
The train loosened beneath him, no longer feeling like rails, and the familiar clanging of the wheels faded into a deafening silence that pressed against his ears. He straightened up in his seat, alert, as the carriage stretched and curved like molten, fluid arcs distorting his vision. The air charged with a thickness that refused to evaporate, forming lumps in his throat that unsteadied him.
Outside, darkness pushed against the window with a mighty force, wind clawing violently, trying to bleed through the cracks. He glanced out the window, looking for an escape, but not a flash of light or a shape was to be seen, just a void. Barren and limitless, the beyond extended.
This was the same train he had boarded two hours ago, but the atmosphere had shifted.
Frightened, he remained in his seat, knowing if he moved, or let out even a shallow breath, he’d cease to exist. Suddenly, passengers flickered like candle flames; faces smiling in an unsettling manner and then fading, only to reappear in new seats. His eyes darted to each glitch as guilt tugged tighter in his chest. It was coming for him. She was coming for him.
The music, drenched in the sound of the organ and clashing of the cymbals, drifted through the air, a haunting melody twisting words and notes, whispering secrets he had never spoken aloud.
His breath trembled; chest tightened. A hand touched his. Fingers curled around his like smoke, hair brushing his skin. Overcome with regret, he shut his eyes, lips curving downward to a frown. Jaw clenched, he drew a deep breath, holding it tight.
Her voice low yet demanding, she hissed into his ear, “Face me.”
With quivering lips and tears streaming down his face, he achingly opened his eyes. She stood before him, resentful eyes hollow and unyielding. Her hair was unkempt, her complexion ghastly, and a knowing grin curled at the edge of her lips. Not once did they break eye contact. Not once did they speak.
The music bent further, stretching like smoke into the corners of the carriage, while flickering passengers whispered incoherently. They remained still, breath mingling. He searched her eyes, and in their hollow depth, he saw the memory he would never escape.








