Part One. Echoed Footsteps:
Eleven year old Sam was so excited as he boarded the train for a three hour trip to New York City, he was saying either hello or goodby to everyone that walked by him. The sun was out bright and it seemed to smile down on him when he yelled "hello sunshine."
When he found his seat he opened the window. "Bye," he yelled as he waved to his mother and father. "See you when I get back."
"Tell Uncle Henry to phone when you get there," his mother called to him.
"And be careful--stay close to Uncle Henry so you don't get lost. Have a good time," his father added.
"ALL ABOARD," the conductor boomed. The train sounded its whistle as it started moving slowly down the track.
"Mind your manners and behave yourself--call us," Sam's mother yelled as she wiped tears from her eyes with one hand while waving with the other.
Sam waved to them from his window until they were out of sight. He then settled back into his seat with a satisfied smile. The train was at full speed when the conductor walked down the narrow aisle asking for everyone to show their ticket.
"Where's your ticket sonny?" the conductor asked when he reached Sam.
Sam stood up to get his ticket out of his pocket where he had stuffed it when he got on the train. When he pulled it out it was wrinkled into a ball. As Sam tried to straighten it out he whispered, "sorry" to the conductor.
The conductor just shook his head. "Better take care of this," he told Sam as he punched it with a paper punch, "It has to get you back home. Maybe I'd better put your bag up for you." He took Sam's suitcase and put it into a compartment over Sams's head.
Sam sat down again and leaned back in his seat. As he listened to the soft clickity-clack, clickity-clack of the train wheels on the track he begin to think of all the places Uncle Henry was going to take him; they might be able to go all the way to the head of the Statue of Liberty, and to Coney Island to eat hotdogs, but most of all he wanted to go to the Bronx Zoo to see the gorillas in the Gorilla Forest. He had read that gorillas understood sign language and he learned to sign 'hello, my name is Sam, what's yours?'
The swaying of the train and the rumbling of the wheels on the track soon lulled Sam to sleep. The next thing he knew, the conductor was walking up and down the aisle calling out, "First Stop--Grand Central Station, New York City--five minutes. Please have baggage checks ready."
Sam rubbed his eyes and stretched. He started to stand on the seat to get his suitcase when a man in the seat behind him stood up.
"Looks like you need some help sonny. This one yours?" he asked Sam in a soft but gravely voice. "Kind of young to be traveling by yourself--got someone meeting you?"
Sam hadn't noticed the man and jumped when the man spoke. The man grabbed his arm to keep him from falling off the seat and then handed Sam the suitcase. Before Sam had a chance to tell him 'thank you' the man turned abruptly and hurried towards the exit door. All Sam could see was the back of the man's tweed coat with the collar turned up, and the man was pulling his gray hat down, almost covering his eyes.
continued in part 2
Friday, June 22, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Echoed Footsteps (part 2)
Continued:
All Sam could see was the back of the man's tweed coat with the collar turned up, and the man was pulling his gray hat down, almost covering his eyes......
"Must be in a big hurry," Sam mumbled to himself then he sat back on the seat waiting for the train to stop. When Sam got off of the train, he expected to see Uncle Henry waiting for him, but the station was quiet and completely empty. He looked at the big clock on the wall; the hands had stopped at 2 o'clock.
Sam looked around slowly. Where were all the people? The station should have been filled with them, and there should have been a lot of noise, but it was so quiet that he could hear himself breathing. He was getting a little scared, so lhje said, in what he hoped was in a confident voice, just in case someone was listenling, "I might as well wait for lUncle Henry outside, he will be looking for me."
His footsteps echoed on the smooth tile floor. He heard them bouncing across it and onto the walls, echoing throughout the station. When he reached the door, he looked back to see if anyone else got off of the train. No one had. He started to push the door open when he saw someone dash through a 'BAGGAGE ROOM' door.
Sam's fce turned white, and he swallowed real hard. He rushed out the dooor hoping to see his uncle, but stopped. The air was completely still and the day had turned into night. Only a faint glow of the moon kept it from being pitch black. Not a person or a car was on the street; everything was silent.
"Oh no," he whispered. "I slept to long and missed my stop. Dad will never let me go anywhere again.
As Sam looked at the sign over his head, a cold fear crept over him. The sign said, Central Station, New York City, New York. He hadn't missed his stop, but something was wrong.
Sam felt the tears forming in his eyes, but told himself that he wouldn't cry. "I'll just get back on the train, the conductor will help me." He opened the door, looked into the station and gasped. The lights went off and was darker inside then it was outside. He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and very quietly said, "The only thing left to do is to call Uncle Henry."
He felt in his pocket, found the paper with the phone number on it, and some change. The phones were on the corner. He walked over to them. When he dialed, the phone went dead. He couldn't get a dial tone and his coins kept falling into the change-return slot.
"Must be broke," He whispered. "I'll try another one." But every phone that he tried was silent. As he started to hang up the last phone, he glanced up just in time to see the man in the tweed coat dashing into an alley.
Sam began to panic. "Please," he cried into the silent phone, "Somebody help me!"
But no could hear him. He looked at the paper with the phone number written on it; the number started to faded. He rubbed his hand through his hair and wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve. He couldn't figure out what was happening. Then he remembered that his mother had said that Uncle Henry's office building was just south of the train station, and that it was so big it couldn't be missed in a snowstrorm. He started running in that direction.
