Chapter 9

The separation and the trip

 

There was anger and commotion, Guards were taking the children and announced that they would be reunited in another location.

 

Sharon was scared for her kids. She couldn’t do anything to stop what they were doing. She felt helpless.

 

Bert started to talk

 

“Everyone just let this happen. Things will all work out. You will see.”

 

He had a serious tone that indicated that maybe for now they needed to follow without any trouble.

 

Frank Mumbled under his breath,

 

“Right old man, keep telling yourself that.”

 

Frank was glaring and had a small smirk on his face. He didn’t care what was going on with them. It didn’t concern him. His eyes were constantly on Sharon.

 

Sharon noticed the glaring eyes on him. The color seemed odd to her. She was slightly uncomfortable with his constant staring. She was staring at him too just to see if he had stopped looking her way.

 

Jenny concerned about being separated from her son asked.

 

“You will not take my son away from me will you? I need to take care of him.

 

The guard looked at Jeremy and stated.

 

“He is in your care. We do not have the capability to care for him. He will go with your group.”

 

[On the Loud speaker]

 

“All groups will be escorted to buses and taken to the train station. You children will be reunited with you when you get to your destination.”

 

Sharon was now weeping and her kids were clinging to her clothes. Other parents were experiencing the same thing.

 

Lori wined,

 

“Mom I don’t want to go with them!”

 

Me either Mommy”

 

Lilly cried

 

Butterfly went and took both the girls by the hand and tried to soothe them. They had taken off the cuffs to move her. She could have run off but she looked at the girls and remembering her younger days how she felt alone and scared. She didn’t want them to have an experience like that.

 

Lori, Lilly I will be your sitter while you are away from your Mom. We will have a big adventure ok?” Butterfly piped up.

 

She felt like she had to protect them like a sister would.

 

There were a lot of crying kids and Butterfly pointed and said

 

“Look at that crybaby do you want to be like that?”

 

“No!” Sniffed Lori

 

Lilly still cried

 

You could tell the parents from the people who didn’t have children. They were just sitting limply leaning on things, moping and some comforting each other.

 

They were then ushered onto buses and a short ride to the train station.

 

They were told that they were taking them North toward the Canada border somewhere in the Dakota’s. No clear answer was given.

 

The passenger train was crowded. They were still kept in the groups that they were assigned.

 

Jenny started talking to Jeremy as she has always done,

 

“I hope you are enjoying this outing dear. You must be tired from all of this traveling. I know I am.”

 

 She smiled meekly, looked into his eyes as if to get a response. His eyes seemed moist.

 

She grabbed his liquid nutrition and pulled his head back and deposited it into his mouth and waited for it to drain into his stomach. Carefully making sure he would not drown in his food.

 

“There you go this should keep your energy up for a while longer.”

 

She really wasn’t prepared for a long stay so she didn’t give him what he normally would have taken in.

 

She went to a bathroom and soaked some water on a washcloth and carried it to him to bath him. She had to change him like a baby. He was a full-grown man. Jenny kept his hair long and she had it tied back out of his face. His dark hair was well past his shoulders.

 

Sharon watched as Jenny took care of him. He really was a handsome guy but he had no expression no movement it was just weird to her that he was still being taken care of by his mother.

 

When Jenny was finished she sat down next to Jeremy and Sharon said.

 

“What is wrong with Jeremy?”

 

Sharon looks at her happy to have someone to talk to.

 

“We really do not know. He has been to doctor after doctor. He was such an active kid and one day he just started to slow down and him movements stopped one day and then he lost the ability to talk. That is about the time his Dad left us. He was a good man but he was also very sensitive about everything. He just couldn’t handle the responsibility. I wasn’t there for him. I was only there for Jeremy.”

 

Rose was in the seat behind them she nodded at the conversation.

 

“I was really hurt when I found out that he had found another woman and started a new family. He gave us money but never his time or attention. I lost contact with him a few years ago.”

 

“I just left my husband yesterday,” Sharon replied

 

“He and I, well we just stopped…”

 

Tears started to well up in her eyes. She really did want things to work out but nothing really made sense anymore. 

 

She didn’t go on and Jenny didn’t press the conversation further.

 

Sharon turned to look out the window they were traveling through some beautiful terrain the mountains were rolling and the trees were starting to turn reading for fall. Everything was still pretty green but soon the leaves will be falling.

