Pain Cages

by Kane, Paul

  Russ had only met the guy once, at the Christmas do in the Lion round the corner, but he’d taken an immediate dislike to him. He’d also heard the rumors about their stormy relationship, though never said anything to Alice about it. Russ even kept his mouth shut when she arrived to work with that bruise on her arm––he’d seen it as she reached up to switch on the siren. A part of Russ felt like going round and doing the same to him. Might be a reasonable explanation, he’d said to himself, wasn’t forced to be her bloke. It was best not to wade in with his size tens again, causing trouble. That’s how he got into the majority of his scrapes. Anyway, he didn’t think Alice would take too kindly to his interference; it was none of his business really what happened in her personal life, he didn’t know her well enough to pass judgments. It was just that Alice was his friend, his oppo. And he’d learnt that lesson in the army too: you looked after your own, even if it meant you got a bollocking sometimes.

  Alice had asked him once why he’d walked away from the forces.

  “Because I knew that sooner or later I’d get booted out. Sooner like as much,” Russ had told her. “It was starting to feel too… I don’t know…”

  “Restrictive?”

  “I guess.”

  “Too many rules and regulations?”

  “Maybe.”

  “So you thought you’d join the ambulance services where there are hardly any,” laughed Alice.

  “Something like that.”

  “Just don’t let Sheridan hear you talking like that.” Sheridan was their supervisor, their immediate superior.

  “Sheridan’s like a big girl’s blouse compared to some of the bosses I’ve had.” Russ winked.

  But Alice had a point. There were just as many rules and regulations in this profession, more probably. It took a long while for Russ to make up his mind about the job, whether he was doing the right thing. But these kinds of rules were different; they were geared towards saving lives not following outdated codes and traditions. In the end Russ knew he had to do this, knew he couldn’t live without the adrenaline rush of life on the go. It was the next ‘best’ thing to being out there in the field.

  He felt it now as they sped towards the scene of the train crash, not knowing what was waiting for them at their destination. Spur of the moment decisions without anyone looking over your shoulder.

  “Wouldn’t it be quicker to take Nelson Street and then the one way system?” Alice said, breaking the silence.

  “No, if we cut through Manor Grove we can get there in half the time.”

  “Traffic might be bad.”

  “We’ll get there.”

  Alice stayed silent for a few minutes. At last, she said, “You think there are many people involved?”

  Russ waited for a beige estate to pull in and let them pass. “Wanker,” he griped. “Many involved? Enough, from what I could gather.” He knew Alice was feeling the same way––that mixture of dread and excitement. Of wanting to get there, but at the same time wishing they never would.

  Alice gazed grimly ahead.

  Russ put his foot down on the accelerator.

  Aries (represented by the ram): Some of you might have heard the phrase ‘Hot-headed Aries’. Now although this description isn’t wholly fair, it is justified occasionally. Aries people are leaders of the gang and tend to act on instinct a lot. They like to be in the middle of the action if they can, and they have tons of energy, vigor and tenacity. You’ll very rarely see them stepping back, preferring instead to try and control their destinies and getting hot under the collar when they discover that things don’t always work out the way you want them to. They’re adventurous sorts, one of life’s natural born thrill-seekers, vigorous and unstoppable once they get going. There’s not much chance of them getting tied down and if this does happen they won’t be best pleased. They hate being told what to do because they have natural born leadership abilities themselves––they are, after all, the first sign of the zodiac. They have a very fixed view about situations, and refuse to admit that there are grey areas. They can be unintentionally sharp when disagreeing with people, and always have to be right.

  Jez Bingley was being punished.

  He’d always known that ‘his’ actions would catch up with him one day. And that day had finally arrived. He hadn’t wanted to follow that girl to the toilets; hadn’t wanted to do the things he’d done to her… to any of them. It had all been down to the voice, it had told him that he had to or he would suffer. And now… and now…

  “Where are you?” he asked it. “Gone, that’s where.”

  This was Hell. His sins had caught up with him at last and he was in Hell. Jez could think of no other explanation. The screaming he could hear, the tortured souls. It was just like those pictures in the Bible his Gran had shown him when he used to stay with her for the holidays. The place where he’d end up if he ever… did things to himself, if he ever had those kinds of thoughts.

  “Don’t you listen to Lucifer or you’ll end up there with all his demons, Jeremy, you mark my words.”

  Oh, he’d marked them. He could mark every last one of them. Turned out she’d been right. The voice had led him into temptation, and he’d listened to all it had to say. Obeyed––struggled sometimes, but still obeyed. Now he was paying the ultimate price for his actions. When the end had come, when that terrible something Jez had always feared finally arrived, he’d fallen back into the toilet, banging his knee on the metal of the bowl. Then the floor had been taken away from him. He’d hung on to the toilet as the whole room was pitched onto its side. Things fell out of the first aid box next to the door, striking him like miniature missiles. The lights flickered, then went out completely. And the door itself––which was now above him––had jammed halfway across.

  A body slumped down though the gap.

