Crazy Train

by Jennifer Sue

(A dark piece from my youth, contemplated but never done.)

Four police cars, a paramedic van, an ambulance, a fire rescue truck, and two fire police vehicles filled the circle of the cul-de-sac. The multicolored flashing emergency lights atop each vehicle were flashing illuminating the night. The result was a most macabre scene befitting a horror flick as the white, orange, blue and red flashing lights disoriented the nosy neighbors trying to walk through the crowded area. The more timid neighbors peaked from their doors and windows. The braver tried to get closer but the police turned them back. People kept going in and coming out of the Murphy home. The yelling and loud music that had been coming from the Murphy home earlier had forewarned the neighborhood that another blow-up was happening. Obviously this blow-up had escalated past previous examples. Finally the ambulance crew rolled the stretcher out of the house. A paramedic walked beside the strapped down youth making sure the IV bottle plugged into an arm did not dislodge. The neighbors recognized the boy as Ashton Murphy. What was unusual was the fact he was smiling broadly, something the neighbors had not seen the lad do for years. If he was injured, as the IV indicated, why was he happy? The weirdness only increased as the ambulance crew prepared to load the stretcher with the boy into the ambulance.

Ashton suddenly began to sing at the top of his lungs. “DUM DA DUM DUUMM! DUM DA DUM DUUMM! DUM DA DUM DUUMM! DUM DA DUM DUUMM! MENTAL WOUNDS NOT HEALING. LIFE’S A BITTER SHAME. I’M GOING OFF THE RAILS ON A CRAZY TRAIN! I’M GOING OFF THE RAILS ON A CRAZY TRAIN!”