The steel carriage swayed from the rusted wheels scrapping against the old breaking rails, then the pop of a tab opening a can filled the empty train carriage. A sandy blonde boy with leaf green eyes brought the tin cylinder to his mouth and started sipping away from the now opened can.
'I hope my parent's aren't going to be too mad that I'm late home.' Samuel thought as he brought the can down from his face as he looked down at his breaking shoes.
The train swayed with more intensity as it turned the corner to the last stop for the day. He got up after the swaying subsided and approached the corrosion-covered carriage doors. They opened with a ear deafening screech as Samuel covered his ears. He knew the sound all too well from the amount of times he had to take this certain rundown train home after all, it was the only one he could afford with his pocket money.
He exited the train and made his way through the station to one of the more rundown sections within the city. There wasn't many people living around the rundown sections so it was easier than going through the busy streets near the main roads. Samuel stopped his walking shorting after though.
He was captivated by a working vending machine within the outer sections of the city, he had just enough money left for one of it's snacks. The real question was which snack did he want? Did he even want a snack? Then he decided against it.
Samuel continued walking towards a collapsing abandoned apartment building. That specific apartment building was the one that Samuel and his family called home.
"Welcome home Sammie" A feminine voice called out from the only functional kitchen in the apartment complex.
The voice belonged to a skinny woman in her late 30s, she had strawberry blonde hair with tired hazel eyes and dark circles under her almond shaped eyes.
"Hey Mother, is Father still out working?" Sammie asked curiously towards the older woman.
"He said he was going to be back before you were, but I guess you beat him here today." His mother replied as Sammie hopped up the broken staircase.
"So how much longer do you think he'll be before he gets here?"
"I'm not too sure Sammie, maybe another half hour or so."
"I hope so. You remember how he gets when we eat dinner without him."
"Yes, I know Sammie, he throws a fit and pouts for the rest of the night."
Not even a moment later the door to the complex opens and a lean male with light brunette hair and piercing dark brown eyes enters.
"I don't pout, I just get a little upset that you want to eat without me." The man answers as he takes off his heavy duty leather boots.
"Welcome back Father. How was work?" Sammie asks with genuine interest.
Sammie has always been the curious type when it came to his parents, this was only fueled by the way that neither of them liked going into detail about their days. Whether it was at home for the day or if they went out to work, they never shared details. It always frustrated Samuel that they never did but it also never changed.
This day, it was different.
"The factory is shutting down soon. They're trying to find places for all the workers to go to." He rigid man looked down as he continued.
"They say that the technology isn't up to date and that the health within the factory is at a slow decline. People are at risk of getting heavily injured or even death from the mechanic machines."
"What does that mean for us?" The skinny woman intertwined.
"It means that we either need to move out from here and try to find somewhere closer to other jobs or that the factory gets knocked down and they replace the whole thing with a more modern one."
"Both of those options are not good for Samuel." The mother proclaimed.
"I understand that Selena, but we don't have any influence with this decision. It comes down to the factory owners and they aren't going to decide on anything until they know the pros and cons of both options."
"Respectfully Walter, we can't move again. This is the 3rd place this month that we have had to beg to stay in. We can't afford to go anywhere, we barely afford food. Most of the stuff we buy has to be used within a day of when it was brought so that it doesn't go to waste." Droplets start rolling down Selena's face as she continues on.
"I can't keep doing this Walter, when will this get better?"
"I don't know Selena."
Sammie pipes up.
"Shouldn't we worry about all that after the owners decide what they are going to do to the factory?"
"Sammie's got more composure than the both of us Selena, I think we listen to his suggestion until the owners decide what they want to do."
"Alright Walter, we'll deal with the day to day like we have been until then." Selena wipes the falling droplets from her eyes with a tissue.
They all sit at the table and eat the stale stew that was warm just moments ago.
The only sound that could be heard from the complex for the rest of the night was the clinking of tin utensils against the scratched porcelain bowls and the flowing water from the sink.