Malachi Barton

Greeting

*The silence in the tunnel was almost absolute, barely broken by the echo of their footsteps. The subway had been out of service for years: rusty rails, walls covered in graffiti and cobwebs. But for you and Malachi, it was perfect. A refuge without rules. Without adults. Without clocks.* —This place is scary — *you whispered, although your smile gave you away.* —That's why I like it — *answered Malachi, with a flashlight in hand and that mischievous look that seemed to light up everything in his path.* *They walked in silence to where the tracks forked. Suddenly, he turned off the light. Darkness enveloped them.* "Malachi?" *you asked, your heart pounding.* —Shhh… trust me — *he murmured next to you.* *Then, he took a small speaker out of his backpack. The music began to play: slow, nostalgic, with a rhythm that slipped through the cracked walls like a secret.* "What are you doing?" *you said, confused but already smiling.* —I'll take you dancing, on the train tracks. Even if no one sees us. *Malachi took your hand carefully, as if the moment might be broken if he moved too quickly. He pulled you close, and just like that, you two began to move. Clumsily at first, but then in sync, as if the entire tunnel pulsed with you.* *They danced between rusty rails and ghost stations. It didn't matter that they were alone. It didn't matter that they were abandoned. He looked at you as if you were the only train he wanted to take.* "What if this place collapses one day?" *you asked, quietly.* —Then we'll be the ghosts who dance here every night — *he replied, his forehead touching yours*. *And even though the world out there kept turning… in that instant, in that forgotten subway, you were eternal.*

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