Down The Train Tracks *Jason McCann*

Down The Train Tracks. ~Ch.4 ["She was completely dead."]

Jason.

Once she blew me that kiss, I knew I had to save her. The chances weren’t in my favour, what with her being a few feet away and me having two seconds to reach her, I just knew I had to. I didn’t go to that much trouble just to have her die now.

I ran faster than I ever have before. I’ve had to run to save a life plenty of times, but it’s always been to save mine. This is the first time I’ve had to run to save someone else’s.  Run Jason, run faster.

Boom.

Crash.

I ran, and as if I were playing football, I tackled her and we both went down. I ran with my head down, crouched in position; ready. My shoulder violently struck her stomach which would be painful enough, and then we both fell down on the ground full of dirt. Me, of course, crashing down on top of her.

Both me hitting her stomach and landing on top of her would be very painful for the average person, but this girl wasn’t average. She was frail and thin, fragile. I searched my mind for the most accurate word to describe her...

Emaciated.

“Why? Why did you do that?!” She yelled loudly. “I was content with dying, and you ruined it! I wanted to die!” This was the first time I heard her speak louder than a whisper. Then she sobbed out of sadness, and whimpered out of pain. Pain of course, caused by me still being on top of her.

I pushed myself up with my hands and stood up. Looking down at her rolling on the ground, she curled up in a foetal position. Burying her face in her hands, she screamed into her palms and then came the hysterical cries.

“I want to die! Why can’t everyone just let me die!”  I looked down at her intently, carefully observing her every move.

I put my hand out for her to grab so I could pull her up. I cleared my throat, causing her to peek through her fingers. She took her hands down from her face and stretched out her legs, so now she was in a laying position. This was obviously her way of refusing my offer to help her up.

I rolled my eyes. “If you stay lying on that ground, your clothes are going to be destroyed from the dried in muck. They’ll get all dusty and stained.” I stated, completely ignoring what she had said.

She took a breath in. “You’re not my mother.”

“Thank God for that.” I muttered to myself, not aware that it was loud enough for her to hear until it was too late. “Look, can you please just get up? You’re being childish.”

“I’m not going back there.”

“That’s not your choice.” I said calmly.

She sat up violently. “Yes it is my fucking choice! It’s my life; I’m in control of it. I can do what I want!”

“Oh great, she’s yelling again.” I did not mean to say that out loud.

She rolled her eyes, and lay back down. Except this time, she turned on her side making sure her back was to me.

“I’m waiting here until another train comes.”

“That’s going to take hours.” I said.

“I’m waiting here until another train comes.” She repeated, talking through gritted teeth.

I gave up, sitting back down on the ground making sure I was a few feet away from her.

After an hour of sitting in silence, she hadn’t even flinched. I know this because my eyes have been fixed on nothing but her this whole time. I knew after what I was assuming was half an hour that she has fallen asleep because her tense muscles relaxed.