Chereads / Before the Lights Fade / Chapter 2 - Chapter two

Chapter 2 - Chapter two

Sometimes when I am sitting alone, questions "my mind. When did it start? Was it the night I arrived? I know the gang existed before me but it became a quick reality for me!

One wrong turn your dead. Kill the wrong guy you're dead. Make a bad deal while you're an asshole and your dead".

Sincerely Leo Hamlin.

Memoirs of a Crime boss.

Chapter one:

The following Tuesday:

Dear Tom, I am truly sorry about what has happened. I am only asking you this because I do care as much as you probably hate me for how I left things. My daughter is growing to be a sweet wonderful child. And I am asking you to please understand that the abuse you suffer from our father is wrong. You deserve so much better and I am not the best person when it comes to being sweet so straight to the point. Please please reconsider moving. I can have my lawyer get you away from there and have you on the next train ride. We can make the custody dissolve and you can finally have a fresh start. I want you to have a life. I want you to not be afraid of anyone. Our father for lack of a better word is a scumbag. He beats on you and his mom is mentally manipulative. I realize I haven't been the best brother but you and I both know I would never ever treat you like that. My lawyers number is enclosed the same as my best friend. He will only take your call. Here's to hoping your teacher gives you this. Please please get out of that hellhole.

Sincerely, Han Barker.

Two days later.................

a blond haired boy named Tom and his brother Han are sitting in a coach room his brother rented on a train. Both haven't spoken to each other in a couple years.

Han hopes to reconnect with him and make him feel more comfortable about moving away from there useless father. The notorious lawyer who had some awful business that caused his wife's demise along with his mistress. A abusive father who's manipulations manifested into a mess.

"Do you remember"? asked Han the coach car shook and the lights flickered and shimmered from the sleeper. The train car bounced as tom sat up on what had been his bed the past few nights against the window. the train continued on, rain blew in tiny flecks across the trees and the wondrous fields they passed. he saw little houses, small villages fly by a matter of minutes. The train bounced them up and down returning a stead.

"I'd asked you to come with me". Said Han."Before all of this".

Tom sighed turned and looked at Han who was reading a book opposite him and looked up.

"I really do understand why you left and I kind of still feel upset about it, I am glad you found your way, me being here should tell you I am willing to give it a chance. said Tom. Drop it please.

Han looked up with bluish green eyes and dark black hair. smiled and nodded frowning he turned back to his book. It was a Star Wars trilogy book. Han looked good. He was taller than Tom by a couple inches. He had black hair blue eyes the color of water practically. Toms eyes were blue also but he had blond hair like his mother.

"you know it really doesn't matter that much it was a long time ago and now everything's set straight". said Tom he brushed a piece of his blond hair out of his face and looked over at Han. his crystal blue eyes shined back at him. he sighed slowly smiling. "That's good to hear".

"Tom we gotta cut your hair though, It's long".

The trees whizzed by and the brakes were put on. Tom was lurched forward slightly and sat back.

The nice red bed sat behind them a twin poster bed with red curtains and the room was a nice dark wood color walls a bit darker. the floor was smooth and nice the sides reminded them of a log cabin. what had they been thinking about this train when they added this line. but then Tom looked over at Han who spoke

Finally we're here". He stood. the train pulled to a stop. Tom looked out the window at a bland sight. He saw a train station below the tracks and old buildings behind it two story buildings.

"This is as far as this train goes please all passengers leave the train. Caution must be taken when stepping off onto the platform.

Tom stood up and stretched. 'damn' he thought they had been sitting around for a long time he felt sore now. he followed Han out with his Luggage. Han had a blue backpack and his nice black leather jacket skinny but muscular and a bit taller than Tom. Tom was short and muscularly built from days as a football player. he came from Florida so his arms were tan still. his face tan he smiled as he looked out the window one last time. the rain was coming down harder now. he grabbed his brown long sleeve sweatshirt with a hood and inside grey thermal.

"Alright here we are," said Han, "yes so nice to be home," he said excitedly they exited onto the platform and he headed over to the edge of the rails below Tom saw a nice garden directly under them and one tree in the center. a nice set of park benches on either side of the Garden and on the left where the sidewalk reached to the little station. it literally was small. a older red brick building with a chimney. the front door was Wood and nicely polished as the rain came down on the one window it had on the right.

He looked at a sign in front of him.

April 3 2008: Rails built by Hodger Kingston: for the people and by the people of Parkville.

The New WISMET 4 he saw now the train said on the side of the metal.

