STRANGER ON THE TRAIN (UPDATED)
THE BACKGROUND TO THE STORY: You may have read this story sometime ago by author Sarah Joy Holden (16 June 2025). It was written in Sarah's infancy as a writer and at a time she realised that she was not a story writer as a story writer should be. Over the Christmas period Sarah rediscovered this piece of writing and now with a better experience in writing has updated it, mainly grammer and creating the characters profiles. It is not going to be published as in a story book format, just for our pleasure.
STRANGER ON THE TRAIN : Written by Sarah Joy Holden
It was a chilly late morning in February, and the railway station at Bayern has just witnessed the early morning rush hour. Arriving at the station just after the rush hour commute is a young lady called Bernadette. She is a single lady in her mid -forty’s, medium build and jet-black curly hair. Bernadette works in the civil service, often working full four hours days a week. She regularly has to commute by public transport, which sometimes can be unreliable.
Entering the familiarities of the station Bernadette headed onto the correct platform, here she waited and watched for the train’s arrival along with the other passengers. The number of passengers was increasing minute by minute. Bernadette had to up her game and mark her spot on the platform. Rush hour meant there was no politeness, when trains arrived at the platforms, it was ever man for themselves.
It wasn’t long before her train pulled into the platform, its doors opening and several passengers disembarked, before those waiting surged forward trying to board. She took her chance and got swept into the jostling crowd and boarded the train. Fortunately she manages to find herself a window seat; thankful and surprised that she actually did even manage to get a seat on a train. Even better it was the right train and it was a front facing seat, she didn’t care much for travelling backwards.
Bernadette breathes a sigh of relief as she settles into her seat, listening to the rhythm of the moving train and the chatter within the carriage that intensifies. The train now is getting faster and louder. It is guaranteed you’ll be hearing that all familiar noise from the headphones of a passenger close by, which on this occasion you could.
Bernadette suddenly became aware of a gentleman sat opposite her. He is an older gentleman possibly in his early sixties, broad stature with silver toned receding hair. He has a pen behind his ear and a notebook held closed with a tatty old shoe lace, on his lap. The train now gathering speed as it goes whizzing past trees, hurtling under bridges and through dark tunnels. Bernadette turns her gaze away from the gentleman position, remembering what her mother always told her, it’s rude to stare. Coming through the other end of a tunnel, her eyes unknowingly wander towards the gentleman who has now untied his notebook and taken the pen from behind his ear. He begins to observe the carriage. Then he scribbles notes in what appears to be a well-travelled notebook.
Bernadette hears footsteps behind her, and a voice that shrills ‘Tickets Please’. She is reassured by the ticket masters voice and holds her ticket towards him. She still much prefers to buy a paper ticket from a train station booking office. Apps are useful, but they don’t keep station staff in employment. Whilst trying to present her ticket to the conductor, she is also trying to avoid the glances of the gentleman with his roaming eye and note taking. Now the ticket master has moved on and the gentleman is still jotting down his notes.
Their train pulls in and leaves another two further stations. At the last station many passengers departed. Just a handful board, yet on a different carriage to hers. The carriage feels a little less fraught now and a little quieter. Although Mister headphones man is still here, the noise seems more noticeable now that the carriage has less passengers.
It is not long before Bernadette’s curiosity suddenly gets the better of her. She uncontrollably blurts out a waterfall of words; “excuse me sir for asking, I hope you don’t find me rude, but may I ask who or what is interesting you on our carriage.” The gentleman looks up from his notebook, peers over his spectacles. “Not rude at all’ the gentleman replied, “As a matter of fact I’m writing about you and all these passengers on my train, you’ll find out in good time.”
There was a stunned silence for the rest of the journey. Bernadette quietly and thoughtfully, tried to process what had just happened, what did he mean we will know in good time. Her gaze held it view upon the passing of the outside world, for the most of the continuing journey. She kept nodding of and then waking with the pattern of the train’s motion. Soon the train slows its speed as it approaches another station. Here the gentleman puts his pen back behind his ear and ties closed his notebook, well this is me he tells her, good day to you.
‘Bernadette, you fool’ (thinking to herself), why didn’t you ask him if you and your fellow passengers could have heard what he had written. But it was too late as she watches through the window, and he exits the station. He’s unlikely ever to be ever seen again. The train pulls slowly away, and continues mystery journey. Today Bernadette encountered a strange yet intriguing fellow and somehow has possibly become a character of his story.
It’s not long before the train approaches Bernadette’s station, it is the final station on the line. She puts the bag strap over her shoulder, it sits across her body and is held safe. She gets up from her seat and head towards the door to leave. The train arrives at the station, she feels the jolt of the train stopping (like it is sighing a sense of relief it has just finished a long journey).
Just as Bernadette is about to disembark the train conductor hands her a crumpled note; I’ve been asked to give you this said the conductor, for which I have no answer for. Bernadette thanks the conductor as she takes the curious note from his hand. Now she finds her have gotten off the train and into the hustle and bustle of her station. standing on the platform she heads to a nearby station bench, before leaving. She is intrigued to find out what information the note may contain. She pauses on the bench and opens the crumpled note. It reads; ‘in answer to your question, you’ll possibly find yourself somewhere in my new book called ‘Strangers on the train. Please don’t look for it now, remember I was just writing on our train, so it won’t be out yet.’ In time you may find the story of our meeting, and my observations made on our journey today.
Bernadette, has since tried to find the book. But with only the title to go on it has proved impossible. She had however discovered two books with similar titles, she bought them in the hope that one of them would be the book. It might have been one of them, But he would have had to use a fictional name, as he never asked her what it was.
But to this very day Bernadette has never come across him nor his book again. This would leave her and ourselves, in no doubt to think was all he said the truth or a lie. Will any of us really know or learn the reality of this story. Should Bernadette hire a private investigator, to solve this mystery with very little clues. Or should this mystery encounter, be just that a mystery.
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