked to him.

Philo as seemingly rude lost his gaze, passed the pretty red haired lady and found his gaze fixed on a man further up the carriage wearing a bowler hat, suited and holding a cain. Philo glare became menacing. His mind lost. And him now entranced as the penny began to drop; for the man was casually dragging from a pipe.

Philo began to look more frantic, breathless and pale.

He began to spew out gibberish urg.. blur… you.. I’m?.. What the fuck is going on here?!” He cursed My dear sir there is no need for that sort of language! The lady said.

Philo started to pant breathlessly as if he was going into shock, the women moved to comfort him, getting closer and placing her hand on his shoulder.

“Please sir calm down…” she said calmly as Philo complied looking into her beautiful green eyes; both now fixed.

“I Am alright… its alright..” Philo let out a sigh of relief, thinking that he was likely dead and that at least only beautiful women could be in heaven; so heaven he must be.

The lady interrupted the lustful gaze of attraction with an introduction

“ermm…. I am Lilly.. err Lilly Grey and you are?” she asked whilst stuttering and while Philo paused turning his gaze to his letter in his pocket to ensure that there it remains. He patted his suit jacket, in search and paused when he felt it. “Sorry I am Philo.. Philo Green, you have a beautiful name” he said revealing the letter from his pocket stating the same Poppy Sweetheart on the cover.

“owe.. a lady friend Mr Green.. forgive my in prudent behaviour.. I do not flaunt with such advances to men.. for I am a married women..” Lilly backtracked her advancement as best she could.

Philo buckled the letter back away into his person and let out a smile “not to worry pretty miss.. I am forever grateful for you comfort especially at this time”.

Lilly made her way to her seat once more giving herself some distance from Philo.

“If you don’t mind me asking Lilly where are we going?” Philo asked with calm curiosity as if now washed away with his prodicament. “Well this is the train to Edinburgh of course from London where else would we be going?” Lilly responded innocently “and sorry Lilly what is the date today?” Asked Philo once again “why its June the third?” She said rhetorically while Philo looked on at her for more “1962?… sorry Mr Green have you been lost somewhere?” she was more confused with every question.

Philo looked on almost humorously to the whole affair. whatever he felt now could not have been worse than his feeling in life now in death. he went along with his fate which he believed would be revealed soon enough.

“Sorry miss I must of hit my head earlier… slight bit of concussion perhaps” he lied “oh well if there is any thing you need sir I am sure to help you Mr Green.. and oh wait what of your letter, I.. I imagine you intend to send this to you beloved and do you know where she is? You must have come to Edinburgh for some purpose?” She went on with worry for the assumed romance. Before Philo could usher a word she went on “well sir worry not just give me dear Poppy Greens letter and I will reveal to you where she might be” continuing to make her assumptions Philo abruptly broke her flow of conversation “Miss err Lilly I am sorry to say that I nor anyone can open this letter other than Poppy and I am sorry to disappoint you but Poppy is… well at least was my daughter” Philo spoke almost sad to say “oh my dear Mr Green I do apologies.. I spoke to boldly.. to brashly.. you see, romance is other wise gone from my life, how I long for it dearly… well I should not say” Lilly unconfidently broke out shamefully.

“Its alright Lilly no offence taken I to have lost romance from my life. What is it that you wish to say” Philo asked eagerly

“Well I shouldn’t really speak of it. It’s my burden to bare and certainly not that of a stranger” she responded hesitantly “Miss Lilly perhaps its the words of a stranger that will give the most comfort right now. I am all ears come don’t be proud” Philo said attempting to talk her over.

“Perhaps you are right Philo” her eyes warmed to him as she used his first name “for you see I do not travel in good fortune or with great purpose, only to uncover what I feel and know in my heart is already true… for my husband has been seeing over women” Lilly began to ball up, as she went on and Philo looked to comfort her. “I have followed him on this voyage.. much is obvious that he would go to such measures to cloak his misdeeds and to travel such away. He told me it was business; business! He said”

Lilly could not control her self, head in hands and weeping.

“Come now Lilly you are a good women.. I have seen your gentle, warm nature towards me; a stranger” Philo spoke moving closer to her, with comfort and open arms.

