Car 9604

“Car 9604”

Public transportation sucks.

 On the heavy steel painted green desk sat a series of security monitors. The first was on the far left of the desk, it showed the interior of the back of a subway car. The second showed from where the 1st monitor stopped till the center of the subway car. This was how the two remaining monitors continued, ultimately across the four monitors on the desk you could see the entirety of subway car 9604. Each monitor would shuffle through different angles of their respective sections. Clyde watched as the screens shuffled. He pressed record on his small handheld tape recorder and spoke, “Trial number 17 for highly trained sleeper agent Bravo Sierra (BS) will commence in approximately 3 minutes. Our test subject has had implanted all the requirements for this experiment in their subconscious brain as they slept.” Clyde liked his new job; it really beat his former job for the US Army. He used to have to put on a fake middle eastern accent and pretend to be overseas tech support. This was to keep Americans hating anyone from outside of the ‘good old red, white, and blue, apple pie eating, gun shooting, shit kickin’, God blessed America.’ At least that was what his commanding officer said. His current job was to test the efficacy of cues on the subconscious mind. 

          9604 was entirely empty except for one man. The camera on monitor three watched as the 30 something handy man sat after a long day at work. He was finally on his way home. His toolbox sat to the left of his brown work boots. He leaned his head back on the window behind him. 

Clyde speaks into his recorder, “Subject ‘A’ is Mac Perkins, 35 male, 6’ 1”, eats poorly, exercises frequently, drinks alcohol daily, masturbates 3-5 times a week, for all intents and purposes, a typical healthy male.” 

The train comes to a stop, the doors open, an old woman on a cane enters car 9604. Her grey hair in tight curls, her blue dress with lace trim and small white birds on it look almost to have been homemade from a set of bed sheets. 

Once more the soldier speaks, “Subject ‘B’ has just entered the testing ground.” 

The old woman looks around the empty subway car, turns to Mac, “Well come on. Nobody is going to give up their seat to an old lady.” She cackles like a chimpanzee. Mac smiles and nods at her. 

On the recording, “Subject ‘B’ is Bonnie Simms. Female age 79, in failing health, masturbates approximately 3 times a year. Time 20:15 experiment is now underway.” 

  Bonnie slowly walks over to Mac. On a computer below the security monitors, Clyde enters a command. “Be polite” he types and quickly hits execute. The lights overhead of car 9604 flash in quick succession. Mac looks up at the lights. 

Bonnie approaches, “Is this seat taken?” 

Then she grins. After a shudder and returning to reality Mac answers, “Please by all means.” 

He motions to the seat to his right. With a sigh, Bonnie sits and opens her purse. She pulls out a small book of pictures. 

As she flips through she begins speaking, “These here are my babies. Would you believe that I have 11 children, catholic?”

She does not stop for an answer. 

“My oldest is an army mechanic since he was 18, he's 52 now, ain't that just wild?” 

Once again, no room for a response. 

“My youngest is working on her Masters in Chemical Engineering at Berkeley. She is 23. Sometimes I feel like the little old lady that lived in the shoe. My daughter Meredith is about your age, she's single too.” 

She pauses for this, looking happily at Mac.

“Um… I don't really think.” Mac stammered this out uncomfortably. 

Bonnie grinned, “My son Blake is also single.” 

She fluttered her hand. 

“No pressure.”

She then launched into her family again. 

“Jacob is a nurse who saves lives every day. My daughter Jodi has a son who is being scouted by Louisiana State for tennis, look out for Tommy Longmire. I tell you I have 9 grandchildren & 4 great grandchildren. Big families are such a blessing. Chris is in jail. Every family had a bad egg, but as bad eggs go, Chris is a sweetheart. He helps not only in the prison library but runs the inmate Sunday church service.” 

Mac just continues to smile and nod, every so often he will throw out a "that's great” or “ya” or “really,” but for the most part he would sit, wish it to be over and bite his tongue.

 “Tony is my great grandson. Did you know he was walking at 6 months old? Let's see what was Cory's girls name?  I remember that she joined the peace corps out of high school. She helped build houses in the Philippines and dug wells to bring clean water to 3rd world nations.” 

Car 9604 ran through a stop without slowing down. 

Mac takes notice and asks, “What stop are you riding to?” 

As Bonnie sorts threw her purse, she removes something, “Would you like a saltwater taffy?” 

