The sun rose over the valley, it's rays beating down on Callan's body. Boy, he was really regretting wearing dark colours, even if it was only 10:30 am. He'd taken off his hoodie at about 7 am, having to tie it around his waist because he was far too hot to wear it.

   Judging by how badly his legs hurt, Callan estimated that he was about a quarter of the way to the nearest train station, but he didn't think he'd last very long. His legs ached, his head ached, his back ached, his stomach ached... just about everything on his body hurt like hell. He was tempted to dig into his pack and eat something, but he wasn't sure how long he'd be walking for, so he was rationing his food. And his water that he packed, well, he had half a bottle left, so he was not going to give in to his thirst.

   The 6 o'clock train nearly slammed straight into him earlier, so he was on high alert for the 11 o'clock one... especially since the next train would be coming from behind him, not ahead. And he didn't want to become roadkill. Or would it be train track-kill? Either way, he didn't want to die.

"Stupid heat. Why did I pick the hottest day to run away? Hey, that rhymed!" he chuckled. The heat was making him lose his mind. Or had he lost it before he left?

"Oh, God. I need a break!" Callan exclaimed, collapsing at the foot of a hill near a tunnel. Just in time, too, because the 11:00 am train was on its way through. If he'd waited just a few seconds longer, he would've been flattened like a pancake. A totally delicious pancake, he reckoned, but a pancake nevertheless.

   Hours passed, or what seemed like hours, anyway, and Callan couldn't take it any longer. He was just so thirsty, he had to drink something! So, even though he knew he'd regret it later, he gulped down the last bit of water. It was so refreshing, it almost, almost took his mind off of how badly he'd need that water later.

   But at around 15:55, he was thirsty again. This time, though, he had nothing. And eating didn't help, it just made him even thirstier.

"I should've packed more than three bottles of water," he muttered to himself. Admittedly, three bottles were all he could fit into his food-stuffed pack, and he didn't think the walk would be as long as it actually was.

   Callan stumbled, his legs failing. He was tired, dehydrated, and sore. All he wanted was to wake up in a warm bed, with loving parents by his side, as if his whole life was a dream. But he knew that wouldn't happen.

   Finally, when he thought he could go no further, he caught sight of a train station about 400 ft away. Filled with a sudden rush of victorious energy, Callan ran towards the station, whooping with joy.

"I made it!!  Woo hoo!" he shouted. He collapsed onto a wooden bench, his heart beating like a drum set. He was free. He was finally free! He had no idea where he was, but maybe, just maybe he'd be able to catch a train to the city, instead of having to walk with his heavy pack.

   Callan went and bought a ticket for the next train to the city, and sat back down on the bench. The train stopped at the station quite late - at 19:30 - so he decided to take a quick nap. Using his pack as a pillow, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

   He was woken up by the woman from the ticket booth, who told him the train was arriving in a couple of minutes. He thanked her, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Using the spare time, Callan bought a couple of bottles of water and stuffed them in his pack, also taking the time to throw away all the empty wrappers and bottles.

   The train screeched to a halt in front of the station, and a couple of people filed out. Callan joined one or two people who were boarding, and handed the conductor his ticket at he stepped onto the train. He found an empty seat by a window, and as the train shuddered and began moving, Callan savored the thought of his new-found freedom.

   The night sky glittered with stars, and the moon shone down on the speeding train as it traveled along the tracks. Inside, a young boy slept soundly in his seat, dreaming about a beautiful girl. His thoughts were peaceful as he slept, but he didn't know about the struggles that were ahead...

   Nor did he know that his dreams... would soon become reality.