It’s late at night on a platform in the underground tube station in London on the Victoria Line. It’s brightly lit but empty of people. The sound of an approaching train is heard. The train comes and some people get out leaving off the stage. Half the stage is the tube train, and the other half is the platform. An overhead voice says "This is a Victoria line train to Brixton" "Stand clear of the closing doors!” Rani, a young 18 year old girl runs onto the stage, she has black hair in bunches, a black crop top and skirt and long socks carrying a red handbag, trying to catch the train but misses it when the doors close.
Rani: sighs frustrated and walks over to the bench, but turns hearing the doors open and quickly leaps into an empty carriage.
A man and woman run onto the stage, she has long blonde hair to her lower back and sunglasses, dressed in a short denim skirt and a high necked black jumper and long boots. He wears a bicker leather jacket and leather trousers with no shirt underneath, long brown hair and a short beard. Another voiceover saying "This is a Victoria line train to Brixton" "Stand clear of the closing doors!” Ester gets onto the train on the same carriage as Rani, but Alexei misses when the doors close.
Ester: hits against the door of the train with open hands, making exaggerating gestures for Alexei to get on the next train.
Alexei: gestures back overstatedly that he understands what she’s saying and nods.
The doors open again and Alexei jumps in laughing with Ester, and the two sit opposite Rani, the overhead voice says "Stand clear of the closing doors!”.
Ester: Woah! That was close! Laughs again and leans against Alexei
Alexei: has a thick Russian accent I’ll hold your hand next time
Rani: listens to her iPod quietly, smiling at the couple before getting out a copy of ‘Queen of the Damned’ and reads it
The stage of the platform goes black as the train appears to leave the platform; the sound the tube moving is heard.
Alexei: looks up and down the carriage It’s spooky….empty and quiet…
Ester: shrug lightly and smiles It’s a good thing we’re together then
The overhead voice comes on speaker “The next station is Seven Sisters”. The train stops and the right hand half of the stage re-lights to another tube platform.
Ester: rests her head on Alexei’s shoulder hugging his arm When we get to the hotel we’ll pack everything so it’s ready for the morning
Alexei: nods What time is the train in the morning?
Ester: 7am
The tube beeps singling the doors closing, they close and the platform stage goes dark and the sound of the tube train moving is heard again. The overhead voice speaks again “The next station is Finsbury Park”. The platform side of the stage re-lights and the doors open, no one is on the platform is waiting and moments later do the doors of the tube close, and the tube train moves again.
Rani: looks up at the tube map up on the wall, stands up and points to the stations counting them and her finger lands on King’s Cross station.
Alexei: watches her Are you heading to King’s Cross as well?
Rani: who is listening to her iPod does not hear him and sits back down facing them again
Ester: lightly smiles at her and sighs leaning back against her seat closing her eyes
A noise is heard outside the train sounding like a howling moan
Rani: frowns and takes out her headphones looking around with a worried expression, looks over at Ester and Alexei Sorry, but did you hear that?
Ester: opens her eyes Hear what?
Rani: Some sort of…howling…
Alexei: It’s probably the wheels screeching against the track.
Rani: No it sounded…looks down shaking her head Never mind, sorry
Ester: laughs It could a ghost, howling and moaning imitates the howling sound and laughs
A loud shrill howling sound screeches through the train and the three characters scream, the lights flicker on and off and the train shakes rapidly from side to side. The overhead voice speaks again “The next station is Highbury & Islington- Hi-High-Hell Hell the next station is Hell” The whole stage goes black and the noise of the screeching train continues, Ester Alexei and Rani continue to scream and cry, yelling out for one another. Suddenly a loud crash is heard and everything goes silent. The overhead voice comes on “The next station is King’s Cross St Pancras. Change here for the Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith and City Line, Northern and Piccadilly line, change for International Rail Services”. The platform stage is lit up and a young man in a suit stands waiting for the train holding a suitcase, the other half of the stage lights up revealing the tube carriage, revealing Ester, Alexei and Rani have disappeared. The young boy waits for the doors to open and gets in sitting in the same seat as Rani.