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Elisha · (05-22-2014)

Choo-Choo!

A train passes by cars who are awaiting to move to the other side of the tracks. Each person, or persons, within the vehicles waiting the train to pass on have their own story to tell. One might be a business lady who rose above the perception that she's just a lady and will never make it in the cut-throat business world. Another may be a family who have lost countless children before they were ever born and yet have a diverse group of children they call their own thanks to adoption. It's highly unlikely they will ever meet again or be behind each other in this way tomorrow. Their stories will never cross and off they will go to never share his moment again.

In the same world within feet away from each other are parallel worlds. They exist together, but never connect. There is a word when something of each world does connect in its rare sense, and that word is fate. It's a simple four letter word people spring out of their mouths to connect a mystery into something touchable. Fate doesn't solve the mystery but simply adds to it. One person meets another from a parallel universe and we label it fate. It's finished. From within, though, we ask more questions that never have answers.

Was this planned? Was this suppose to happen or was it a throw of dice? These are the questions that are never answered but are associated with that same four letter word. These are four letters we learn as a young child. So simple. Four easy letters combined to make an easy word, and yet it can ruin a life or drive one to a certain belief.

July 29, 2004
Location: Somewhere In Iraq

All you can hear is the sound of machine guns going off. The sound of the bullets flying by an ear, much like a house fly surrounding your ear. Explosions are going off in the distance like a timed stunt from a movie. Everything was going as good as it could be at the time. No deaths. No major injuries other than a few cuts. This is what we signed up for. And though I had some fear inside, it was moments like this courage was found that I never knew existed.

Without fear ... there is no courage.

Then the whistling noise from the sky got closer...

The ground shook. I was no longer holding my finger on the trigger aimed at the enemy. I had no idea where the gun was and I didn't really care too much. I wanted to get out of there alive. All I could hear was noise muffled like I was pressing my hands spread out over my ears. It was in slow motion.

Dave was beside me with his eyes opened and no longer conscious. He was gone.

Jimmy, our doctor, was helpless. His hand was missing and he was bleeding too quickly for him to survive beyond the next few minutes.

I tried my best to see what was going on but my vision was blurred and I couldn't hear clear. A hand reached out and grabbed me. Whoever it was drug me by a tree and threw me into an already dug hole. This was it. This was the end of my life as I knew it and I had so many regrets. I mustered with all my strength to just get a glimpse of what was going on. The man who took me to safety was running back to where I was moments ago. I fell by down into the hole with tears falling from my eyes. My vision slowly began to go back to normal and there he was. There was the man who prepared us for moments like this. Our Sargent. He looked over at me and I could tell he didn't have long. He stared right into my eyes and with the breath he had left in his body... he spoke his final words...

"Eric. This was my fate. I'll be damned to spend it in this hole."

Somehow he enough strength to jump out of that hole... dying... barely able to breathe... and didn't march forward... but pushed forward with all his might yelling and letting the bullets fly out of his gun. He was going to take someone with him if it was the last thing he did.

It was the last thing I remember before I woke up in a bed being attended to by nurses. I survived.

"I guess fate has a different plan for you, Eric." I turned and it was my bunk mate during boot camp. We made it out alive, but he wasn't going to leave this bed alive. I guess fate would have me do something else. I'd rather think about another four letter word like "fuck". Some good sack time would be great right now. I'm lucky to be alive. It was fate.

Present Day & Time

Choo Choo!

Elisha is sprinting on top of the train.. moving from car to car.. chasing a squirrel. Not far behind is Lacey skipping. People in their cars are immediately nervous and began to dial 9-1-1. Not much attention is given to Elisha chasing a squirrel. They are afraid of a little girl skipping on the damn train.

After a short time passes by... several police cars, ambulance, and a firetruck all arrive to the scene. They of course had to go down several miles from where the call was placed to make sure the train was coming their way. Sure enough, the sound lets them know its getting closer to them. The officers are trying to get the train to stop, but are unsuccessful. Elisha is able to catch the squirrel, thus, him and his daughter-mother make their way into a car. The train passes and no sight of a girl walking on the top which means she fell, according to them, and a search party is started.

Elisha and Lacey sit in a dark empty car by themselves. Elisha chewing away at his freshly found food and Lacey whistling 'twinkle twinkle little star'.

"M-M-Momma. Want eh-eh-any?"

"No, Elisha. You go on. That conductor's finger filled me."

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