Walter

BOXCARS

Walter sure liked Morty and he was eager to tell Michael all about him once he got to school. He hoped that he'd get there in time, but his thought s still remained with his new friend. Thoughts of the possible games they could play crept into his mind, distracting him, making the long walk to school feel effortless.

Before he knew it he was almost halfway to school, but now it would seem that he would have to make a choice.

He stood in front of a large fence that stretched in each direction for at least a mile. Shrubs and hedges lined its entire length. Some twenty feet away, the top of a shed's roof could be seen. Beyond the shed an unknown number of railway tracks lay stretched out before reaching the railway station and boarding platform.

From what he could recall, the bus usually went left and then used the bridge that spanned over the tracks to get to school. In the distance to his right another bridge could be seen. He wondered if going in that direction would be faster.

A third option was available to him as he knew this spot. Just behind the shed there has a small gap in the fence and it was just big enough for him to crawl through. He would have to make sure he wasn't seen once on the other side. He remembered the last time he'd been here with Michael. They'd almost gotten caught by one of the railway workers, had it not been for a hobo wandering around the tracks. This time, he'd make sure no one was around.

He figured that if he made his way across the tracks and past the railway station undetected, he could make back some lost time.

As he made his way to the hole in the fence, he noticed it looked larger than the last time he was here. It looked like a few dogs had helped make the hole a little larger.

This'll make thing easier, he thought.

He took his bag off and pushed it under the fence. Using the extra space the dogs had dug, he maneuvered himself through the gap. The bushes and undergrowth seemed to get bigger every time he came here. But that would make it harder for the railway workers to spot him.

Looking around, he made sure no one was within sight.

Now seems like a good time, he thought to himself and started to make his way across the tracks. He ran steadily across track after track, as fast as his little legs could take him.

He'd made it to the first set of railway cars and slowly looked around to make sure there was no one. The sound of a whistle blowing made him jump.

"I should duck under the boxcar, look around and see what's going on," he said to himself.

Another whistle could be heard in the distance. He hears the clanking of metal and a train in the yard started to slowly pull away, dragging the cars behind it. But it's a train that is far ahead in the yard. That means no one is around, they'll all be near that train, not his.

Walter sighs, a brief relief. But a relief brief indeed as another whistle sounds, this time much closer than the last. Looking around, he wonders what's going on.

Another train brings itself to life. The sounds of metal scrapping, chains rattling and cars clanking back and forth against one another are heard as the engine starts to pull away. The boxcars whine against the pull that draws them away from their restful perch, not wanting to move, content to remain basking under the sun. But move they do, even under the sounds of their own protest.

Hiding under one of the cars and preoccupied with all the sights and sounds of the yard, Walter fails to notice that the cars, intent on remaining still in the comforts that were afforded them were slowly starting to move towards some unknown destination.