David had had a bad day. It seemed everything that could go wrong did. It started from when he woke up. The alarm clock was flashing 2:54 there had been a power failure. Grabbing his watch he saw it was after nine. He was late for work. "Shit!"
Quickly getting out of bed he stubbed his toe on the bed's leg as he hurried to the toilet. "Owwww. Damn."
Then the train was canceled when he got to the station. It started to rain. He had left his rain gear at home as it was sunny.
Finally at the office, dripping wet, the boss chews him out for being late. His computer crashes loosing half the days work. He misses lunch trying to recreate the lost files. By the end of the day he was totally miserable.
The walk back to the station did not improve his mood. Almost hit by a car as he crossed the road. The trip home looked like it will be as bad as the whole day had been. David couldn't wait for it to be over.
Finally on the train home the seats around him filled with nameless strangers. At times different bodies crushed in around him. At one point a dirty construction work. A guy in a suit. A couple of high school girls from a private school. David barely saw any of them. Just vague awareness of the crush of people.
Sitting opposite, a young woman in her 20's. Dressed in a neat skirt that did not reach her knees, a matching jacket and a hint if a white blouse underneath. The woman was definitely attractive. Slim, 5'2 tall. Blonde. Blue eyed. Nice smile, which she flashed when his eyes flicked up to meet hers. Not that David had noticed, barely seeing her in his dark mood.
As the train pulled in and out the various stations the faces changed around them. Some chatting friendly other eyeing off the passengers with either suspicion or lust.
All the time though, the young woman sat opposite David in silence. Reading and occasionally looking up to smile. A friendly smile full of promise.
David was barely aware of the woman when se got up for her stop. That was because he had to for her so he could get up. what he did see as he followed her through the crowded train was the hand that pinched her as she walked past. He couldn't tell who's in the crush and from the yelp, he didn't think she liked it. Finally off the train, the doors hissing closed as he stepped onto the station, he headed up the stairs for the walk home. That's when it started.
Yelling. Taunting calls behind him. Glancing back he saw the young woman surrounded by three teenage and rough looking boys. At this time of night the station was deserted, no staff and only the five of them there. He knew he couldn't walk away. Unnoticed, he slipped back down the stairs. The teens so focused on their intended victim.
David had almost a foot in height in the youths plus he was a solid man. Quietly he approached and kicked the feet out from the one he thought seemed the leader. Down he went like a sack of potatoes. Stunned the other two jumped onto the tracks and ran into the night. Cursing and swearing the leader crawled to the edge and hobbled after his friends.
