This time it’s Wednesday Words on a Saturday. I hit some big freelance deadlines Thursday and Friday, then revised and submitted a short story Friday just before the deadline. New goal: submit stories early!
Dreag steadied itself as the train horn tried to blast him backward. A few other of the newer spirit staff weren’t so practiced, and they tumbled backward. But Dreag had been there the longest, and now he was focused on his task: to find new ticket masters to assign fresh spirits to their next stage in the afterlife.
The train approached the platform, and spirits of various shapes and sizes and creatures tumbled out of old-fashioned passenger cars. Most were confused, still denying their death, while others were mourning their deaths. A few were quiet and observant.
Among the observant ones would Dreag find someone who picks up on emotions quickly—they’re the best to train to perceive lives.
Dozens of spirits passed Dreag as other ticket masters herded them to the appropriate platforms for their next train. Lives of kindness, anger, desperation, and contentment passed Dreag, but none were what he was looking for.
One set of eyes was calm, purposeful. These eyes grew from a hard childhood and desperation for survival. Eyes that could read emotions and cues around them with precision.
These eyes were perfect. Dreag rushed through panicking spirits as reality set in for them—not every spirit liked their next assignment.
When Dreag reached the eyes, it found they belonged to a small human. “Are you ready for a new job?” Dreag asked.
The eyes gazed at Dreag, then the human nodded. “You want me to work here, don’t you.”
Dreag smiled. This spirit was perfect.
Prompt: The train approached the platform
For more enchanting Wednesday Words by other authors, check out the official Wednesday Words page!