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Little Girls Should Not Play by Railroad Tracks

It was terrifying for me, playing down by the railroad tracks, far from home.
This is how I developed this story. Terror was in my heart, as I ran home.

This is a story about three little girls playing down by the railroad track. In the third grade, I was the new girl in school. The other two girls had been friends of mine, but I can't think of their names. I haven't remembered their names for several years, isn't that strange?

One of the girls brought a whistle to school one day. I had never seen a whistle like that before. Another girl and I were looking at it as the little girl was showing it off in our free class-time. I asked the little girl where she had gotten it, and she told us, "Down by the railroad track."

After school, the other two girls caught me and asked me to go with them to find more whistles. I told them I would go. I knew I crossed the railroad track on my way home. What I didn't know was that the railroad track just happened to be about three miles away from where I crossed the track to go home.

We went, and the little girls pointed me in the direction for me to go home before leaving me at the spot. I ran and ran to get home before dark. I never expected to be left all alone.

Soon after that, I decided to go get whistles again. For some reason or other, the other girls had decided not to go. I didn't realize this until I was on my way.

I found out later this was where the homeless men caught the train, going in-and-out of town. We were all lucky little girls. I never went back again.

Learn more about this author, Betty Jo Petty.
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