𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕. ♡ 𝒋𝒐𝒉𝒏𝒏𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆.

xxi

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it was christmas eve in the lot. johnny sighed. puffs of bluish fog drifted up from under his nose. johnny couldn't tell whether it was cigarette smoke or from the cold. he watched the cloud slowly dissipate, leaving the lot's dark scenery in its place. johnny always thought about how weird it was when the sun went out so quickly during the wintertime. he always felt lonelier in the chilly darkness, but he'd gotten used to it.

he took another drag from his cigarette, the faint orange glow at the end of it entered then exited his peripheral vision as quickly as the sun left him prematurely earlier that day. this led to him falling asleep, only to wake up asking the common question of whether he should go back to his house or not. this question usually wasn't an issue during the warmer months, and he wished it would always be like that. the sun wouldn't leave him as quickly and he'd never have to go back home.

debating his next course of action, his gaze drifted to the ground around where he sat. he realized the train set trish gave him was standing still. at first johnny wondered why it was out of its box, then he remembered he was playing with it before he fell asleep.

he still didn't believe he deserved it, and he was still wondering why trish decided to make such an effort in giving it to him. but she said she thought he deserved happiness, and he wasn't about to question what she believed. she had taught him so much in the months he'd known her, and he could tell he wasn't as intelligent as she was by a long shot. she was so... good. so the least he could do was keep the gift she gave him in check. "it'd be best if i kept it out of the cold, so it won't freeze up," he finally decided.

he packed up the tracks and the cars and placed the box in a brown paper bag he found lying around. he didn't want anyone trying to steal it.

laying low and stealthily navigating the streets he ended up at his house. he hoped to whatever gods or forces of nature out there that his parents weren't home as he made his way to the back door. with his head hung low, johnny crept up the stairs to his small room and gently closed the door behind him.

for a while he was alone in the dark of his bedroom, but still warmer than he'd be in the lot. he laid out the set again with as little noise he could manage and he traced the small train tracks with the cars over and over again.

"johnnycake, imagine there's a little train station here. hm... what color should the roof be..."

"um... green?"

"oh! that's wonderful! how many benches are there for the old folk?"

"uh... i guess... about three, maybe."

"that seems like just the right amount. and then a small road crossing sign right here!"

"perfect."

"perfect," johnny mumbled to himself as the train passed by the station one last time.

BOOM!

the door of johnny's room flung open and crashed on the wall behind it, shaking the room's contents with a rattle. johnny looked up in terror from where he lay on the wooden floor. it was johnny's father. the ol' man.

"get up," the man commanded. the room started wreaking heavily of alcohol. johnny cautiously stood up, the floorboards creaking underneath him. the ol' man eyed down the train set. he started laughing, maniacally and with a dark air about it.