Brand new series based on Metric's Help I'm Alive song, which brought my imagination to this.

The lyrics are italicized and the flashbacks are in bold font.

Please tell me whether or not to continue with the series :)

I tremble.

Clare balanced herself on the thin edge of the train tracks, balancing herself with her arms straight out, tilting ever so slightly left and right when needed. This was what she hadn't experienced anytime in her life, nor had thought about it in her lifetime. She never thought that putting her life at risk would be so exhilarating, when it sounded so deadly.

They're gonna eat me alive.

She breathed out a smile while she stood in the center, looking around at the scenery while her arms dropped to her sides. The trees had just changed to invite Fall with a warming greeting, their leaves turning a bright red or yellow. Clare had forgotten how beautiful nature was since Eli had moved away.

If I stumble

She swallowed loudly. Since Eli decided to leave her life.

They're gonna eat me alive.

He had told her that he would be back for her after graduation, but she highly doubted it. People move and never come back; it was basically that easy. Not once did her father come back after he moved out, not once had Darcy come home after she moved to Kenya. She was brought up with hatred and lies that brought her to where she was now.

Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer?

The psychopath who now walked train tracks in her free time.

Clare was about half a mile out and away from safety as a whistle blew in the distance. Clare closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She had been through this routine before; she could almost do it in her sleep. She was used to the pain coming from her body as she jumped off the tracks at the last second, sending her into the deep trench that surrounded the tracks.

Beating like a hammer

It was painful. But it was worth it. Adam hadn't figured out what she had been doing as her newest hobby lately; she had to take advantage of the time she had before her world would be unraveling once again.

This wasn't her first attempt at near-death experiences.

She started with rock climbing.

It didn't happen on purpose. She accidentally slipped, her life line plummeting her down about five feet before finally taking action. She giggled excitedly while Adam looked in shock and fear at Clare, who was at the same spot he was before she slipped.

"Clare?" He asked, and Clare could hear a slight shake in his voice.

Her laughing died down. "Yeah?" She asked, dumbfounded.

"Are you okay?" Adam seemed befuddled, which sent Clare into a giggling fit. She nodded hastily.

"Awesome!" She said, sending him a thumb up. Adam's eyebrows furrowed.

Clare figured out after several "incidents" that Adam was ready to give up on her. That's not what she intended on him doing to her; she needed him. He was the one who held her up by the strings like she was a puppet. If there was no one that was willing to do the job, then she'd merely be lifeless.

She blinked and came back to the position she was in now. The freight train was utterly close, almost too close for her comfort. She sprung upwards, only to be forced ninety degrees to her left while her body glided downwards. Her head ached as she screamed, pleading God to help her.

No help was given to her.

Help, I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer

Clare now could feel that Adam wasn't able to grasp her. She was a lifeless puppet; she now had to hold herself up while she waited for the worst, if there was anything more than this. The seconds seemed like hours while she cried in pain, her sorrow blocked out by the sound of the heavy wheels chugging along the tracks.

Hard to be soft, tough to be tender

The train seemed to pass after hours. Clare gently massaged her scalp, her hand shaking in the process. The feeling seemed like it was delivered by Satan personally. Clare couldn't think straight, nor could she speak. She was on mute. But odd enough, she enjoyed it. She could feel her body lazily falling down into the trench where the soft grass welcomed her, slightly comforting her.

Tears brimmed Clare's eyes as she thought about how close he had been to dying. She would not continue this routine.

I highly respect feedback for this, since using lyrics in my stories are new to me.

If you guys do not understand the incident at the end of the chapter, please tell me; it's meant to be written this way but it can be slightly confusing.