Freedom Train

February 3, 1963

February 3, 1963

Annabeth sat around the breakfast table with her family.

Reginald had the paper unfolded in front of him. It seemed as if it were hard for him to focus. His eyes kept darting this way and that way, as if something weighed heavily on his mind.

Annabeth felt Ronny's eyes on her from time to time. His gaze partnered with her Daddy's impatience put this pit in her stomach that Annabeth just couldn't shake. Every time she looked up to catch Ronny staring, he quickly darted his gaze the other way. She tried to catch her brothers eye, but it seemed impossible and she eventually gave up.

Sarah tried to make small talk about the preparations the farm had to make for the Spring seasons, but not much came from it. Instead, the four of them sat in mostly silence.

After breakfast, Reginald pulled Sarah aside to talk about something he didn't want his children to overhear. Ronny looked almost nervous about this and disappeared out the back door, peaking Annabeth's curiosity further. She looked out the kitchen window and watched as her little brother headed back toward the barn.

Carefully, she tiptoed down the hall toward her parent's bedroom and edged herself close to their partially closed door. She couldn't help prying as she listened in on their private conversation.

"That's just awful," Annabeth heard her mother exclaim from the other side of the door.

"Ronny said they found the boy just some little ways up the road early this morning, about two yards away from his car. Paul and Denny asked the boy what he was doing in Audumnly for' the sun rose up, and the nigger couldn't give them no kind of good answer."

"So, they beat the boy?" Sarah questioned, sounding horrified at the idea.

Annabeth's eyes widened in shock, knowing it was Terry they spoke of. She covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes glazed over with worried tears. There was no hope that it could be a coincidence. There was no way it could've been anyone else. Annabeth's worst fear had been realized.

Terry had been hurt because of her.

"Beat im' good if that was my understanding," Reginald told his wife with a scoff.

"What on Earth were Paul and Denny even doing out on the road at 3 o'clock in the morning." Sarah wondered.

"One of them caught wind about a strange car parked off on the side of North Chestnut and they went to check it out."

"Where's the boy now? They didn't kill him, did they?"

"From what I gathered he took a swing at Denny and then stumbled off into the woods."

Annabeth felt only slight relief at her father's words.

"How did you hear about this so soon?" Sarah accused.

"I ain't have no part in it, Sarah, so you can git' that thought clear from your head now. The boys drove passed this morning and told Ronny about it. Ronny told me, and now I'm telling you."

Sarah huffed disbelievingly, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Look, I might not have had nothin' to do with it, but that don't mean I won't protect what's mine. These niggers are starting to get too comfortable and I want you to keep a look out for..."

The voices drowned away as Annabeth leaned back against the wall beside their door.

She didn't even realize she was full on crying until a tear fell from her cheek and landed on her hands.

The rest of their conversation didn't matter.

All she knew was that Terry was hurt- somewhere in the woods- and she would search high and low until she found him.