“Perhaps.. it is the virtues of a stranger.. that I.. I need” she said gazing with a similar lust of before.

Philo backed away avoiding the advances “look miss.. err .. Lilly don’t stoop down to the level of misdeeds of your husband.. I should know Lilly it only brings more suffering.. my only advice to you is to get of this train and go… just go somewhere else Europe, America, Australia this world.. your world is bigger and its bigger than him. In time you will find the love you deserve and the greed of your husband will be his undoing. You will see”

Lilly did not speak further but nodded with respectful appreciation. Philo got out from his seat feeling it fitting to go to another and moved up the carriage.

Moving far about the carriage Philo came to the bridge to the next carriage. He heard a voice. It was that of a young girl; Poppy. “Poppy!?” Philo cried rushing to the other carriage, he frantically thrashed and ran on forward pushing through the carriage for only to find himself swept off his feet.

A force from behind closed the carriage doors and raised him to the ground. The noice of thunder flooded the outside of the train, the steam engine roared bursting his senses and lightening pinched the outside once more leaving him blinded.

Lifelessly, sparked again on the floor of a new carriage all he could hear was the deafening chants of a man.

“Get up you baboon! Get up fool!” a long grey haired man barked

Philo through abuse broke his blinding, deafening and jelly like legs far faster as the old crack pot bounced about the carriage madly.

Philo standing aching looked about the carriage. It was more of a study than that of a train interior scientific trinkets, paper & maps, scripts & scrolls and all manners of intellectual instruments caste out in the most untidy manner.

“You sir! You are standing in my carriage! You are messing up my experiment! What do you have to say for yourself?" The man stood restless, rather small wearing a grey worn suit, with mad hair pulling in all kinds of shapes and flowing in all manner of directions.

“Um sorry sir” Philo said brushing the suet and dust from his clothing “I am um Philo Green and you are?” Philo said holding his hand out in the man direction. The man looked as though he was going to rip it off. Philo began to withdraw his are shaking it violently.

“Yes. Yes, less of the formalities you are a man from a different time and place, aboard an endless train, traveling to an endless destination; I get it! Now I am a busy man with much to do and with limited space to work. So what are you doing here?” Philo was taken aback. This crazy crack pot knows more of the situation than he. “Ok” Philo thought perhaps I need to level with this mad hatter.

“Sorry um sir don’t you mean time? You have limited time?” Philo questioned in hope to change the wild mans aggressive course of conversation.

“Ah now that is the point boy time is relative aboard this train and space that is what I am currently short of. but that is not the question I asked now is it?” Philo looked to man lost not trying to make eye contact from the returning mad glare back at him.

“Well forget it! This is a waste of space.. now find yourself useful and fix what you have broken” Philo looked behind him to where he had landed, it appeared he had landed on a desk with a mounted telescope and it was know detached. Philo quickly went about repairing it.

While making Philo’s repairs every tool he required to fix the instrument, the mad hatter seemed to hand him before he could ask for them, as if he was looking through Philo’s eyes and reading his mind. What was also strange was that the

perculiar man was not looking at Philo at the time he was stood rushing around carrying out mind boggling experiments right before his eyes. Flash fires, quick booms and mechanical clicking from all about him in addition throwing every tool in Philo’s direction. The man was truly a master genius; though eccentrically mad.

Philo's gaze fixed to the carriage window and then asked “So um if you know so much about this train what is go…”

Before Philo could finish his conversation the mad man said “we are moving fast; very fast. Faster than you can see boy and faster than you mind can comprehend. You don’t see what you don’t understand” Philo found some comfort in his answer, even though he didn’t reveal the answer and was patronising. Philo knew the flow of conversation would manifest in such a way.

Philo thought before he spoke “why are there different time…” the man piped up once more “time! Time you say again to me it is relative boy.. space! space is what is relevant! This train is endless do you understand. Each a pocket into the continuum time is only what we feel in each carriage; relative! space is what one needs to escape it” Philo continues to avert his eye contact whilst looking lost as to what to say next.

