Return Of The Lost Heir

“I can’t believe tonight is the night.” I sighed, my breath fogging the window. It was quiet, the streetlights lit up the sidewalk—casting shadows from nearby cars and houses, the branches swayed ever so lightly from the breeze. It looked so still and calm, something I had longed. I turned to look at Jack, peacefully asleep on my bed. I smiled softly. Soon, he would be away from all of this. Free to be a kid, laugh and play without the fear of being screamed at and ridiculed. My eyes flickered to the photo of our mom. Would she be proud of what I was doing? I often wondered what things would be like if she were still here. Our father couldn’t handle the pain of her death. It changed him. He became a bitter, angry man. Alcohol was his only source of comfort besides the hurtful words he’d say. Part of me wondered why he hated Jack and I the most, Alex was his favorite, and he knew It. He loved adding to the emotional manipulation. But not any longer, by morning we would be gone. I looked at the clock 1:18am. The last bus arrives in 20 minutes. I walked over to my suitcase confirming one more time I had all of our important documents; it was hard to fit both of our lives in one suitcase. But it would make it easier to travel. I placed the photo of our mom on top before zipping it up and clipping a small lock through the tab. I took a slow, deep breath in to calm my nerves before opening the door. Luckily, Alex wasn’t home tonight, making it easy for me to walk around. I gently stepped down the stairs to the landing, peaking around the corner. Shit he’s still awake. I watched as his eyelids slowly dropped, and his head nodded slightly as he fought off sleep. Seconds felt like minutes as I watched, waiting. Finally, his eyes slowly fluttered closed. I let out a sigh of relief. It had taken him longer to pass out tonight, cutting our time dangerously short. I hurried back up the stairs to my room and grabbed the suitcase, quickly taking it to the front door before running back up to grab Jack. I slipped my backpack on and gently picked him up, sliding his jacket and backpack around him and headed to the door. “Never forget this.” Echoed through my mind, making me stop abruptly. Forget what? A cold chill ran down my spine as I turned to look in my room. A nudging feeling pulled me to my closet. I gently placed Jack back down and grabbed my desk chair, dragging it in front of the closet. I quickly stepped up on the wooden chair and reached behind a stack of books. my fingers gently grazing against a small dusty box, I grabbed it and stared at it, confused. Where did this come from? I could not remember putting the box there, but something about it felt so familiar. But there was no time to question it. I was running out of time. I shoved the box into my backpack and picked Jack back up, and carried him down the stairs. I grabbed the doorknob and slowly closed the door; I looked around one more time. My eyes glanced to our father. “Goodbye.” I whispered quietly before closing the door. A low rumble caught my attention. We had just made it in time. The large blue and grey bus hissed as it came to a stop in front of us. An older woman opened the door, greeting us with a small smile. I struggled to walk up the few steps with my hands full. But, I managed to drop $4.75 into the slot and headed to the back of the bus. There were six other people, and all eyes briefly glanced in our direction - a scruffy looking middle-aged man on the phone, a lady in her mid-50s reading, and a group of teens talking and laughing. I slipped our backpacks off and cuddled Jack in my arms. It would take us almost an hour to get to the train station. The bus let out a low rumble before the brakes screeched, causing Jack to wake up. “Where are we?” He asked, rubbing his eyes. “Were at the train station.” I smiled. His eyes beamed in excitement as he looked around. He grabbed his backpack and hurried off the bus, waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. “Wow.” He whispered. The station was still busy as people bustled around. We managed to wiggle our way through everyone and headed to the booth. “Next!” The young man called out. “Hi two tickets for the next train to Lutton, please, one adult and one child.” “That will be $74.63.” I grabbed my wallet, pulling out a handful of cash and placing it on the counter. I didn’t have a debit or credit card, just the cash I have collected over the last few years. “Here is your change. The next train to Lutton will arrive in 35 minutes, hold onto your tickets, they will be stamped once you’re on the train.” “Thank you.” “Oh, and here.” He said, handing me a small red and gold train pin. “Look Jack.” I said, placing it in his hand. “All our young conductors are required to wear a pin.” He smiled. “Thank you!” He exclaimed, pinning it to his jacket. “Thank you.” I smiled before we headed inside. “Where should we sit?” I said, looking around at all the full seats. “Look!” Jack pointed, grabbing my hand and pulling me over to the large windows by the platform doors. He pressed his face against the glass staring at the large train that had just pulled in. Many got off, their faces a mixture of emotions. I looked around, wondering what everyone’s story was. Were any of them running away also in hopes of finding something better. The trains horn hissed as it pulled in. “I think that’s our Train.” He quickly stood up, sliding his backpack on and pulling on my hand to follow. I grabbed the suitcase, and we headed to the train. Jack let go of my hand and ran to the stairs, eager to get on. “Hurry up.” He exclaimed, making me smile. I gave our tickets to the conductor before lifting the suitcase up and walking up the stairs. Jack was in awe as he looked around. I placed our suitcase in the overhead compartment before I sat down and got comfortable. I opened Jacks backpack and pulled out his favourite blanket and stuffy. Mom had made him a blanket with his name embroidered in it. It was a soft, fluffy thick fabric with a mix of white, dark James, dark blue, and black she had matched it to the Wolf stuffy she made. He grabbed the stuffy, giving it a hug before he placed it beside him. I laid the blanket on him; he tucked it in and gave its head a kiss. He looked around eagerly waiting, excited for the train to start. Twenty minutes had passed by before the train let out a sharp whistle, letting everyone know it was time to depart. The engine roared, causing a deep rumble to vibrate through the carts before it lurched forward. We both watched through the windows as the lights from town slowly dimmed, being replaced by the Moon and stars. The motion of the train rocked Jack back to sleep, his head leaning against me. I yawned and snuggled into the seat, closing my eyes. I was exhausted, but the anxious feeling still weighed heavily, making it hard. The six-hour train ride was going to be slow.