Hidden Harvest

Mikey looked out the window of the train. He watched the world fly by in a blur of greens and browns. The land was a mix of fields and small towns, all connected by the tracks below them. Mikey was a boy who loved being outside. He liked the trees, the bugs, and the way the sun felt on his face. He brushed his shaggy brown hair out of his green eyes and turned his head to watch the view drift away. The urban sprawl grew closer, its towering buildings casting long shadows over the landscape.  His stomach hurt as he thought about the last meal he ate two days ago. The job he was going to apply for today would hopefully help bring his family some money. It wasn't every day a kid from the sticks got a chance to make it big in the city. Mikey was a little bit bigger than the other kids his age. He wasn’t fat. He wasn’t even that tall, but when he stood beside other kids his age, he stood out like a sore thumb. He wasn't good at reading or writing, but he wasn’t dumb. He watched everything carefully.