  It dripped spots of blood onto him, gazed down with lifeless eyes in the half-light. Jez knew it was the man who’d found him in the middle of… The man who’d held the girl and then pushed her out of the way, as he himself was slammed against the walls, tossed around until he came to rest there. Just above Jez, his body broken, neck shattered, tongue lolling out of his mouth like a fat, slimy slug. His face was a grotesquery, a patchwork of cuts and gashes. Jez didn’t dare go near it, let alone try and move it out of his way. It was blocking his exit from this chamber.

  But where would he go anyway? This was Hell, wasn’t it? And it was his punishment.

  Jez wondered where his razor might be.

  Taken from The Daily Record

  Gemini: Be sure your sins will find you out, Gemini. Whatever have you been up to? Nothing? I very much doubt it. Whatever it is now’s the time to come clean, as confession could be good for the soul. Before you might have felt in two minds about the whole thing, but now you’re thinking much more clearly. If you’re feeling hemmed in, then you’ve really only got one person to blame, haven’t you?

  Scott Edmonds stepped into carriage C, responding to the voice.

  It was a woman, calling out, asking for help. There were more––some coming from the next carriage––but these were the closest and Scott only had two pairs of hands. He’d work his way up through the train from this end, until the emergency services arrived at least. As he walked in, clambering over the debris of bags and luggage here, he saw two women. One was older than the other. Mother and daughter perhaps? No, the closer he came Scott could see that the middle-aged woman had a uniform on.

  “Are we glad to see you,” she said. The younger woman didn’t speak, she just offered a weak smile.

  He crouched down at the side of them. It was a real effort for him to speak at first, he felt awkward, nervous. But the look of pure relief on their faces snapped him out of this. Look at what they’ve been through, these poor people, and you’re worried about feeling uncomfortable. Just get on with it and help them.

  “Are you badly hurt?” Scott asked them.

  “I think my arm’s broken, but I’m okay. Tracy’s�
�” The woman pointed to the blood on Tracy’s jumper and Scott rubbed his bristled chin.

  “I’m going to try and get a few people together and help them out of the train. Maybe best not to move… Tracy for a while.”

  “I think you’re right. Okay, do you have a name, love? Otherwise I’m just going to have to call you my knight in shining armor.”

  “I’ve been called some things before, but never that. My name’s Scott,” he replied.

  “I’m Belinda. You already know Tracy.”

  “Hi Tracy.”

  “I’ll go and check out the rest of the carriage. Will you two be okay for a minute?”

  They nodded and Scott got back up. He clambered over the seats and tables that now formed the uneven terrain of the carriage. As he was climbing over one set of double seats, he almost trod on someone cowering in the cubbyhole between the chairs and the table. It was a little boy, about seven or eight years old. As Scott bent over, he spotted a second person on the other side of the table. This man was about his age, but he wouldn’t see another birthday. The table edge had somehow jammed him up against the seat, almost slicing him in two. He was slumped over, but lolling to the left now that the table was on its side. From his angle the little boy couldn’t see the man, and for this Scott was particularly grateful.

  “Hey there,” said Scott softly, reaching down. “Give me your hand.”

  The boy was crying and shivering.

  “Hey, my name’s Scott. What’s yours big man?”

  In between sobs, the boy said, “F-Fr… Fraser… Fraser Pryce.”

  Scott smiled. “Hi there, Fraser Pryce. I’m going to try and get you out of there. Okay? Now, just reach up as high as you can. That’s it.” Scott grabbed hold of Fraser’s hand and pulled him out of the hole. Seconds later and Fraser had his arms around Scott’s neck. Scott cradled the back of the boy’s head, twisting him away from the sight of the dead man before he had a chance to see.

  Sniffing in Scott’s ear, he heard Fraser ask: “Where’s my Daddy?”

  “Sshh. Let’s get you out of here,” said Scott, and carried him away.

  An Aquarian will feel like a fish out of water if they’re not surrounded by people. They’re never uncomfortable in social gatherings of any kind, being able to use their in-built charm and personality to instantly put others at their ease. If an Aquarian can rise above their own needs and really give of themselves to others––which most inherently do anyway––they will be a success in life and always be well loved.

  Compatibility Match––Libra and Aquarius: This is a good match for both parties and the couple should get on famously. They will make great allies, and do even better in the business stakes. The Aquarian will warm to the Libran’s compassionate nature and probably enjoy their flirting as well. While the Libran might even learn to be more assertive due to the Aquarian’s knack for sorting out problems.

  Compatibility Match––Pisces and Aquarius: These two will fall at the first hurdle because they come from two different solar systems! Any relationship that develops, even friendship, will struggle to get off the ground. In basic terms, it’s better to forget about it.

  By the time Russell Prince arrived at the scene of the crash, there were already a couple of fire crews, police cars and another ambulance on site. As he pulled his vehicle up, Alice Swanson turned to him and said: “Just look at that.”

  Russ was looking. Even in all his army years he’d never seen anything quite as shocking as this. You signed on for conflict, knew you might have to put yourself in a situation where there’d be bloodshed. This was something else entirely. These people had never signed on for anything.

  The duo climbed out, collecting their kits from the back of the ambulance and jogging over to see who was in charge of the operation.

