Nefarious

The Trip

I slept restlessly that night, still thinking about how I was going to get to D.C. Luckily I live in the very North of Delaware so it wasn't too far of a journey.

I would be leaving my mom since there was no point in her coming along with me because I wouldn't even be able to stay with her once I arrived in D.C. She would have registered as well, but no one over 25 years old could register. They made this rule because they wanted the winners to be able to reproduce and to live longer on Mars.

My mom was my only family I had left, and I knew I would miss her a lot. But I also knew that the temperatures on earth were rising each and every day and conditions on earth were simply becoming more unlivable each and every second.

I decided that I was going to call my moms friend, who worked for one of the remaining train companies in the U.S. to see if she could help me.

On the call Ramona said that if I was at the train station tomorrow at 3:15 she would help sneak me on (my mom and I just don't have the money). That would mean I'd have to bike almost 4 hours! But anything was worth it if I got to leave this hell hole.

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Right when I woke up I began packing my bag. I had to pack lightly since I would be carrying everything. I packed 2 water bottles, a snack, a tank, and some shorts. Then, deciding not to be stupid, I ate the huge breakfast my mother made me. She shouldn't have done that though, we don't have food to waste.

When I was finished, I knew it was time to say my goodbye. "Mom.. I have to go..." (I really hated saying goodbye) "...Thank you for raising me to be a strong woman like you are."

"Oh sweetie." My mom said sobbing, "I love you so much. Be brave, smart, and strong. I believe in you." And then she gave me a huge hug. I hugged her back hard and wiped the tears forming in my eyes. I said my last words and walked out the door.

I hopped on my bike and looked back longingly. Wordlessly, I began to bike. While I was biking, I left my mind to wonder of what the competition would be like.

I wondered if I would meet any new friends. I wondered if the food would be good. "Actually, if the food wasn't good, I was walking straight out of there." I thought semi-jokingly.

After what had seemed hours, because it really was, I finally found the train station. To be honest, I had no idea how this place still ran. All I could see was a bunch or rust and rats.

Eww.

I looked at my watch, and it read 3:11. This barely even registered in my brain before I started to sprint. I just ditched my bike.  Hopefully I wouldn't need it coming home, because hopefully I wouldn't be going home.

Still sprinting, I reached the train station. I pulled open the rusty door, and it was packed inside. I guess other people had the same idea as me. They also had amped up security so it was going to be difficult to sneak on.

I decided to exit, and walk around back.

Ramona was standing there, but she didn't look happy. "Hi Ramona." I said cautiously.

"Hey kid." She said in a voice that made it obvious she smoked on the daily.

"So how am I going to sneak on this train?" I asked bluntly.

"Look kid, I can't help you. I helped someone sneak on earlier today, and they caught me. If I do it again I'll lose my job and you and I both know that, that can't happen."

I quickly uttered a goodbye and walked away. How was I going to get on the train now Ramona was my in! I couldn't afford (in multiple ways) to lose this train.

I walked all the way to the back, and I saw it. It was red and black, and it had also collected it's fair share of rust. I also saw a whole crew of security walking up.

If I could beat them to the train, maybe I could sneak on. The plan sucked but it was the only one I had.

I sprinted as hard as I could, but like I said the plan sucked and almost immediately a security man saw me and began to chase me down. I had literally no where to go. I reached the train before him and scrambled inside. People were looking at me strangely.

I pushed my way through crowds of people and found an empty compartment. I shut the door and let out a sigh of relief. A couple seconds later a girl, who looked to be my same age, with bleach blond hair opened the compartment breathlessly.

"Wtf did you think you doing!" I whispered. "Your going to lead security here!"

"I don't have money for a ticket, and I saw what you did so-"

She was cut short because a buff security man stomped in and the next thing I knew was I was being thrown in a cell with bleach blondie.

"What are you doing?" I screamed at the guard.

"My job."

"I have to get to the competition, please let me out!" Beach blondie and the guard stayed quiet. The train was leaving any minute and I knew I had to get out of train jail fast."

I did the first thing that came to mind. I threw my shoe at him. It hit him square in the chest. I hadn't thought of the repercussions of my action. "Uh oh." I scampered to the back of the cell. He looked furious but he didn't do anything.

"Look." Beach blondie whispered. I looked at her and she had the key on her finger. How on earth did she manage that? "Create a distraction." She whispered again.

I did the only thing I could think of and I threw my other shoe at him. This time he really wasn't happy. He walked up slowly to my end of the cell and spat at me. HE FUCKING SPIT ON ME.

Right at that moment, Beach Blondie opened the cell door. We both dashed out. As I was trying to run away, Guard Man snagged my arm and tried to pull me back. I bit his arm, looked back, and spat on him. Oh sweet revenge.

The train was about to depart. I sprinted as fast as my body would let me.

Beach Blondie leaped on gracefully. I followed, not so gracefully. We attempted to walk on casually so we wouldn't create attention to ourselves. We walked through the train as if we knew where we were going.

We walked back and opened the same compartment we sought refuge in earlier.

It was empty so, we both sat down. I looked down and my knee and it was all scraped up. I took out one of my water bottles and began chugging it.

After I was satisfied I closed my water bottle and put it in my bag. Then I gazed out the window.

Me and Beach blondie, who's name I later learned was Dylan, chatted a bit.

To my surprise, a voice came on the loud speaker.

We had arrived.