The brown metal rails were shuddering. I knew what that meant before the bells sounded. The train would come and go on a one way trip to the vast lands that lay beyond this small town.
I held my hat as I ran. Another person was by my side. I turned to look at him. He was not breathing heavily like me, but he his grin was as big as mine.
“We’re almost there!” Steven said in excitement. “When that train comes, all we have to do is hop on and then, we are home free!”
I grabbed his hand. We were going to finish this together; like we had been for the past month, ever since Steven convinced me into helping him with his crazy scheme. The plan to expose the town’s dirty little secret of disposing the democratic laws and rights of the people in order to maintain its monarchy. When we get to the Outer Kingdom on the other side of the prairie, then we could help the villagers by notifying the government there who would surely take care of the problem. After everything settles down, Steven and I would receive a handsome reward ourselves. Him and I would be able to live like wealthymen- truly together at last. Maybe then will I really tell him how I- .
We could feel the train behind us. It was coming fast.
“You have the documents?” he asked me.
I reached to the waistband of my skirt. We had hurried from the lawscriber’s home where the originals were stashed. We came so fast that I didn’t have time to put it in my purse. At least it was there.
“Yes. It’s here.”
“Good! Don’t lose it.”
“I won’t.”
The head of the train passed us. In a few moments, we would be safely hidden away in one of the cars. The reason we picked this train in particular was because this train was special- it didn’t stop for anything until it reached its destination or ran out of fuel.
BANG! A shot rang behind us. We turned to see town guards scrambling to catch up to us. They had somehow caught wind of our plan and were going to make sure they stopped us. I had a feeling they would do anything to get their hands on this document.
“Move!” I was pushed aside. I heard a whiz followed by a thud.
“What happened?” I asked.
There was a pained expression on Steven’s face. “Nothing, forget about it. Just go! It’s right there!”
He was pointing at a car. It had the number “45” painted decoratively on it in yellow. That was the car we had to get on.
We made our way to it. I banged on the side. Our friend Ryan was to open it. However, the door wasn’t opening. I banged again. Nothing.
“Is this the right one?” I asked over the train noise.
“Yeah!” He yelled back to me. He tried, but a lot harder. Within a second, the door burst open and a face poked out. I saw the gray half -sleeved shirt and knew right it was him.
“Hello!” said Ryan. He didn’t wear a hat so his brown hair waved in the air. A black cross hanged around his neck. He saw the men behind us and stretched his hand out. “Grab on!”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I grasped his hand and tried to pull myself forward. Steven gave me a push from behind. Once I got on, I turned to help him in return; except, He didn’t take my hand.
“Come on!” I waved my hand at him. He still wouldn’t latch on. That was when I saw the red stain on his cream shirt. This stain was spreading at an alarming rate. It reached the belt of his brown pants and continued.
“You got shot.” Ryan said in shock.
“Doesn’t matter!” I said. “Grab on!”
Steven looked at Ryan. They stared at each other for a brief moment. It was if they were silently agreeing to something. I desperately reached for him. “Please, Steven!” I begged. “Grab on!”
Steven smiled. “Sorry, sweetheart. Someone has to be the decoy. You know what to do.” That was when he stopped running and pulled out a silenced pistol.
“No!” I almost leapt out of the car to get him but Ryan held me back.
“Let go of me, Ryan!” I screamed, prying his arms off my body.
“Wait. He’ll be fine.” A shot rang out. I lurched to the doorway. In the distance, I saw a body with a white shirt fall to the ground. With it, my heart fell too.
I couldn’t stop crying, even when we had reached the Outer Kingdom. Ryan assured me that Steven wanted it this way and we were doing a good thing. Everything was going to work out. But we both knew it wouldn’t, at least not for me. I regretted agreeing to this scheme, maybe then my love would still be alive.