  “So what’s the situation?” Russell asked the fire chief when they found him.

  “We think we’ve minimized the risk of electrical fires now,” said the man, his face dotted with ginger freckles, tufts of red hair sticking out from beneath his helmet. “Some of your lot have already gone in to treat casualties, and we’re trying to bring out a few of the least affected.”

  Least affected? Russ knew that this train crash would affect every single person here, whether they’d been injured or not. Whether they were on board or not. Russ looked over the train and saw one or two people climbing up through open doorways on the ‘top’ of the carriage nearest to him. Firemen were placing ladders up against the side so they could get to safety, and helping people down them. As he watched, he saw a band of survivors finally make it out of the train. Then a woman holding her arm was lifted out.

  Russ and Alice went over after the fireman brought her down.

  “Here, let’s take a look at that for you,” said Russ.

  “Oh, thanks, sugar. It’s started to hurt again now. There’s a girl still inside though, could use your help. You’ll probably need a stretcher.”

  “You look like you could’ve done with one yourself. Right, Alice, would you…?” Alice had a look at the woman’s arm and declared that it was broken.

  “He deserves a medal that man, you know. I don’t mind telling anyone who’ll listen. He’s helped all those people inside…” Russ heard her telling Alice.

  “Who’s this? One of your staff?”

  “No, Scott his name is.”

  Russ ascended the ladder, greeting the firemen present. He got to the doorway above and saw a little boy being lifted up and out of the train. A man dressed in an off white shirt and cords was next. His hair was tousled and he had about three days’ worth of stubble on his chin.

  “Let me guess, you must be Scott?” said Russ. “I’ve heard good things. Here-” Russ gripped Scott’s hand and pulled him the last bit of the way.

  “Thanks.”

  “I was told there’s someone injured inside?”

  “Tracy. Just inside the carriage there.”

  “I’m on it. Good work, Scott.” Russ clapped him on the back as he went off to join the people he’d helped. Then Russ climbed down into the train.

  Taken from The Daily Record

  Aries: Watch your step today and look before you leap. As long as you do, all will be fine. You might even find a nice surprise waiting for you after a period of restlessness. Perhaps it’s your reward for good deeds in the past. Whatever the case, enjoy it, because they don’t come around that often, do they?

  Mary Dowling wanted to sing as her rescuers pulled her out through one of the smashed train windows.

  But she didn’t. There’d be no singing today, she’d decided. Instead she told one of the paramedics treating her, a nice, kind woman called Alice, about the attack. She’d held Mary when the tears came again, then checked her over for any injuries––caused by the assault and the crash––and called for a police officer to come across. Mary repeated her story while Alice looked anxiously on, biting her thumbnail.

  When Mary had finished, Alice asked: “Are you okay?”

  “Considering everything that’s happened today, and how much worse it could have been…” Mary stared at the train. “I’ll say yes. They will find him, won’t they?”

  Alice brought her nail up to her mouth again, then lowered it. “Yes. Don’t worry, Mary.”

  “People like that…”

  “I know,” said Alice quietly. “Look, I’ve got to go, but I’ll be back. The police are right here so you’ll be safe. ‘Kay?”

  Mary gave a nod. “Hey, do you know if they’ve brought the guy out yet? The one who stopped him from…”

  “I’ll ask around.”

  “It’s just that… well, I want to thank him if I can.”

  “Yeah, I know,” said Alice, and walked back to the train wreck. More ambulances were arriving, another fire engine and Mary could even see some TV crews up on the grass verge. The police had set up a cordon around the area and weren’t letting them in, but one cameraman was still pointing his camera in her direction, focusing it on h
er.

  Well, Mary, you wanted to be famous. Here it is, your fifteen minutes. Hope you enjoy it. Hope you enjoy it.

  Taken from the Daily Record

  Taurus: Be careful what you wish for, isn’t that what they say? All the same, something you have sought for so long is now within your grasp. It has come about in a strange way, that’s for sure, but it has come about all the same. The question you have to ask yourself now is do you really want the attention you once craved? Be careful what you wish for, because it just might come true today.

  Katherine Pryce was placed on the stretcher and wheeled along, with William Booth still beside her.

  Will had been brilliant. He’d stayed with her until the fire brigade and ambulance crews could get inside, holding her hand, letting her squeeze it whenever she felt the pain from her trapped leg. She’d called out for help, never expecting it to be him––again. Will. He’d talked to her to keep her awake, told her about himself, more about what he did, more about where he came from, told her stories about his travels… kept her awake. In turn she’d offered him a snapshot of her life: her husband, her son––who she was worried out of her head about. Will had been there as they cut away the twisted metal divide that had landed on her in the fall. And now, as the time came for them to part again, she found she couldn’t let go of his hand. No matter how hard she tried. But more than that, she felt that Will didn’t want to either.

  “It’s all right,” one of the paramedics said, “you can ride with your wife to the hospital. We just have to stabilize that leg. And then we’ll take a look at your head.”

  “Oh she’s not…” Katherine heard Will begin to say. “I mean Kathy’s not-”

  “Sorry,” said the paramedic. “I saw the ring and… My mistake.”