Philo finally finishing his repairs or so he thought, tried to stand out the way of this crazed individual and lent to one side of the carriage so as to stay out the way. “So are you not to ask me another question boy.. well you are a bore! Nothing more of infinity, of space time and of propulsion? Humm?” The man grew ever madder by Philo’s lake of questioning only too quickly calm himself with a quick burst of an experiment to appease himself. It would seem the man does not quite accomplish a state of rage as he distracts himself fast enough to snap out of it.

“How long have y..?” Philo attempted to ask “how long have I been here!? Have you learned nothing there are more than one answers to that question boy” the pair grew tired of one another, the mad man for Philos lack of intellect and Philo for his lack of understanding.

Philo looked to his letter once more and found a seat close by him.

Philo grew emotional looking to the letter saying with a whisper to himself “Poppy I will meet you again”.

The man crept up behind Philo looking at what he was chanting to himself “Poppy ahh? Love yes? I see it one of life’s greatest mysteries much to question there is; love” the man chilled slightly obverting his attention.

“And you have yet to experience it?” Philo asked “I.. I have loved.. in another life.. not the love of a man or a women, or the love of a son.. no my Love it was of a man… a mentor.. but he ruined me… took all that I know in his name.. now my only love is for space, quiet and of course the love of the mother that is science.” The mad mans tone altered, he slowed in his speak and began to think more rationally; in a language Philo could understand.

“Are we dead sir?” Philo asked “this is not for me to answer, for that is not certain and if we are then I would of expected more space..” The man paused, he did not like to not answer questions and contemplated what he could in his mind for a short time before he spoke again to Philo. “You spoke of a man who stole you’re works before sir. A man you once loved? Maybe you haven’t forgotten? Maybe it’s left you with a bitter envy in you heart that has left you without the love you deserve?” Philo speculated further and the man paused and only gave a nod and said “sir I am not one for the common place of conversation but of the works of science however this has been a good conversation.. there is love left in me for it is my love of work however I believe that you need to somehow get to yours; this Poppy!” The man now warming over looked to Philo scratching his head.

“Yes I need to find her if only I understood how this train worked such as how I boarded?” Philo questioned

“How you boarded? What ever do you mean? You mean you don’t remember where you got on? Did you get on? Hmm wait a moment how did you board? The mad man spiralling into his regular mental frenzy went on “I fell from a hight and just woke on the train as if I fell through the roof” Philo answered “curious!” The hatter began to tick, wind and click himself into gear working away. “You did not get on the train so you are an anomaly? Curious!.. You are foreign to this space? Yes.. yes .. and a ticket? Do you have a ticket?"

The wild man asked “I don’t have ticket” Philo answered “of course not.. yes! To the door! To the door! Curious.. you feel it haha” the man dragged Philo to the next carriage, where a force began to drag Philo abruptly into a manner that felt as though he was being banished from the current carriage he was in. As if magnetised him, Philo drifted outward where the professor could not follow “go boy find your Poppy, your love and remember you have all the time.. it is space we run out of.. just keep moving!” The mans words grew fainter “thank you! I didn’t catch your name sir?” Philo asked “nor did I give it boy!”

Philo found himself on the floor once more, this time more head strong avoiding the aftermath of the travel affect that previously made him weak at the knees. He gathered himself to his feet. Eyes sharp, ears open and stiff limbed he looked about him remembering the professors words “keep moving”.

He pressed forward only to see that he was in a cage at one side of the carriage; almost prison like.

Before his eyes could contemplate their next action, a big boulder of a hand flung around his neck from behind. It hit Philo like a rock.

“Have you come to kill me?!.. Stay your hand! I will put you to rest!” A great bear of a man attempted to smother Philo in a deathly grip. Before the man drained the life from Philo’s eyes, he hesitated and let go. Placing Philo to his knees, the bear like man hobbled to the ground and crawled into a corner.

Crying, shaking and rattling to the core the man was broken. Philo drew deep air into is lungs as if they where his final gasps; a feeling a deja vu crossed over him whilst experiencing yet again another near death situation.

“Are you alright sir?” Philo finding it odd having to ask the attacker this. “Please don’t kill me!” the man said in a state of shock. The bear of a man rolling on the floor, had cold sweats all about his body and let out a stale odour as if he had been there for some time.

