Train Tracks
The Train
A girl stood alone amidst the fog, her silhouette outlined by a peeking sun far off in the horizon. She seemed so fragile.
The ground began vibrating. Then shaking. Two beams of light shone through the fog. Realization hit me hard.
The girl stood there unmoving. I screamed, but she did not hear. Did not want to hear?
I leaped down onto the train tracks and pushed her against the wall. I flattened myself against the wall as the train stormed past inches from me.
My heart was still racking my ribcage when the train finally passed. I turned to the girl and began shaking her ferociously.
“What do you think you are doing?! How can you just throw your life away like that? You’re so young. You can’t die…I won’t let you die…”
Before I knew it, something wet was rolling down my cheeks.
The girl looked at me with emotionless eyes. “Why are you crying?”
And I told her everything. I don’t know why. I never met her in my life. Maybe I was breaking down. Maybe I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I began telling her about my mom and how she left me and my little sister for another man. How my father, who truly loved his wife, began drinking. How he would come home, drunk, and yell at us two. And beat us. How my sister still loved the broken shell of her father for who he used to be. How I came upon her broken, beaten body that one night I got too scared and ran away. How it felt when I buried her alone.
The girl pressed her forehead against mine. Her eyes bore into mine, and in that one instant, I saw all her own emotions, her own turmoil. In that one instant, I realized she understood.
“Keep fighting.”
I chuckled humorlessly. “Idiot, take your own advice.”
The ground began vibrating. Then shaking. Two beams of light shone through the fog. Realization hit me hard.
The girl stood there unmoving. I screamed, but she did not hear. Did not want to hear?
I leaped down onto the train tracks and pushed her against the wall. I flattened myself against the wall as the train stormed past inches from me.
My heart was still racking my ribcage when the train finally passed. I turned to the girl and began shaking her ferociously.
“What do you think you are doing?! How can you just throw your life away like that? You’re so young. You can’t die…I won’t let you die…”
Before I knew it, something wet was rolling down my cheeks.
The girl looked at me with emotionless eyes. “Why are you crying?”
And I told her everything. I don’t know why. I never met her in my life. Maybe I was breaking down. Maybe I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I began telling her about my mom and how she left me and my little sister for another man. How my father, who truly loved his wife, began drinking. How he would come home, drunk, and yell at us two. And beat us. How my sister still loved the broken shell of her father for who he used to be. How I came upon her broken, beaten body that one night I got too scared and ran away. How it felt when I buried her alone.
The girl pressed her forehead against mine. Her eyes bore into mine, and in that one instant, I saw all her own emotions, her own turmoil. In that one instant, I realized she understood.
“Keep fighting.”
I chuckled humorlessly. “Idiot, take your own advice.”