Devil's Train

Chapter 2.

"So, Jack. How did it go?" My mom asks, keeping her eyes fixed on the road in front of her.

"It was fine," I respond.

"Did you tell him about, you know... Your father?" My mom asks me hesitantly.

I glance at her, then look back at the road. I completely forgot about that. "No, I didn't. It didn't even cross my mind."

"Well, maybe you should."

"Why? He's dead," I protest in a dead tone.

It gets silent and I can tell that my mom is having a hard time trying not to cry.

"Jack, that's exactly why you should talk about him. That night was a horrible night for both of us. And I just want you to know that what you did couldn't be avoided," my mom explains.

"Yes it could have! I could have tried to fight him off until the police came! We could have ran to a neighbor's house! Anything!" I protest.

My mom glances at me, seeing how torn up I am about this. "I'm sorry, Jack. Let's just... Go home and I'll talk to your grandma about this."

I sigh, turning my gaze to look outside my window the rest of the car ride filled with an awkward silence.

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The sun shines high above the sky, beaming down on me as I lay down against the stacks of hay in the train. I have been riding this train for over an hour and God knows how far away from home I am, but I don't really care. I just want to relax and enjoy the rest of summer break.

I begin to stand up and sit on a hay stack until, suddenly, a boy about my age pops up out of nowhere.

He's wearing a dark grey hoodie and black ripped skinny jeans. His hood hides his hair, but I can still see his crystal blue eyes shining against his dark, caramel face. The boy's eyes bore into me uncomfortably.

"H-hi...," I say shyly. "Um, am I bothering you or something? Do you... Want me to leave, or..."

The boy clears his throat and sits next to me, not answering my question. "I go here a lot, but I don't want you to leave. Quite the opposite actually."

"You must be mistaken," I tell him. "I come to these train tracks every day and I've never seen you around before."

The boy smirks at me. But it's more like a grin of mischief. I'm not sure what to do or even think. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his dark grey hoodie and stares into my eyes darkly. And suddenly, bright blue eyes turn pure black and I'm gasping and backing away from him in fear.

"I watch you come to these train tracks every day. Your pictures are amazing," the boy compliments simply. "Every time I try to make a friend, they run away... But you didn't! So now I have a deal for you." He sticks out his hand in a welcoming manner and smiles at me. "Do you want to be friends?"

I know that I should say no. I should turn around and run home and never come back here again. But I can't help it. These train tracks are where I go to get away from everyone and everything. I go here when I need time alone. And somehow, this boy gives me a strong feeling of familiarity.

I take the boy's hand in mine shakily. His eyes go back to a crystal blue and he looks surprised.

"You accept?" He asks me.

"Y-yeah... I guess so," I tell him.

The boy seems to look into my eyes, searching for some kind of lie. "I'm a demon!" He hisses, eyes turning black again as he takes off his hood to reveal a pair of short, black horns and a long pointed tail is revealed from behind him.