Short stories

Death train

It had happened before tonight, the same wind coming from the west and the same chilly vibe rising in every bone. It was like every night's dream, but it was reality. Everything that was happening around was real. It was almost 2 AM, the station was empty. I waited for the 3 AM train to see if it was true or just a made-up story. It wasn't my duty to do that, but I was curious enough to stay. At 2:15, it was freezing, and I could feel the curiosity leaving my body. I waited there from 11 PM to 2:15. I wanted to leave then, but when I reached the station exit, it was closed. All of the station exist doors were closed.

It was almost past 2:30, and everything was in pin-drop silence, I could hear my heartbeat, beating faster and faster as the time went by. I decided to walk to the station near my house. There were about 4 stations between the station I was in and near my house. And it was hard to see anything beyond 12 inches. The dark and foggy night was covering the whole track. After walking for about an hour, I was almost about to reach the station. That's when I heard it. At 3:30 PM I could hear the bell but there was no sight of it. I started walking faster and faster and I ran as that voice was getting closer. But I fell as I was hurrying. I couldn't run anymore I went up and hid behind the tree near the track. I was shaking in fear, it was as dreamy as a nightmare, but it was still real. Now the train engine voice is loud, and the bell voice is fading behind the engine's sound. That's when I saw it.

These trains stopped being used for a long time. But the weird thing was, everything was normal. I could see people enjoying themselves, chatting and some were sleeping. I could hear noises of laughing and talking. It stopped right in front of me. I was hiding behind the tree, and it stopped there. And all of them stopped what they were doing, and they all started to look in my direction. I creeped out for a second. Everything was normal but still their smiles were creeping me out. They were smiling from ear to ear.

After a while, they all started to seem normal to me. Like they were not creepy anymore and they were inviting me to get on the train. And I was tired and wanted to go home. I stepped on it. It was filled with people, and they were all staring at me.

After that night I walked up in the hospital and my body was bruised all over and at the end of the corner, the old man was sitting. He looked at me and in a chilly voice he said,

"I had warned about it and still did it, stupidly. You almost died that day. I found you at the tracks this morning near the station, you had bruises and bites all over your body and your body was as cold as ice. If I had found you seconds later, you would be dead by then."

I was shivering and in disbelieve cause all I remembered was getting on the train and looking at those people, I looked at the old man,

"Thank you for helping me. I am all time in debt of you for saving me."

"Don't thank me and just do me a Favour don't repeat the last night's mistake ever again. And by any way do you remember anything how you ended up there."

I nodded no because I clearly didn't remember everything. How did I end up on the tracks? I don't remember it,

"It's okay," he said,

"It's okay if you don't remember it just don't do it anymore."

I thanked him one more time and assured him I wouldn't do it anymore. It took me weeks to recover after recovery I shifted back to my parents' house. I made friends and the nightmares were gone. Life was going back to normal again.

And after days, I saw the old man again at the station while I was waiting for the train and my friend was running late, and it was just me and him at the station.

"How are you doing?" I asked him,

"I am doing fine. How are you? young man."

"I am fine. I moved to my parents' house, and I made friends." Just then she came. She looked at me confusingly, "Who are you talking to?"

I pointed at the old man, and he was gone, he was right there but now he is not. She said,

"I was looking at you for a while and you were talking to yourself. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am okay." The train arrived,

"Let's go," I said, holding her hands. When I got on the train, I saw him standing at the station at the same place he was and waving at me.