7

“Rickey, Rickey get up.” I opened my eyes, the tall pine trees were still outside, the track had cut into the side of the mountain.

“What?” I groaned, I personally liked sleeping until the moon was gone and the sun was up.

“I think we might be stopping.”

“So?”

“So we can be seen in here or you know what’ll happen.” Of course I knew what would happen and was aching from when the guard had caught me.

“Maybe we’re just passing by.” I got up and looked out, far off in the distance I could just barely see city lights, “Fine but we still don’t know if we’re stopping.”

            He rolled his eyes. Suddenly the train veered east, almost throwing me out of the box car.

“What was that?” Shawn asked, he got up from his perch on a couple stacks of hay and came to the opening, the city lights faded and all we could see was the pine trees being lit by the moonlight.

“This isn’t right.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“We’re not headed for Arizona anymore, this thing is going to Colorado.”

“Are we going to stop before we get there?”

“No.”

“It’ll put a couple of extra days on the trip, no big deal.”

“No!” he started pacing around the tiny box car.

“Hey if there was anything to do I would do it.” Of course there was nothing to do to stop us.

            Shawn looked at me as if he were trying to put my words to use, “The river.”

“What.” I said flatly.

“We jump.”

“That’s insane!”

            Shawn peered out of the box car, “I see it!” he shouted over the hum of the track.

“We’re not going to jump out and die!”

“Listen-he stepped back into the car-you have to trust me.”

“How do you know we won’t die?”

“I don’t, but I’ve done this before.” I just stared at him, “Do you trust me?” the bridge drew closer I looked at Shawn and nodded.

            We were above the water now.

“JUMP!” he shouted, and I jumped.

            It was in the mid-air I had decided that Shawn was crazy.

            We splashed down into the icy cold water that was raging and seemed to be pulling me down. There were fallen trees that swung to one side of the bank to the other. The bank. I tried to swim to the bank but the cold water pulled me to the middle of the river. I scrambled to stay afloat as the water tugged me down. I saw a tree floating towards me, I held my breath and ducked under into the murky river, I couldn’t see and hit a giant rock and lost my breath, I swam up to the top gasping for breath and trying desperately to find something to help me stay at the top.

            I saw a tree that had fallen across the entire river bank, as the river pushed me towards it I slammed into it and held on for dear life as the water slammed against me. I clung to the tree and breathed trying to get ahold of myself. Then, slowly, I made my way to the bank still clinging to the tree. Once the water had lessened I let go of the tree and clawed onto the riverbank and lay there, in the wet dirt, gasping for breath.

            Once I had calmed down a bit I started to wonder where Shawn was. Maybe he got washed away that would be pleasanter maybe he’s on the other side of the bank this would be good or maybe he’s dead… that would also be good.

“Rickey!” a familiar voice shouted from a distance. Maybe he’s on the other side. “There you are.” He said looking over me.

            Too bad he hadn’t been washed down farther.

 

            We stomped through the thick underbrush soaking wet and freezing cold. Neither of us spoke to each other, I was too mad and Shawn wouldn’t give me an explanation. I led the way looking for a light or anything that indicated that we weren’t out in the middle of nowhere, which, we were.

            Branches from the pine trees would stick in our way scratching my face, and the roots would sprout up from the dirt and we would stumble over them. It was hard to see anything since it was still dark out and the treetops covered the moonlight.

            Suddenly the trees cleared and I fell down a small rocky slope.

“Rick? You okay?” Shawn called from the top.

“Hold on!” I shouted up. I sat up and tried to stand but a sharp pain stung my leg (I guess I’m REALLY good at getting hurt). I sat back down and looked at my leg, a five inch gash went down my calf it looked bad, but I could only feel it if I stood. It was bleeding badly, I could see the thick blood coat my torn up pant leg, it looked like black ink.

“Are you okay?” Shawn called down.

“No, I can’t stand up.”

            Shawn didn’t answer instead I heard rocks falling from the top, when I looked up Shawn was near the top trying to get down.

“Hey be careful.”

“Oh really now?” he loosened a bunch of rocks that fell on me, and Shawn was still only halfway to me, after the rocks had fallen he lost his balance and fell to the bottom of the rocks mostly on his face.

            He jumped up with his bloody face and walked to me, “What’s wrong?”

“I cut up my leg and can’t get up.” He studied the gash, “Just give me a hand.” I said.

“Don’t got any extras.” He took off his jacket and ripped a piece of his shirt into a long strip, “Look I’m sorry.” He said as he began to wrap up the gash.

“What was it?” I asked angrily, “What was it that made you jump from a train hundreds of feet into a raging river?”

            He was silent as he wrapped the shirt around my wound.

“Don’t you think I deserve to know?”

            Shawn sighed and tightened the knot over my gash (it was all I could do from to keep from screaming in pain).

“Guess you do?” he sat down next to me, “I used to live in Colorado with my brother David and my dad. He was infamous with everyone he met, a loud mouth, and abusive drunk. When I was 15 I decided I was gonna run. I was less smart about it than you were, I didn’t have anywhere to go, no one to go to. So I just went from town to town until I found a job or a place to stay, then I would get David.”

“What happened?”

“When I went back… David was… dead… I should have taken him with me…” he rubbed his hands on his jeans and breathed heavily.

“That doesn’t explain why we had to jump off a train, and you said you did it before.”

“We lived in the town this train would have stopped in my dad’s just a bit on the crazy side, he cornered me on the other side of the river while the train was on its way to Utah and I jumped. He thinks I’m dead so he stopped looking for me, I want to keep it that way.”

            I hesitated, “How did David-“

“Die?” he asked harshly, all I could do was nod, “My dad said it was a drug overdose, but I know it wasn’t, David wasn’t that kind of kid. Word on the street says it was my old man’s fault, I don’t know how though… I should have taken David with me, I shouldn’t have left him.”

            And it all became clear.