Midnight Train (Working Title)

Chapter One

It was a dreary March afternoon and Leo was peddling hard. The sky was overcast and grey, a cool wind blowing across him that proved the second sign for upcoming rain. Neither the dark sky nor the cold breeze was a match for the absolute melancholy eating Leo up from the inside, but he would have welcomed the rain to at least disguise the tears welling up in his eyes and quickly threatening to overflow.

Against all his better judgment and rational thinking, his heart on the line, he'd made the biggest mistake of his entire life. Now all he could do was try to get as far away from it as fast as he could. Away from his school, away from what he'd done, and the hardest person it was to get away from: himself.

He didn't even know where he was riding to on his bike. The cutoff street to Will and Lucia's was coming up, but he didn't want to go home. They'd see him crying and ask him what was wrong, whether it was something he wanted to talk about or not. He practically knocked a woman down on the sidewalk, something he normally would've stopped and apologized, but he kept speeding on as she shouted behind him. Will and Lucia would definitely chew him out if they found out about that, and they always seemed to find out about everything he did. They'd probably find out about that too, but even though he'd deserve it he didn't care.

The clouds finally released as he neared the next intersection, though he didn't realize he'd already reached it. The events of the day had been on an endless loop in his mind that his current surroundings couldn't break through. He'd only realized he'd gone over the edge of the sidewalk by the falling bump that sent a slight vibration through his body. It brought Leo back to his senses just long enough to see the twin pair of lights burst out from the side street. They were upon him before he could even react, or respond, or even understand what was happening.

He fell into a deep, impenetrable darkness that consumed and smothered his thoughts in an almost welcome release of nothingness.

Leo started coming to in a haze, his head spinning like a top; it's a good thing his eyes were still squeezed shut, otherwise he might have already vomited. He didn't know where he was or what just happened. He was on his bike peddling hard and fast, trying to outrun the world and everything in it, then there was a light—or two lights—that shot out from around the corner. Now he was on the cold hard ground. Wherever he was, there was an odd repeating clacking noise. It sounded like a train but smelled like... a thrift store?

What happened to me...?

"What're you doing back here?"

... And who was that?

"Come on now, wake up."

Leo could feel something nudging him as he slowly drew back to consciousness. His eyes blinked open and he found himself looking up at a deathly pale, haggard man gently kicking him with a black leather shoe. His eyes widened and locked with the man's, who just stared back down at him. The man's shirt and face were drenched in sweat, a miffed frown breaking through the perpetual weariness.

"What're you doing back here?" the man repeated.

He didn't know who that guy was, but if there was a single thing Leo knew, it's that sweaty weirdos lurking over you was something to be avoided at all times. He bolted up away from the stranger, only to slam his head against the bottom of a low-hanging cabinet. He collapsed back to the floor, and an annoyed "Oh come on, not ag..." was the last thing he heard before slipping into darkness once again.

Leo wasn't sure how long he was unconscious for—again—but it was abruptly ended by a quick slap across the face. He bolted awake again, looking around in all directions as the stranger stood up. He'd never actually been on a train before, but he'd seen Will watching enough westerns to recognize the inside of a train compartment. That particular one was full of baggage, suitcases and duffel bags and all sorts of things, some looking like what were in his closet and some looking like they belonged in an antique shop. Leo figured that's probably what smelt like a thrift shop.