Another Concrete Island

Introduction

This is a short story inspired by “Concrete Island” by JG Ballard (my favourite author) and something that happened today to me on Two Ball Lonnen in Fenham where I live, I was in a position and I thought what if… well read the story and you will get the gist.

The brilliance of Ballard is that he can take an everyday situation and give it a sinister twist, and this is what I have tried to do here.

Another Concrete Island

9:00 AM

I needed some milk so I went into the Local Spar and picked up a four-pint bottle. I came out to cross the road and there was a lot of traffic going north. I waited and eventually ran across to the central island when a grey BMW was a little slower than I expected leaving a gap.

9:15 AM

I was on the central island holding my bottle of milk and was stopped by the traffic going south. There was maybe a foot between each car and the car snake going north was showing no breaks at all.

It was mid morning and the weather was ok but there was no break in the traffic going south or north. There were traffic lights a way down the road but when they went on red the traffic from the crossing road joined the Two Ball Lonnen flow.

9:45 AM

This was getting unreal, I had been here half an hour and there was absolutely no break in the traffic. I held up my hand in the hope that a car or van would stop and let me across, but it was like I was invisible, no one would let me go, and stepping out in front of a car was not something I was willing to chance. Cars are a lot bigger than me.

I noticed that there were no bicycles, scooters or motorcycles on the roads though there were a few on the footpaths on either side of the road.

10:30 AM

So I am standing here on this traffic island, with a bottle of milk and I can’t move, I think about walking down the middle of the road towards the traffic lights maybe that might be a way out , but

Then I realised that the north and south lanes were split by a sharp ridge so the only way I could walk would be in the traffic lanes and that is not an option.

11:00 AM

I have been here nearly two hours, the traffic has still not let up, also there are a lot of fumes and that is affecting me as well. I am feeling a bit faint. There has to be a gap soon.

Yesterday my mobile phone died so I cannot call anyone, I am completely cut off on this concrete island and I can’t get off. I start to imagine that the cars are driven by automatons. Imagine if these were self driving cars with no allowance for people crossing the road.

1:00 PM

I am still here, I keep going down on my haunches as I am cramping. I keep waving to hopefully get a car to stop and let me cross but so one will stop. I have started drinking my milk, I will have to get another bottle.

I start thinking, am I in a dream? Is this some kind of Hell or Purgatory?

I know it isn’t but I feel I am going to die on this little concrete island.

I am sure I won’t but I have been here for four hours now.

2:00 PM

I know this is just one of those days, a particularly bad day, but I am sure there will be a break in the traffic soon.

There will be a break.

I am sure

The traffic will stop.

I won’t be here forever

I wait

And Wait

And Wait