Alan sat up straight as the train came into view.
“They were right,” he said as it started to slow.
Ricky slid down off the hood and walked out to the middle of the road.
The train took forever to slow to a stop. When it did, it was still blocking the road.
Alan handed his remote control to Liz.
“This button does the lights,” he said.
She hovered her thumb over the button and nodded.
“Be right back,” Alan said.
Ricky was at his side. They walked up to the gate and then turned, walking along the gravel bed of the train tracks towards the front of the train. As they moved out of the glow of the truck’s headlights, they turned on their flashlights and lit up the ground in front of themselves. They held their spears at their sides so they wouldn’t seem menacing.
A man leaned out from the compartment of the train’s engine.
“You’re not supposed to be on the tracks,” he said. He had to yell to be heard over the sound of the engine.
“Is there a problem?” Alan asked.
“No. No problem.”
“Why are you stopped?” Ricky asked.
“I’ll be out of the way in a second. Meanwhile, if you need to cross, you can head up to Guptill Road. I’m not blocking the…”
“We’re in no hurry,” Alan said. “We just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Me? I’m fine. I pause here to make sure everything is switched over at the lumber yard. I’m just waiting on confirmation. Should only be a second.”
Alan looked at Ricky. He leaned in close to be heard.
“It’s a reasonable explanation,” Alan said.
Ricky nodded. “People just turned it into a conspiracy theory without trying to figure out the real reason why the train was stopping here?”
Alan shrugged.
“Thank you,” Ricky called.
They turned around and started walking back towards the road. Alan scanned the train with his light, just in case. Even if they were on the train, he didn’t know what he would see. Hopefully the UV light would drive them off, but he didn’t know if he would see any sign of their escape.
They were almost back at the road when Ricky said, “Hold on.”
Ricky crouched down and shone his light under the rail. The train’s brakes made a hissing sound and it began to roll forward, gathering speed slowly. Ricky reached out and pulled his hand back with something shiny.
“What is it?” Alan asked.
“When we were kids, we rode bikes down here to put coins on the tracks,” Ricky said. “I never found any smushed coins until now.”
The flat piece of metal still had the faint markings of a president’s head, all stretched out.
“That’s illegal, Ricky,” Alan said.
Ricky laughed.
When they got to the road, they took a couple of steps back and scanned the cars with their flashlights, looking for any signs of them. The lights still flashed and the gates stayed down even after the last of the train passed by. Behind them, Liz hit the button and bright purple and white light blasted out from the rusty truck. Alan turned away from the light.
“Don’t look at it,” he told Ricky. “I’m pretty sure that those lights I mounted are bright enough to burn through your eyeballs.”
“Now that’s illegal,” Ricky said.
Alan laughed.
Liz turned the lights off again.
“See anything?” she called.
“Nope,” Alan yelled back. “Nothing here.”
“Good. I think your lights gave me a sunburn,” she said.
Across the tracks, the other vehicle rolled forward slowly. The headlights tipped up when it crested the tracks and then it came down their side and slowed to a stop beside Ricky. The window went down.
“Isn’t it past your bedtime?” a voice asked. She leaned out from her window.
“Amber!” Ricky yelled. He ran to her door. “What are you doing here?”
“Just got back in town and I decided to check out the night life,” she said. “Still nothing better to do than hang out at the tracks?”
“There is now,” Ricky said.
Ike Hamill
July 2020
Topsham, Maine
About Until the End
This book ends a series that I really enjoyed writing. The first book (Until the Sun Goes Down) was a study in descent. The second (Until Dawn) was a reaction to a crisis, and this one portrays planning and success.
When we first met Amber, she was strong and resourceful and knew how to trust her instincts. In this book, I tried to show the true depth of her strength. She went through a lot before we knew her and I think it’s safe to say that she will find her way through whatever lies ahead.
Whenever possible, I like to bring together characters and venues from my previous books. If you haven’t explored the childhood world of Ricky (Accidental Evil), or the backstory of Liz, Alan, and Joe (Migrators), I think you might like those stories.
All my best,
Ike
Migrators
Do not speak of them. Your words leave a scent. They will come. Somewhere in the middle of Maine, one of the world's darkest secrets has been called to the surface. Alan and Liz just wanted a better life for themselves and their son. They decided to move to the country to rescue the home of Liz's grandfather, so it would stay in the family. Now, they find themselves directly in the path of a dangerous ritual. No one can help them. Nothing can stop the danger they face. To save themselves and their home, they have to learn the secrets of the MIGRATORS.
Until the Sun Goes Down
No good deed goes unpunished. It was so hot out—I thought I should check in on my neighbor. I should have never looked in the cellar. There were no spiders down there. A much bigger predator was down in the dark. Waiting.
Until Dawn
In the middle of the night, there
