Chick, Chick, Chick

Prologue

Prologue

I watched Kasey closely as she stood on the train tracks, almost taunting a train to hit her. Chicken was her favorite game. She would always test me to see who would stand on the tracks when the train was at its closest. Kasey always beat me. She was stronger than me mentally. She was fearless. I was proud to call her my best friend mainly because of that reason. She was my clear and total opposite.

That night, Kasey was feeling especially fearless. She giggled and taunted me, dancing on the tracks. “Come on, Val! Jump on here! Are you scared? Chick, chick, chick!” She was quite the taunter, always making sure she poked fun at me for being afraid of being on the tracks like she was. “Come on, silly!”

Tonight, the trains were supposed to be coming in later, but I was still scared. I was always afraid one would come out of nowhere without any lights on or without warning. Kasey wasn’t like that though, so, of course, she taunted me.

I carefully dropped down onto the tracks with her.

“See, Val? It’s not scary! The train’s way too far away! You can’t even hear it!” She grinned widely at me, showing me she wasn’t afraid. 

We walked some ways along the tracks together, hand in hand like the dorky best friends we were. Adults joked that we were a couple, but we weren’t. Kasey was as straight as a ruler, and so was I. We were just really close, like twins—if twins were complete opposites. “See? It’s safe. We’re fine, Val. You think some stupid train’s going to sneak up on you? The trains can’t get you.”

My hearing had to have been more acute tonight because I could hear the low rumble of train wheels rolling across the tracks. My heart began to pound rapidly, and I felt my palm sweat. “Kasey, I can hear a train,” I said, tugging at her arm. “We need to get off the tracks.”   

“You’re hallucinating. We’re fine. I don’t hear anything at all.”   

I whimpered and let go of her hand, the sound growing louder in my ears. I could hear my feet pound against the metal as I went over to the side. I frantically jumped and grabbed the edge, barely able to pull myself up. That’s when I saw it behind Kasey. It was a monster of a train, and there was no way she’d make it off the tracks,   

“BEHIND YOU!” I screamed as loud as I could, and Kasey turned, saw the train, and ran in my direction. I reached down. “Take my hand!”   

She jumped and missed.  She screamed, more at herself then at me. “I can’t reach! I can’t reach!”

I’d forgotten how short Kasey was compared to me. I leaned down and reached my hand out farther, barely brushing her fingertips when she jumped, but it was too late.   

I watched as the train slammed into her body. I heard her scream in pain. I remember screaming too and passing out right there.

Kasey was dead.