Elusion

Chapter 18

In between hearing more stories about the horrors of the Farm and Paradise, we all practiced how we would mount the moving train-grab onto the railing and hoist ourselves up. The problem was none of us had ever done this before, like a bunch of people discussing how to fly an airplane without a single one of us ever having logged a minute in the cockpit. I grew bored of the discussion, knowing we'd all just have to figure it out when the time came-and hope we all boarded without any problems.

Early afternoon gave way to late afternoon and then evening. Not a single train had gone in or out of Lone Star. We wondered just how long we would have to wait.

Once the sun dipped beyond the horizon, the temperature began to drop. I mentioned that a fire would be nice. Ryker retorted that a supersonic private jet right now would also be nice-and neither was going to happen. His sardonic comeback annoyed me for a moment. I welcomed sarcasm most of the time. But I was tired and cold and hungry-three things guaranteed to turn me into a female version of an angry big foot.

I grabbed his hair and yanked his head back. He let out a scream.

"No need for the attitude."

I let go of his hair and he nodded.

About two hours after sundown, I gave up hoping that a train was going to roll into Lone Star that night. We'd just have to wait tomorrow, too. The full moon shone bright on our otherwise dark campground.

I was almost asleep when I heard the train engine roaring in the distance followed by a trio of horn blasts. A train was headed our way.

We all stood straight up and began discussing the order we determined by drawing straws. The shortest straw was the loser. Jags would go first, then Phillip, followed by Ryker. I was last. The order didn't much matter to me. But I figured it couldn't hurt to watch three people try to get on before me. I might learn enough to make my train hopping experience a smooth one.

The plan was to get on board somehow and then find an empty car we could hide in. Once we entered Lone Star, we were to jump out at the closest viable spot when the train horn sounded again. We determined this was the best way to stay together-or as close as possible.

We all stretched and limbered up like we were going to be running in a race. I found it all quite comical. Jags was about as limber as a steel chest. Though he was athletic, Jags' attempt at stretching was nothing short of a comedy act.

"Are you stretching or about to take a nap?" I asked.

He sneered at me but I smiled back. Anything to lighten the mood. This was a serious endeavor, one that could make or break us.

We waited for several minutes before the ground around us began rumbling. Before we knew it, the train wound around the bend and roared toward us. Jags took off running.

He ran parallel with the train and let the first half dozen cars pass before he got up the nerve to grab a ladder attached to one of the cars. The train jerked his arms straight out, and his legs flew off the ground as he struggled to pull himself up. It took only a few seconds but it seemed like minutes. Once he was clearly secure, he signaled a thumbs up to us-a signal that was barely visible in the moonlight.

Phillip and Ryker followed suit, both fighting to grab hold of the iron ladders welded to the side of the train. Then it was my turn.

The train chugged its way past me, seeming more ominous than ever. Everyone was gone, whisked on board by brute strength and sheer determination. Now it was just me, standing alone in the moonlight. I started to run.

Despite hitting full stride within ten seconds, I watched one car after another pass me by. I looked back to see my worst nightmare: the caboose.

If I was going to grab hold and hoist myself on board, it was now. The caboose was only two cars away.

I edged closer to the train before attempting to grab the ladder on the next-to-last car. For a moment, I thought I had it, but then my hand slipped and fell off.

Only one car left. I reached down as I ran and grabbed a handful of dust and dirt, rubbing my hands together to get a better grip. I looked back. This was my last chance. I lunged for the railing on the back end of the caboose-instead of slipping this time, my grip was sure. I held on for all I was worth. I attempted to jump onto the platform and my feet flew out from underneath me. I'm not sure how fast the train was going, but it seemed fast to me. I wriggled a bit as I tried to get my feet onto the platform extending just beyond the door of the caboose. It felt like minutes, but it was probably only a few seconds before I managed to maneuver my feet closer and get them onto something solid. I readjusted my hands and pulled myself over the railing and onto the platform. I heaved a sigh of relief. I had made it.

I peered around the side of the train, looking up the tracks. Lone Star was still a few miles ahead.

The horn blared into the night, making me jump.

Then the door at the back of the caboose flung open. A man carrying a big crowbar stepped out onto the platform.

"Hey, kid. What are you doing back here?"

I shrugged-and then he swung at me with his crowbar.