Train Station Punk

Part 1 - Melancholic

Paint chipped walls show the layers of beige reflecting the boringness of it all. Wheels roll against the tracks of the train station. A small 8-year-old boy sits on a bench on the porch of the depot watching train after train race by the station.  Some of them stopping to pick up and drop off people and others racing by to reach the next destination on time. The boy's pale skin almost matches the color of the exterior wall, just a bit darker.  His deep brown eyes shimmer in the light orange glow of the LED lights above him. Next to the lights sat the LED sign with the number 44 plastered on the screen. He looks at the number "87" written on the back side of his left hand.  He looks down at it and lightly rubs it, bringing a bit of comfort in this strange place. He stands up, and walks timidly from the porch to the inside of the station hoping to find food or somewhere to rest more comfortably. He wanders for a bit and discovers a small sandwich shop tucked inconspicuously in the center. He digs deep into his pockets, and pulls out the little amount of money given to him from his family, orders the least expensive item, and pushes a few wadded up dollars and coins to pay.  He grabbed the sandwich and walked to a little cafeteria near the shop. The kid jumped up onto a chair and started eating his sandwich. He took a few minutes to finish it, only taking small bites and trying to savor the food, since he won't know the next time he'll eat. He got up after finishing and walked around the center, just people watching and hoping to find someone he recognizes. Eventually he got a small space for him to curl up and hopefully go to sleep. He sat in the corner and rested his eyes, quietly going to sleep.

He woke up after what felt like a few minutes, he looked at the LED sign once again. 58 was plastered on the screen of the sign. "Adam" bounced around in his head in his mother's voice. Adam was his name, the one thing that his parents had given him willingly before he was left at this monotone train station. Adam wandered around, once again looking for a familiar face. He was met with failure, of course. He sat down on a bench and dug back through the very little memories of his family he had. He wanted to go home, he didn't like this unfamiliar place, he didn't like the people racing by, he didn't like the trains rushing past him, he didn't like any of it. The hustle and bustle of the station was overstimulating. He kept his head up, hoping that his train would come sooner rather than later. It took a couple of minutes until someone with a mix of a mohawk and mullet (really more mohawk than mullet) had come to stand in front of him. The color was an ashy blue that was partly fading into a very ashy lime green. The stranger's skin was a significantly darker shade than the walls or Adam's skin. His light blue eyes matched their hair and their tank-top slightly hugged their chest. Their pants were a lighter shade of gray than the tank-top they were wearing. Their mouth was pointed into a slight smile. The stranger asked if it was okay to sit next to him, Adam nodded. The person sat next to him, looking around and started bouncing their leg up and down.

"Loud in here, huh?" The stranger chimed, Adam simply nodded.

He really didn't feel like having a conversation, yet this person made him feel comfortable in some strange way. Adam shifted a little bit in his seat and looked up at the sign. 62 was plastered on the screen. Adam looked at the stranger and uttered something under his breath. The stranger asked what he said.

"I said what number is your stop? I'm number 87 and I don't know where that train is heading. I was hoping someone nice or familiar would join me." Adam spoke up.
"Sorry, I'm train number 73. If you want to come with me, you can." The person next to him said disappointedly.

Adam contemplates for a second. If he were to go, he'd be disobeying his family's orders. On the other hand no one's there to stop him. He takes the deal with his new found friend. The two both sit and talk about how their lives were before coming to the melancholic train station. Adam got the stranger's name. Leo, that was it. The blue haired boy explained to Adam that these trains take you to wherever you desire depending on what train you step on, whether that be at the beach or in the middle of a dump. The train he was going on was to see his mom's friend who had offered up his house to him and a couple other friends of Leo's. The other friends had declined for a multitude of reasons. Soon, the number 73 popped up onto the LED screen of the sign. The two popped out of their seats and walked into the train, Leo took his place standing with a pole while Adam took a seat next to the punk-looking boy.  The train started to move, hitting light bumps on the tracks every now and again. Adam soon fell asleep on the train and Leo took a seat next to Adam. The two rested for sometime before the train came to a full stop. Leo tapped Adam on his shoulder and told him it was time to get up. Adam groggily walked behind Leo, it had been a while since he had taken a good nap.

The sky was a dark gray, lights try to illuminate it with all it can. The skyline is lined by tall but distant buildings. There are street lamps scattered across the road. Houses are lined by sidewalks and grass. The grass is light green and yellow, it looks like the grass is dead. The air is lukewarm, just enough chill to cause subtle goosebumps. In the distance is a man with a dark red sweater and black sweatpants. He has the tips of his hair dyed a deep, dark rose. He's smoking a cigarette. Leo walks towards the man, as if he recognizes him like an old friend. The man seems to look in happy surprise when he notices Leo. They go in for a hug.  Adam slowly follows Leo, cautiously making sure that this man wasn't a threat to either one of them. The blue haired kid waves Adam over. Somehow, the man in the red sweater gets even more happy when he sees Adam. The man pats Adam on the head, talking to Leo. The man's skin is a dark tan, the roots of his hair are a light brown and his eyes are almost black due to how dark they are at night. His lips are widened into a nice smile. Leo introduced Adam to the man in the red sweater, his name was Wes.  He wasn't an excitable man, according to Leo. He really only got excited when something really did go his way. He smelt of citrus and, obviously, cigarette smoke.