Memories of Summer

[A Memory of Summer: Michael]

"Dear passengers, the train will be leaving in 20 minutes."

The car that belonged to the man that walked thru the doors of an old train station wouldn't be found until days later. The man had attentionally parked it in the farthest corner of the parking lot and paid extra money for it to stay longer. The man, you see, didn't want to leave any too obvious tracks about where he was going.

Just as Michael Reed walks thru the doors the voice of a younger woman is heard in the speakers.

Michael only has a smaller bag with him, he only packed the absolute necessaries. The clock is a little before five in the afternoon. It is Friday and the station is packed with people. Children are screaming for their mothers as they make their way through the crowds.

No one could possibly point out this man as someone who is leaving his family, could they?

It's obvious to see that a lot of people are leaving the town for the weekend. The town isn't big but still, most of the citizens prefer the countrysides where they can be absolutely sure there won't be any kind of disturbance.

That does not go for Michael Reed.

This man dreams of fame and beauty. The guitar bag on his shoulder speaks of a way bigger dream than what this small town has to offer. Every night he is standing on a big stage with girls screaming their lungs out for him as they try to get up on the stage.

The stage, the closest building to heaven to ever be built. His fingers bleed as they play over the strings and even though it hurts he can't make out the sense of pain behind the power of being superior.

"Dear passengers, the train will be leaving in 15 minutes."

On the inside of an oversized leather jacket lies a ticket. The single ticket is for Michael, the only thing could possibly cure his ache for a life he's not living. A life he can't have if he stays.

As Michael tries to make his way through the crowd he suddenly bumps into a woman in a pale summer dress and a child carried on her arm. A small sight of panic is shown on Michael's face as the woman stops before him, is he caught red-handed?

The woman turns around and apologetically smiles as she continues to walk. It wasn't Melanie, it wasn't his girlfriend and it wasn't his child.

He can still make it out of here without hurting them.

"Dear passengers, the train will be leaving in 10 minutes."

Michael quietly boards the train and find his seat. The seat is one of the cheaper green once as he couldn't afford anything too fancy. He sits down and from his back pocket, a note is found with what is supposed to form a lyrics scrambled down.

He takes out a pen from one of his other pockets and starts to write down some chords. As the train starts to get really full, the song that Michael imagines will be his big break is created.

He quietly starts to hum the song as he is closing out every other sound around him. Certain things for certain people are just so overpowering that it becomes an addiction they don't suffer from but that is a part of who they are.

"Dear passengers, the train will be leaving in 5 minutes."

The window Michael is sitting next to is facing the city he grew up in. Since the train station is on top of a hill he is basically looking down on everything he has ever known. His first school, the store he and his friends stole multiple candies form and the playground where he got his first kiss. The tree which he once crashed his car into, the supermarket he went to yesterday and... his house.

Michael doesn't look over his shoulder before pressing his soft fingers against the window. His fingers caress the red house in the distance as most of the people around him have found their seat.

He knows it very well, he can't help but wonder if the rest of the train also knows that he will never come back here. He will never live under the red house's roof and he will never breath the fresh countryside air again. He will either make it or he will die trying.

"This is the last warning signal to enter or to leave the train."

As the sun shines low on a late fuming summer sky, a single train is rolling away from a station of people waving it goodbye.

While some shred tears and even throw kisses to the people still standing on the platform, others can't wait to get away and never return. 

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Your dearest,

6th of April