The Last Train

The freezing night air caressed my bare skin, sending shivers down my spine as I waited for the train. The hot summer months were already giving way to autumn, and while a light breeze was common in the evenings, tonight felt uncharacteristically cold. A dense fog shrouded the ground, obscuring my view beyond just a few feet ahead.

To add to the eerie atmosphere the station stood desolate, with no living soul in sight. Even the dim lights occasionally flickered, seemingly battling against the encroaching darkness.

The words of the old man at the inn where I had stayed echoed in my mind: "Miss, why don't you just spend the night here? There are rumors circulating in this little town, and people are afraid to venture out after dark." Remembering those words now sent a shiver down my spine.

I strained to peer through the fog obscuring my vision, hoping to see the train pull into the station. It was the last train for the day, and the rumors said that even though people heard its whistle run loud and clear through the night nobody actually saw the train pull into the station. It was as if this phantom train was heard in the darkness but forever elusive to the human eye.

'Well, that's just some hoax' I thought to myself. Probably a story born out of the minds of people who had nothing better to do in this town cut off from the rest of civilization.

I glanced at my wristwatch —ten past eleven. I sighed, 'Twenty more minutes'. I pulled my cardigan tighter around my shoulders in a desperate attempt to shield myself from the chilly wind and looked around the station. Still no soul in sight. It seemed I was destined to be the only passenger from here.

I was about to head back to the only bench by the bricked wall when the sound of a train whistle stopped me. I turned my head toward the train tracks, where the silhouette of an engine with two bright beams of light emerged through the fog and mist. The rumbling and high-pitched noise of the train gradually filled the air, growing louder with each passing second.

The train had arrived surprisingly early. "Hah, and people say they can't see the train," I scoffed, turning back toward the tracks. "I'm quite sure that what's in front of me is not a figment of my imagination." As I stood there, under the faint glow of the flickering lights, I felt the ground tremble beneath my feet as the train approached. Eventually, the screeching sound of wheels against the tracks pierced the night air as it came to a halt in front of me.

I boarded the train.

***

Inside, the train coach appeared as deserted as the station, with no other passengers in sight. The soft lighting casted shadows over most of the coach, and a chill from outside filled the air. As the train began to move again, I glanced out the window and noticed a drizzle had started; raindrops splattered against the glass as the train picked up speed.

"Hello?"

I flinched, my head snapping up toward the voice, only to be met with a pair of warm brown eyes gazing from a handsome young face. I could have sworn there had been nobody there just moments before, and I hadn't heard anyone coming in. With my heart beating erratically from the scare, my eyes quickly scanned the person standing in front of me.

"Who are you?" I asked quietly.

"Apologies" the man chuckled "I didn't mean to scare you"

The tension slowly ebbed away as I took in the man's reassuring smile and kind eyes. "I am a passenger just like you," he said, flashing another smile and I couldn't help but smile back at the stranger.

"Can I?" he asked, gesturing to the seat next to me. "Sure," I replied, scooting over a bit to give him room.

"I'm Ethan," he introduced himself, offering his hand for a handshake.