The Protector

Today changed my life forever.

Though I did not know it at the time, something was going to happen at exactly twenty- five minutes past eleven pm on January twenty-seven 2011. Something which would change the way I saw everything, changed what I felt and how I felt it. Changed me.
That something was a look. A long, hard, deliberate look from the partially concealed stranger sitting in the seat five rows ahead of me and facing my way. I felt the stare before I saw it. The uncomfortable prickly feeling that runs up and down your spine when you know someone is studying you. I tried to ignore it. For one minute, then two, nearly three but by that point I was feeling uneasy. I liked my privacy.
He stared for over half an hour without once turning away. I looked up from the book I had open in my lap. Studied him back. There wasn’t much to look at- he was sitting in shadow. There were lights studded all along the ceiling of the train yet typically the one above his head appeared to be broken. I could just make out the outline of him, basics. He was wearing black, black jeans, black coat. The coat covered him from neck to almost his feet. His boots were black too, I noticed. I could not see his face. Was he dangerous?
Even as the thought struck me, I pushed it away. We’d been travelling for over an hour and the last stop could not be more than ten minutes away. A terrorist would have acted before now and he’d have a bag of some kind. Something to hold the explosives. He didn’t appear to have any kind of luggage with him and in any case, if you were going to blow something up, you wouldn’t do it late at night when there’s hardly anyone about. I tried to dismiss him as just another typical pervert who was just extremely unsubtle about staring at my breasts but it didn‘t work. For one thing, I was only a 32 B and wearing a baggy jumper which meant there was nothing at all visible to look at. And for another, you couldn’t really get a decent look from where he was seated anyway.
I was debating whether to move onto the next compartment when I realised we were losing speed. Which meant the train was almost at the final stop. The few passengers around me began to stir and gather up belongings with an air of relief to finally be getting off. I heard the whistle sound from somewhere up ahead as the platform came into view.
I only had a small duffel bag with me. I hadn’t had much time to pack because I’d wanted to get to London tonight rather than wait for a train in the morning. So I’d brought the basics, a few clothes, face cream, toothbrush, night clothes and some cosmetics.
I stayed in my seat until the train halted completely. I wanted to let the stranger get off first. So I waited, just sitting there, making no attempt to move at all. People were already jumping down onto the platform. I didn’t move. He didn’t move either. Just sat and waited, all the while staring at me. We were the last two left.