Midnight Train

Chapter 8

"So, did you go on that date?" my son asks, his head laying back down on James's legs.

"Well, it wasn't that simple," I say. "There was a lot more going on than just a date between me and your Dad."

"Did something else happen?" Bex asks, curiosity lighting up her eyes.

"There never was a quiet moment when I was dating your Mom." James shakes his head, though a smile is plain on his face.

"Take the following night for example," I say, reminiscing.

"Did something happen?" my son pipes up.

"You could say that. The following day, I watched the area around the house. There weren't any cops in sight. I stayed there all day, sitting by my window, making sure. None in sight. About 7:30, I texted James to meet me on the train. As the night wore on, my parents went to bed a tick after 11:00. I climbed out my window again, complete with everything that I had taken with me previously."

"When I started walking, I got the distinct feeling I was being watched. I threw a glance over my shoulder, but didn't see anything. As I kept walking, I heard a car pull out and start toward me. Turning my head again, I saw a police car. Seeing that sent adrenaline pumping through my veins. I wasn't going back. At least not yet. I started sprinting in the opposite direction, which happened to be the direction of the train station. I ran into the woods by the roads, dodging between trees. Often, I could see the shine of high beam headlights cutting in between the trunks."

"When I got to the train station, I sprinted inside, slamming down my money for a ticket. The ticket master tried to make conversation, but all attempts were thwarted when I bolted away as soon as the ticket was in my grasp. I threw a glance over my shoulder and saw several officers chasing after me. Lucky  for me, the station was crowded. Hopefully I could get lost in the crowd."

"I jumped on the train, glad that I didn't see anyone behind me. As I sat down in my seat, I felt the jerk as the steam engine pulled away from the station. I let out a sigh of relief. I had made it. That's what I thought until I felt a hand tightly grasp my shoulder."

The kids all let out a collective gasp. I guess they had caught on.

"When I looked up, there was one of the police officers I had tried so desperately to avoid. Actually there were several. One demanded that the conductor stop the train while another tried to pull me out of my seat by the arm. During the confusion, I saw James walk in. I shot him a panicked look that screamed 'red-alert'. He got the message and stayed far away from me."

"I had to," my handsome husband defends himself. "If I tried to help you, they would have arrested me!"

"And that is why I'm so glad you did stay away." I smile at James, those beautiful blue eyes captivating my own (e/c) ones. "I wouldn't be able to bear the guilt of getting your handsome face arrested." I smirk at him and we both lean in for a kiss.

"No PDA!" Bex exclaims. We both pull away after her outburst, startled. "After that, what happened next?"

"The cops pulled me off the train, once it stopped of course, and we started trekking back to the train station and their cars. They didn't cuff me, luckily, because they were just helping my parents who were 'concerned for my safety'. What a fat bag of lies. Not long after, we got to the cars and we piled in, me in the back. I knew something awful was going to happen when I got home. I knew it would be useless to try convincing these cops about the bag of cats that were my parents. So, I did the next best thing. I pulled out my phone."

"What did you do?" Bex pipes up, her eyes open wide.

"I recorded the entire exchange. When the cops pulled up to the house, I had my phone on the camera. My finger was hovering over the record button. As soon as my parents opened the door, I started recording. They started by thanking the officers and charming them with their intense praise and kindness for saving their beloved daughter. All that dropped the second the door shut. They started yelling at me, threatening to not give me any food and keeping me locked in my room for two weeks. That was when the slap occurred, right across my face."

That left everyone staring at me. My hand rests on my cheek, remembering the sting of that slap. James's gaze is filled with sorrow. It must hurt him, reliving these old memories. He leans across the gap between the seats and, removes my hand, and plants a quick kiss on my cheek.

"It knocked me to the floor with enough force that would have sent my phone flying. Lucky for me, it was tightly grasped in my hand. I stared in shock as to what just happened. Shock resonated on both of their faces as well. I guess physical violence wasn't acceptable, even for them. Seizing the moment, I scrambled up off the floor and sprinted out the door."

"I didn't stop running, my brain torn between thinking about what had just happened and desperately trying to remove it from my memory. I didn't stop until I was far away from my home. I had gotten myself lost. Now that I'd run away again, the cops were sure to look forme again. Suddenly remembering the phone in my hand, I made a split second decision and decided to call the one person who could help me.

"Who did you call?" Sam asks, both he and his older sister staring mouths agape.

"Your father."