Across the Railroad Tracks

Chapter 8

“Are we there yet!?” Jane whined as she dragged along.

“Nope.” I said as I rested my chin onto of Riley’s head. She groaned and I hopped off Rileys back. I started walking next to her and I saw my parents shack. My face became blank of expression. When I saw the flashing lights of police cars my eyes widened and I darted away from everyone. I heard the others running after me and yelling for me to come back. I ignored them and kept running. As I got closer I saw an ambulance as well.

‘What the hell happened?’ I thought and continued running. I was stopped when I was a few feet away from the door.

“Ms you need to keep your distance.” I looked up at him with tears in my eyes and I looked over and saw my dad being put in the back of a squad car. I ran towards him and when the door was closed I knocked on the window and he looked at me. I saw anger and regret in his eyes.

“Dad what did you do!?” I yelled. He looked down and I rested my fists on the windows. A tear slide down my cheek and the car drove off. I saw my mother being wheeled into the ambulance. She turned her head towards me and her eyes closed. The door closed and the ambulance drove off. I fell to my knees with tears in my eyes. After a few minutes I stood up and wiped the tears off my face. I tooled a deep breath and walked back to everyone.

“What’s wrong?” Riley asked but I walked past al of them and continued to the rail yard. They tried to get me to talk to them the whole way but I ignored them. I walked up to the midnight train and hopped on. They hopped on with Riley in front of me facing me and Jane behind me. Riley was about to talk when the train lurched forward and took off. I closed my eyes. The cold crisp night air and the smell of Riley’s cologne entered my nose and I smiled. I opened my eyes and I noticed that my head was turned towards the night sky. The tree limbs passed above us in a blur and all sound disappeared.I looked forward and saw my grandma’s fence coming up ahead. I got ready to jump as the train whizzed by. The others copied me and I jumped, tucked and rolled.

“Did we all make it?” I asked as I stood up. I saw Mason, Noah and Riley brushing off there jeans. I saw Jane on the ground. I ran over and checked to see if she was breathing. I heard her snore once I placed my head on he chest and I sat up. I laughed quietly and Noah picked her up and put her over his shoulder.

“We should head back.”

*****

The next morning I woke up before sunrise and used Jane’s phone to call a cab. I went into the kitchen, wrote a note for everyone and went out the door. The cold air hit my face. I didn’t bother grabbing a jacket. The cab pulled up and I told him which hospital to go to since I called last night to see where my mother was taken. I looked out the window and watched the building and trees pass by with the sun rising on the horizon. The taxi dropped me off and I stood in front of the building that my mother was in. I walked in and went up to the desk.

“Excuse me what room is Amber Collins being held in?” I asked the sleepy nurse and she typed a few keys on her keyboard and wrote down something on a posit note. She handed it to me and I took it. Room 227. I went into the elevator and when I got to the second floor I walked as quickly I could without being yelled at for running. I went into the room and saw my mom laying in bed watching tv. Her head was wrapped along with her arms. She looked at me and smiled. Tears welled up in my eyes and I rushed ver to give her a hug.

“You’re alive.” I said with relief in my voice I felt her nod and we pulled apart. She grabbed a board and started writing. I looked at her in confusion. She turned the board around slowly and it showed a message in her beautiful hand writing I haven’t seen in years.

‘I can’t speak. Your father stabbed my throat.’ I froze and looked at her.

*****

I left after hearing the news from the doctor I left the hospital. My dad had gone ballistic according to the doctor. She had multiple stab wounds all over her body and enough in the legs to where it is hard to walk. She was stabbed in the neck once and her vocal chords were damaged. She would have to stay at the hospitals for a few days. My aunt agreed to take her in when she got out. My grandma’s car pulled up and I just walked up and climbed in the back, curled up and cried into my knees silently. After a minute my grandma drove off.

“I’m going to drop you off at home then I’m going back to the hospital for a couple hours.” I nodded and she pulled into the driveway a few minutes later. I got out of the car, went in, ran through the house to the back yard where everyone was. They all looked at me but I ignored them with tears in my eyes and jumped the fence and just ran for the tree house. When I got to the tree house I climbed up the ladder and saw a hobo looking at the lantern that I left in one of the corners.

“Out Frank!” I yelled and he scrambled and climbed down the ladder. I picked up the ladder so no one would bother me and I grabbed the air freshener that I use whenever Frank comes in here. I used it, put the can in the backpack and climbed into the sleeping bag after shaking it out. After a few minutes of laying there I heard Jane, Riley and the others.

“Lilly are you in there!?” Jane yelled up.

“Go away!” I yelled and just laid there. I heard some grunts and after a few minutes I heard footsteps.

“Lilly?” I heard Riley ask.

“Just go away.” I said and I felt his hand wipe a tear off my cheek. I turned over and looked at him.

“What’s wrong?” Riley asked softly. Suddenly the image of him and Jane leaving me played when he wiped another tear from my cheek.

“You know when I ran up to the crime scene last night,” He nodded, ”Well that was my dad being put in the police car…and that was my mom being put in the ambulance. I went this morning to visit her.” I told him about her condition. He was frozen.

“It’s not like any of you guys care about it. You and Jane will just leave me when I need you two the most.” He looked at me confused.

“Just…forget it. It was a daydream I had the day I met you two. I just want to be alone.” He shook is head and took my hand in his.

“Being alone won’t help with the grief. Come on.” He helped me up and I put down the ladder. I climbed down slowly. When I was down I stared at the ground with my hands in my pockets. When Riley was down he explained everything to them.

“Wow…” Mason said and a tear slide down my face. I wiped it away and looked up.

“L-let’s just go back.” I said and we walked back to my grandma’s house.

“How about we go to the movies? I’ve been wanting to see the best of me.” Jane said as we got inside I shrugged.

“Sure…let’s go.” I said and walked towards the front door. When we got inside we headed towards Riley’s car. I got in the passengers seat with Riley in the from and the others in the back.

When Riley put one of his hands on the consul…I grabbed it and held it tight.