Retracing the steps Johnny and I had taken that night, I crouched in the
weeds beside the railroad tracks, waiting for the three-fifteen freight to
Windrixville. I listened to the whistle grow louder and the train finally
slowed to a screaming halt. I turned to my left.
"Come on Johnny-" I stopped, realizing that he wasn't there. Shaking my head, I pulled myself into an open boxcar. Once again I was not discovered by a railroad worker.
As I stretched out and lay down on an empty seat, I thought of the way I had felt when I was here the last time, using Johnny's legs as a pillow. The realization that we were really running away from the cops, charged by murder.
I woke up when the train stopped and jumped off. Instead of feeling sleepy like last time, I felt wide awake. Resisting the urge to run, I walked slowly to the remains of the old church, stopping just outside it. I shook my head. it was totally unrecognizable. The wood foundations were all that was left of it, all black and charred. I picked my way through the rubble and sat down on a patch of grass.
"Hey Johnny," I started. "We all miss you here. A lot. Dally tried to commit suicide after you d.." my voice broke, but I forced myself to finish the word. "Died. But he survived. I showed him the note you wrote, and he did watch a sunset." I smiled. "He's really changed. He stopped causing trouble with the fuzz for starters. I used to think he was tougher, colder and meaner than the rest of us, but. he's changed."
I stayed there for a long time, just talking and thinking, until the first drops of rain splattered down on my head. I shivered. Why was Darry always right? I hadn't brought a jacket, and I was just wearing another of Soda's old shirts with the sleeves cut short.
"Come on Johnny-" I stopped, realizing that he wasn't there. Shaking my head, I pulled myself into an open boxcar. Once again I was not discovered by a railroad worker.
As I stretched out and lay down on an empty seat, I thought of the way I had felt when I was here the last time, using Johnny's legs as a pillow. The realization that we were really running away from the cops, charged by murder.
I woke up when the train stopped and jumped off. Instead of feeling sleepy like last time, I felt wide awake. Resisting the urge to run, I walked slowly to the remains of the old church, stopping just outside it. I shook my head. it was totally unrecognizable. The wood foundations were all that was left of it, all black and charred. I picked my way through the rubble and sat down on a patch of grass.
"Hey Johnny," I started. "We all miss you here. A lot. Dally tried to commit suicide after you d.." my voice broke, but I forced myself to finish the word. "Died. But he survived. I showed him the note you wrote, and he did watch a sunset." I smiled. "He's really changed. He stopped causing trouble with the fuzz for starters. I used to think he was tougher, colder and meaner than the rest of us, but. he's changed."
I stayed there for a long time, just talking and thinking, until the first drops of rain splattered down on my head. I shivered. Why was Darry always right? I hadn't brought a jacket, and I was just wearing another of Soda's old shirts with the sleeves cut short.
