Hi, this is my entry into the
Literotica 2022 Valentine's Day Story Contest
and is a long romance, but please don't drop the story and claim, "The story is in the wrong category." You'll need to read more to see if it makes sense.
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Friday, 7th January.
Eva sat high above the railway tracks on the cap of the road bridge's central supporting leg's buttress. She could avoid looking down by leaning back on the high stone balustrade, which hid her from passing cars and pedestrians behind her. Unfortunately, by leaning back onto the stone, it also added to the cold attacking her body.
Despite being mid-morning, the January sun barely warmed her, as it peaked over the local housing estate and hills beyond. Even with her thick coat on, she was freezing, with the cold seeping up out of the concrete into her backside and back. Her sketchers were great for driving her car and shopping, but were useless for keeping her toes warm whilst dangling in fresh air.
She looked across at the unresponsive hooded stranger she was sitting alongside. Their scruffy, black hoody pulled over their head, obscured any chance of recognition with their hands thrust deep into the hoody's front pocket. At the bottom of their ragged jeans, a pair of Doc Martins dangled in the air, not caring about the drop-down to the ballast and tracks below.
As yet another train thundered under the bridge from behind without warning, Eva jumped in shock, to then watch it heading to the south coast or possibly London. Eva's leggings slipped on the concrete, forcing her to scoot and creep herself back up the slope, not wishing to fall. Her silent companion's jeans kept them inert on the same sloping ledge.
Still, the silent stranger alongside her showed no emotion, unmoved. Eva was now regretting her choice to be a Good Samaritan. She could have continued walking, like all the dog walkers on the path alongside the railway tracks, but no... She had chosen to look up and saw the stranger perched on the ledge.
Maybe they were just a devoted train spotter and not about to throw themselves to their death, but Eva couldn't turn her back and walk away. She couldn't risk the possibility of having that guilt on her conscience when maybe she could have made a difference.
In the distance, she could see an express coming towards them. This was worse than the ones that emerged from beneath the bridge unannounced. She could see this one approaching, anticipating the diesel screaming past and the blast of hot air. Worse still, was that the stranger could also, timing their leap to their deaths in front of it.
Have I left it too late?... Jeez, if they jump with me here, the police could think I pushed them off, but if I hold on to them, they could pull down to my death with them.
Then she had an idea... Maybe not her best one today, but now she was sitting there, cold and committed. Reverse psychology works in novels, but would it work today?
"Hi, it's me, Eva, again. I'm a little scared being up here, with the trains being so fast and coming so close. Do you think you could hold my hand?"
At last, the hoody shrugged its shoulders and turned. Eva was now full of apprehension. What are they going to look like, dishevelled, tattooed with piercings and teeth sharpened to points?
Too late now girl, you just had to climb over the balustrade from the path and interfere.
She needn't have worried, as the hoody turned to expose a small, ashen, feminine face with deep blue eyes framed by jet black hair, which made their face seem even smaller and paler. Thin pink lips smiled and a small thin hand emerged from the cavernous pocket, as hoody shuffled closer to Eva.
"It's okay... Hold my hand if you're frightened. It'll be okay. I'm used to the trains, and they're nothing to be scared of."
The hand reached for Eva's, but felt like ice, shocking Eva, who grasped it with both of hers, trying to rub some warmth into hoody's limb. The hand was soft, but the voice was croaky, and despite looking feminine without makeup, Eva wouldn't want to second guess Hoody's gender.
Eva's gaze returned to the approaching train, unable to tell if the driver had seen them, but was still going too fast to stop. Eva wondered if she should try to signal the driver, to show them that they were okay, but at that speed, any signal would be a blur.
As the express thundered passed, a hot diesel smelling wind from the exhaust washed over them, to be followed by a larger blast of an icy wind. Hoody held Eva's hand, patting it reassuringly, smiling at her. Then, out of the blue, their arm let go of Eva's hand and wrapped around her shoulders to give her a warming hug.
"What's that for?"
"Umm Err... I wanted to reassure you, hoping you feel safer now."
Cheeky bugger... I'm up here to reassure them.
Eva tried to see if hoody's eyes showed signs of drug use, but not being familiar with drug use, she wasn't too sure what to look for.
Are the pupils supposed to be tiny dots or overly large? Their eyes are narrow, but the winter sun is low and in our eyes.
"I do feel safer, thanks."
Maybe I can keep them talking.
"Do you normally ignore strangers, and then give them a hug?"
"Oh... No, sorry, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, as you looked scared"
Yeah, scared you'd jump or I fall off.
Eva nodded and smiled back.
"Yeah... I was thanks. Are you okay up here on your own?"
"Yeah, I often sit up here on my own... They can't see you from the road. No one looks up from the path below. I like to sit and watch the trains, more often in the dark."
Hoody returned to their thousand-yard stare to the end of the railway tracks in the distance, but then, as if they'd remembered something long forgotten, they turned to Eva.
"If you're scared of trains... Why did you come and join me?"
Hoody caught Eva unawares and bang to rights. Her face must have told the story.
"You thought I was going to jump?"
Eva felt her face blush and cheeks burn, despite the cold. There was no avoiding it and hoody knew it.
"Ah... Er... Yeah, hi, I'm Eva."
Eva held out her hand, hoping she could help this stranger.
"Yeah, you've told me, several times. No one ever notices me, but you thought I was going to jump?"
"Well... I've dropped my car off for its MOT annual inspection, at the garage over there, and I didn't want to sit in the waiting room. I was going to walk to the old playground over the back."
Eva pointed over her shoulder, meaning the other side of the bridge.
"I used to play there as a kid and now they're going to build new houses on it, so I thought I'd go and maybe take some photos, for old time's sake. So took the old ash path."
Eva pointed down to the path next to the railway, which also ran under the bridge, where they could see a passer-by's head bobbed along over the top of the overgrown bushes.
"But unlike all the others, you looked up... And cared enough to come and sit with me?"
"You don't mind?"
"No, it's kind of sweet and very brave... Thanks"
Hoody hugged Eva, to peck a light kiss on her cheek and their spare, even colder left hand shook Eva's.
