Nick Webster

What Did I Sign Up For?

            The nighttime came several hours later.  I overheard some people talking about a missing child while walking past the alley that I stayed in throughout the day.  Nobody came into the alleyway, though.  There was some old food in the trash.  It definitely didn’t beat grandma’s cooking, but it helped me survive for now.

            There were significantly less people out on the streets at night.  I waited until the middle of the night to start moving.  I was so tired by the time I started moving, but I walked around the city without being seen as long as I stayed in the dark.  There were streetlights that I had to avoid, but that wasn’t much of an issue.  If anyone else was awake at this point, they would probably be too tired to notice me if I remained still and out of the open.

            It wasn’t too hard to avoid streetlights.  This part of town wasn’t well lit.  The entire train station was surrounded by a high fence with sharp objects on the top.  It would be an easy climb, but I needed to make sure I didn’t slip up.  If I did, I would fall into a sharp metal object, which could cause some serious damage to my body.  I still had pain from when Nikki stabbed me, but most of that was gone.

            I climbed over the metal fence and started toward the train station itself.  I had to be alert for cameras or even late-night security guards.  I honestly had no clue what I should be expecting.  It didn’t seem like a heavily guarded area, but you can never be too careful.

            It was really dark.  There were lights on in the building, but I didn’t even bother to check the door.  I knew it would be locked.  What I needed was a way to either get inside a passenger train or stay on the outside of it without being noticed.  If Nikki were here, she’d know how to sneak into anywhere in this train station that she wanted.

            I looked around at my options.  I didn’t see very many great options.  Maybe I could wait until morning and sneak into a train with a family.  I think that’s what I would do.  But where should I sleep for now?

            After a while of thinking, I decided that the ventilation system might be best.  I didn’t want to be discovered by the morning staff by sleeping in the bathroom or somewhere out in the open.  I certainly didn’t want to stay on or near the train tracks.  If I could get into the ventilation system, I should be able to find the roof.  That would give me more of an advantage to see when the trains are coming, where people are located, and where escape routes are if needed.  The only problem was the ventilation system would be inside the building, and I was not on the inside.  Well, I needed to make sure I was at least on the inside of the fence, so I started climbing.

            I climbed up to the top.  When I arrived at the top, I started hearing a noise off in the distance.  What was it?  There were four sets of tracks that went through the station.  There was one that was close for getting on to the train.  The other three were further off.  As the noise started getting closer, the station started slightly rattling.  A train!!! Of course, it came when I just get up here.  What do I do?

            I immediately climbed down the side of the building again.  I needed to find a good position to stay hidden and have an escape plan if needed.  There was a wall near the platform of the closest train track.  It was near another corner that I could quickly run to if I needed.  It was risky, but this was the perfect opportunity.  I felt like I didn’t have another choice.  It was dark, I doubt there would be a lot of people, and there certainly weren’t witnesses on the street.  If I waited until morning, all that advantage was gone.  So here we go.

            I hid around the corner and waited.  The train came closer and closer.  The building started rattling more and more.  When the train was only a few hundred feet away, something felt wrong.  I paused and waited.  Oh no!  The train wasn’t on the closest track!  The train wasn’t stopping!  I couldn’t run out right away because the driver of the train might see me.  I poked my head out of the corner, and I was spot on.  That train was in the fourth track and was not stopping.  It looked like a small train, so I had no choice.  I started running toward the train.  It was traveling moderately fast, so this was going to be difficult.

            I don’t know whether the driver saw me or not.  But I ran as fast as I could toward the train.  The pain in my side really started acting up again.  Dang!  It really started hurting.  It looked like I was making great timing, though.  Just keep fighting.

            Oh no… I was barely going to miss the train!!  As the back of the train started to go past me, I made one big leap for it!

            Ouch!  I caught a metal object on the back of the train with my hand, but it hurt so badly!  I jumped up and held onto that metal object for dear life.  I knew that if I accidentally let go, my life was likely at risk, especially since there wouldn’t be anybody to help me out and provide medical attention.

