Some neighborhood kids and I are going to commit a felony tonight, but it’s no big deal. We’ve been committing a felony for almost two weeks now. We’ve developed a new pastime, and this all began when Cody Winters told us about the Railroad Game. This is the type of shit that happens when you live in a quaint suburb, filled with kids and teenagers that have nothing better to do.
Let me explain. Back in the late 60’s, the Ironfront Rail Line bought the chunk of property behind our suburb, and the tracks were laid down and connected to a nearby route. The construction’s completion drew the attention of all the neighborhood punks who were searching for something to tear up. In the process, the Railroad Game was created. The rules of this game are very simple just like its name. All of the players line up beside the track, and the object of the game is to jump over the tracks and reach the other side before the train plows through. The player to jump last is the winner. Some time around 1976, the last game was “won” by fifteen-year-old Richie Barker. I say “won” because Richie did in fact win the game. His feet touched the gravel on the other side. But within seconds, Richie’s jacket was caught on one of the pistons, and he was sucked straight under. He was crushed to death by the endless railroad cars, and Cody claims that body parts were scattered a mile or so up the track. That seemed a bit ridiculous to me. However after the unfortunate accident, police closed off the area. They forced Ironfront to build a fence around the property to prevent youths from wandering onto the tracks again.
Nowadays, the barbed wire fence is a piece of junk. We discovered a rusted section instantly, and we easily busted through. Despite the obvious implications of this game, Cody convinced about six of us to play it with him. Some of us were skeptical, and I’m really not surprised since Cody got this story from his older brother who’s in college. Cody’s brother claimed that the Railroad Game used to be popular when he was a child, and it was just one of those trends that became a legacy in our neighborhood. To Cody’s knowledge, no one had ever been seriously hurt aside from that freak accident. Plus if any of us won the game, we’d become the coolest kid in the neighborhood.
It’s not like we weren’t playing it safe. We practiced endlessly. That’s why we’ve been going down to Ironfront every other night. We wanted to practice before playing the game for real. On most nights, two trains would pass through, and if we were really lucky, there would be a third. The rules of the game are simple, but it’s all mind over matter. You just have to ignore the train’s whistle and the massive freighter racing toward you at 100mph. It’s all about developing timing. When we just started, we’d jump way too early, and we could count for several Mississippis before the train passed. Tonight though, we’re ready to play the game for real.
Our first train was a practice round, and we were waiting for our second. In the distance, we heard the distinctive chugging sound, followed by a high-pitched whistle. I lined up beside the track with the other boys and cocked my head to the side, seeing a headlight turn the corner. I clenched my fists and watched the dark locomotive bellow black smoke as it chugged closer and closer. One by one, the boys began jumping across the tracks. I wouldn’t jump yet. I could wait a few moments longer. I wasn’t about to chicken out after all that practice. I take my eyes off the train and glance to see who’s left beside me, and we both jump.
My feet landed perfectly in the gravel as the train barreled inches behind me. Before I could even react, there was a loud pop like compressed air exploding. I would later find out that was the sound of Cody’s legs shattering beneath the freight cars. The pop was nothing like the screams or the spray of crimson blood on the tracks. I never knew how powerful the scent of blood could be. It was in the air. I could practically taste it. There was nothing we could do. We could only watch as the cars kept coming, crushing Cody’s lower half to a pulp. His agonized screams died down eventually.
I don’t feel sorry for him though. He knew the risk of playing the game, and I’m not afraid of playing dirty. For almost 40 years, I have been the undisputed champion. Nobody is going to take that from me.