X-Kid (Sequel to "Little Boy Named Train")

The Past's Pain

"So I suppose you should go get cleaned up for your interview-thingy-do-whatsit," Ace said, digging through Train's box in search of something nice to for him to wear.

"Yea I guess," Train replied with a lazy yawn. Ace brought up a nice-looking plain white shirt and dark blue jeans that looked dressy. Train took them from his hands and went into the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed. While in the shower, thoughts of his dream kept flooding in and out of his mind.

"My name is Tré...I've known you since you were a baby...You were pretty much my little brother...then...it happened..."

His head pounded as an image of him falling down into crates flashed in his mind. Cries of pain and fear made his ears ring. He grabbed his head due to the pain it caused him. He felt he was about to fall down, but he pressed his hand against the wall to keep him from doing so. He inhaled and exhaled in an attempt to release the pain after the cries left his ears and the images left his mind. He turned off the shower and grabbed his towel, drying himself off and getting dressed. He looked at his hair in the mirror. An image of him as a child with three teens served as a distraction to the reflection and made Train jump back, falling against the door and hitting his arm on the doorknob. The noise of his fall was loud and chaotic, but it only struck Train's ears after the event.

"Train!!" he heard from outside the door. Footsteps charged their way to his location from the hall.

"Train, are you okay?" He recognized the voice as Ace.

"Yea I'm--!" Another brief image of one of the teens putting a bow in his hair flashed in his mind. "...fine..."

"...You don't sound okay...are you sick? Do you need me to call a doctor?" Train pondered it for a moment. If Ace called a hospital, Train's doctor specifically would come...and he'd surley find out about Train's job interview and make everything go horribly awry. On the other hand, if he didn't, the events could repeat or worsen during his interview and mess it up--It was a catch-22 situation.

"He's a bad man, Train. A very bad man."

What if Tré was right? What if his doctor really was a genuinely bad man? Sure, his doctor wasn't the greatest in personal affairs, but as for a bad man, well, Train wasn't sure.

"Hello? You still with me? Should I call a doctor?" Train slowly rose from his position on the floor and opened the door, hair unbrushed and dress shirt unbuttoned. He had broken into a sweat as well, making him look even more disheveled.

"As opposed to that...I'd rather you call Mistress Lenora. I trust her more than a..." All the scars on his back throbbed and he fell over, but Ace caught him just in time. He used all his energy to hold Train up a bit and drag him down the hall.

"Train..." Ace sighed.

"Eh..?" he replied with a weak voice.

"I think you should call off the interview for today. You're definately not in good shape."

"I can still do the interview..."

"Bullshit. Don't push your luck."

Ace dragged Train down the stairs and to Mistress Lenora's office. She opened the door and looked at Train with a shocked expression.

"Oh my, what's happened?" She picked up Train's weak body, taking the weight off of Ace's shoulders.

"...Mistress I...I keep heving these thoughts and pains...and I don't know what's going on...I keep seeing these pictures...and thinking these things...and hearing these voices...I just don't know what's going on..." She bit her lip, taking him into her office.

"Ace you can come in, too." She placed Train in a chair and put a cold rag on his head. "How does that feel?"

"It feels...better..." She smiled. Ace stepped in and sat in the chair next to Train.

"What did you want me in here for, Miss Lenora." She sighed and sat in the chair behind her desk, entertwining her fingers and placing her elbows on the desk, resting her chin on the bridge her hands and fingers made. Her face was serious, borderline scary.

"I have to tell Train something important--and I figured you should be here to hear it."

"Im...portant?" Train asked.

"It's about your childhood."