It was getting closer to 3：00P．M．every minute，and I dreamed of going home and somehow forgetting school，even though I knew it would stillbe there tomorrow morning．When the teacher said that class was over，I hurried to my homeroom and gathered allmy books．
By the time I got downstairs，I remembered that I would be going home by myself today．I breathed a deep sigh of relief．Finally I would have some time to myself！I walked down the crowded street and entered the dreary①train station．I showed my pass at the booth，but they didn't care．They went about their jobs，exchanging dollar bills for tokens②．As I passed through the gate and went down the stairs，I glided my hand above the yellow banister③until I reached the platform．I trembled to the rhythm of the approaching train．
I heard the rumble of the train becoming louder，and I hoped it would be a number three so I could get on my way．A ragged old train pulled in；it was a number two．I kept back up against a pole in case some weirdo① decided he wanted to push me off the platform．I can see him now，wearing GREen fluorescent glow-in-the-dark lipstick，a black and red spider tattooed on his face，his hair spiked higher than the sky—a real maniac②．
“Hand over the bag！”he'd yell．
“No way，mister，”I'd reply．“These three years of Latin notes belong to me！”
Then he'd try to shake it off my back by grabbing hold of my backpack and swinging it around，my legs dangling③in the air as he tried to put it off me．An incoming train would flatten me on the tracks，and he'd run off with my book bag and tomorrow's homework．
I became restless waiting so long for my train．I started getting fearful that a total stranger would come up to me and ask me for a cigarette or something．A number one train pulled up on the other side of the track．GREat， I thought to myself，two down and a nightful of them to go．
I looked at my watch and saw that it was already 3：15．I wanted to get home in time to watch“Duck Tales”on TV．A suspicious- looking guy walked past me．He was wearing a trench coat and hat，right out of the movies． Out of curiosity，I followed him with my eyes． What if he had a gun and turned around all of a sudden and yelled，“Hand over the Swatch！”
“I'm not giving you this，baby，”I'd say．“They're thirty-five dollars at Macy's．Go get your own．”
Then a silhouette④of my father would appear and say，“Are you trying to get your brains blown out！？Hand it over．”
The next thing I'd see is me in a hospital bed，eating that terrible hospital food that is worse than the school cafeteria's．．．
The mere thought of the cafeteria sent a shiver up my back．
Hold it．This is my fantasy①！Why should I torture myself ？Let's roll back the tapes so I can beat him up．Then，as he fires his gun，wa- ter comes out！Good ending，and funny too．Then again．．．
Finally a three pulled in．I still had my back up against the pole，in case“Spike”came by．When the train stopped，I walked to the first car．
Wait！I thought，as the doors closed and I found a pole to hold on to．The middle of the train is the best．If we got stuck in a tunnel and two trains hit ours from the front and back， only the people in the middle cars would survive．We'd be stuck for hours，even days！People would turn into cannibals②waiting for someone to rescue us．There would be panic．People would be screaming and running all over the place as I sat hunched in a corner eating my Milky Way bar．
“Share it！Share it！”they'd scream，tearing me to shreds and the candy bar too．Eventually they'd let go，after someone grabbed the candy bar from me．Little would they know that I had some M＆Ms in my pocket．
Cut！I'm dying here with a bunch of sav- ages even though I'm approaching 96th Street unharmed．The doors opened and a bunch of people got off．I found a seat next to an old lady who probably found it annoying that I continued to pop my gum．She glared at me．I caught her glare out of the corner of my eye and turned my head．Then all of a sudden she opened her big black pocketbook．
