Maya, a young woman clutching a canvas bag, shivers as she glances up at the arrival board—every other train has departed. She boards the last carriage, its faded red seats and humming fluorescent lights giving off an unsettling glow. Only a few passengers dot the carriage, their faces hidden in the shadows.
"Just one more ride home," she whispers, settling into a corner seat.
A man in a tattered overcoat, Mr. Halvorsen, sits across the aisle, his eyes fixed on the passing void outside. A young couple huddles at the far end, whispering nervously. Maya pulls her jacket tighter, feeling the oppressive silence close in like a fog.
A faint, chilling wail echoes from the next carriage, sending a jolt through the passengers. Mr. Halvorsen turns to Maya, his voice trembling.
"Did you hear that? It sounded… human, but not quite,"
The young couple tries to open the carriage door, but it refuses to budge. Panic rises in the compartment, breaths quickening and whispers turning to desperate pleas. Maya peers through the window and sees a pale, elongated face pressed against the glass, watching them with empty, sunken eyes.
Maya stands, her voice shaky but determined.
"We need to stay together. Whatever that thing is, it’s not just outside,"
Mr. Halvorsen nods, clutching a heavy umbrella like a weapon. The couple hesitantly joins them, and the group begins to move toward the driver's cabin, their footsteps echoing through the silent train.
Maya shouts, "Run! Don't look back!"
They dash forward, the creature trailing them with guttural, inhuman noises. A final surge of adrenaline propels them into the driver's cabin, where Maya smashes the emergency brake.
Mr. Halvorsen leans against the cracked platform, eyes wide with disbelief. The couple clings to each other, tears streaming down their faces. Maya looks back one last time—the train sits silent and empty, but a pair of hollow eyes glint from the darkness within.
