The Midnight Train Crossing

###Today's Date: _____ ###

Name's CB. I'm eleven and live in an orphanage. Have for five years.
That's right, I don't got no parents. They both died in a train wreck when I was littler.
I don't talk about it.

It's my birthday today and the only gift I got was this journal.
Don't even know who sent it to me. That was a surprise, hearing the orphanage director call my name when the mail came. He had to call it twice.
Course I wouldn't get any other gifts. got no living relatives I know of and everyone always seems to forget here......

Oh yeah, my gift came with a note that said:

It wasn't even signed.

###Today's Date: _____ ###

Well, it's adoption day...

The orphanage has one once a month. Everyone makes a big deal about it. *I* don't see why. It's no different from any other day. Yet the orphanage director says we gotta be on our *best* behavior if we wanna get adopted. Heh...yeah right!
I'll *never* get adopted cuz the director tells couples that are interested in me that I'm a problem. It's true! Honest! I happened to overhear him last month! Besides, I'm a 'boose.......
Who'd really want a 'boose?.....

###Today's Date: _____ ###

Tomorrow's my twelfth birthday. Yet another awful year of my life gone. Well, I'm not gonna waste another year of my life her anymore! Gonna give myself the present I want most.
I'm leaving tonight. That's right, I'm getting outta her.
Good-bye orphanage and good riddance!!

###Today's Date: _____ ###

I made it! I'm free! I left last night and now I'm a good distance away. It's great to be on the open rails! At first, I was traveling on my own.
Then, a steam engine with a Freight train came along. Asked him if I could ride with him and he agreed. His name's Smokestack but he allows me to call him Smokey The Freight are a great bunch of guys too. My kinda guys! I think - no, I know I'm gonna like riding with these guys.

###Today's Date: _____ ###

Been with the guys for an entire week. Buck, the brick truck, is a riot. Even though I'm nine years younger than he is, he treats me as an equal. The others all treat me as a trainlet.
Especially Smokey.
We pulled into Cliffwood Station today. We'll be here for three days. Cuz of this, Smokestack allowed us to go do our own things. Course he insisted I be watched. Buck offered to be the one. The three boxcar brothers went to the diner and the big hopper went off alone.
Buck and me headed for the post office. He's coupled to who he says is "the most beautiful coach in the world."
Being on runs, he don't get to see her much so he writes to her. Must be nice to have someone who cares for you like that.......

###Today's Date: _____ ###

Second day at Cliffwood. Buck treated me to lunch at the diner. talked to the dining car that was working there. She called me "adorable"! I'm *not* "adorable"! She wouldn't listen so I gave it up. She was pretty though...
After leaving the diner, Buck and I met a sleeper just outside. She got Buck's attention and started hanging all over him. Course Buck is coupled and wouldn't have none of that.
Gypsy, that's the sleeper's name I found out, started talking to me. She began to ask me questions and slowly moving closer. I was beginning to kinda get uncomfortable.
Guess Buck could see that cuz he told Gypsy that I was only a trainlet and to lay off me and she left. Normally, being called a trainlet bugs me, but it didn't when Buck used it just then.

###Today's Date: _____ ###

No! It can't be! I *won't* let Smokestack do this to me! While staying here, someone recognized me as a runaway from Hilton Orphanage! I overheard him telling Smokestack.
Later, the steamer came to me and told me straight out that he was taking me back. I *can't* go back! Told Smokey that I *couldn't* go back there...
His excuse was that I was too young to be riding on a run let alone with Freight. Smokey doesn't get it...
I. Can't. Go. Back!

Buck came into my room tonight. Said he had heard the news.
Before he left, Buck had also said that if he had room for me he'd take me on as his own. I'd like that...... However, it's not gonna happen.....

###Today's Date: _____ ###

I *can't* go back! We're a morning's ride from Hilton and have stopped for the night.
I *can't* go back!
I could run away again....but with me not being an engine, Smokestack would easily catch me...
What am I gonna do? I can't go back!
I gotta do *something*!.....
I gotta.......

