rails // a.i. // book 2

small world

ashton

it was tuesday in late january, so as per usual it was raining. i still took my nightly trip down to the bridge and stood at the edge, my stomach pressing against the rails. people chattered and walked along as i stared out into the never ending horizon.

perhaps i was wishing for someone to take me away; i was wishing for myself to take me away. either way, it sounded better than facing my reality.

my legs became tired and the ground was currently soaked. unbothered, i sat down with my legs poking through the bottom rail and saw the clouds coming to an end. the sun tried with all it's might to peak through the clouds. as i felt my eyes nearly close and mind relax, something caught my attention.

they were only a few feet away from me and they were in a serious fight. the two were incredibly loud and i couldn't help but listen. the young girl was maybe seventeen and she had dark brown hair. the man had a gray beard and towered over her. i realized that it was a girl fighting with her father. once i realized i had been staring a bit too long, i quickly turned back to the ocean below me. but my ears were still wide open, listening.

"you need to stop being such a fucking disappointment! you're a disgrace to our family." i heard the man between forty-five and fifty yell.

"would you just knock the fuck off already?! this is the one place where i can get away from reality and you're fucking ruining it like you do with everything!" the girl shouted back.

and as their argument went on and on, i realized she was like me. our parents hated us, we got into constant fights like the one occurring at this very moment, and we have the same getaway place. what a small world.

her father finally stormed off and walked down the street until he disappeared into the fog. the girl walked about halfway down the bridge from where i was standing and plopped down onto the ground. her head was in her hands and she seemed to be fighting an internal war with herself.

there was something about her that intrigued me. maybe it was the fact that our lives were almost the same. or perhaps it was because i was so interested in her life that it completely overtook my conscience. before i knew it i was standing in front of her, rocking back and forth on my heels.

she looked up at me with bright green eyes and i finally got a good look at her face. then i realized that i had seen her here before. just about every time i would leave, she would arrive. i've also noticed her at school.

"hello." i stated.

"hi." her voice was quiet and strained from screaming. "you can sit down. the standing makes me anxious." i obeyed her request and sat down crossed legged next to her.

"what's your name?" i asked looking at the side of her face. she turned to me with hooded eyes. "i'm ashton. i live a few blocks from here with my mom and dad and sister, amelia."

"i'm mae." she stated. "i also live with my parents, but in the opposite direction of you. i don't have any siblings at home. just two that are out of state."

"well, mae. it's nice to meet you." i smiled and held my hand out for her and she hesitated but took it. "let me tell you that i hate being at home, or in reality in general."

"me too. i hate my family. my mom, my dad, and brother." she sighed, resting her head against the red rail. "my mom is a workaholic; my dad is a complete asshole and abusive; my brother is the only one that gets any recognition in my family for how successful he is; and then there's me, the 'sick' one."

i nodded my head slightly in response. "i get where you're coming from. likewise, my dad is also abusive. although, my sister and i both get a fair share of beatings, weekly or daily. my mom is rarely home and doesn't have the fucking guts to leave the bastard." i inhaled deeply and exhaled. "does your mother get abused, too?"

"yeah. if us kids do something wrong, we get beat, then he blames it on her. as if it was her fault for giving birth to worthless children. when really, it was his fault; he has the worthless genes."

after i finished, silence fell over the whole bridge. granted, there was only a few of us and the others were quiet most of the time. still, it was nice to be away from a home where you had to cower away in a corner in fear that you will do something wrong. often times, the beatings wouldn't even hurt; you became numb.

"well, ashton, i would love to stay and get to know you more, but if i don't get home in ten minutes i'm dead. so i'll see you here again tomorrow, yeah?" mae stood and smiled reaching her hand out.

"yeah, sounds good."

~

it was tuesday and i made my trek out the bridge. i sat near the middle like always waiting for mae. i wasn't completely sure if she would actually show, but either way i was here like always and i was at peace. a few minutes had passed when i saw mae strolling down the sidewalk in a blue sweater.

"hi, mae." i said with a smile as she sat next to me.

"hello, ashton." she lifted the shoulder of her sweater to rest back on her arm. i noticed a purple mark peaking out from the top.

"did he beat you?"

she nodded and i could see her eyes become glossy. "yes, it was bad, too."

"how bad?" she responded by lifting her sweater sleeves, followed by pushing the shoulder down. the marks were dark purple and blue. some were welts the size of a golf ball.

"does your mother know?"

"he made her watch." her voice cracked and she began to sob. "and the worse part is that my mom couldn't help me."

"can we talk about something else please?" her voice was soft and gentle.

and so we did. we talked for the next three hours about what we wished to become and what we wished we could do better. and the whole time i realized that we were closer than we thought.

~

lol