A Journey Home, Ch.2

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Chapter 2

~The Oak Tree~

It has now been two weeks since I left home, and I've been traveling by railway the whole time. As I sat atop the train, I began to see the break of day as a sunrise began to emerge. I stretched and gathered my tattered bag, preparing to hop off the train as soon as possible. Although I didn't have much, my bag felt to have weighed a ton when it rested upon my endlessly tired shoulders. All that was left of my belongings was a change of clothes and 3 dollars, my food had been eaten within the first week and two of my dollars spent to by food after that.

As the train began to slow down, I used my best judgment to know when to hop off. You see, when your riding the rails, it's important that your very cautious when choosing to jump off. If you jump too soon, you can attain many injuries because the train was going so fast that it pretty much threw you off. Wait too long, and near too close to the station, and an officer is sure to catch you in the act. Finally, I decided it was the right moment; so I jumped off.

My landing was swift with precision, over these past weeks my jump off landings had improved immensely. I began to walk along the tracks, looking all around me for a place that I could use as shelter. I was in a warm area with bushes and a few trees, it looked like a small town with just a few houses here and there. As I continued to look around, I noticed a big oak tree. It was beautiful as it glistened in the morning sun, with each leaf fluttering in the slight breeze. Something about it drew me in, and I began to walk toward it.

As I neared the tree, I set my back pack on the ground and took off on a faster pace. For some reason unknown to me, I felt a serge of hope and joy as I neared this tree. That feeling didn't last for long though, because from around the tree was a person. He stepped toward me and kept coming closer and closer, until finally, his face was so close that I could feel and smell his breath. “What are you doing at my tree!”, the young man snarled at me. What he spoke was more of a demand than a question, and his sharp tone caught me off guard and made me feel slightly afraid. I began to back away and try to respond at the same time,”I...I...I saw the t-t-tree.... and...”. My response came out more like stammering than a fully spoken sentence. The man sensed my fear, I could tell, and I knew that I was in big trouble. 

Copyrighted 2011, Adriana Castillo

 

I Hope you enjoyed the story! Have a blessed day, and stay tuned for more!

~Miss.Adriana Castillo