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From Myra Kaelish, the morning of April 12, 2022, started like any other.

I was on my way to work and I was on the 45th Street train station.

Myra's a no-nonsense New Yorker in her mid-60s.

She works at a nonprofit in Manhattan.

As she was waiting on the platform, the strangers did next to her, a man in his late 20s.

His name was Eric Acevedo and he was also on his way to work.

I tend to run slightly late, especially during this time because it's almost spring break.

Eric teaches high school poetry.

He lives in the same Brooklyn neighborhood as Myra, only two blocks apart.

And this was their local station.

But they'd never noticed each other before.

I don't normally speak to people because I have my New York face, you know?

As your resident New Yorker, let me explain.

When you're on the subway, you don't talk to other people.

They're going to look at you like you're weird.

So even as they stood next to each other, they were minding their own business.

As they waited in the subway, they saw the express train speed passed.

And as it went by, one of the cars went dark and they heard a sound.

...