Buried Fears

A wave of pain hit her; and forced her back to full consciousness.

For a brief moment Ellen felt confusion, then as the smell of soot and cinders wafted through the blackness, she remembered...

It had all happened without warning. One moment the monotonous, jolting motion of the speeding train; the next, the horror of being tossed and battered in the twisting cocoon that once had been a railway carriage. All the while hearing the creaking sound of crushing metal and the breaking of glass. Then, in the swirling, stifling dust... Silence.

It was the silence which was now so unbearable. Even before the air had settled and breathing had become easier, Ellen had tried shouting - feeling certain that there must be someone nearby to answer her. However, no comforting words called back. Once she had heard faint moans and sobs; but now even they had ceased.

How long ago had that been? She was no longer able to judge the passage of time - there was nothing to measure it by...