The man, when calmer managed to draw conversation with Philo, they first started with introductions and then onto what the poor sole was doing in the cage “my name is Joe my friends call me bear Joe but I can’t say I have many of those left” Joe said defeatedly “and what the hell are doing in this cage?” Philo asked “to be court marshalled for desertion. I will likely be shot by firing squad and left in a pit somewhere; No more than what I deserve”

Philo looked to Joe Bear in horror as he delved deeper into his story. He looked about the carriage and could see further up the train, there where two guards sleeping silently unaware of him being caged up with Joe. Joe seemed to be not in uniform but in small skimpy clothing that did not fit, due to his shear size.

“So what happened Joe? I could see its obviously still affecting you?” Philo asked conforting him “oh that yea I don’t know what that is.. well I could call it cowardice.. bomb went of near me few weeks back.. my ears burst, my eyes bled and my legs gave in.. ever since I’ve just had these moments.. I can’t control it, I just panic and become like well you know..” Joe trembled in his voice after every word of man given up.

“So I believe where I come from that is called PTSD or post traumatic stress syndrome and its natural to feel that way Joe.. it just you know happens.. and you have been through some shit clearly” Philo continued.

“Say you do say some funny stuff Mr Philo… where you from?” Joe asked responding to Philo’s irregular use of language.

“I aint from round here but what I do no is I need to get out here.. you see that door over there? Well I need to get through that Joe Bear” Philo hinted trying to convince Joe of escape.

“Well I aint so shore what help I would be with that. I gave up a long time ago” Joe said.

Philo did not continue to push Joe but only to sit as Joe did in a defeated manner; almost slough like.

Philo reached once more to the letter in his pocket revealing the name Poppy sweetheart on the front. It was slightly smudged.

“Say is that a letter to girl back home? Is she pretty?” Joe asked pricking his ears as they sat side by side legs spread behind bars.

“Yes... she is my daughter and she is the prettiest thing in the whole world and I need to get to her”

Pleaded Philo whilst Joe look turned to guilt “I got a sister back home probably worrying about me… got no folks now just us … I think about if she is ok from time to time”.

“And would you want to get her? Don’t you wanna go home to her and get out this cage?” Philo asked trying to sway him “so you can protect her Joe because you love her, like I love Poppy” Philo finally thinking he was getting through gathered himself to his feet as Joe did.

Joe said nothing to Philo only looked at him with tears in his eye and nodded “now come on Joe Bear lets show courage for the ones we love!”

Joe lifted himself and pressed forward. The bear struck his avalanche of a swing at the bar and began to pull them out from the bottom of the floor. The metal gave way with ease and Joe passed forward roaring at the guards “arhhh!”

Keeping the two busy Philo rushed to the door as the force got him in an unseeable grip.

Philo this time had a split second to look back and sore Joe Bear picking the keys from the guards unconscious bodies and making his way to an exit.

The door flung open, Philo was lost from the previous carriage and into a new one only this time it was the driving carriage.

Philo got to his feet, shattered, drained and broken accessing what he could to be only hit with a light more bright than before.

A piercing voice was all he could hear in a vast room of blinding light

“Philo Green!” It spoke almost from someone farmilliar to him.

“Father?” Philo asked

“You have been busy jumping from bridges, breaking old ones and now in death battling the coming tide” the voice spoke from all direction

“Leave me alone you bastard! What are you doing here?” Philo said getting angrier

“That’s it break, destroy be only wrath!.. Blind! the voice went on.

“Where is poppy? Where is my daughter?” Philo began to weep pleading with ominous voices of his father.

“But this is about your anger not poppy… Philo! The anger for me! And the world isn’t it?! The sins of the father and the sins of the son!”

“I don’t care farther… that was a long time ago…. I just want my daughter my love for her is all I have left” Philo said defeated and compliant.

Only silence met him, the voice ceased and left an empty echo.

Until a softer voice came from outside the white light it was Poppy “Dad!? Dad!? Wake up come on dad”

Philo left his dream like state behind and was in a train carriage once again, this time accompanied by Poppy they left the still train as it sat idol, smothered in smoke and all Philo said when the exited the train was

“Poppy I have a letter for you”

“what does it say dad” Poppy asked.

“Only you can open it Poppy” he replied.