Choosing Hope by CeeCee James

Author:CeeCee James
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CeeCee James

15

~HOMELESS~

With a jerk, the train began to slow down. “About five more minutes,” Jason warned, his eyes narrowing as he stared down the tracks. The town still wasn’t in sight.

He looked at her. “Can you stand up?”

“How are we going to sneak off?” Her leg throbbed.

“When the train slows down enough, we jump.”

The answer was so absurd she laughed. The ground flashed by in a blur, indiscernible from grass versus shrubs at this speed. The image of cartwheeling across the landscape flashed through her mind.

“You’re not serious.”

“Two minutes,” he murmured, his grip stiffening on the side of the opening.

She closed her eyes and thought, It was nice knowing you, skin.

Another chug, and another jolt. The train slowed down more.

“Did I ever tell you I’m scared of heights?” she whispered.

He didn’t hear her, or chose to ignore the comment. Instead, he grabbed her hand and glanced at her leg. “Hey,” he said, gently shaking her hand, making her look him in the eye. “You’ve got this. I swear you’ve got this.”

“I’m going to die.”

“You aren’t going to die. We’re going to be fine, and then we’ll go find Cassie.”

She nodded and brushed her hair away from where the wind was blowing it in her face. Maybe it’s best if I can’t see, she thought.

The train rumbled into the town. Jason glanced up the line of boxcars, and then at the flashing ground. His grip tightened on her hand.

“Ready?”

“Yeah,” she said, but her head shook no.

“One.” His other arm clenched around her waist and heaved her up.

“Wait! On the count of three? Or....” “Two.”

The ground rushed by at a flashing green blur. “Jason, I don’t think—”

“Three!” He hurled himself out, pulling her with him.

They hit the embankment and rolled down like wet towels in a dryer. With a thud they landed in the grass at the bottom, with Jason ending up on top of her.

He smiled a bit as he pushed off. “That wasn’t so bad.”

Miranda lay there and groaned, testing her limbs. Her leg pulsed.

He offered his hand to help her. “Anything broke?”

“Now you ask me? After you just threw me off a moving train and somehow managed to land on top of me?”

“Why were you making that whimpering noise?”

“It was anticipatory,” she said. “Just in case I was really hurt.”

“Well? Are you?”

She tested her arms and leaned back to stretch out her back. “I’m fine,” she said dryly. She brushed away his extended hand.

“Not super fine.” Jason studied her leg where a red stain spread through the cloth bandage. “Come on. I’ll stash you someplace and get us some water.” His muscles bunched under his torn t-shirt as he lifted her up. Unwillingly, she hung on to his shoulder. Together, they limped toward the town.

“I feel like a three-legged pygmy goat,” she complained. Worse than that, she thought and made a face.

“Why a goat?” Jason asked.

“Because,” she gritted her teeth at a sharp jolt of pain, “they’re so dang cute.”

His mouth moved like he struggled to keep a straight face but failed.

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