A white blank page
Storm clouds rolled over the small town of St. Albans. The sun casted a harsh shadow and the rain was effervescence with sorrow. Black umbrellas crowded against one another. A lonely cemetery was packed with people drudging their way to the service, each one bringing a melancholic memory to death’s party. Tears were shed throughout and the rain slowly gave way to a soft drizzle. Gravestones were set, relatives left on their carriages, and the priest said a prayer. The ones truly hurt by the event had stayed behind out of mourning for their loved one. One had stepped up to the grave and gave an offering. A parchment of paper left his hands and slowly descended to the ground, swaying back and forth and ever so slightly, touching the somber flowers underneath it. The man cried softly and wondered what might have caused such a horrific accident.
“Stephen Erik!” The teacher hollered.
“Present, ma’am,” said the student.
The classroom rustled with noise. Summer vacation was only a few minutes away and the adolescents were brimming with excitement. Stephen sat in his seat, body at ease, but mind freely wondering the possibilities of what summer had in store for him. His train ticket lay in his coat pocket, waiting for the time where it would be of some use.
“St. Albans.” He sighed softly.
“Sounds like such a dreary place.” He thought as the students stood at the edge of their seats. The clock ticked and tocked, not rushing for anybody. The bell rung and the students left the classroom without a care in the world. Stephen slowly got up and headed home to pack his bags.
Looking out the train window, he wondered what lay in store for him at such a small town. Stephen was a quiet child. With his above average height, long dark hair, and outsized glasses, he stood out in a crowd, but his classmates still shunned him for being withdrawn from their cliques. Although not a bad looking teenager, his apparel gave him strange looks from strangers walking by. His rich, white cousins in St. Albans had invited him to stay for the summer in exchange for errands that they needed done. His idea of spending his vacation was not to be an assistant to a snobby relative.
The train pulled into the station. The St. Albans City railway station always had people getting on and off trains, delivering packages, and giving tourists a way into the city. Crowds of people lined up at each section, preventing most people from finding a specific person. Signs were held for people to help guide them to the right place. Stephen, with this being his first time on a train station, had no idea where to go after he set foot onto the train yard. People nudged and coughed beside him. The chatter of voices clouded his head. He wondered into the front of the station. Confused and disoriented he sat on a bench next to him.
“Hello.” said the stranger next to him with a pleasing voice. Stephen turned to the young girl next to him, and gazed into her deep brown eyes. His heart beat stopped to admire the beauty in front of him. Her chestnut brown hair glistened in the wind as her cheerful smile took his breath away. The bright yellow dress she wore matched her features to perfection.
Paralyzed with bewilderment, he sat there staring into her eyes. After a while, she smiled shyly away.
He spluttered out, “Hello,” as she was about to speak.
“Oh! Sorry about that. What were you saying?”
Without thinking, he replied, “Nothing! I was just going to say that I think you look gorgeous!” His eyes widened at what he had just said. She blushed and looked down at her feet. An awkward silence followed for a brief second. They slowly looked back at each other.
A burst of laughter erupted from the both of them as they realized their blunder. Stephen finished laughing and gave her a sincere smile. She returned the favor and asked, “So what is your name mister?”
“Stephen, and yours?”
“Johanna”
“I like that name…” Stephen said quietly as he looked away.
“I like your hair.” said Johanna with a lackadaisical smile. Stephen’s heart raced at the thought of a complement.
“So tell me, why are you at this station by yourself?” He asked with genuine concern.
And so they sat. They sat and talked about their lives. They talked about her personal life; she had confided with him that she was an abused teenager. How her father came home drunk every night and beat her. She had come to the train station as a place of refuge. She lifted up her arm and showed bruises that made Stephen cringe with disgust... They mingled about their life at school and how it was pointless for them to go.
Stephen and Johanna talked about anything and everything they could. The sun moved across the sky as slow as it could, allow them as much time as possible to continue their new found friendship.
Stephen felt that he had known her all his life. The spark between them lasted until the darkness creped over the horizon. A woman of middle age came up to Stephen and grabbed him by the arm.
“Where have you been?!” she asked impatiently. She dragged him back to her house, not allowing a proper goodbye to Johanna.
Stephen lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling and still thinking about Johanna. He stared and hoped for a miracle. He knew that it would be practically impossible to come in contact with her again. He was aware of the impossibility of them dating, with his ugly appearance and lack of social skills, but deep inside him; he knew he had to try everything in his might to find her. The morning sun rose with sleep deprived Stephen not too far behind it.

He delivered packages day after day from one house to another. The monotonous tempo of life was becoming more present throughout his day. A month had passed of him being in a melancholic state. Eyes drooping, body fatigued, he went on his morning errand back into town. He picked out a letter from his messenger bag and headed off into the misty morning fog. A house at the end of the block grabbed his attention. From a distance, a girl seemed to be watering flowers in her front lawn. Stephen didn’t think much of it and continued without a second thought; nevertheless, he still took occasional glances to the mystery girl’s direction.

The last letter at the bottom of the bag required him to open the white picket fence gate of the girl’s house. He knocked and slipped the paper under the door. Walking away, he took a step out of the gate when he heard a voice say, “Hello.” Immediately, he turned around to see Johanna standing with her hand on her hip. Her face lit up with embarrassment as she realized she was wearing her nightgown in front of him.

Later that night, as the luminescent moon shined through the darkness of the night, Stephen climbed out of his window and went straight for Johanna’s house. She shimmied out of her window and grabbed hold onto Stephen’s hand. Together, they explored the town at night. The school yard without any kids to annoy them, the town hall, and the basement of the abandoned neighbor’s house were common places that they visited every night. Once the moon rose, shining its guiding light towards them, they snuck out and had the time of their lives.

Towards the end of the summer, the love struck couple showed their affection everywhere they could. Kissing and cuddling on every street corner of every building. They had fallen for each other in the course of a few months. A few days from when Stephen had to ride the train back to his home town, he decided it might be time to tell her he was leaving for the rest of the year. Holding her in her frenzy of tears, he knew he couldn’t love anyone else. Stephen’s fragile heart couldn’t take losing her so devised a plan for the both of them. He arrived home, exhausted from the lack of sleep, and attempted to write a letter to his parents of his plans to run away forever. Picking up the pen, he collapsed on the desk out of fatigue.

Rain clouds hovered above the train station, the sounds of metallic pinging echoed throughout, and the couple sat on the bench, hand in hand. The sound of a train was in the distance. They took their bags and walked towards the train, smiling at each other about the new lives they’re going to have. A flash of white light blinded them and they were on the train. Sitting next to window, they watched the sunrise and new this was a new beginning for them. The hills and valleys lined up perfectly to a beautiful sunrise.
The train took them on a trip; A trip around the world, traveling to countries near and far. Euphoria and happiness everywhere they looked. People content with their lives and their jobs were common and numerous. Kindness was a given and evil seemed to vanish from the world around them. It took them over the sun and through the stars. Forever young, they lived happily together in harmony on the train.
A white blank page became wet as the drizzle landed onto the parcel of paper. The man walked away from the two graves that were left. The clouds opened up for the sun to make its appearance, only to be consumed again by heavy storm clouds. The two new graves were set next to each other, as if together in harmony, riding the train to heaven