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Spring, 1943

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Jane froze in the middle of her step and in an automatic reaction she tightened her grip around her little brother's hand. She pulled Stephen closer and he clasped his free hand around her skirt. The air-raid siren blared through the streets of London and Jane searched for the nearest shelter. Her eye fell upon the Bethnal Green Underground station, other people were already walking towards the entrance. Some people even left their home to hide in the underground station. Jane hesitated, actually she wanted to be with her parents but they were at home. Jane did not like the idea of being stuck in an underground station with complete strangers. At home, they had their own bombshelter in the garden. It was only a few blocks away from here...

Jane glanced at her little brother who looked up at her with a frightened look in his brown eyes. She changed her mind immediately. She could not go running through the streets with the danger that could befall them. She had to take care of her little brother, he was her responsibility. Maybe if Jane had been alone, she could have taken the risk, but not now, not like this.

She dropped the bag full of groceries and lifted her five-year old brother on her arm. He threw his arms around her neck and burried his face against her chest, too scared to look around.

"It's going to be all right," Jane said to him in a hushing voice, she was scared as well but tried to ignore it the best she could. If she showed Stephen she was scared too, he would be terrified in no-time. She had to stay calm, that was the clue...

Jane followed the other people towards the entrance of the Underground while the siren seemed to grow louder and louder. No matter how often she had heard it, it still created goose bumps all over her body. It was just an awful sound, it never meant something good. It meant war. And Jane feared it, every time she stepped outside. She bit on her bottom lip and fought the urge to cry, she would stay strong for Stephen. She could feel his body tremble in her arms, o, how she wished the War was over... How much longer would it continue? How many times more would they have to flee to shelter from the bombs?

Jane had no answers at all those questions, but she dearly hoped the War would be over tomorrow.

The people of London descended the stairs in a heavy but orderly flow, they had done this a thousandth times. At least, that was what it felt like.

Jane had almost reached the platform when, without no warning whatsoever, there sounded an explosion. Real nearby. Her heart skipped a beat while the unexpected loud noise filled her ears. The stairs were vibrating below them and children and women were screaming in complete and utter terror. They were under attack! Stephen's arms tightened his grip around her neck and Jane's tears fell upon his brown hair. Why had this to happen to them? Had it been to much to ask to be at home when the air-raid had started?

For a moment, Jane thought this would be the only explosion nearby, but her hope had been in vain. Another deafening explosion let the stairs rumble and that's when the panic started. Men and women with children were pushing each other out of the way to get downstairs, to safety, as fast as possible.

Jane was shoved against her shoulder and she almost tripped over her own feet because of the force. She started to sob and hugged her little brother closer, she was so scared. Again, she was pushed out of the way and Jane send a glare in the direction of the woman. Why had people to be so rude?! She too wanted to get downstairs, she was carrying her little brother after all.

A middle-aged women who carried a baby and a bundle fell on the stairs, only a few steps away from Jane and Stephen. The elderly man behind the woman who tripped, fell as well and Jane started to panic as more and more people all around her started to fall over and on each other. It was a huge and horrible domino effect. Her heart was beating in her throat and the screams of everyone echoed through the tunnels. They were filled with pain as they were crushed underneath all the weight.

Someone behind Jane, crashed into her and send Stephen and her flying away, she tripped over an arm of a woman and they fell right into the middle of the immovable mass of people who were struggling to get away.

Stephen screamed in her ear when she landed onto him and quickly, Jane tried to get back on her feet. They had to get out of here. But it was hard to find some grip on the bodies, all tangled into each other. And then, someone else fell upon her and Jane cried out in pain, as did Stephen who was still lying underneath her. All the air was knocked out of her body because of the force, and more and more people seemed to fall atop of her. She couldn't breathe. It was all too heavy. Why couldn't they just move?! Why did they keep falling?!

They were buried below what must be hundreds of people. Her lungs begged for some air and she forcefully kicked around her, in the hope it would create some space, meanwhile still holding desperate onto her brother. The tears left a burning trail on her cheeks, this couldn't be happening! Please, let us get out of here! She started to see flashes in front of her eyes due to the lack of oxygen and suddenly, she noticed Stephen wasn't crying anymore. Nor was he moving.

Jane let out a heart-breaking cry with all the strength she had left in her body. No! No! NO! She enclosed him forcefully in her arms and screamed for mercy. If only they had left the supermarket sooner... If only the War had been over...

She blacked-out and Jane nor Stephen would ever wake up again.

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173, most of them women and children, were crushed and asphyxiated that day.

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BETHNAL GREEN UNDERGROUND MEMORIAL

site of the worst civilian disaster of the second world war

in memory of 173 men, woman and children who lost their lives on the evening of wednesday 3rd 1943 descending these steps to bethnal green underground air raid shelter

not forgotten

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Present day

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ghostfacers.co.uk

Blog update - July 31, 2016

Tonight we're going to try and capture the screams of the dead! Aka, the screams of the victims who died in Bethnal Green Tube Station. This time, we're sure we'll get some proof! The ghosts can't keep away from us forever! So, stay tuned!

- Salt_n_burn_it

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ghostfacers.co.uk

Blog update, July 31, 2016

Really?! A stampede in Bethnal Green station?! Seriously?! What are the odds...
One dead, two heavily injured. Our thoughts are with them, of course.

- _BANSHEE_

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ghostfacers.co.uk

Blog update, July 31, 2016

Strange... Police just reported there was nothing to be seen at the security cameras. The two women and man just fell and got trampled by, well, nothing. Invisible man? Uh, men?
We HAVE to get to this station!

- Salt_n_burn_it

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A/N: Not my best writing, I admit... I don't know why, but the words just won't come to me easy anymore. I try and keep writing, though. One paragraph a day, keeps the writer's block away, eh?

Anywho, legend two is starting! Who's excited???

(Ouch, I can see the pixels... Oh well, whatevs...)