 

The train had been rolling along for several hours now. They went through a short tunnel carved in the mountain. Sharon felt relaxed and most of the others were sleeping.

 

Rose and Bert carried their conversation when they were awake.

 

“Look at that Bert, A deer!” Rose pointed “Oh! A family of them!” she excitedly whispered.

 

Bert said,

 

“That is so beautiful. We are lucky to see this.”

 

They talked back and forth just like they were taking a vacation. They both seemed pretty happy and didn’t take on the worries of the rest of the group.

 

Sharon was sitting back noticing all this going on. Then she felt this prickling feeling at the back of her neck. She slowly turned to look over her shoulder and Frank was staring hard at her. He was so intensely staring at her that it had taken her back for a minute.

 

His dark eyes glaring, there was much hate behind them; they softened a bit when she looked at him. He disturbed her yet he was so intriguing. There was something about him that drew her to him.

 

She refused to talk to him though. He was more scary than interesting.

 

A good amount of time had passed and there was a noticeable change in the altitude. They were traveling uphill. The air pressure plugged Sharon’s ears. She glances out the window and could see the train going into the side of the mountain through a tunnel but she couldn’t see the other side.

 

As her car entered the tunnel it became dark. A few seconds later a large explosion was heard and shrilly screeching noise was heard then another big bang. Everything was thrown forward. Sharon looked to the side and saw Jeremy’s wheel chair careened forward. It all seemed to go in slow motion. Debris flew and seats unhinged and hurtled forward with people still sitting in them with Screams and banging and then silence.

 

Eerily silent, no one knew exactly what had happened aside from the train crashing. It was dark. The train lights flickered faintly. They gave just enough light so you could barely see.

 

Rose and Bert were in the last seat in the train car. The impact didn’t seem to have hurt them.

 

Sharon was pinned under a chair. She noticed that Jeremy was next to her. He was just limply lying there. She couldn’t see where his wheel chair had gone. She reached over to his arm and checked his pulse. She saw a cut above his left eye. It was bleeding a lot. That last thing she remembered was worrying that he would bleed to death.

 

 

The next thing she knew she was looking up at Rose who was flushed, hurried, looking at her clucking about something that was unclear to her. Her head was aching and her leg was pinned by a seat. Probably the one she was seated in.

 

“Sharon? Are you alright dear? I’ll be right back”

 

Sharon tried to sit up but was unable to.

 

All of a sudden there was another blast. Sharon grabbed the person next to her out of fear.

Where she realized that she was safe she saw who she grabbed. It was Frank. He was unconscious.

 

His short blonde hair had dust and debris in it. His arms were solid and tight. Not bad to the touch. It was very dark in the car yet there was illumination, a glowing coming from the impressions on the arms and the eyes of passengers.

 

The car lights flickered and then came back on.  The only sound now was the whimpering and moaning of the injured. Rose continued to sooth and check on those in the car. She had a few bruises and a slight cut on her arm.

 

Bert was trying to get the car door opened he seemed fine just dusty and disheveled.

 

Rose had managed to get water from the bathroom, it was still functional. She had dampened some cloth and busied herself. She put Sharon to work after carefully examining her to make sure she was able to think clearly enough.

 

Her body ached from the impact.

 

Sharon was pulling debris off of people. She moved what she was able to one part of the train and people to the other part of the train.

 

She found Jeremy and grabbed him and labored pulling him up and dragged him to the place Rose had made for others that had been injured. Rose was gently dragging and placing each one carefully as to not hurt them further.

 

Jeremy seemed fine just some scratches here and there but she couldn’t know for certain. He was breathing and had a pulse. He was still not responsive as she had noticed long before they got on the train.

Sharon went back to where she had just moved Jeremy. Under him was his wheel chair and under his wheel chair was Jenny.

 

 

When she got to Jenny she was barely conscious. Sharon tried to move her and Jenny stopped her. Jenny’s words were soft but firm.

 

“You take care of Jeremy! Promise me!”

 

She grabbed Sharon’s shoulders and Sharon shocked at the statement said.

 

“Okay, I promise.”

 

Jenny releases her and a peaceful look overcame her. Sharon realized that would be Jenny’s last words. There was blood pooling around jenny’s peaceful form. Like a billowing aura.

 

“How am I going to tell Jeremy his mother is dead?” She whispered.

