The Story

I was daydreaming and thought of this story one piece at a time. This is what I came up with.

It was morning. Dew was clung to the trees. The rail car was cold. Ever so much more than it was outside. I opened my eyes to find sunlight coming through the slit in the roof. I rose off the hay stretching and popping my joints, hopping out into a new city of green. I combed my beard with my fingers, picking out pieces of hay. I pulled my slingshot out of my jeans, carved from cherry ash, stretching the elastic, aiming for anything that moved. Morning gave me nothing but berries and sassafras tea. My metal cup I salvaged from a cabin in Virginia with a bunch of things, but where, I cant remember. I left society before I was a man. I cant imagine what the world is like now. The birds tell me things. What its like. How different the other world is. I wish I could understand them.

I could hear water. Flowing water. A stream was nearby. It would be good to clean my knife and get a drink. I used some of the leftover sassafras from my pack. I could hear leaves rustling behind me. It was Shadow, a German Shepherd. He was a stray puppy when we first met. Shadow came running with a rabbit hanging out of his mouth. He laid the kill at my feet. It was too far gone for me. I roasted it that night while Shadow sat patiently waiting for his dinner.
The stars were out. I used the last of my pipe tobacco and couldn't help but stare up. I tried to remember my name. The name my mother gave me. A gift I never received. I fell asleep in a state of confusion.

Thunder. It rumbled the ground, knocking me out of my dream like a piston. Rain pounded my face. I packed up my stuff and started back using the lightning as a way back. It was close to morning so I stayed awake whitling in one of the rail cars. I was shivering. Nearly slicing my finger with my army knife. The rain stopped. I pulled out a game of jacks and melted time away as blood coated the pieces. 1..2.... The jacks danced around franticly as the ball rolled to the end of the car. The train was starting up. I yelled for Shadow. He could hardly hear me over the train. I helped him in and shut the door. Sealing off my connection with that place. Wherever it was.