Hidden Riches

Chapter 16

I was on the subway with my family. It was Christmas Eve and we were going to spend Christmas with Aunt Chrissy.

I had a drawing of my family in my hand. I wanted to show Mommy and Daddy, but they said it could wait until we got there.

The train was coming to a stop. The loud screech hurt my ears.

"Stay with us, Hannah." Mommy said, taking my hand. "Hold on tight to my hand."

"Okay, Mommy."

The doors of the train quickly opened. A rough, cold wind blew, blowing my drawing from my hand and into the air.

"No!" I let go of Mommy's hand and ran after my picture.

"Hannah!" Mommy called out to me, but it was too late. Her and Daddy were caught in the crowd and they were forced off the train.

I ran after my drawing into another train car. I jumped for it, but slammed onto the ground.

My drawing lay below me. It was crushed and crumbled. The picture I had drawn of my family was ruined.

I heard another loud screech and the train began to move. "Hannah! Hannah!" My parents yelled for me. I could see them running through the window.

"Mommy! Daddy!" I yelled.

"We'll meet you at the next stop, okay honey?! Don't get off the train!" Mommy yelled. Soon I couldn't see them anymore because the train had gone into a tunnel.

I began to cry. I missed my Mommy and Daddy already. I wanted to get off the dumb subway and go home.

"Mommy... Daddy...please come back..." Those words didn't come from me. 

It came from a boy. He was crying. He was sitting in a yellow seat with a suitcase beside him. I couldn't see his face because he was crying into his hands.

I slowly walked over to him, holding my crumbled drawing. "Did you lose your mommy and daddy too?"

He stopped crying and looked up at me. Thin, dirty blonde hair was poking out from his beanie. He had big shiny blue eyes, which had tears flowing from them. Below one of his eyes was a big scratch mark.

"What?" He said, wiping away his tears.

"Did your mommy and daddy leave you too?" I repeated.

"Your Mommy and Daddy left you? Will they come back?" He asked me.

"Yes, at the next stop. Will your mommy and daddy be at the next stop too?"

He didn't say anything for a while. "How old are you?" He asked, jumping down from his seat so he was in front of me.

"I'm..." I began to count on my fingers. "Three... four...five...I'm five years old! How old are you?"

"Six. My mommy said that I would be living with Uncle Lex when I turned six. You're only five. Your Mommy and Daddy should be with you."

"They were but I lost my picture and I went to find it. I'll find them at the next stop." I said again.

"You're lucky. My parents aren't coming back for me."

"Why? Did they get on a different train?"

"No, Mommy sent me away so daddy wouldn't hit me anymore."

"Your daddy hits you?"

"Mhm." He pointed to the scratch.

I was silent. Daddy never hit me nor Mommy. Why would his daddy hit him?

"Is that your suitcase over there?" I pointed to the blue suitcase.

"Yes. It has a bunch of money it in. Uncle Lex told me that if anyone tried to touch it, I should scream."

"Do you?"

"Sometimes."

"This isn't your first train ride?"

"No. I used to live in California. I've been on a lot of trains for a long time, Bunny."

"What did you just call me?" I asked.

"Bunny." He shrugged.

"Why?"

"Because the puff on your hat looks like my bunny's tail. Her name was Charlotte."

"My name isn't Bunny. It's Hannah."

The door to the train car opened. A man who looked a lot like the boy came in. He looked at the empty seat. "Motherfucker-"

"Uncle Lex! Uncle Lex!" The boy ran to him.

The man's face lit up. He smiled. "There you are my boy! I thought I would have to look all over this big ass train for you." He nuzzled the boy's head. He giggled.

The man looked up at me and smiled. "Did you make a friend, LoLo?" He asked the boy.

"Yes! Yes! Her name is Bunny!"

"My name is Hannah!" I stomped. I didn't like that nickname. It was weird.

"Her hat looks like Charlotte's tail doesn't it, Uncle Lex?"

"Indeed it does. Now LoLo grab your suitcase. Our stop is coming up soon. Our house is ready now."

"Will Mommy and Daddy be there?" He said with hope in his eyes.

"Unfortunatley, No. Logan... I'm all you need now, okay? I will be your new Mom and Dad. Forget about them. You'd be better off if you did."

"But I don't want to forget." His hope was immediately taken over by sadness. His eyes filled with tears again.

"You have to, LoLo. Look at what your father did to you. You could've ended up in the hospital!" The man took the boy's face into his hands. "Please... trust when I say you are better off without them."

I heard that loud screech for the third time today. The train was stopping.

The door of the train opened. The passengers began to rush out.

I was about to go, but my hand was grabbed. "Little girl, where are your parents?" The man asked me.

"Mommy and Daddy are outside, sir!" I said and ran out of the train.

"Hannah!" I saw Daddy's face and I immediately ran to him. He swooped me up in his arms and held me to his chest. "Daddy!" I said.

"I'm so glad your safe, my precious little bunbun." He kissed my cheeks. "Now, let's hurry and go find your mother. She met up with Aunt Chrissy."

"Okay Daddy!"

Once we began to walk, I looked back to the boy and the man. They were walking in the other direction.

The man was holding the boy to his shoulder, with the suitcase in his other hand. I looked to the boy. He was staring at me with sadness in his eyes. He lifted his hand and waved to me.

I waved back and smiled at him. 

When we met up with Mommy, he disapeered from my field of vision and my mind as well.
...

I jolted awake. I was covered in sweat, breathing heavy.

"Mmm," Logan said in his sleep. His arm was around me, his head laying in the crook of my neck. I could feel his warm breath on my skin.

How did I get in here?

I looked up at Logan's face. He looked so peaceful. I pushed the strands of hair over his forehead away. He was so gorgeous. I wanted to kiss him and hug him, but I didn't want to wake him up.

I wonder...was he that boy on the train?

I wanted to ask him, but I doubt he'd remember.
************************************
Does LoLo remember after all?

Please vote and comment!

Sincerely, Heaven