"Coming through!"
I yelled, weaving through a dense crowd, bumping into a few people along the way.
I was sprinting to catch the last train to Veina—the town where my foster home is. I'd been running flat out for over thirty minutes, from the gym all the way to the station.
Funny thing is, this was the first time I'd ever been late for the train. Actually, scratch that—this was the first time I'd ever had to take the last train home.
I reached the station gate, pulled a brown coin from my pocket, and shoved it into the machine.
Nothing happened.
"What the hell?" I muttered, checking the coin return. Empty.
I banged on the machine, hoping to jolt it into working. Still nothing. I glanced up—and saw the train doors starting to close.
"Oh, screw this!" I growled, leaping over the gate and sprinting toward the platform.
This was my last chance. If I missed that train, I'd be stuck here for the night—sleeping on a bench in a rat-infested station, surrounded by all the tragic stories we grew up hearing from the adults.
"Hey! You there! Get back here!" a security guard shouted behind me.
He was fast—and gaining. But I was closing in on the train too.
Just as I reached the back of the train, it began to move. And that's when it hit me:
I'm not going to make it.
Still, I kept running. You'd think I was insane, but I had one last shot.
"Kid! It's too late—stop!" the guard shouted.
I wish I could. But there's no way I'm spending the night here.
I pushed forward, my legs burning. The guard was less than a meter behind me—close enough to grab me in a few more strides.
The train was speeding up. The platform was running out. One way or another, this was the moment of truth: a warm bed at home, or a cold bench and a lecture from the guard.
Not happening. I was going home.
But I couldn't keep up. I started to fall behind. Just as I reached the edge of the platform, the guard lunged for me.
"I got you, bo—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his hand swiping through the air, grazing only the edge of my leather jacket.
"Where did he go!?" he shouted, confused.
He stepped to the edge, trying to see if I'd made it on board. What he saw left him stunned.
I had made it—clinging to the space between two train cars. I gave him a little wave as the train pulled away, leaving him behind in the distance. The wind hit me hard, and I ducked back between the cars.
I zipped up my jacket and gripped the ladder tightly.
[Thank God I made it], I thought, catching my breath.
[This is the last time I cover for someone. I can't believe the boss dumped all that work on me, knowing Jacky wasn't around. What a jerk.]
I pulled a handkerchief from my bag and wiped the sweat from my face.
[Kole, you seriously need a new job. Preferably one that's closer to home.]
The train picked up speed, and I sat down, trying to stay out of view from any guards.
The sky above was clear—stars scattered across the dark canvas. The full moon cast its glow over the fields outside the city, rows of sugarcane stretching into the night. Everything felt calm. Peaceful. Normal.
Then I saw them.
Figures. Human-shaped, crouched near the fields. I wouldn't have noticed them if I wasn't staring so intently. I stood up, trying to get a better look—But they were gone.
Like they'd vanished into the air.
Then I saw shadows—several figures—moving above me. If it weren't for the moonlight, I wouldn't have seen anything. I dropped low, heart racing, clutching my backpack tight.
[What the hell is going on?]
This wasn't normal. I'd ridden between cars before—four times in my seventeen years—and nothing like this had ever happened.
[A train hijacking? How do you even hijack a train?]
The shadows moved across the next car and stopped. I was just about to peek out again when the train door swung open.A guard stepped out, staring straight at me.
"Hey! What are you doing here, boy!?"
Shit!!!