"Haha me and  a few friends actually helped tear down the old Pharmacy that was here a few years ago. Hodgers an interesting dude" said Han he looked down at the sign then over at Tom.

"You know I'm a bit nervous." said Tom he looked at Han who smiled bigger and said "don't be". his clean shaven face he could see each word as he spoke. he was  a bit pale today though. He lit a menthol Cigarette and looked out for a moment strong with a feel of courage Tom straightened himself.

"you want a smoke." asked Han he looked at Tom, "its not a solution but eh f it right"? he asked, Tom nodded and smiled he grabbed one.

"So you  know what used to be here"?Han asked, he was clicking his lighter repeatedly as rain tapped down. He finally got it to work and lit a semi damp cigarette.

Tom shook his head and Han Pointed to the right side where behind the trees was a sidewalk and Main street. He still had the smoke in his mouth as he attempted to speak. if ya dink of fer cornas. He took it out of his mouth. Sorry if u think of four corners there's the bottom left that is where this scene is the bottom right is Meta 4 top right is A craft store called Nina's and top left is a medical center. the road in the middle of this is main street. a nice older street that has stood for probably a million years or so."the nice red carpet that went up two steps into Nina's brown wood door with glass and a window on the right and left showing everything in the shop. the shop had 3 floors it looked like older brick modeling and white window frames. very picturesque of its time. this was modern day.

Toms mouth drooped In mesmerizing. 'no way was this real'.Tom thought but it stood there.

"So check out that shop your eyeing kid. the older woman who ran that shop moved here from somewhere else. just in the turn of the century." He made his arm stretch out toward the sky and grabbed Toms shoulders. he looked at Tom a total movie scene. "A woman with a vision and a vista grabbed a boat or something and came out here and in 1899 or some time in the past i dont know the dates but i do know that she became able to pull a neighborhood together with her crafting and this little shop that started small and remains a landmark of this area now. and you will see a lot of people that came from far and wide in this area. and you know what they have in common?"

He looked at Tom who shook his head and he let go of tom turned and faced him. he pointed to his head. "They all had a dream. some goal some coming from far and wide different homes decided that this was a new start, completely fresh", Han started laughing.

"ok calm down." laughed Tom. Han smiled and said "lets go ". he threw the cigarette down. said come on then."

'this wont be too bad.' thought Tom, 'don't know why i was scared.' he looked around and followed down the six steps to the station that Han opened the door to and he walked in.

"so this place." said Han in a more prof voice. ''James Magner Sr, back just a couple years ago actually". Han pointed to the brick work and said, "He let me do some of the brick work there. learned a lot myself that i didn't know. his son helped a bit but he was about well hes your age actually the sweet sixteen feeler, young and incorrigible still". he smiled. "maybe you will get to meet him".

"yeah maybe." said Tom "maybe i can meet Mr. Magner To". he smiled looking over at the bar on the right where a balding man was reading a newspaper nice red shirt behind a tuxedo taller than even Han about probably 5 11 or so,

"Hey Han long time," he smiled he had a goatee shorter cut though and not fancy like but regular cut.

their was liquor lining the back wall and it was a nice wood bar as they went up two steps and to the right where the front of the bar faced them. nice little hole in the wall.

"Hey Joe whats the word eh," asked Han. he smiled Joe shook his head and said, "not much my brother just workin hey how bout a drink for the road".

Han shook his head and said, "Nah just got back from a pickup from hell". he said, "grabbed my brother from the depths now just want to relax ya know".

"Yeah well brother", he looked at Tom. "your in good hands with this man. if you want anything later let me know alright" he looked at Han who smiled and said "Thanks well were gonna get going Joe".

"Alright my man talk to ya". he turned.

"ok. Tom i'm parked out here," he said. they went out the other set of doors into a small parking lot and on their left Han was parked on the curb crooked. his nice black F 350.

"so apparently they keep giving Joe the worst conductors here." said Han."just last week before i left he fired two right in front of me". he grabbed up Toms Bag and threw it in the back of his truck and closed the top part to slide over it. Tom got in front and said, "yeah gonna need to try get longer lasting ones".

"Huh." said Han getting in. "yeah he will il see if i know anyone actually. alright here we go". seatbelts. "lets go".

hey just really quick you asked me to come to wisconsin again what made you want to really convince me and talk me into that? asked Tom. it sounded very urgent to the very least.

we can talk it out more a bit later but i also just wanted the company. I have a proposition about to open up but not right now.

alright said Tom. sounds good like a job or something.

For now it isn't your concern. said Han.

He pulled off....

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