Stealing Autumn

Autumn leaves fell peacefully down to the ground, a light wind blowing a small girls hair around behind her. The trees swayed gracefully as if waving the girl on, to keep fallowing the train tracks farther away from her home. She skipped happily along the tracks, singing quietly to herself and the little birds hiding in the trees.

The train tracks seem to go on forever, and she wondered just where they will take her if she kept on walking. The sun was high in the sky showing the girl had lots of time before she needs to be home for diner, but she isn't sure she wants to go home. Her sister would be home to tease her, and her mommy and daddy would be busy with work. Maybe if she went away, like her aunt did for school, when she comes home everybody would be there and notice her.

Up a head of her she saw someone else on the train tracks, sitting on the rail tying his shoes. The boy looked older then she is and she smiles at him with a wave. The boy looks sad when he smiles and waves back, maybe he got hurt or maybe he is lost. She skipped up to him and sits right beside him, she could help him and then he would be happy.

"Hello! I'm Autumn, what's your name?" She speaks happily.

The boy glanced up at her but than looked back at the ground. "I'm Max".

"Are you lost? I can help!" She asked eagerly, in school she learned all kinds of things to do when you're lost. She could bring him to her house and he could call his mommy and daddy, or if he didn't know his phone number they could call the police department too.

"No, I'm not lost. Go home, little girl" The boy snaps with his head resting on his knees.

The little girl pouts and looks down with glossy eyes. She doesn't go away though because that was typical for big kids, like her sister they didn't like little kids. She didn't like that the boy was sad and lonely so she wanted him to get better. She was going to ask what made him sad, but then she thought that if he wanted to be happy then she shouldn't bring up the sad thing. Instead she began to sing the song about the blackbird her daddy listens too. It was her favorite and it made her happy so it would make him happy too.

"That's my favorite song, but why are you singing?" He asked.

"Because when I'm sad singing makes me feel better, so I'm singing for you to feel better" She explains to the boy.

He doesn't say anything else, and she keeps on singing to him. He smiles a little at the girl. She only looks to be 7 or 8 years old, but she knew all the words to that Beatles song which was very impressive to Max.

"Hey look" He spoke softly, pointing to a near by tree. "A blackbird"

Autumn's eyes lit up in the most brilliant way staring up at the bird. She giggled softly at the way it cleaned its feathers. The two watched the little bird for what seemed like forever, it kept jumping from branch to branch trying to find the perfect place to sit and be comfortable.

"I wonder why he's all alone, most birds are getting ready to leave before the snow comes" Autumn whispered to her new friend who seemed to think the same thing as he only shrugged. "He's like you, Max" She giggled.

"Hey, you were alone too" He laughed playfully.

"That must mean that we are blackbirds too!"She squealed excitedly. Max just nodded and laughed. "I like you, you're my friend" She declared happily. "Will you be here tomorrow?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I'll be here tomorrow" He promised, smiling happily this time.

Autumn played with her new friend for the rest of the day, until the sun started to sink down and an old man emerged from the trees and started calling for Max. He looked at her with wide eyes and a worried expression. "I have to go" He whispered and stood, quickly running towards the man. Autumn was confused, she didn't get to say goodbye to her new friend but she knew he'd be there the next day, just like he promised.

The man left with Max in tow, looking sad all over again. Autumn would sing again tomorrow she decided. As she stood to leave too the sun caught a reflection of something shiny where Max had been sitting. The little girl picked it up and examined it.

A gold locket necklace that had a tiny bird nested in what looked to be the gears of a tiny, silver music box surrounded by floral designs etched in the gold, it had a brass chain on it that looked worn, like someone had it on often. It looked important that's for sure. Max must have dropped it when that man came for him. She would return it tomorrow, because he promised to come back. Inside the locket where a picture should have been was empty except for the words 'Blackbird fly...'. Autumn decided that she would wear it until tomorrow so she wont lose it. She ducked her head under the chain and flicked her hair out, tucking the locket protectively under her shirt as she skipped back home.

Though the next day the boy never came, Autumn waited for hours playing in the leaves by herself which seemed less entertaining without her friend. She was sad that Max had lied to her, but she figured he was busy and maybe he got in trouble with the old man. When she just in trouble she wasn't aloud to play either. So the day after that she came back, but when he wasn't there again Autumn began to worry if she would ever see him again, and if she would be able to give him his locket back.

If you fast-forward about seven years, Autumn still wore the locket around her neck and visits the railroad tracks as often as she could. They had been closed for years now so she was always alone, most people didn't know they existed anymore. This is where she came when she was sad, when she was angry, or when she was so happy she just wanted to express it. When the tracks closed they left an empty rail cart on them close by to where she met the boy, when it was cold or rainy she went inside to escape.

She daydreamed about it suddenly coming to life and taking her far away, but every time she ran away she ended up back home tired and angry while her family shook their heads and told her off to her room. It was a dangerous cycle for her, running away for days at a time. Mostly because it took days before they even realized she was gone, let alone try looking. She was doomed if something were to happen to her.

But her sister was busy with her boyfriend, her mother and father were busy with fighting each other, her friends were busy with who-fucked-who, and the boy from the train tracks was long gone as if he never really existed.