As Sam ran, the moon came out from behind the clouds, throwing a small moonbeam on the sidewalk. He started to feel better and slowed down to a walk. He looked at all the buildings but couldn't find Uncle Henry's. After the third block he decided to cross the street, hoping to have better luck. Sam looked up and down the street, (out of habit, and secretly hoping a car would come by), then he walked across the road. Just as he lifted his foot to step up on the curb, the curb disappeared. Sand had taken the its place. The moon became bright as day and lit up the sand. Sam could see for miles. When he turned around to look at the city, it had vanished and he was in the desert. In the distance he saw the man in the tweed coat hurriedly walking towards him. Sam dropped his suitcase and started to run away from the man. Nothing was making sense--why was this man following him? Who was he and what happened to the city and all the people?
As Sam looked over his shoulder he saw that the man was running towards him now. Sam ran faster and faster. He looked behind him again, the man was just inches away from him. When the man reached out to grab Sam, Sam fell and everything went black.
"Hey sonny, wake up. This is where you get off." It was the conductor. He was shaking Sam's arm.
Sam opened his eyes. "Just a dream," he said with a sigh of relief.
As he looked out the window, he saw Uncle Henrysmiling and waving. And behind him stood a man in a twed coat, with a gray hat pulled down close to his eyes so no one could see his face.
The End
All Sam could see was the back of the man's tweed coat with the collar turned up, and the man was pulling his gray hat down, almost covering his eyes......
"Must be in a big hurry," Sam mumbled to himself then he sat back on the seat waiting for the train to stop. When Sam got off of the train, he expected to see Uncle Henry waiting for him, but the station was quiet and completely empty. He looked at the big clock on the wall; the hands had stopped at 2 o'clock.
Sam looked around slowly. Where were all the people? The station should have been filled with them, and there should have been a lot of noise, but it was so quiet that he could hear himself breathing. He was getting a little scared, so lhje said, in what he hoped was in a confident voice, just in case someone was listenling, "I might as well wait for lUncle Henry outside, he will be looking for me."
His footsteps echoed on the smooth tile floor. He heard them bouncing across it and onto the walls, echoing throughout the station. When he reached the door, he looked back to see if anyone else got off of the train. No one had. He started to push the door open when he saw someone dash through a 'BAGGAGE ROOM' door.
Sam's fce turned white, and he swallowed real hard. He rushed out the dooor hoping to see his uncle, but stopped. The air was completely still and the day had turned into night. Only a faint glow of the moon kept it from being pitch black. Not a person or a car was on the street; everything was silent.
"Oh no," he whispered. "I slept to long and missed my stop. Dad will never let me go anywhere again.
As Sam looked at the sign over his head, a cold fear crept over him. The sign said, Central Station, New York City, New York. He hadn't missed his stop, but something was wrong.
Sam felt the tears forming in his eyes, but told himself that he wouldn't cry. "I'll just get back on the train, the conductor will help me." He opened the door, looked into the station and gasped. The lights went off and was darker inside then it was outside. He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and very quietly said, "The only thing left to do is to call Uncle Henry."
He felt in his pocket, found the paper with the phone number on it, and some change. The phones were on the corner. He walked over to them. When he dialed, the phone went dead. He couldn't get a dial tone and his coins kept falling into the change-return slot.
"Must be broke," He whispered. "I'll try another one." But every phone that he tried was silent. As he started to hang up the last phone, he glanced up just in time to see the man in the tweed coat dashing into an alley.
Sam began to panic. "Please," he cried into the silent phone, "Somebody help me!"
But no could hear him. He looked at the paper with the phone number written on it; the number started to faded. He rubbed his hand through his hair and wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve. He couldn't figure out what was happening. Then he remembered that his mother had said that Uncle Henry's office building was just south of the train station, and that it was so big it couldn't be missed in a snowstrorm. He started running in that direction.
As Sam ran, the moon came out from behind the clouds, throwing a small moonbeam on the sidewalk. He started to feel better and slowed down to a walk. He looked at all the buildings but couldn't find Uncle Henry's. After the third block he decided to cross the street, hoping to have better luck. Sam looked up and down the street, (out of habit, and secretly hoping a car would come by), then he walked across the road. Just as he lifted his foot to step up on the curb, the curb disappeared. Sand had taken the its place. The moon became bright as day and lit up the sand. Sam could see for miles. When he turned around to look at the city, it had vanished and he was in the desert. In the distance he saw the man in the tweed coat hurriedly walking towards him. Sam dropped his suitcase and started to run away from the man. Nothing was making sense--why was this man following him? Who was he and what happened to the city and all the people?
As Sam looked over his shoulder he saw that the man was running towards him now. Sam ran faster and faster. He looked behind him again, the man was just inches away from him. When the man reached out to grab Sam, Sam fell and everything went black.
"Hey sonny, wake up. This is where you get off." It was the conductor. He was shaking Sam's arm.
Sam opened his eyes. "Just a dream," he said with a sigh of relief.
As he looked out the window, he saw Uncle Henrysmiling and waving. And behind him stood a man in a twed coat, with a gray hat pulled down close to his eyes so no one could see his face.
The End
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