Bonnie attempts to give it to Mac, but he stands up.

“This train did not stop at that station. It should have stopped there.” 

He runs to the front door of the car and couldn't get through. It was locked. He goes to the back it is locked. 

“These doors are supposed to be open,” he opened a panel to access the emergency phone. He placed it to his ear. 

“Nobody is available to answer your call. Please hold.” Then some music came on, Jim Croce. “Operator, oh could you help me place this call? See the number on a matchbook is old and faded.” 

Mac thought the song was more mockery than a hold song. 

Clyde types “make things uncomfortable.” He speaks to his recorder. 

“Beginning stage 2” 

Mac presses the speaker button on the phone. Music starts to play over the speaker throughout car 9604. “Isn't that the way they say it goes? But let's forget all that.” 

The lights flicker more intensely this time. 

Bonnie shouts, “Hey mister come on back and sit down. I wanna tell you about my dead husband’s cock. It was quite the specimen in his youth, but as he got older, well it couldn't perform like it used to, that is until he got Viagra. The most common Viagra side effects are headache, flushing, and upset stomach. These effects are usually mild and often resolved on their own. Viagra can cause an erection that lasts longer than 4 hours (called priapism), but this is rare. This can result in permanent damage if left untreated. Vision changes are also possible. If you experience an erection longer than 4 hours, please see a doctor immediately. Floyd had a hog on him. Like I said, big families are a blessing, but the real blessing is creating such a big family. Floyd had a strong sex drive. Do you know we were once at a Jodi’s piano recital and Floyd pulled me into a broom closet and had my dress up around my waist in no time. On a different night, Floyd's birthday, all the kids were in bed. I called Tina from the salón over. Floyd didn't get a wink of sleep that night. Tina and I were worn out, but Floyd was still ready to go.” 

Mac was taken aback “Why are you telling me this stuff?” 

The soldier leans into his recorder, “now entering final command.” 

As “Operator” by Jim Croce fades out on the speaker, Clyde enters on the keyboard “Kill Mac.” 

The lights go dark in Car 9604, then flash red in sequence. The speaker starts playing Rachel Platten – Fight Song: 

“Like a small boat on the ocean. Sending big waves into motion. Like how a single word. Can make a heart open.” 

When the lights come back on, Mac looks at the seat where he was sitting and there was Bonnie standing fully upright with cane in hand. Her face looked like someone unplugged her emotions. 

Mac asks, “Miss are you OK?” 

She answers in a robotic tone, “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup.” 

She raises her cane.

“It's so easy, a caveman can do it.” 

She swings and makes contact with Mac's face. 

“Hey hey. What did you do that for?” 

Bonnie swings again, “You can't have just 1.” “Just do it.” She continues hitting Mac as he tries to block her. 

The speaker plays, “This time this is my fight song Take back my life song. Prove I'm alright song. My power's  turned on. Starting right now I'll be strong. I'll play my fight song.” 

Bonnie leaps up and grabs the railing with one hand, then she swings her feet to the opposite railing walking like a ninja the whole time shouting different slogans. 

“See what's next.” “It gives you wings.” 

She drops behind Mac. She loops an arm around his neck, places her remaining hand behind Mac's head. With her lips next to Mac's ear she whispers, “Every kiss begins with Kay.”

Bonnie flexes tight, pulling her arm and collapsing his larynx. Mac reacted like a bull. He ran and bucked and slammed but ultimately passed out next to his toolbox Bonnie opened the toolbox and removed a large wrench. Through her disrupted hair, Bonnie looked at the wrench and chuckled 

“Let your fingers do the walking.” 

Bonnie lifts the wrench.

“This is your brain on drugs” 

She repeatedly smashes the wrench into Mac's head, spattering blood everywhere. 

“Any questions?” 

Bonnie sits and slowly comes back to reality. The car comes to a stop, the doors open. She looks down at her bloody cloths and the wrench in her hand.

“No, no not again!” 

She stands and sobbing, leaves car 9604. 

Clyde speaks into his recorder, “Test 17 was a success. The only issue is she still speaks all the subconscious advertising she has heard her whole life. We can try method 12 on Test 18 for highly trained sleeper agent Bravo Sierra (BS)” 

He stops the recording. 

Clyde looks at Bonnie walking on the monitors, he says “I'm very proud of you Mother.”