 

She went over to him. He had shoulder length dark brown hair. His mother had pulled it back and tied it to keep it out of his face. Seeing him now laying on the floor the hair no longer tied back strands covered part of this face. His eyes were wide open. His frame is long and slender his mother kept him in good condition. His muscles have been carefully moved each day and it showed.

 

“Jeremy, I see you are awake. I hope you can understand…. we had a crash. I am Sharon. I will be keeping an eye on you for a while.’

 

Sharon felt a little dumb talking to him because she didn’t know if he understood her. She stopped staring at him and went to help get more people from under the debris.

 

 

 

There were other people who were not hurt and collectively they were making the car more functional and gave it order.

 

Bert had been struggling with the door and another gentleman helped him and they finally got the door to open. He went into the tunnel so survey the damage and what caused the wreck.

 

Rose approached Sharon and pulled her away from the people who were conscious,

 

“There are about 12 people who are dead. We should probably move them out of the car. Are you feeling alright dear?”

 

Sharon obviously in a state of shock, nodded.

Now Sharon and Rose were a team pulling the dead from the train. They put the as close the tunnel wall as possible. It was really had to see and it was dusty.

 

A while had passed and Bert emerges and says in his burley voice.

 

“Everyone, we are trapped on both ends of the tunnel. I am looking for anyone who is strong enough to help injured people and also who may be able to move rocks and slate out of the way so we can get out of this tunnel.

 

Rose you stay here and get volunteers to help the injured.”

 

Rose still busy clucked that she was already doing that.

 

Bert left the car and other men followed him.

 

Sharon stayed with Rose to continue what they were doing.

 

During this time the guards that were supposed to get them to the unknown destination were having difficulty breathing.

 

There was little air and the ones that survived the crash were starting to panic. They sat still and tried not to breathe deeply and there was concern on their faces. In the tunnel, the men that were working on the rocks and pulling and digging the looser dirt from the rocks and slate, their arms started to glow brightly and their eyes did as well. None of these people had ever had this happen to them before. They were just normal as the next person. Some stopped to look at what was happening. One guard was working next to Bert and he was able to breathe really well. Bert realized that they needed to get the guards next to someone working in the dirt so their survival would be certain.

 

The guards were no longer in charge they were now in the care of these people that they were getting ready to destroy.

 

 

Sharon was dressing a cut on Frank’s leg after she put on the makeshift band aide she got a damp cloth and put it on his forehead. She got a closer look at him. He was a handsome man while he slept. The face wasn’t angry and pinched like when he was awake. She wondered what it would be like if he smiled.

 

She blushed when she noticed that he had come to and was looking at her with a confused look on his face.

 

He spoke groggily,

 

“Where am I?”

 

Sharon spoke softly.

“In a train.”

 

She didn’t have to offer any more information. She saw the anger creep into his face again. Odd thing happened when she saw him getting angry his pupils in his eyes started to glow red.

 

He eased himself up from the floor and when he realized that he wasn’t hurt too badly, he got up and walked angrily to the door and left.

 

Shortly after Frank left there was a rumbling noise and the ground shook. A few minutes after that a man rushed in that had occupied this train with them.

 

“Rose! Rose! Come quickly it’s Bert!”

 

The man’s voice was shrilly and worried and causes Rose to run. Sharon ran along with her.   There was a glowing at the end of the tunnel. The man was rushing Rose to a spot at the end. She was trying to explain what was going on why there was a noise.

 

“We were uncovering the tunnel from debris and they were moving it pretty fast. The more were worked the faster and easier it became. Then Bert moved this pretty big rock. He is pretty strong. The top of the tunnel caved in more, several people were hurt.

 Bert is trapped by a big boulder. He is asking for you Rose.”

 

When they got there it was obvious that the boulder crushed his lower body.

 

The man who brought Rose turned to Sharon and meekly said,

 

“We started to move the rock. It is easy to lift but blood was gushing. His isn’t going to live.”

 

He couldn’t even look at Rose who stood in shock for a moment.

 

Sharon noticed his pale skin and how very white it had become. She could tell that Rose noticed too.

 

Bert called quietly the burliness no longer evident.

 

“Rose.. My dear Rose. You are the love of my life. My reason for living… Now Honey? I have to leave you now. You have to remain here and educate these people.”

 

His breathing became labored.

