[ WP ] ( S ) He was sitting on the train holding two cell phones . One was black , the other was white .

The rain from the thunderstorm outside lashed against the train as I strode down the aisle, dripping from the deluge outside. There'd been delays all morning, and this train was unusually crowded as a result. Every seat seemed to be occupied, the cars packed with humans in various states of bedragglement. I had just about given up hope, resigning myself to standing, when I noticed an empty seat at the end of the car. Gratefully, I made my way over and plonked myself down next to a brown-haired girl who could n't have been more than ten. 
 
 She looked up at me as I sat down and gave a faint but warm smile. I could n't help returning it, thankful to finally have found a spot to take the weight off my feet. As I did, I noticed the girl's hands, resting gently on her legs. Each hand was loosely holding a cell phone. They were the same model, as far as I could tell, though I was n't sure exactly which model it was. They looked older, like something from the early 2000s. The one in her left hand was black, while the one in her right hand was white. She followed my gaze, angling her head downward to peer at her own hands. She blinked. Then, she lifted her head again, looking right into my eyes. Now she was positively beaming. 
 
 I was taken slightly aback, but I was still feeling quite pleased to have found a seat at all, and the girl's smile was infectious. I grinned back in spite of myself. `` What's got you so chuffed?'' I asked, in good humor. The girl continued to smile, but shook her head slightly. I looked at her for a moment, and then it was my turn to blink. The girl was still looking at me, and still grinning like a Cheshire cat. I cleared my throat, as my smile became more fixed. With a jerk that I had vainly hoped would look natural, I moved my head and began making a show of looking for the morning's paper, which I'd stashed in my briefcase. When I'd retrieved it, the girl was placidly staring out the window, watching as the water rushed down the pane in rivulets. Her hands remained in her lap, loosely holding the phones. 
 
 Confused, but also somewhat relieved, I turned to the financial section to finish an article on precious metals that I'd been perusing early. When I finished, I leafed to the crossword puzzle, using the cover of turning pages to steal a glance at my tiny seatmate. She had not moved, and I found myself smiling slightly, as I wondered about this unusual child and her two cell phones. Presently, I turned my attention back to my paper and busied myself decoding a few clues. 
 
 It was just a few minutes later that the train began to slow, heralding our imminent arrival. I folded my paper, reaching down for my briefcase, as the train slowed to a stop. I felt something brush against my leg and caught the flash of a brown ponytail as it weaved into the crowd, disappearing amongst my fellow commuters. Chuckling slightly, I lifted my briefcase and made to stand when something caught my eye - the girl's cellphone, the black one. I pursed my lips - I did n't really have time for this - and reached out towards the phone. It immediately started to ring, moving slightly across the seat as it vibrated. I withdrew my hand. 
 
 The ringing stopped. 
 
 The furrow in my brow increased and, telling myself I was being silly, I reached out again for the old phone. Again it started to ring. I hesitated. 
 
 The phone was almost off the seat now, the vibration moving it steadily closer to the edge. I scooped it up and looked at it. The screen was illuminated but there was nothing to read, just an artificial blue-white glow. The ringing continued. 
 
 Almost without meaning to, I pushed the green call button, and put the phone to my ear. 
 
 `` Hallo?'' 
 
 Static. A musical, tinkling laugh. Then nothing. 
 
 The screen had gone dark. I held the phone in my hand, frowning down at it. Shrugging, I slipped it into my pocket and exited the train, hastening to catch the last of the stragglers moving into the station. So focused was I on my destination that I did n't see the small girl in front of me, and almost bowled her over. I skidded to a stop on the rain soaked concrete, just inches from the girl. 
 
 `` You gave me quite a fright,'' I said, half relieved, half annoyed. The girl merely smiled at me, making no move to apologize or step to the side. I blinked. Again. 
 
 Coming back to myself, I plunged my hand into the pocket of my coat, drawing out the black phone. I held it out to the girl, who continued smiling impassively. 
 
 `` You forgot this,'' I said, somewhat ( in my opinion ) gratuitously. But the girl only smiled wider, staring into my eyes as she ignored the phone in front of her. Slowly, she shook her head. 
 
 `` Keep it.'' Her voice was deeper and richer than it should have been, aged and full-bodied. It was the voice of a woman, not the small girl standing beside me. Inadvertently, I took a step back. The girl's eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief, as her smile stretched to its largest size yet, relegating her eyes to twin twinkling slits. `` Keep it,'' she repeated. And with a swish of her ponytail, she was gone, melting back into the crowd of the station. 
 
 I stood rooted to the spot, staring at the black phone still clutched in my hand. It was warm, with a reassuring weight, and almost without thinking, I went to pocket it. I had just felt the tiny bounce as the phone came to a rest against my thigh, breaking my reverie, when I heard the barest hint of a voice float over the assembled crowd: 
 
 `` And next time, pick up on the first call.''
