I Got On The Wrong Train

Promise Me

It ended with a text message, such a simple thing, yet it had so much power when it was all done, and over with. It had been a day where they had been talking about the next time they would see each other, so excited to hold each other. 

This couple was one that everyone around them knew, family members had joked of a wedding in their future, of how many children they would have together. But none of this would happen, and jokes that they once were embarrassed by, he wished they had come true. He read it over, and over again. 

"You can go to sleep, I'll still be here when you wake up. " A heart fallowing the sweet thought. 

He had thrown his fist through a wall when he heard the news, it was early the next morning, his mother was on the phone. Still half asleep he asked her what was wrong when she hung up. Tears falling down her face she wrapped her arms around him. 

Now worried, he asked again, that was when he learned the news. An accident, when she was going home on the train, it was straight out of a movie; but there wasn't a hero to save her. 

"I'm sleepy, but I'm talking to the best person in my life." His message was sweet, and I could imagine his little smile looking down at his screen. 

"You have school in the morning, I don't want you falling asleep in class because of me. Go to bed, I'll be fine, I've taken the train before." I sent him as I felt the car shake on the rails, odd, but I put that thought aside. 

"Alright, I'll go to sleep, just promise me you'll get home safe, it'll be late when you get into the station." 

"I'll be fine, and I'll still be here when you wake up. Don't worry about me, get some sleep." I knew he'd probably try his best to stay up all night if I let him, and he was falling asleep during our video call. 

"Alright, I love you, I'll text you tomorrow." I didn't have time to send him a response, the train started shaking, I looked out the window. We were gaining speed, we weren't supposed to do that, before I knew it crew members were running up, and down the aisle. Soon panic set in, we were about to crash, our brakes had stopped working, and there was an other train coming our way. Someone had forgot to switch the tracks, we were barreling towards doom. 

I sat in my seat, trying to see how far away we were, I looked at my phone one last time. Tears falling onto the screen, underneath them I had pulled up a picture of his smiling face. My world would keep on turning, even if it seemed like I would be leaving him. 

"Have sweet dreams for me, I love you..." I whispered as I held the cold piece of plastic to my chest. I held my knees up to myself as I held my eyes shut. Impact, I felt it throw me around, but to where I have no idea. I remember the sound of the window exploding next to me, it went black. 

Before I knew it there were lights flashing in the vast blackness of it all. Someone talking to me, telling me it was going to be alright. I listened to his voice along with the sirens, I was fully awake by the time I entered the hospital. Once in the emergency room, I had only one thing on my mind. 

"I need a piece of paper, and a pen... Please, I need to let someone know something." The doctor looked at me, he knew I knew that I wasn't going to make it. I couldn't feel my legs anymore, and even if they fed medication into me, I still felt the pain. 

So, I spent the night writing a letter to him, a nurse brought me an envelope, and I finally wrote his mailing address on the front. 

"Can you--" I asked as she put a hand up. She was a bigger set woman. 

"Child, you save that breath of yours. I'll put it through the mail for you, you don't have to worry." Her voice was sweet, I pictured her singing gospel hymens with her local church, it was so soft. I handed her the letter, and as my grip let it go, I caught the doctor rushing over from the foot of the bed. My vision went fast then, the last thing I heard was yelling.