 

“Take my hand Rose.”

 

Rose took Bert’s had and gently squeezed it, her eyes showing concern and sadness. They whisper to each other then Rose started to sob. Bert had left her.

There was blood seeping out from under the rock.

 

After a few minutes Sharon gently pulled Rose away from Bert and took her back to the train car. She noticed that Rose had grabbed some roots and was holding onto them. She gave Rose a place to sit. Roses eyes were glowing but they were glowing blue; unlike everyone else’s which had an orange like color. She wondered if emotions like sadness caused the color change. She couldn’t be sure she just now had noticed that.

 

Sharon worked at making sure everyone was okay. While later she noticed Rose had joined her.   She was giving the injured the roots she had grabbed. Jeremy laid still. Rose put some roots in his mouth and moved his mouth in chewing motion hoping he digests some of it.

 

Men started to come back to the car. The man that had alerted Rose to Bert being injured now whispered to her where they had place Bert. She left for a short while.

 

The men were tired and found places to rest their heads. Most of the car had been organized to where there were still seats to sit on but most of them had been removed so there would be a place to lay the wounded.

 

Sharon waited for Rose to reappear before laying down herself. She wanted to make sure Rose got some sleep. She had quickly fallen in love with Rose and just like her mother.

 

When Rose appeared she looked like she had been weeping but still kept her strength.

 

Sharon whispered as to not disturb anyone.

 

“Rose you need to lie down and rest. Come here I have made a place for you.”

 

Rose had some more roots in her hand and she had found a bag and had placed them in the bag.

 

When Sharon was sure Rose was lying down and resting she did the same and was soon asleep.

 

As she slept she was dreaming that she was running from a dark shadow. Just as she felt its icy grasp on her arm, she woke up.

 

After waking so abruptly she couldn’t go back to sleep and was feeling closed in and needed to get out of the train.

 

She stood up and quietly surveyed her surroundings. There were just a few people who were awake but everyone else looked asleep. Even Jeremy’s eyes were closed. Whether or not he was asleep she couldn’t tell. She stepped over a few people and she left the train.

 

As she walked she ran her had across the wall of the tunnel feeling the slates that were there to keep the tunnel up she could feel the coolness and the places where there was a seem where the slates connected and when the wall was no longer there she let the dirt go through her fingers. When the dirt touched her hand, she felt renewed energy and noticed her arms were glowing brighter. She took a deep breath and noted the smells in the tunnel. She could smell the greasy smell of the train and the dust in the air and a sweet aroma of sugar.

 

Sharon came to the place in the tunnel where she last saw Bert. They had longs since moved him. The boulder had been moved aside and other debris where they were working to free them. She didn’t know Bert very long but she really liked his brisk mannerism and matter of fact attitude. She worried about Rose. She and Bert had been together a long time. She hoped that Rose would stick around and become part of her life; since she didn’t know her parents. She had been placed in an orphanage and been raised there.

 

Sharon started to walk back to the car to rest. As she was walking, she felt that same icy feeling of her still vivid dream. She could swear she could hear other footsteps. She stopped to listen but could hear nothing.

 

“Maybe it is just and echo” she whispered to herself.

 

She turned and looked behind her as she was talking to herself. Then she started to walk again. She felt like someone was right behind her. She turned again. This time a steely had grabbed her and pushed her hard against the wall. A hand was over her mouth. Something protruding from the wall was jabbing her. All she could see was the slight glow from an arm and red glowing eyes.

 

He spoke in a gravelly angry tone.

“You think you are better than everyone else don’t you? You are not!”

 

His grip tightened on her skin his eyes started to turn to a purple color. He went on.

 

“I will have you and make you do as I want! Anything I want you will do for me!”

 

He loosened his grip and let go with one hand and was going to stroke her hair. Sharon kicked him in the groin and ran.

 

She heard him drop to the ground and swear profusely

 

When she got to the car she caught her breath and then got in. It startled Rose.

 

“Sharon honey, what’s the matter?”

 

Rose said in hushed tones. Her voice was quiet but you could hear the alarm in her voice.

 

Sharon’s reply was short.

 

“Someone attacked me in the tunnel!”

 

Rose patted her hand still looking concerned.

 

The car door opened and a disheveled Frank came in. He still had a stormy angry look on his face. He scowled at Rose and Sharon and walked with a slight limp. His eyes were glowing red.

