Excerpt: vikrum and holly | oscar and heron

Holly Hollyson had gotten on the train many hours ago, and had found almost nothing in those hours to hold her attention more than a few minutes. Newspapers had been picked up and cast aside when it was discovered that they either contained yesterday's news or no news at all. She had brought no bag or book to entertain her, and there was almost no one sitting around her that she could quietly observe. It was one of her favourite things to do, to watch someone carefully as they, unaware of her scrutiny, went about their buisness as if no one was watching them. She found people's actions fascinating, and in her time as a people watcher had learned to read and interpret people's actions as well as if they were speaking to her.

A small noise came from the compartment she was facing, and she shifted her position just a little to see if she could look through the screened partition that separated her from the private room. The screen was almost impenetrable, but the train was old and in disrepair, and through the breaks and gaps in the perforated wood she could almost put together a picture of who was in the tiny cabin. She strained to hear what they were saying over the rhythmic clack of the train's wheels, but could only catch fragments of their conversation. She leaned forward as if stretching, and tried to surruptitiously intercept a word or two of conversation, and was rewared with a low voice, almost too low to hear say, "not here". She turned her head and leaned forward just a little further, reaching down to more securely tuck her pants into the top of her boots as if that's what she was leaning forward to achive. She could just make out a faint impression of the people, one on the left, and the other on the right, one with dark hair, brown or black, and the other lighter. She finished fiddling with her boot and looked up to see if anyone was observing her, but the people who had been sitting or standing had removed themselves from her prescense, either from necessity or nervousness. She held still for a moment more, and then reversed position to the other row of seats, looking at her orignal position. She could not see any more, but could hear more clearly; or could if the two people were any more speaking. They had fallen silent and for a moment she feared discovery, but then the first voice began again.