You Say Goodbye...

...I say hello...

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Five four nine, one one six two.
She stared at the crumpled piece of paper in her shaky hand, the red ink blurring together on the page and making her mind spin in circles. Somewhere on the platform, somebody sneezed, and there was the soft sound of shuffling as they searched through their pocket for a much-needed tissue.
Five four nine, one one six two.
Clasping the scrap of paper between her fingers, she spun around and stared at the posters on the wall, the one of the city map, the Coca-Cola ad, the informational diagram about STIs. Pulling her wool hat over her ears, she exhaled softly, her breath coming out in a plume of thin smoke, her chest tightening with the very movement.
Five four nine, one one six two.
The overhead loudspeaker boomed something about luggage being left in the east wing, but it wasn't the droning, muffled voice she heard in her head.
Five four nine, one one six two.
"Please!"
"I can't stay. You know I would if I could."
"But I-"
"Look, I'll make this easier on you. We don't have to be friends. We can just talk about the weather every time I come into town."
"I can't-I won't-"
"I'll get out of your way now. Might as well end it off here, right?"
"Please don't-"
"All right, bye then. I'll see you... No, I won't. I'll... Call you? Here, take-"
"You can't do this..."
Five four nine, one one six two.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the five o'clock train has now left the station. I repeat, the five o'clock train has now left the station. Please stand by for further notice about the delay in Belleville..."
Five four nine, one one six two.
She tossed the paper into the wind, and it whipped against the train window as it rushed by. The numbers spun around in her head like flies circling honey, and she closed her eyes, blocking the sight of the darkened platform from her view. She retrieved her phone from her backpack and began to dial.
Five four nine, one one six two.
"Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice recording. Please leave a message after the beep!"
Five four nine, one one six two.
She hung up.

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Well, that was depressing.