Evermore - Chapter One(Unfinished)

Chapter One
-Runaways-

Seven years later

Alex stared out of the window listening to the soothing patter of the rain as it thundered relentlessly on all sides of the cramped train carriage. She focused on the tiny specks of water flitting swiftly across the outside of the window allowing everything else to dissolve away into one continuous grey blur.

She breathed gently on the cool glass and began tracing a line with her finger through the condensation, she wrote her name each stroke unveiling a little more of the bleak horizon from the white mist.

The train slowed as it drew closer to the next station. Alex sat up straight and watched as the other passengers crowded around the door as the carriage pulled alongside the platform and poured out in a deluge as the doors slid open with a rattle. They vanished quickly into the heavy rainfall leaving Alex to exit the train unimpeded, she hurried for the narrow shelter of the stations overhanging roof.

She skidded to a stop beneath the arched strip of corrugated iron jutting over the platform and dropped her backpack to the concrete. She shook her head unflatteringly in an attempt to dry her hair already drenched from her swift sprint from the train to shelter, she looked over her shoulder as the train swept away catching a glance of her signature reversed in the window XELA.

Her golden hair hung damp to her face she pulled it back a held it tightly with a flowery hair clip her mother wouldn’t miss, she walked around the slim station building until she found a faded schedule taped to the door beside the ticket window.

Reaching into the pocket of her fathers’ heavy leather jacket that he never wore anymore she pulled out a thick red envelope, inside were a folded letter and a small scrap of paper. She took the paper and slipped the envelope and letter back into her pocket. On the paper was a long list of times and destinations, she checked it against the timetable and sighed wearily. She slid down into a sitting position leaning her back against the door feeling lonely and sleepy in equal measure; she screwed up the paper and aimed for a waste bin six feet away.

A loud cackle made her jump sending the paper ball sailing over the bin and out into the rain she sighed as a ruffled raven swooped in from the rain landing on the concrete with an awkward squish, the pitiful bird stood before her raising his head his tiny black eyes ever hopeful.

“I’m impressed you were able to keep up with the train, you must be exhausted.” She spoke casually avoiding the ravens penetrating gaze.

“You know a lot of people have told me they hate it when you stare like that, it’s not just me.” This time the raven cawed menacingly but Alex just shook her head.

“I want you to know that I have no desire to have to break this to you, but seeing as you’re going the same way I guess you should be informed the next train isn’t for a while yet.” She indicated the timetable above her head.

“Looks like you’re just gonna have to wait same as me.”
The raven cawed again ruffling his sodden wings, sending beads of water arching through the air. Alex backed against the door to avoid getting hit; the raven hopped away snapping his beak crossly and took off into the rain leaving behind a few sodden feathers in his wake.
“Hey! I didn’t ask you to come with me, did I?” Alex shouted after him then shivered as a sharp chill swept viciously across the platform, she drew her knees up to her chest and leaned over to pull her backpack toward her, after rummaging for a moment she pulled out an old brass fob watch, another possession of her fathers, she hoped he wouldn’t discover it missing, as her own watch broke two months ago.
She opened it not caring for the time she already knew it was late, just passing time really. She wondered quickly whether that was ironic then just as quickly forgot about it. Her fathers name was engraved inside the lid Patrick Owens, she thought of her parents, now so far away – her mind began drifting lazily across a thousand sad thoughts and she wondered whether she was falling asleep…

* * *

A noise jolted her out of her partial slumber she sat up blinking away unexpected tears, looking right then left she jolted again when she saw the cause of the noise, a stranger was running toward her from the far end of the platform his feet slapping loudly on the wet concrete, she scrambled to her feet in alarm clasping her fathers watch tightly to her chest before slowly realising the stranger was just running to get out from the rain, he stopped once he reached the sanctuary of the stations shelter.

Twilight had long since fallen and in the increasing darkness the stranger appeared little more than a silhouette. Alex squinted for a better view and as he stepped closer pausing beneath one of the stations flickering fluorescent lamps she saw that he was just a boy. Probably only a couple of years older than her, but he was tall with short sandy brown hair that at the moment was plastered down over his pale forehead. He appeared unaware Alex was watching him and was muttering to himself as he shook himself as dry as he was able before slouching down on an old wooden bench staring aimlessly out over the bleak landscape as though he believed he were completely alone in the world.

Alex continued watching him intently smiling to herself, she was amused by her sudden interest now of all times, she was thirteen and curious by character at the age when the opposite sex inexplicably began to appear much more intriguing, yet with still enough lingering childishness to sneer at the prospect of love.

Nevertheless she found it hard to look away continually snatching quick peeks in his direction whilst pretending to look elsewhere, though she needn’t have been so sneaky, he remained unaware of her spying despite it.

She barely reacted even as something burst in from the rain landing roughly on the concrete beside her in a flurry of feathers and a wet squelch. She sighed as the raven stood up dripping wet squawking miserably and proceeding to flap himself dry.

“Go away I’m busy.” She turned back to the boy feeling more than slightly annoyed at his continuing obliviousness, ‘as if he didn’t just see that.’

“Why don’t you just go find…” she started to say something then stopped at once as she saw her fellow traveller sit up straight in his seat, like he had just seen something very alarming, she scrambled clumsily to her feet for a better view noting with only faintest disappointment that he still didn’t notice her, his attention was directed elsewhere.

She started forward slowly her initial coyness gone, at once recognising this stranger as something potentially much more unique, He was leaning forward on the edge of his seat his eyes focused intently out into the rain at something unseen across the tracks. Alex increased her stride walking swiftly toward him following his line of sight, hoping to catch a glimpse.

The rain had stopped though the sky remained grey, a bitter wind swept across the platform chilling her bare legs though she hardly noticed following the boys gaze to the hollow trunk of an old tree standing weathered and forlorn on the far side of the tracks, near where he had just seen - whatever it was.

She was right beside him now close enough to touch him though he remained blind to her. She glanced distracted at the tree envisioning it in its much younger days, tall and majestic with its branches thick and green with foliage stretching out over the platform, it certainly must have looked impressive then. But it was old and beaten now; a last lingering remainder of what plant life had once grown on this spot, now long since buried beneath a crust of concrete and iron.

She sat beside him.

"What are you looking at?"

The boy jolted out of his trance and turned to the stranger suddenly seated beside him, he shifted uncomfortably as though he had just been caught in a compromising position.

"...nothing" he stammered "who are you?"

Alex turned to look at the space where he had just been staring she raised her eyebrows sceptically, apart from the dead tree all that could be seen beyond was a wholly depressing view of empty warehouses and graffiti stretching endlessly into the distance.

"That's quite a sight" the girl said absently.

He didn't reply.

"That tree I mean, isn't it sad" she trailed off.

The boy turned to her suddenly looking uneasy.

"Did you see..." he stopped suddenly and looked away again.

Not wanting to force him Alex turned away to, she pulled her fathers watch from her pocket and checked the time, the next train would be here soon.

"My names Edward" the boy muttered quickly holding out his hand "Edward Drake."

She smiled, and laughed grasping his hand firmly her cold skin causing a shiver to pass between them.

"Pleased to meet you Edward, I'm Alexia Owens but you can call me Alex... or Catherine or Agatha for that matter just anything but Alexia." She laughed again.

After these self-conscious introductions conversation followed gradually, each steadily relaxing and eager to explore what parallels were shared between them, yet throughout their blithe discussion one subject noticeably remained unsaid, which was why they were both waiting for a train so late in the evening and why they were travelling alone.

- Unfinished -