Freedom Train

December 25, 1962

December 25, 1962

Annabeth Washington knew it was Christmas.

The sunlight fluttered through the thin drapes on her bedroom window and noise from her family swept up the wooden stairs and into the only place in that old farmhouse that Annabeth considered hers. She could see the brightness of the morning behind the blanket that was pulled up and over head. She snuggled deeper into her warm bed, not yet willing to remove the paisley printed quilt and face what she was sure was going to be an exhausting day.

The clamoring of footsteps that stopped outside of her bedroom door had her groaning in anticipation of what was to follow. She lowered her blanket to her chin as the door swung open. Amid the emergence of her annoying younger brother, Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"You're supposed to knock when you enter someone else's bedroom, you scuzz," Annabeth scolded as she slowly sat up in her bed. "What if I'd been dressing?"

"That would've required you to actually be out of your bed," he countered as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame.

Annabeth scowled at her 16-year-old baby brother in annoyance.

"The rooster ain't even crowed!"

As if the old rooster heard Annabeth's cry, it let out its first crow of the morning.

"You happy now?" Ronny smiled.

Annabeth released a sigh and lay back in her bed.

"It's Christmas, you old hag!" Ronny continued to pester. "Mama and Daddy are waiting for us in the front room. Daddy's getting antsy to get to the barn and Mama keeps looking toward the kitchen like breakfast is gonna cook itself."

"Or because she's looking to get a taste of the vodka under the sink," Annabeth mumbled under her breath.

Ronny didn't acknowledge her comment, but he'd heard her. He walked into the room and yanked the pillow out from Annabeth's head, causing her to hit the mattress with a thump.

"Would you just hurry along and get dressed already? Some of us actually enjoy Christmas." Ronny requested as he let the pillow fall back onto the annoyed face of his sister.

Then, he sauntered off down the hallway and to the living room to join their parents, closing Annabeth's door behind him.

Annabeth climbed from her bed and walked toward her window to pull back the yellow lace curtains and view her family farm. Behind the barn, a billowing forest was blanketed by a thin layer of snow. The early morning sun hit the white just right, making the snow seem more like a winter wonderland of glitter as opposed to the walls of oppression her home had become over time.

On a fence post sat Hyde the Rooster as he continued to officially begin the day with another long crow.

The land was beautiful, magical even, but Annabeth didn't seem to feel the calmness she once felt when looking at this same scene. She felt trapped there, like she no longer belonged but had nowhere else to go.

Annabeth tried to be excited about the prospect of Christmas. She tried to tap into that naïve joy that used to accompany the holiday in her youth. She wanted to be as excited as Ronny- wanted to feel that blind love she used to have for her parent's when she was too young to realize that they would love her only if she became everything they wanted her to be.

Sadly, Annabeth knew that this Holiday would be just like the rest she shared with her family in the last few years.

The day would prove fruitful for Ronny, who was their father's golden boy in every way, while Annabeth stayed in the background and tried not to say or do anything to upset them.