Railers

The Journey Begins

The house is quiet, I can hear the quiet cue from my family as they sleep. I sit up in bed and look around, "Am I really doing this?" I think to myself as I look at my sleeping parents and siblings across the room. Brice and Piper were intertwined in a sleepy hug and mom and dad had formed a cocoon around them. They all slept peacefully as I waited for my time to leave. 

Our sorry excuse for a house creaked in the wind as they slept. It was, really, the only thing they had ever known. they didn't remember the downfall of everything. How our old house was robbed and how we had to leave. Papa built this house out of things in the sludge infested river. Only made of boards, grass and what ever else we could find is what we called home. Its what many around us called home. everyone blamed Hover, that man id heard of so much but didn't know. he was like some floating deity no body had ever seen. I'd wondered about it a lot. Did he really want us dead like everyone said? 

I walked over to the shard of mirror we had. A sad remembrance of or old life before everything fell apart. my clothes, tattered and worn with grief and work. A short sleeve shirt that used to be my dads and some old pants. I began to gather what little i could call my own in a small satchel had used for school until it closed. I put my hair up with the clip my mom had given me for my 15th birthday yesterday. a wooden hair clasp with a carved design. it was beautiful. I gathered my long hair and put it in the clip. it looked as though it might burst, but it didn't. I took my bag and dad's old hat, ripped and tattered in some places but I still wore it. The cap fit perfectly, it captured was strands of hair that had slipped from the clip. Silent Tears began to stream down my face as looked at myself in the small shard before quickly turning away. "Hush Emily, you're doing this for them." I yelled at myself before rubbing my eyes. 

I will never see my family again if I do this, But I have to, my parents need the money for food and I'm just another thing to worry about. Piper would be in 3rd grade this year and Brice in 1st. though, they've never gotten to see a school, let alone a book. I learned, more or less, only some and spelling was difficult. i looked back to Piper, her pale and freckled face looked sickly from malnutrition, her hair once fiery orange had faded and turned a sad shade of auburn. like the color of a leaf after it had sat in the sun too long in Autumn.

I looked to Brice. His small, rosy cheeks shrived up. The dirt visible on his face. His small body seemed to crumble under Papa's arms. I remembered the look of wonder in his eyes whenever we went to the forest to play.

I turned away knowing if I looked any longer at them I wouldn't be able to leave. I had to help them. Dad couldn't hold down a job with confidence and mom couldn't beg forever. I couldn't just leave without a trace either. I took a small, leather bound book from my satchel.

Dear Family,

By the time you see this I will be on a train bound for Ohio. I'm so sorry i'm doing this but it's for the well being of all of you. I'll be sending money soon. Tell Piper and Brice to keep exploring. I love you.

Emily

Small bolted tears lined the paper as I finished the letter. 

Placing the letter on the floor next to my bed, I walked towards the door. I turned back to my family "goodbye" I whispered before closing the door behind me. I turned around to face the world in front of me. I picked up my feet and didn't stop. The final tears of my goodbye running down my face as I sprinted through the city.

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The train station was quiet as I approached the building, there was only one train left at the station, my ticket out. Carefully, sneaking out to the back of the station, I jumped into cargo car in the back of the train making sure to be quiet because I knew if was caught by the railroad police it was game over. Once in the car, I hid behind a box of canned food while also taking some of the food myself.

Soon after sitting down in the train car I heard a loud CLANK as the car door was shut and i was plunged into darkness and the train started to move. "well, i guess i should get some sleep" I thought to myself, as i slowly drifted to sleep

The Next Moring

CLANK

I sprang awake. It was the car door open and I was blinded by the morning light. I had to act fast to not get caught. Slowly moving towards one of the doors on the train car I came out from my hiding place behind the box of food, jumped down from the car. I landed on the soft dirt next to the tacks and instantly burst out into a run towards the woods behind the station. Luckily no one spotted as I darted into the bushes. I stopped on the outskirts of the woods to catch my breath and asses my surroundings. I soon noticed what looked like fire smoke further in the woods. Not knowing what else to do, I decided to check it out.

As I approached the smoke, I heard voices of what sounded like an argument. I got closer to a place where I could see where the voices were coming from. It was a girl about my age, dressed in black pants and a shirt that almost looked like a patchwork quilt.Her hair was a beautiful shade of brown, tied up in a messy bun. she was yelling at an older man in a shirt similar to hers. The man wore a flat cap resembling mine, he looked as though he hasn't seen a razor in years. I got a little closer to where I could hear what they were arguing without being seen. "Look, i'm sorry Jess! I didn't mean to screw up the soup!" the man said looking annoyed "Yea? well tell that to the whole village who now has to wait another hour for something to eat!" the girls almost screamed looking furious "Yes I know that but I can't do anything about it now accept say i'm sorry." The two continued to argue as I looked on. they were below me in a village as I looked down from the top of the hill. "If you are so sorry then you would get to work preparing more-" she was cut off by the sound of crumbling rock and my scream as I fell down the side of the hill almost landing on top of her.

I looked up from my heap of rock and dust to see the girl looking down on me even madder than she had the man. "oh no."