 

At that moment Sharon knew it was Frank that attacked her. She quietly whispered her concerns to Rose.

 

“Sharon, you need to rest, let’s deal with this later.” Replied Rose

 

Sharon lay down and she rested and was waiting to make sure everyone was asleep. There was something she needed to check inside the tunnel.

 

When she felt that everyone was sleeping and it was safe to leave.

 She quietly got up and went to the place where Frank had grabbed her. She ran her hand along the wall as she walked. When she got to the place where he had grabbed her she felt up and down the walls trying to keep her arms near so she could see better.

 

She located a handle and could feel a seam that was definitely a door. She excitedly pulled on the door but it was stuck shut, probably from the explosions.

 

Hurriedly she ran back to the car to get Rose to help her open the door. She startled Rose awake.

 

“Rose, please Rose wake up.” She used hushed tones as to not wake up anyone. She especially didn’t want to wake up Frank. She wanted to get out of that tunnel before he hurt her.

 

“Rose I found something. We are going to take Jeremy with us.” She breathed excitedly,

“No time to stay and explain”

 

She grabbed Jeremy’s bag of things that his mother had brought. They both went to him and each took an arm and managed to quickly move him out of the car. Once out of the car it was more difficult as the adrenalin subsided. They had to stop several times. When they got to a space where there was loose soil Rose immediately rubbed the dirt into his hands and on his arms. The muscles in his arms jumped like and electric shock had occurred but only for a quick moment and then nothing else.

 

Sharon whispered while huffing and puffing. “I really wish that his chair had not been destroyed caring for Jeremy would have been easier.”

 

Rose replied and was equally winded, “It was a nice I think to do Sharon but why did you bring him?”

 

Sharon and Rose put Jeremy down again.

 

“I promised Jenny before she died. I promised her I would care for him.”

 

She sat with her head on her knees and then raised it slowly with look of sadness. She still had to let Jeremy know that his mother was dead. She really didn’t know if he will even understand what is going on. Or maybe he already knows.

 

They got back up and dragged him and then Sharon stopped. “It is here.” They dropped Jeremy to the ground again and Sharon grabbed Jeremy’s bag and pulled out a metal piece she had shoved in there before they left.

 

“Rose I found a door! I hope we can open it together. I just couldn’t get it opened.”

 

Rose was excited now as well.

 

“Well let’s see what we can do.”

 

 She grabbed some dirt and rubbed into her hands and her arms glowed and her eyes as well and grabbed Sharon’s hands and rubbed some on her as well. They were both glowing pretty brightly now. They could see the handle but something was odd.

 

The door was slightly opened.

 

“Rose, I think I might have opened it and didn’t realize it. I am glad we don’t have to struggle with it. Let’s try and see if we can fully open it.”

 

She grabbed the door and it wasn’t easy to open all the way but it opened enough for them to go into the hallway that the door had just revealed.

 

Inside the small hallway connected to a stairway. The air was stale and dusty. There were spider webs covering part of the entryway. Dirt was falling in some places from the blasts.

 

Jeremy was really hard to take up the stairs. Each time they stopped Rose went through the ritual of rubbing dirt into her hands and did the same for Jeremy. Each time something would twitch on him; this last time his face twitched. His eyes were wide open the whole time.

 

They got to a place and Sharon and Rose both had to put Jeremy down and move dirt. The stairway was partially blocked by loose dirt and some rocks.

 

Rose point at a spot close to the wall

“Sharon can you please pull as many of those roots hanging there as you can get your hands on?”

Sharon grabbed them as she was instructed but wasn’t sure why. Then she rubbed dirt in her hands and felt the energy in her body grow and she was moving the dirt quickly and soon they were able to see a light at the top of the stairs. It was a dim light but a light just the same.

 

Feeling winded again they had to put Jeremy down again.

 

Rose kind of giggled,

 

“I wonder how silly we look pulling Jeremy up these stairs. An old lady and a young lady struggling without asking for help from no one.” She snickered again then looked at Jeremy and patted his head. “Your suck a good kid”

 

Sharon wished she had not taken Jeremy. He was going to be a great burden on them. Her only thought now is to find her kid; and to get as far away from Frank as possible. She looked at Jeremy with a guilty conscious. How could she be having these thoughts? She prayed that someone was taking care of her children and keeping them safe.