𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 . neil perry

𝑰.

CHAPTER ONE — the goodbye train
——— ⋆୨୧ ₊ﾟ♡ ⊹ɞ ———

"ARE YOU SURE you have your ticket?" my mother asked, "and your luggage is all together?"

"yes, mom," i reassured her for the tenth time this afternoon.

"the train should be here soon," my dad spoke, mainly to himself, as he glanced at his watch.

"now remember, don't give your uncle any trouble," she warned, her curly hair bobbing up and down as spoke.

"yes, yes," i replied quietly. the sound of a train could now be heard in the distance and all three of us were sure it was the one i would be boarding soon.

"4 o'clock train, chicago to philadelphia, will be boarding momentarily," an announcement made through a speaker above us shouted. this would be the first of two trains i would take to get to vermont.

"oh, honey, that's you," she gave me a quick hug, and then looked at me for a moment. then i gave my dad an even quicker hug and gave them both goodbyes.

the train screeched to a halt on the tracks and the quick air made any loose strands of my hair fly up.

"bye sweetie," my mother said, waving her handkerchief in the air as i smoothed my hair down.

i sighed as i grabbed my two pieces of luggage and boarded the train. i walked down the aisle, and put the smaller of the two in the overhead and the heavier one by my feet.

i then looked out the window to see the couple, mostly my mother, waving at the glass. i waved goodbye just as the train leered forward. an attendant came by soon later to punch my ticket, and i was left alone after that.

the only reason i'm on this train is because my parents think that sending me away will fix me. so, doing what anyone would do, they sent me to live with my uncle who i hadn't seen in years.

the different scenery passed by and i was sure that if i looked outside any longer, my eyes would shut permanently. i wasn't excited to leave, but it's not like there was much to be left behind. having to leave my half-hearted friends and my parents aristocratic parties made it, in a way, easier to leave. i hardly got a choice anyway, since my parents believed it was "what was best for me."

i tried to pull out a book and read, but i couldn't help but roll my eyes at how boring it was. finally, when i realized there was no harm to it, i tilted my head and let my eyes flutter shut.

———    ⋆୨୧ ₊ﾟ

I WOKE UP abruptly after an obnoxiously loud train whistle awoke me from my sleep.

i grabbed my bags, the rest of my belongings being shipped to my uncle's home, and quickly made my way off the train. i was now in philadelphia. if i had time to spare before my next train came, i would absolutely tour the town. but i didn't have the time to spare.

i sat down on a nearby bench and made sure i still had my train ticket. soon, i got bored of waiting, even though it had only been a few minutes. i got up, after making sure my luggage was "hidden" underneath my bench seat, and walked around the small train station plaza.

i looked at the board of times and my train would, checking my watch, be here in a very short amount of time.

i saw a woman feeding pigeons and a man reading a newspaper. i figured there was nothing interesting here and there was nothing to do but wait on the bench.