He stepped off the wooden platform and gravel crunched beneath his sneakers again as he made his way over to the tracks. Cold wind flapped his tee shirt.
He heard the crunching of gravel behind him. “They tell me it’s an incredible sight to see, this train,” said Reggie. “One man said it looked like a building coming at you. Another said it looked like a great shadow.”
In the far distance, seemingly suspended in mid-air, a bright light appeared in the center of tracks.
“I’m not afraid,” Judd said.
“You should be, kid.”
The whistle came again and with it the hair on Judd’s arms stood on end. He was shivering nearly uncontrollably.
“I should have brought my ma,” he said. “I could’ve proved to her that I’m not hearing things. See, here it comes now, as plain as day. And you’re right, Reggie. It’s huge. It’s loud. It’s real.”
A heavy hand fell on his shoulder, and suddenly he felt himself being spun around as if he were playing a game of pin the tail on the donkey. Reggie’s wrinkled and filthy face was just inches from his own. His breath smelled putrid, of mouse blood and bits of mouse fur. “Listen to me, kid. You have to leave. Leave and never look back. Look at me, dammit!”
Indeed, Judd was straining to see the coming train, which now looked like a slow-moving, hulking megalith. “It’s here, Reggie.” Judd pushed the old man’s hands away. “It’s okay, Reggie. It’s meant to be.”
But Reggie didn’t let go; instead, the old man raised his voice, shouting, “Who the hell are you people? What the hell do you want with him? Leave him be, goddammit!”
“It’s okay, Reggie. He’s waiting for me. I know he is.”
“No, Judd. Please go home. Go far away from here. Please.”
Judd smiled serenely. He had never felt so at peace in his life. Why had he been so worried before? “It’s okay, Reggie. I promise.”
And with that, the boy slipped completely out of the old man’s grasp. Reggie dropped to his knees in defeat.
“No, Judd. This ain’t right. Don’t go on the train.”
Judd, however, never looked back. Instead, he reached out for the shadowy hand that was reaching down for his, and took it. Judd ran alongside the slowing train, faster than he had ever run in his whole short life, the silver dog tags jingling inside his shirt like so much heart music. He looked up into the eyes that looked so much like his own, the cheek that looked like his, the chin that looked like his, even the crooked cleft. He held on for dear life to the desert camouflage-jacketed arm.
“Dad!” Judd screamed. “Dad!”
“Don’t get on the train with him!” Reggie screamed and was suddenly at Judd’s side, trying to pull Judd’s arm away from his father’s. “You get on that train and you ain’t never coming back, kid.”
But Judd wasn’t listening. “Do you see it, Reggie? Do you see it?”
The old vampire was keeping pace with him, looking both distraught and oddly curious. He was shaking his great head. “No, dammit. Now get back here, kid. Let go of whatever it is you’re holding.”
“Dad?” asked Judd, still running to keep up. “Dad, is it really you?”
“It ain’t your dad, kid. It’s Death. And it’s come for you.”
“No. It’s my pops.”
Still holding the camouflaged hand, the old man next to him did something unexpected and terrifying. He grabbed Judd’s arm. Grabbed it hard and pulled. He also did something else, he reached forward, grabbing what Judd was holding...his father’s hand.
“Show yourself, goddammit!” yelled Reggie.
And with a final heave, Judd found himself rolling, tumbling head over ass over the gravel. Next to him, Reggie thudded as well. And next to Reggie...was someone else.
Judd didn’t even realize how loud he was screaming until the train screeched to a halt and the man in the camo jacket wrapped his big arms around him and wept as if his heart was breaking. Only it was being unshattered, moment by moment.
* * *
Reggie stood and dusted himself off. He was quite certain that someone, or something, had appeared out of nowhere. He had just spotted the full-grown man in desert fatigues lying on the ground when he spotted something else. Something that no one could miss.
Rising above, spewing steam high into the air, as big as iron mountain, was an old-time locomotive.