Distracted

“This seat taken?”

Sean glanced up long enough to acknowledge the clean-cut man. “Not at all.” He gestured at the empty seat beside him and turned his focus back to his phone.

The man sat down. “Thank you. Seems fuller than usual, eh?”

“Mmm.” Sean hoped this man wouldn’t be one who couldn’t stop talking. He wanted to research new cars in peace and, hopefully soon, never have to step foot on the city’s subway system again.

For a brief minute, it appeared as though Sean was in luck. He nearly forgot the clean-cut man was there until he inhaled deeply beside him.

“Where’re you headed? Out to Franklin?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah, I can tell. A lot of young folks like you out there. Should be a quick trip with Rainier out of service.”

“Yep.” Sean wondered if even these minimal responses were encouraging the man. He kept his eyes fixed on his phone, mentally calculating how much of a monthly payment he could afford. He was pleased to realize he had more car options than initially thought.

Once again, the clean-cut man lapsed into a brief silence before inhaling. “Do you think that stadium out by Fort Ingram’s ever getting built? Feels like the legislature’s been fighting for a century over that thing.”

“Probably not.”

“It’d be good for business, but we don’t have the infrastructure. They never want to be proactive and focus on the basics like that - always the big, flashy fights that net them good soundbites. Bunch of damn fools.”

The clean-cut man continued. Sean entirely tuned him out, no longer interested in entertaining him. He had big decisions, and discussing a stadium he would never go to, even if it did exist, wasn’t necessary. The man kept going, apparently oblivious to Sean’s growing annoyance.

“ - in the eighties, when they put themselves into a boondoggle listening to the rich instead of the little guys. You’d think they’d learn from the past - what’s that phrase? ‘Those that fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it?’ Those are the truest damn words. They never want to put any money toward education and then make asses out of themselves. Serves them right!”

“Hey, man - I -” Sean finally looked up, realizing that the subway car was empty except for him and the man. He blinked, staring at the seats before him where he could have sworn an elderly couple had just been.

“But that’s the kind of world they want. You know, being distracted by unimportant things while they take away everything that makes the city great.” The clean-cut man continued like an empty car close to rush hour, which was perfectly normal.

“Uh - why is the car empty?” Sean asked, trying not to panic.

The clean-cut man turned to look at him. “Just me and you, buckeroo.”

“Did everyone else get off?”

The man grinned. “In a manner of speaking.”

Sean stared at him, trying to figure out what he meant. “Dude - what?”

“I told you, Rainer station’s down. Not many are heading out this far down the line.”

“That - I guess, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

“Relax and keep fiddling with your little phone. We’ll be there soon.”

Sean scoffed and turned away but kept his phone screen turned off. He looked out of the window, seeing the regular lights flying by. It was a few moments before he realized he hadn’t heard any muffled announcements from the subway operator. Sean turned forward again and saw that the clean-cut man was sitting peacefully, his eyes closed and a small smile on his lips.

“Hey man, what’s going on?” Sean finally asked.

The man opened one coal-black eye and chuckled. “Everything that’s supposed to happen.”

“Can you just be straightforward?”

“Well, you’re not going home. I am, as did everyone else on this train and most people on the planet, but not you.”

Sean blinked. In an instant, the man had changed from a clean-cut man to a carbon copy of him. Sean yelped and pushed himself back against the wall of the car. “Get the fuck away from me.”

The man laughed, but it was Sean’s laugh. “Gladly. And in case you’re wondering, I think I’m getting a sensible Toyota,” he said in Sean’s voice. “Reliable and cost-effective, don’t you agree?”

“Dude, what the fuck? What are you?” Sean shouted as the man got up and walked to the front of the car. The car’s lights began to flicker out one by one as it slowed to a stop.

“I’m you, now. That’s all that matters anymore. Thanks for the chat, though.” The man gave him a polite wave and pushed open the train car doors.

“No! Let me out of here!” Sean tried to stand and found that his legs no longer obeyed him. He was forced to watch the man exit onto a packed subway platform and disappear into the crowd. The train hurtled forward just as the last light in the car flickered out.