            I was okay for now.  I just needed to hang on.  There was a spot for my feet to stay, but I needed a game plan and soon.  I started climbing up the back of the train.  I tried to avoid making noise as anyone on the inside of the train would likely hear me.  It was very noisy from out here, but I knew that it wasn’t as noisy on the inside.  The noise from my movement would echo in the train.

            It was soooo cold out here hanging onto the back of the train.  The wind made my fingers feel like they were going to go numb any second.  I climbed to the top of the train to get a better position and figure out what I was going do.  It was a much harder climb than the fence, let me tell you.  I don’t know how much longer I was going to last out here.  My body was going numb very quickly.  I looked over the train’s side to the righthand side of the train.

            Hallelujah!  The very first window that I could see was cracked!  I couldn’t tell if anyone was inside; the window was too far down.  I held on to various pieces on the top of the train and repositioned myself so that I could climb down the side of the train and view into the train.  It was… an empty room.  There were two seats facing each other, but no one was in there, and the door was closed.  What a perfect opportunity!

            I didn’t hesitate for a second.  I pried open the window, climbed into the room, and slowly put the window back to where it originally was.  I was home free.

            Well, almost.  I had no clue if someone was supposed coming back into this room.  The window was open, after all.  There were cabinets above the benches.  I opened them up.  If anyone was using this room, they might have their bags in these cabinets.  Fortunately, both sets were empty except for a small blanket.  It looked like it was probably owned by the train station.  The blanket was the exact same shade of color as the benches.

            What does this mean now?  Can I safely sit out on the bench for the rest of the night?  Should I hide in one of the cabinets just to be safe?  It was a little chilly in the room since the window was open, so I actually leaned toward sleeping in the cabinet.

            I decided to see if it was safe to close the door.  I went over to the door and listened for any voices or people who might be right outside the room.  If there was no one there, I think it would be safe to close it.  The doors were sliding doors with a lock on it.  The door was unlocked, so I cracked it open very slowly and quietly.  I looked in several different directions, patiently waited, and listened for anyone who might be outside the room.  Finally, I popped my head into the hallway.  It was quiet, dimly lit, and most importantly, free of people.  I immediately closed the door, locked it, and then closed the window.  Time to fall asleep.

            I threw the blanket over my body, laid on the bench, and fell asleep almost instantly.  I was so tired.

 ***************************************

             I’m not sure how long I was out, but I knew I slept into the morning.  The sun had already risen and was somewhat high in the sky.  But I felt so refreshed.  I initially woke up because of the warmth of the sun and the brightness in my eyes.  It was a good feeling.

            I looked out the window, and we were still moving.  My eventual goal was a place called “москва.”  Nikki said it was the capital of the country.  That city would have the greatest rewards but also the biggest risks.  It was the largest city in the country, so it was the easiest hide in.  It also gave the most opportunity to travel in and out of the country.  However, since it was the capital of the country, the city contained a lot of police and the national military.  We would have to remain quiet in that city; it would be difficult to escape.

            I had no clue if I was even heading in the right direction.  For all I know, I could have been going the opposite direction as москва.  I looked at signs as we continued to move through the countryside.

            Almost half of the day passed before we finally reached a train station where we stopped.  Fortunately, I was paying attention to the signs as we passed them.  The town was called “пермь.”  No exactly what I was looking for, but perhaps this was a place I could stop and find food.  I didn’t really have a game plan along the way.  How would I get on the train if I got off?  I guess since I didn’t even know which direction I was travelling, it wouldn’t matter.  I would need to get off the train to figure out where I needed to go.  If I stayed on the train, I could be heading further and further away from москва.

            The train stopped in this town.  How was I going to move around without looking suspicious?  I had the same problem everywhere I travelled.  It was really starting to frustrate me.  It was now daytime, so I couldn’t just sneak in and out of windows or the back of the train or anything like that.  I guess I had to leave out the front door like everyone else.

