The Silent Passenger
Lina always took the last train home. It was the only time she could enjoy some peace after her late shifts at the diner. The rattling of the train tracks, the flickering of the dim yellow lights, and the near-empty compartments made it feel eerie but comforting.
That night was no different—or so she thought.
As she boarded the train, she noticed a man sitting at the far end of the compartment. He was dressed in a dark suit, his face hidden beneath the brim of a hat. There was something off about him. He sat unnaturally still, his hands folded neatly on his lap, and he didn’t even glance up when she walked in.
Lina shivered but ignored it. She took a seat near the middle, as far from him as possible, and pulled out her phone. No signal. Typical underground tunnel.
The train doors closed with a loud hiss, and the engine rumbled to life. She sighed, rubbing her tired eyes.
A few minutes passed. The train swayed gently.
Then she heard it.
A whisper.
Soft. Almost like a breath against her ear.
She turned sharply, expecting to see someone standing beside her. But there was no one. The only other passenger was the man in the suit, still motionless at the far end.
Lina exhaled, shaking her head. I need sleep.
The train screeched around a bend, the lights flickering once more. She glanced toward the man again.
He was closer.
He now sat just a few rows away.
Lina’s heart stuttered. She was sure he hadn’t moved. But there he was, sitting still as ever, his hat casting a shadow over his face.
Her fingers tightened around her phone. She looked away, staring hard at the empty seat in front of her.
Don’t look at him again.
The train rumbled on. The silence between each track click felt longer, heavier.
Another whisper.
This time, it was clearer. A voice.
"You shouldn't be here."
Lina’s skin prickled. Her breath came shallow.
She turned again.
The man was now in the seat across from her.
Her stomach dropped. Her pulse pounded in her ears.
He hadn’t moved. Or rather, she hadn’t seen him move. It was as if he was teleporting closer each time she looked away.
The lights flickered again, longer this time. The train screeched as if it were struggling to move forward.
The whisper returned.
"Get off the train."
Lina's throat tightened.
She scrambled to press the emergency stop button, but the train didn’t respond. The doors remained shut, the windows showed nothing but endless darkness outside.
Then—
The lights went out completely.
Total blackness.
The train kept moving, but she could no longer see. The only sound was the rattling of the tracks.
And breathing.
Deep. Right in front of her.
Lina squeezed her eyes shut, gripping the armrest so tightly her fingers ached.
The lights flickered back on.
The man was gone.
Lina’s breath hitched. She frantically looked around.
The train was empty.
Her heart pounded against her ribs. The train was still moving, but something was wrong. The usual station announcements weren’t playing. The outside remained pitch-black, as if they weren’t traveling through the city anymore.
Then the train slowed.
A station. But not hers. Not any she recognized.
The doors slid open with a mechanical hiss. A gust of cold, stale air rushed in. The platform was cracked, covered in dust, abandoned. There were no signs, no people, just an old bench and a single flickering lamp.
A whisper came from behind her.
"This is your stop."
Lina turned, dread sinking into her bones.
The man in the suit was standing right behind her.
For the first time, he moved.
His head tilted up, revealing a face—or rather, the absence of one. Just smooth, featureless skin stretched over bone.
Lina screamed.
The train doors began to close.
In blind panic, she ran. She didn’t think. She just sprinted off the train, leaping onto the cracked platform.
The moment her feet touched the ground, the train roared to life. The doors slammed shut, the wheels screeched against the rails.
She turned just in time to see the man in the suit standing inside the train, staring at her with that blank, hollow face.
Then—
The train disappeared into the darkness.
Lina stood there, gasping, trembling. She looked around.
There was no way out. No signs. No exits.
Only silence.
And the flickering lamp overhead.
Then she heard it.
A whisper.
"You shouldn’t have gotten off."
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