The Train Track Crossing

It was a cloudy spring day in May. Mary Campbell was sweeping the porch of her family's farmhouse in Illinois when she noticed some heavy clouds and a slight drizzle. "Looks like a storm is coming," she said to her mother when Mary was finished sweeping the porch. "I hope the train gets here before it starts raining."
"Oh, Mary," Mrs. Campbell said. "You worry too much. The last time you said that a strom was coming, it was a beautiful and sunny day. Besides, I'm sure the train will get here soon and fine."
Tom, Mary's older brother, was coming home from the war. Her father was at the train station waiting for the train to arrive. The last time Tom had been home was last Christmas. Nobody knew that Tom was coming, so he had no gifts, exept shirts Mrs. Campbell had made for him. However, Tom said that it was gift enough to spend Christmas with his family on the farm than spend it on the battlefield fighting Rebs. He joined the Union army when he was 18, two years after the Civil War had started. He hated to see the country fall apart after so many had died a hundred years earlier putting it together. Life on the farm had been hard without Tom, but Mary was sure that everything would go back to normal when he arrived.
"Mary," Mrs. Campbell started. "Please go get your brother. Supper is almost ready. I believe he went down to the river.
Mary went out the door and headed to the river where her little brother, Johnny, would most likely be. Whenever Johnny was finished with his chores, which was mostly taking care of the animals, he always ran the mile run to the river. There, he could skip stones, fish, swim, and watch the train go by on the tracks that crossed the bridge above the river a few minutes away. There were two bridges: one three miles away for walking and horse crossing, and the other for train crossing. Johnny always wanted to get a closer look at the railroad bridge, but Mary always forbid it, saying that it was too dangerous and not a place to play. Johnny never really cared for farm life. He had always loved trains and wanted to be a conductor, but he knew that it might never happen. There was too much work on the farm and they needed all the help they could get. Johnny learned that the hard way. When Tom left, that ment double the chores.
As Mary made her way to the river, she started to feel rain drops. "Great," she thought. "If that train doesn't come soon, all of us are going to be soaked." She started to run towards the river. It seemed that the harder she ran the harder the rain fell. Finally, about ten minutes later, Mary found Johnny at the river, skipping stones.
"Johnny," Mary shouted. "Get your things. We have to get home now before it gets dark and before it rains harder."
"All right, I'm coming." Johnny picked up his hat and quickly put it on. "I was just waiting for the train. It's later than usual."
"It still hasn't come yet? Great. Pa's probably really worried. Both Tom and Pa are going to be soaked. I hope supper is still hot when they get home. Now, lets get moving. Mother won't like it at all if we catch a cold." Mary grabbed Johnny and started to run back home.
Mary was always cautious and worried about everything. She meant well, but sometimes, she could get a little bossy and be overprotective. She was always telling Johnny what and what not to do, and was not afraid to point out the tinniest mistake or show areas that needed a little more improvement in his chores. Johnny easily tired of Mary's criticism.
The storm was getting worse as they ran back. It was pouring hard and a strong wind was blowing. A minute later, there was a big boom in the sky. Thunder and lightning. They tried to run faster, but their heavy clothes, the wind, and being out of breath make it very difficult. Suddenly, another boom was heard, this time, a big crash was followed, along with a small fire.
Mary snapped her head around and gasped. The rain might have been able to put the fire out, but it could not repair the train tracks. Lightning had destroyed the front part of the bridge. If a train were to cross, it would fall right to a watery grave.
"Oh no!" Johnny screamed. "What are we going to do? What if the train were to cross?"
"I don't know," shouted Mary. "Oh, my. Tom could be killed if somebody doesn't get to the station. Go home and get mother. I've got to get to the station."
Running through deep puddles and long grass, Johnny darted home. Mary just stood there. She could not run to the other bridge. It was too far, and the train could have already crashed by the time she got across. The train tracks were only a few minutes away. It was only a quarter of a mile long. Mary knew what she had to do. She had to walk across the tracks.
Running as fast as she could, Mary forced herself through the tall grass, tugging her heavy skirt all the way. She started shivering. "I wish that I had my coat," she thought. Mary was sure that she would catch something, but she could not stop now, not when many lives were at stake. A few minutes later, Mary was at the bridge.
Looking down, she knew the struggle and difficulty she would be going through. The first two feet were slanted, and then there was a giant gap between the end of the slant and the next part of the track. The next part of the track was sticking up about half a foot. Mary was not very tall, but she thought she might be able to reach.
After a few seconds, she started to slowly walk down the tracks. She was shaking, partly from the cold, partly from her fear. The track started to shake, so she crawled down the rest. The freezing cold river was right below her. If crossing the track did not kill her, the river would.
When Mary make it to the bottom of the slant, she slowly tried to get up and reach to the next part of the track, but it was too high. Even jummping could not do anything. Suddenly, she felt the track beneath her start to break. Mary had to jump. She missed the top of the track by a few inches, but as she fell she felt a sharp pain on both of her hands.
"OUCH!" Mary screamed. She looked down and saw the track splash into the river. She was thankful she was not dead, but both of her hands were bleeding. She had caught a rail that suspended the track. Breathing a sigh of relief, she climbed up the rail and onto the track. She needed to cross quickly, before the whole bridge collapsed.
Hands covered with blood and skirt dirty and ripping at the hem, she started to go down. She jummped a gap, falling hard on the slippery track.
"Oh, God, don't let me die," she silently prayed. It was too hard and dangerout to walk the rest of the way. The rain was pouring too hard and the tracks were too slippery. She had to crawl the rest of the way. "You can't quit now, Mary. The hard part is over. Now you got to make it across." Mary almost slipped off of the track a few times, due to the strong wind. Then, when she was three quarters across, she heard the train in the distance.
"Oh, no," she thought. "If I don't get across faster, we're all going to die." She started crawling as fast as she could; not caring how much her hands hurt or that her skirt was ripping. Finally, after many close calls, she was across.
"Thankyou, God," Mary screamed when she was back on the ground. "Now, to the station."
Her feet were sore, her knees were cut and felt like a rock, but the fact that her brother might die kept her moving.
"Stop the train," Mary shouted as loud as she could. When Mary's father saw her running, he grabbed her upper arm to stop her.
"Mary," he started. "What's happening? And what happened to you?"
"The railroad tracks," she puffed, out of breath. "Lightning hit them. Front part ruined. Everyone dies if train crosses. I had to crawl across track to get across. Train is coming. Must be stopped."
"What's going on?" demanded one of the workers.
"The train tracks broke and the train needs to be stopped." Mary answered.
And Mary's a hero," added Mr. Campbell. "She crossed the tracks to warn you."
The worker ran into his office, while a doctor who was there treated Mary's hands. A few seconds later, noisy breaks could be heard from the train. Mary and her father had rode their small farm wagon over to the other bridge to the train. The train had stopped just inches away from the drop. As they got there, Mary spotted Johnny and her mother. Mrs. Campbell was thankful that nobody was hurt.
The storm had calmed down. The rest of the time was spent getting people out of the train, getting their luggage and going back to the station. Mr. Campbell drove people and their luggage back to the station in the wagon, while Mary was helping people get their things and trying to find Tom. After about an hour, Mary felt someone tug on her hair.
"TOM!" she shouted and gave him a big hug. "Thank goodness you're all right."
"Hi, Mary. So, you're a hero now? You shoud be proud. Think of everyone you saved."
Mary smiled and answered, "And thankgoodness you survived the war and are back home."
A while later, the Campbells were riding back to the farm, Mary a hero, Tom alive and well, and supper waiting for them.