            I came up with a short-term plan.  I was going to head straight to the bathroom.  Kids have to use the bathroom, right?  There I would sit on the toilet and plan my next move.  Let’s hope that no security guards would ask for tickets or ask me where my parents were.

            I left the train in a small crowd of people and went straight for the restroom like I planned.  I made sure I didn’t make eye contact with anyone, but I also tried to keep an eye out for cameras.  There was one immediately outside of the train, and I saw one near the building.  I was definitely on camera now, but I’m not sure what that would mean.  Is someone watching it right now?  Would they recognize me?  Will the police come for me soon?  I started getting worried but still went straight for the restroom.

            When I arrived in the bathroom, I went to the first unused stall.  What was I going to do?  It took me a while to think.  It would be nice if there was a train that was leaving right for москва.  However, I don’t think that was going to happen.

            After a while of thinking, I finally came up with a solution.  I went out of the restroom and wandered around until I found a family.  When I finally found a family with a child around my age, I started a conversation with the kid.  This family had five total people: mom, dad, a little girl that was a lot smaller, and a boy and a girl around my height.  I started talking to the boy who had a t-shirt and a lot of equipment for a sport of some sort.

            I started the conversation by saying, “Oh cool.  You play?”

            He looked somewhat confused.  He hesitated but said, “Yeah.”  He looked me up and down for a second.

            “What position do you play?”  I didn’t know anything about whatever sport he played, but I needed to start out with light conversation.

            “Forward.  What’s it to you?” he wasn’t happy with me talking to him.  His mother also looked concerned and gave me a dirty look.

            I refused to look nervous or back down.  I needed some information.  “Cool!  We might be playing against each other sometime!  Where are you headed?”

            He gave me the same dirty look that his mom had been giving me.  However, I got what I needed!  He responded by saying, “We’re headed Казанb, but I don’t think we play losers like you.”

            “Oh, you’re right.  We’re heading to москва,” I said.  I made sure to use the ‘we’ term to make it look like I was also traveling with a family.  However, it eventually backfired on me.

            “Where are your parents?” the mom asked while looking around.

            I quickly thought on my feet, “Oh, they are back over there.”  I pointed in some random direction briefly looked.  “I saw your equipment and thought I might stop to talk a little bit.”

            A train pulled up just as I finished saying that.  Thank goodness.  They were done talking to me before they even started talking to me.  I decided to keep it going to make it look somewhat natural for walking into the train.  I continued by saying, “Well, maybe our paths will cross again one day.  Our team isn’t great, but we travel too.”

            The boy just laughed.  “Keep dreaming,” he said.  I kind of liked that response because it was easy to continue.

            “You don’t think my team can beat yours?” I asked.

            “We’ve won almost every game we’ve played this season,” he said confidently.

            “Almost every game?” I curiously asked.

            “Yeah, I bet we’ve got a better record than you,” he immediately remarked.

            “Perhaps we’ll find out one day.  How far is москва away from Казанb?  Maybe we could spar!” I wish I knew more vocabulary.  The second that came out of my mouth I knew it was going to be an odd statement.

            He gave me the look that I thought he was going to give me.  Well, that was an awkward end to the conversation, but it lasted long enough to where everyone was boarding the train, and I followed the family into the train.  However, I immediately turned the opposite direction on the train.

            I needed to act quickly.  One of the train workers was going to notice me.  I went to a random empty room and pretended like I was waiting for my family.  Maybe I could fool a worker.  I waited several minutes.  The train started moving.  That was odd!  I was expecting a worker to confront me before we were moving.  I didn’t know what to do, so I closed the door and hid in the cabinet.  I intentionally left the door unlocked so no one would be overly suspicious.  It would just look like someone closed the door even if they weren’t supposed to shut it.  I now just hoped that I didn’t take the room of a family that yet hadn’t found their room.  I felt good about my chances, though.  The train was moving after all.

