BETWEEN STOPS John Mangio
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The slow tick-TICK-tick-tick-tick and the not-so-gentle lurching of the train were nearly hypnotic. It was dark, and I wanted to sleep, but sleeping on the T out of Boston was something I’d never been able to manage. I lived in state of near constant exhaustion, however, so every day I shut my eyes, tried not to think, and hoped sound and motion would lull me to sleep.
Not so today! The sudden screech of hydraulic brakes murdered the quiet ticking sound. The train came to a stop and I was thrown sideways along my seat.
It was dark, but light pulsed on and off, one car at a time, from the back of the train to the front.
Flash! The car behind us lit up. In the moment of light I saw the woman, a shadow standing in the door to the car ahead. She s
