“The train journey had been long, but they had managed to entertain themselves. The cans of lager they carried were cracked open within minutes of sitting down, and soon, the chatter got louder and the laughter more raucous. The passengers around them sneaked disapproving glances throughout the journey. An elderly couple, their hands clasped in their laps, shook their heads, and looked at each other tight-lipped. The husband watched them through smeared spectacles, giving his wife’s trembling arm a reassuring squeeze. A mother vainly signalled to her two children to stop staring at the three men sitting diagonally across from them. The five-year old boy and his younger sister continued to solemnly focus their attention on the strangers. Eventually, one of them noticed. He shook his long hair until it draped over his face like a curtain, sticking his tongue out and crossing his eyes, generating further mirth amongst his companions.”

From ‘Tobin and Blake’– included in the showcase