            It was going to be a long train ride, but I think I found my home for now.  I was already really hungry, and I had no clue how I was going to be on this train or how long it would be until I was going to have the opportunity to eat.  That’s been the story of my… short… life.

            Maybe I shouldn’t have left grandma’s house.  I had everything I wanted – a house, another human being who didn’t kill people, clothing, food, and water.  Would it have been worth the risk to stay with her?  I’m not sure.  I would likely get eventually caught.  She was going to wonder where my “uncle” was and would eventually contact the police.  It’s best if I get out of the country as soon as possible.  That’s why I needed to get to москва.

            For the rest of the day, I stayed in the small train room.  No one ever came in, and I eventually locked it.  I still went outside a couple of times to use the restroom.  There was no food and not much else to offer in the train.  I realized after a while that there really weren’t very many workers.  You just entered the train, found your room, and there was not much more to it.  That’s it.

            I became content just watching the fields pass as we drove through the countryside.  I could get used to this quiet life.  But I definitely needed food right now…

            When the train finally stopped, it was already nighttime out.  It was such a long train ride.  I was ready to get off this boring ride, find food, and sleep.  On the bright side, I picked up a couple of new names from passing billboards if anyone asked what my name was.

            For now, we were stopped in Казанb.  I exited the train somewhat slowly and made sure I was at the end of the crowd.  There weren’t too many people on the train, but I couldn’t leave in the middle of the crowd because someone would notice I had a room all to myself.  I wasn’t sure if there would be people entering the train or not.  I made sure that I followed the last person out of the train.

            I basically hugged the person in front of me trying to pretend to be with that person, so witnesses wouldn’t get suspicious.  There were a couple of security guards scattered throughout the building outside the train station, and workers looked like they were ready to leave.  I think those workers are the ones who check for people’s train tickets.

            Once I left the train station, I immediately tried to move to the shadows as quickly as I could.  There were several people walking around, but there weren’t a lot of people.  From here, I just decided I would start walking until I found an opportunity for food.  Anything that wasn’t in a trash can would be fine for me.

            I kept walking for a while.  I would hide behind objects when other people were walking around the streets.  It took several hours, but my sense of smell felt heightened.  Like my brain new that I needed to find food, so it focused all its energy on senses that would help me find food.  I swear I could smell every last piece of food within half of a kilometer.  The problem was that it was hard to tell if the food would be easily obtainable or if I had to break into a building or something.  I wandered into an alley like the last city I was in.  There was leftover food in the trash there, so I bet there would some food in the trash out here too.  I eventually walked until I found an interesting looking small building.  I could definitely tell it had food in it, but there were still lights on and people inside the building.

            The building had the words “Макдоналдс” on the front.  There was also a giant golden “M” on the front of the building.  I decided to wait until they closed their building down, and I could sneak in after they’ve all left.  It smelled so good.  I should also figure out how to take some food with me, so I wouldn’t have to keep finding it all the time.  I at least would have some time to figure out how to get out of the country instead of focusing most of my attention on my own hunger.

            Several hours later, the workers finally closed the store down.  I waited a short while to make sure no one was coming back.  After I thought I was in the clear, I decided to look around the building for a way in.  I found a small window that looked like something I could climb into and get inside.  I wasn’t sure how hard it was to open it.

            I started slowly trying to open the window from the outside.  It was tough, but I tried harder and harder.  No luck.  I’m sure it was locked from the inside.  How was I going to get into the building?  I climbed to the top of the building to see if there was a way in from there.

            There was a small opening in a pipe.  There was warm air that came out of the pipe, but it was much too small for me to fit into and climb down.  I looked around.  Nothing.  I don’t think a warm cooked meal is what’s in store for me tonight.

            Defeated, I climbed back down the side of the building.  I could still smell food coming from outside the building, so I looked around for big trash bins.  I figured that’s what the smell was.  I walked around to the other side of the building.  There was a green trash bin located at the end of the parking lot.  Some food is better than no food.  And so, I ate.