Walking the Railroad Tracks

A Story by Olivia Marie

A short story, about a child's traumatizing experience with her closest friend.

We were so young then. You had blonde hair, and a huge smile. We used to spend every afternoon together; riding our bikes up and down the street. Daring each other to do something a little more difficult. More "thrilling" as you'd say.

When I would scream, you'd call me a chicken, and make me so mad, I'd end up doing it again to prove you wrong. You'd laugh at me when I stomped home, flushed and angry. I'd see you later, however, practicing you're tricks, and I'd pretend not to notice that you had to practice in order to do them. I didn't understand why though. Not till now.

We used to ride onto the trail behind your house. We weren't supposed to be there, so you always had to talk me into it. But once we were back there, we'd jump holes, race, laugh, and sing, until the sky began to turn tufts blue. Then we'd walk back, make sure no one was looking, and return to the street so I could ride home. You'd usually ride with me to my house, then turn around and head back in the direction of yours.

You claimed I couldn't go home on my own, that the dogs may attack me when I was alone. Of course, two people attracted the rottweilers faster then one, but I believed you. More importantly, I felt safer when you were there. I would have never admitted this to you though. I hated when you said I was acting like a girl.

Once you almost got me to eat a bug, but I chickened out, and you picked on me for weeks. And another time, we had been working on this one-wheeled-spin, and I did it before you could. You almost cried you were so mad. So I let you do the tricks first from them on. Even if your head grew to be about the size of a watermelon.

I bet you're up there laughing at me now. I'm being overly sentimental... But I am a girl, and that's not a bad thing. I still think about the accident; I still wonder what I could have done. How it should have been me...

It was your birthday. So we had ridden further into the forest then normal. Past our club house we had built back there, and past all the holes we'd ride up and down. Until we came to some abandoned train tracks, or at least, we had never seen trains pass through there. Sunflowers grew up the sides, and we only came here on special occasions.

We's leave our bikes by the trail, and walk along the train tracks in search of new treasures. For some unexplained reason there was always something cool laying somewhere out around the train tracks. Once we found a ring back there; silver with a single fire garnet in the center. You chose to let me keep it since I was a girl. I hangs from a sliver chain around my neck now, as a everyday reminder of you.

Anyway, we were walking across, and you were trying to explain photosynthesis to me. How the sun fed the flowers. You had just picked a sunflower and pushed it behind my ear. Then went back to the other side of the train tracks; both of us blushing a bright crimson shade. I asked you how long you thought the train tracks ran, and you shrugged. Guessing something close to fifty-thousand miles.

I laughed, and you looked at me funny, but we just kept walking. A couple minutes pass, and you throw a piece of grass at me. I push you, and before I know it, we're rolling around in the dirt, wrestling, and trying to hold the other one down. I almost have you pinned down, when you begin tickling me, and instantly I am defenseless. I look up at you, laughing and panting for air, and you're smiling at me. Looking victorious.

You role off, trying to catch your breathe too, starring up at the sky. After a couple minutes you help me up, and we begin to walk again. We walk for some time, and I find a couple coins, you find an action figure, when I see something that catches my eyes a couple feet from the tracks. I run over, and pick up a silver and gold telescope. It looks really old, but still in mint condition.

I hide it behind my back, and run up to you, smiling huge with excitement. You can tell I've found something awesome.

"What are you hiding tater-tot?"

You'd called me tater-tot as long as I could remember. We couldn't even remember why you started calling me that, just that you always had. I pulled out the telescope, and watched your eyes light up.
"Oh my gosh! That is so cool!" You're eyes where huge, as you looked in the small end. I watch you look around until you turn it toward me.

I smile, "Happy early Birthday." You had continued looking around again, and you snap it back to look at me. Without removing it from your face, your mouth hangs open.

"You're letting me keep it?" you ask in disbelief. I nod, laughing slightly. When you did something I will never forget. You pass across the rail road track in two steps to get to me, lean over, and kiss me. A peck on the lips, you hug me, and instantly turn away to continue looking through your telescope. However, I already saw that you were smiling like a Cheshire cat, the shade of a cherry tomato. I can feel my grin reaching my forehead; I turn forward, and I continue strolling down the tracks. After a while, we turn around to head back in the other direction. Once we're close to our bikes, we begin to gather leaves, and we make a palate on the tracks to lay on. Then we lay there, starring up at the clouds. Until we fall into silence looking up at it.

Eventually I pass out under the rays of the sun. I still don't know how long I must have been asleep, but you had gotten up at some point, apparently picking flowers, and putting them in a bouquet. Or at least that's what I assume from the pile of flowers laying on the ground near our bikes. I don't know what you must of thought when you saw the train sailing down the tracks.

I heard you scream my name, and I awoke, groggy, and confused. I look up, and a dark terrifying mass is shooting at me, I quickly stumble to get up, but it's too close, I can't get away in time. Till I feel your hands push me, and as I fall onto the ground of the opposite side of the track I turn in time to see your arms still falling from the push. Your eyes huge, and the train taking my childhood friend.

I don't remember much of what happened after that. Apparently I went into shock. I woke up in the hospital, family all around me, with tears streaming down their faces. I ask where you are, and their sobs just prove what I already knew. Beside the hospital bed lays a dented telescope. I turn from it, feeling my own tears fall down my face.

This happened exactly three years ago. Today you would have been sixteen. You died at thirteen years of age. I am barely a year younger then you. Here I stand looking down the railroad tracks. I always come here on your birthday, and whisper silently up to heaven.

I know you can hear me. I know you're there. I can feel it.

There is one cross beside the railroad track, I lay a sunflower beside it, and send you a silent kiss.

"With love, Tater-tot..."

© 2012 Olivia Marie

Author's Note

It's not very good, and I need some help on how to make it better.

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Reviews

Britt

omg, i had a feeling something like this would happpen. That's sad though. Really good story though. I enjoyed reading it. :)

Posted 11 Years Ago

11 Years Ago

Thank you :)

Drifter

This is very sad and has definite potential. There are some grammatical errors and misspellings (you're when it should be your) and I think you jumble tenses somewhat. Make sure you keep the memories in past tense. Nevertheless, it made me feel sad when I read it and THAT is always a good thing.