Sam watched her, his hood shielding his face. She had her headphones plugged in, she was looking out of the window distantly. Her violin case sat next to her on the train seat.
It had been forever since Sam's fingers had gracefully danced over the neck of a violin - he longed for the feel of the slender instrument. He wondered if he could even make it sing like he used to. Sam's eyes flashed with memories of his first violin, and the stickers he had plastered on its box. He remembered the beauty of his second violin, a much more expensive piece. If he closed his eyes, he could almost recall the touch of the soft velvet lining inside its case.
Memories suddenly clouded his vision. He remembered sleeping in a bed with heavy blankets, dinosaurs painted on his wall. He remembered waking up in the morning on Christmas, running downstairs and dashing to the tree. He remembered eating Cheerios before school. It had been years since Sam had slept in the bed with heavy blankets - it had been years since he'd slept in a bed at all.
Sam pushed the tattered sleeves of his sweatshirt up to his elbows, glancing out the train window. He coughed lightly, and his stomach rumbled, begging to be fed. Sam remembered Thanksgiving at his grandmother's house. He remembered eating until he couldn't possibly eat anymore, and being almost sick because of it. That feeling was out of reach. He grimaced with the pain of hunger.
Running a hand through his dirty hair. Sam closed his eyes again and imagined water rushing over him, a hot steaming shower. Memories of warmth kept him alive through harsh winters. Sam had kept moving, and he was on a train into Chicago, where he would try to find a comfortable alley to sleep at night for the upcoming spring months.
All he had was his backpack, which contained a water bottle, a notebook, and a change of clothes for warmer weather. Right now, he wore his warmer clothes: a ratty sweatshirt, torn jeans, and a long sleeve shirt. Sam needed to fill the water bottle, there was probably a drinking fountain somewhere in Union Station.
His eyes rested on the girl again, jealousy pumping through his veins. She probably still lived the cushioned life that he once had. Violins were not cheap. An idea stirred in the back of his mind, but he shoved it away. He had promised himself that he wouldn't steal, because he knew he could get by without it. Except when the train started to announce that they were arriving and all the passengers collected their belongings and stood, he couldn't fight the urge.
Sam admired the pretty girl as he approached, and the doors opened. She was really beautiful, making it feel increasingly wrong to do what he was about to do. But he wanted that violin so badly. Maybe he could play it on the streets, and make some money for dinner tonight. As he passed her, he lifted the case up and tucked it underneath his arm. Quickly and expertly, Sam dodged into the crowd and disappeared into the train station.
November 17th, 2014 at 03:47am