As angry and confused as I was, I couldn’t let him go. I shoved my feet into my shoes and took off after him. “Don’t go, Jake,” I pleaded aloud as I ran toward the tracks. When I got closer to the crossing, I heard the whistle of the approaching train. The train rounded the bend, its beacon of light outlining every object near its path. Then I saw Jake.
The warning lights bathed Jake in harsh colors as he stood near the crossing, his hands clutching a light pole not far from the slope that led up to the tracks. Jake inched around the pole, unsteady on his feet. Finally, he let go and stumbled closer to the rails.
“Don’t leave me behind, Jake,” I begged. “I’ll come with you. Let’s talk it out!” I called out his name over and over, but I knew he couldn’t hear me.
Jake moved closer to the