Mace！She had to be pulling out Mace！ She'd spray it ruthlessly in my face，then attack me with her cane，again and again，beating me with it until the gum would drop out of my mouth．Then，peacefully，she sat down and read Our Daily Prayer．
Press the pause button．C'mon，I thought．Would I really get beaten up by an old lady like that？
“Here，honey．Have something qui- eter，”I heard someone say．It was the old lady．She handed me over a sour ball and I thanked her graciously．“Thank you， madam，but my parents don't allow me to have candy before dinner．I'll just save this for later．”
She looked at me，bewildered．Feeling sorry that I'd been so phony，I spit out my gum，put it back in its wrapper，and put it into my pocket with awhole bunch ofother junk．She smiled at me as she got up and stood by the door；they opened to 125th Street，and she got off．
Eeeekkk．The train turned and screeched，a horrible sound，like a child run- ning his fingers down a chalkboard．As the train pulled into its last stop，the conductor instructed people in the back cars to come up to the front—who knows why？
I stepped offthe train and looked at my watch．It was 3：48．I could still make it home in time to watch my television show．I ran inside my building，got the mail，and took the elevator upstairs．
“How was it coming home？”my mom asked as I entered the house．
“Well，it was kind of scary，”I said．I mean，meeting“Spike”，surviving a nuclear war，daring to be crushed in atrain wreck①， almost dying for a Milky Way，getting beaten up by an old lady，“But I got over．”
“Good，because you might have to do it again tomorrow．”
I swallowed hard，my normal reaction to going home by myself，feeling scared． Then again，it would only be another made-up adventure．But what if．．．
离下午三点钟越来越近了，我正做着回家的梦，几乎忘了正在上课，即使我知道明天早上还得来。老师刚一说下课，我立刻冲回本班教室，拿了所有的书就跑。
走到楼下，我才记起今天我得自己回家。我宽慰极了，长长地舒了口气，终于可以自己支配时间啦！我沿着拥挤不堪的街道溜达着，然后走进那沉闷的火车站。我走过去，出示了通行证，但检票员好像并不在意，仍旧做着自己分内的事———收钱给票。我穿过大门，往下层走，把手轻搭在黄色的扶手上，最终到了地铁站台。整个站台似乎也随着呼啸而来的列车的节奏颤抖着。
听着逐渐增大的隆隆响声，真希望它是三路车，那样我就能很快赶回家。不过，缓缓驶入站台的是一辆破旧的列车———是二路车。我开始担心万一哪个怪人突
发奇想，把我推下站台怎么办呢？想到这儿，我赶紧靠住了边上的柱子。噢，我现在好像就看见他了，嘴唇上涂着泛起绿色荧光的夜光唇膏，脸上纹着黑红相间蜘蛛网状的图案，头发直冲云霄。天啊！一个真正的疯子！
“交出书包！”他大叫。
“不行。”我斩钉截铁地答道，“这些三年以来的拉丁语笔记是我的，别想抢走！”
听我这么一说，他冲过来抓住我的背包晃来晃去，尽力地拽着，同时，我的腿也悬垂在半空中，摇来荡去。一辆呼啸而来的列车会把我压扁在铁轨上，而他则会抱着我的包还有明天要交的作业夺路而逃。
等了这么久，我的车还没来，我渐渐烦躁起来。我有些恐惧，说不定有个陌生人会朝我径直走来，要一根烟或别的什么。这时一路车进了对面的站台。我想：噢，好极了，走了两趟了，难道还要让我等一夜吗？
我看了看表，已经是三点一刻了，还想着早点回家看“鸭子传奇”节目呢。突然，有个外表可疑的家伙从我身边走过，他身着胶皮雨衣雨帽，活生生的一副电影中的角色。出于好奇，我的目光一直追随着那人。要是他突然转身用枪对着我吼叫：“把那块司活奇表递过来！”我该怎么办呢？
“这我可不能给你，”我会说，“我是在玛茜的店里花三十五块买来的。你想要自己买去！”
这时，父亲的模样就会出现了，对我说，“你想让脑袋开花吗？给他！”
接下来，我会发现自己躺在病床上，正咽着比学校食堂还糟的医院病员伙食……
一想起食堂，我就会不由自主
地打冷颤。
等等，这都是我的幻想！我干嘛要这么折磨自己？应该从前面一个镜头重新开始，我该使劲揍他。然后，当他开枪时……喷出来的是自来水！多棒的结局，而且也很滑稽。接下来又是……
终于，三路车进站了。我靠着柱子没动窝儿，就怕有什么古怪的东西过来。列车停下来，我上了第一节车厢。
当我找到可扶的地方，门关上了。等等！这时我突然发现列车中部才是最佳选择。如果列车困在隧道中，而这时恰好两列车一个从前一个从后同时撞上我们，肯定只有中间车厢的人才能活下来。那样的话，我们就会被困几个小时，甚至几天！等待救援的同时，人们会变成食人者。那时，如果大家发现我蜷缩在角落里偷偷吃着牛奶巧克力棒，一定会尖叫着从四面八方冲过来，那必定会引起恐慌。
“分了！分了！”他们会尖叫着把我和巧克力棒一起撕成碎片。最后，当有人从我手里将糖棒夺走之后，他们会放过我的，但谁又知道我兜里还有M＆M巧克力豆呢？
停，切断这条思路！我就要安然无恙地到达九十六大街了，怎么居然还想着要和这帮野人同归于尽？到站时，门开了，一帮人下了车。我发现了个座位，不过边上是位老太太，她大概很反感我吹泡泡糖时发出的“砰砰”声，不满地瞥了我一眼。我从眼角看到了她那一瞥，就转过了头。突然，她打开一个极大的黑色皮夹。
天啊，梅斯毒气！她必定是在往外拿梅斯毒气！她会把它残忍地往我脸上喷，然后再用手杖打我，没完没了，直到把我打得把口香糖
吐出来。然后，万事大吉！她又会坐下来读《每日祷告词》。
按暂停键！噢，不行，我真就让那么一个老太太给打了？
“孩子，给。吃点不出声的吧！”不知谁说了一句。噢，是那个老太太。她递给我一颗立波糖，我很有礼貌地道谢：“谢谢，夫人，不过，我父母不让我饭前吃糖果。我留着以后再吃吧。”
她看着我，一脸迷惑。我为自己的虚伪感到内疚，于是，赶紧吐出了口香糖，装进包装纸，又塞进满是废品的衣袋里。她冲我微微一笑，站起身走到门边，等着下车。列车停在了第一百二十五大街，那位老太太下去了。
吱———的一声，火车尖叫着转了个弯儿，发出刺耳的声音，就像一个小孩的手指划过黑板一样。最后，列车终于进了终点站，这时，列车长让最后一节车厢的人都到前面来。鬼才晓得为什么？
我下了车，看了一下表，都三点四十八了，不过我还是能来得及赶回家看电视剧。我跑进我住的那幢楼，拿了信，飞快地上了电梯。
“回来的时候一切顺利吧？”我一进屋，妈妈就这么问我。
“怎么说呢，还真有点吓人！”我说。我的意思是，撞见了稀奇古怪的人，幸免于一场核战争，差点被火车碾平，差点为一块巧克力棒送命。途中还被一个老太太“拳打脚踢”了一番。“不过，我全都应付过去了。”
“这样就好，因为明天你还可能自己回家。”
我嗓子眼儿好像被什么堵住了似的，强咽了一口气，听到又要让我自己回家，我的第一反应就是恐惧、害怕。不过话又说回来，也没什么大不了的，不过是另一次想象中的冒险罢了。可是，如果真的……
