The turnstile switch

Not a lot is happening at four thirty in the morning. Especially not late night commerce. Which is why no one notices when they pull the car up the ramp. They pull it into the hidden area just out of sight of the highway. Twenty minutes later and only the shell remains.

It takes them another fifteen minutes to walk back to the subway. The subway is where it all started. It is also where it ended. However, that didn’t happen right away. There was the event with the turnstiles before any of the rest of it went down. It was the turnstiles that drove them crazy first.

The turnstile switch

Jeff had finished loading the parts truck and they were about to walk the three miles back to the subway. They lived in the subway. Additionally, they had lived in the depths of the tunnels for over two years now. It was a familiar walk.

As they enter the station and descend the stairs to the tunnels below, Jeff notices the place is emptier than usual. It was in the wee hours of the morning however, and there were usually people around. It was never deserted like this.

He stops and holds Tommy back. This felt wrong. Tommy stops and listens. They are always on the alert because their ring is one of the oldest in this town. However, it’s only that way because they are always so careful. They are always on the lookout for the cops.

Mezzanine

With this in mind, Jeff cautiously continues down the stairs. The empty underground station further unsettles him, but they will be in the tunnels in no time. There’s less to worry about in the tunnels, because they are almost endless. And have no cops.

Jeff nears the long row of turnstiles with Tommy following close behind. The entire underground area is eerily quiet as Jeff pushes through the nearest turnstile…and becomes stuck. Fast. The turnstile has locked in place. Jeff struggles and pushes against the turnstile. The machine is not moving and neither is Jeff.

Tommy is staring at him and tries to pull the turnstile to free Jeff, but it’s locked in place. Now the feelings of unease have grown to alarm. The turnstile switch is in the token booth midway down the mezzanine. Jeff tells Tommy to flick the switch. He is near panic now and is expecting the cops any second.

Token Booth

Tommy runs to the token booth and flings open the door, hellbent on saving Jeff. He never thinks of asking himself why the door is unlocked at this time of the night. Furthermore, he enters the booth intent on flicking the turnstile switch.

As Tommy pushes the button that unlocks the turnstile stations, the token booth door closes. And locks tight. Tommy is so intent on the turnstile switch he barely notices. And by the time he does, it’s too late. ~to be continued