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Tom
clattered his stick along the railings as he ran to the platform.
The dark clouds passed the full moon, as a gaunt old man stood as
a silhouette below the big white clock near the café.
The
wind howled a lonely cry like an echo lost in time.
"Clear
off," shouted an old man, "You shouldn't be here, its
late".
Tom
looked baffled and sat on a seat near the café. The old man
paced up and down, his face was scarred by the ravages of time.
Suddenly a lamp lit up the mans face, it looked pale and haunted.
"Go
home, its not safe", he shouted, waving his stick.
Then
he walked away into the mist. Tom caught a glimpse of a figure looking
at him in the café window. He walked over and peered inside.
A Nun with a kind and serene face was sat staring at him. She smiled,
and Tom smiled back.
Then
suddenly, Tom saw a long shadow from behind him. He turned and saw
the old man. His breath billowed in the night sky like the steam
from the trains.
A train
pulled into the platform and the man shouted, but the sound of the
train swamped out his voice.
Tom
looked round again and noticed that the Nun had gone. He walked
into the café and saw a plump woman cutting a cake.
"Can
I help you, son?" said the woman.
"A
nun ... there was a nun sat there in the window, where is she?"
demanded Tom.
"Nun,
what nun? Theres been no Nuns in here. Are you all right lad?
Here, have a cup of tea, warm you up a bit".
"I
saw her, she was sat there, right there." Said Tom.
"You
must be mistaken young Sir, theres been no nun in here."
Tom
froze as he saw the old man staring at him through the window; he
looked sad and tortured.
"Take
no notice of him", said the woman. "He wont hurt
you".
"Suddenly
a curt old man with a trilby hat who was sat minding his own business,
slurped on his tea and turned round. "Nun did you say?"
"Oh ... funny you should say that because that old man is John
Clayton, hes a strange old chap; years ago he used to court
a young woman, a nun. Pretty thing she was. The local Nunnery didn't
approve; she went mad one night after an argument and threw herself
in front of a train. He never got over it; at this very station
it was. They used to meet in here. Must be over thirty years ago
now".
Tom
looked stunned and pale ... the old man had gone.
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