###Today's Date: _____ ###

I derailed Smokestack just as we were pulling into Hilton Station. The boxcars are okay. So's the big hopper.
The repair truck working on Smokey says he won't be able to run the rails on his own anymore...
......Buck isn't doing too good. They say he's in "critical condition"...
Someone's watching him every second...
I want him to be okay...
Please Buck.......

###Today's Date: _____ ###

What have I done?! What caused me to *do* that yesterday?!
.......Buck's dead........
He died this morning....

What will his coach think when she gets the news that a small, red 'boose killed her train?
I'm sorry Buck..........
I didn't mean for this to happen.....

###Today's Date: _____ ###

Well, I'm leaving again...
No, I'm not gonna run away again.
The director here says he's gonna send me to something called a 'foster home'. He made it clear that I wasn't getting adopted (big surprise...) but so in hopes I might.
Sometimes I don't get what he says and I don't pretend to.

The director's assistant talked to me about the foster home I'll be off to tomorrow. She says that I'll like it there, that there's another trainlet who's an only child. His parents thought it would be good for him to have me come in.
When I asked her how old he was she said fourteen. Cool! Maybe I'll like this after all...
Who knows, maybe their son'll like me so much they'll rethink about adopting me.
I'd finally have a family.....

###Today's Date: _____ ###

I'm heading to Northbend. that's where my foster home is. I was given rules on how to behave, given my suitcase, and hitched up to the train as soon as the engine arrived. We're halfway there now.

I'm the youngest on this run. The coaches have yet to talk to me but I don't mind.
They seem to be busy talking about coach things like engines and 'lotta locomotion', and such.
I just ignore all that.

###Today's Date: _____ ###

Made it to Northbend. The engine of the train went into the main office to tell the head we're here.
Wow! As I look about I see how busy this place is!
Sure, Hilton was busy too, but not even half as much as Northbend is!
The head of the station's come out now. He's a diesel just like the one pulling the train I'm on.
The other points back to me as they walk over.....

###Today's Date: _____ ###

My first day in Northbend came to an end.
Met my foster family. A diesel, his coach (a diner), and their son (also a diesel).
The diesel, Oilslick, is strict but not really harsh. I think I could handle being around him.
After all, his is a father and father are supposed to be that way, right? The diner, Alice, seems really nice. She seems to like having me around the house and I don't mind helping her when she asks for it.
However, there's something about Turbo I just don't like.....
I don't know what it is about him, but I just don't like him....

###Today's Date: _____ ###

Met a coach today.
Wow she's pretty! Maybe the prettiest diner I've ever seen.
Her name's Vienda and since meeting her I haven't been able to concentrate on anything else......
Only problem is, she's Turbo's coach. I got to stay away from her or get pounded....

###Today's Date: _____ ###

It's not fair! What'd I do?
As soon as I walked into the house Turbo and a few of his goons approached me.
One of them picked me up by the front of my shirt. The rest then began to pound me! turbo just stood there laughing. He himself then took a swing at me before taking from the one holding me and throwing me to the ground!
They all left me and as they headed out, they each gave me a sharp kick to the gut!
Their cruel laughter is still ringing in my ears....

I laid there I don't know how long in pain until Vienda found me. She didn't ask what happened but something in her eyes told me she knew.
She helped me to the repair shed. There they wanted to know what happened but I didn't say.
I'd get another pound if Turbo got word I ratted on him.

Get this! After the repair truck fixed me up, Vienda invited me to come with her to the diner were her mom and Alice work, for dinner! Of course I didn't say no.

###Today's Date: _____ ###

That idiot engine! I could wreck him right now! How could he treat Vienda like that?!
She's perfect yet Turbo uncouples her for a sleeper!! He doesn't deserve a coach as perfect as Vienda.

I was going along minding my own business and hoping I wouldn't run into Turbo and his goons today when I heard crying.
I peeked around a shed and saw Vienda sobbing into her hands. I asked her what was wrong and she told me she had seen Turbo with a sleeper.
When she confronted him, he blew up at her with something about how could she even think of him doing that, smacked her, admitted to her that yes he had been cheating on her, and uncoupled her having the nerve to say she wasn't good enough for him as he skated of with the sleeper!
It's one thing to cheat and end up uncoupling, but to smack a coach and then say she not 'good enough'?!
I'll wreck him!! Don't think that I won't!....