Louisiana Loco-Motive

Chapter 6

Reminders of Him

Geneva took possession of the car keys to her employers transportation, settled behind the wheel and started it up. Then she headed down to the town square and parked Mrs. Devereux's beloved baby blue 1955 Buick Century in the parking spot reserved just for her, the town historian. As she got out and gently closed the door, she heard it.

Chugga-chugga, chugga-chugga, chooo-choo. Chugga-chugga, chugga-chugga, chooo-choo.

The undeniable chugging of the ol' locomotive. The hair across the edge of her forehead and around by her ears and the nape of her neck started to curl a bit as tiny beads of perspiration revealed itself and her upper torso twitched not once or twice or even three times, but four times, as an eerie feeling crept up her spine. She recognized that chugging sound. Everybody recognized that chugging sound. Well, everybody that had any
kind of established roots in Butterville. Although, the legend regarding the atrocity that occurred happened before her birth, she'd heard the tale just as everyone else had. Geneva let her mind drift back to a point in time when she was just a child, sharing fun times with her sister. 

Aye snake, its a snake behind you! Oh, never mind y'all, it was just my 'mind seeing thangs. Give me that marble, cause it's my marble now. You shot yours out of the circle looking for the snake.

Her sister Diane used that trick on anyone who would fall for it. Diane had been "winning" black licorice candy that way every single time all the children played the game of marbles. Geneva missed them being kids and playing out back of the old quarters. The quarters were what was known as the old slave quarters on the plantation where they'd grown up.

As soon as Diane was fully grown, she didn't hesitate to start a family of her own. She married Reggie Ray Brown, the third generation male descendant of Ranger Brown; who was the son of Roger Brown, whose departure is what set in motion the whole legend of the locomotive.