Chapter 6: The Last Carriage
673 Words
Daniel stood frozen.
The old man had disappeared.
One moment he had been standing beside Daniel.
The next, there was nothing.
Daniel looked down the carriage.
Empty.
He called out.
"Sir?"
No answer.
The train continued moving through the darkness.
Daniel tightened his grip around the photograph.
Then he heard something.
A faint sound coming from behind him.
A door creaking open.
Daniel turned.
At the very end of the train was a narrow door he hadn't noticed before.
It was slightly open.
A cold breeze came through the gap.
Daniel remembered the old man's warning.
Don't look behind you.
But the old man was gone now.
Daniel slowly approached the door.
He pushed it open.
Beyond it was another carriage.
This one was completely different.
The seats were covered in dust.
The windows were dark.
And every seat was occupied.
Daniel stopped.
Nobody moved.
There were dozens of passengers sitting silently, all facing forward.
Their faces were hidden in shadow.
Daniel took one step inside.
A woman sitting nearest to him slowly turned her head.
Daniel recognised her immediately.
His mother.
He stumbled backward.
"Mom?"
The woman smiled sadly.
But she didn't speak.
Instead, she pointed toward the seat opposite her.
Daniel looked.
Someone was sitting there.
The mysterious woman from the earlier carriage.
Emily.
She looked exactly as she had before.
Young.
Calm.
And strangely familiar.
Daniel stepped closer.
"Who are you?"
Emily looked at the photograph in his hand.
Then she pointed at the boy in the picture.
Daniel looked down.
The photograph had changed.
The fourth person was no longer scratched out.
The face was visible.
Daniel stared.
It was him.
Not the little boy.
An older version of Daniel.
The same Daniel who was standing in the carriage.
He dropped the photograph.
"No..."
Emily finally spoke.
"You remember now."
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't remember any of this."
"You will."
"Why am I here?"
Emily looked toward the front of the train.
"Because the train has returned."
"What happened before?"
Emily hesitated.
"Something was taken from you."
"What?"
"Your memory."
Daniel felt a chill run through him.
"Who took it?"
Emily didn't answer.
Instead, she stood.
The other passengers remained perfectly still.
Emily walked toward the connecting door.
Daniel followed.
Before she opened it, she stopped.
"When the clock reaches midnight, don't believe everything you see."
Daniel looked at the old clock above the door.
Its hands were moving.
11:57.
Three minutes remained.
"What's going to happen at midnight?"
Emily looked at him.
"The train will choose."
"Choose what?"
She opened the door.
"Who stays."
Then she disappeared.
Daniel rushed after her.
But the next carriage was empty.
No passengers.
No Emily.
No mother.
Nothing.
Only the sound of the train.
Daniel looked at the clock.
11:58.
He turned toward the window.
Outside, another train was travelling beside them.
It was the dark train from Station 00:00.
And in one of its windows stood the old man.
Daniel ran toward the glass.
The old man raised one hand.
Then he pointed behind Daniel.
Daniel slowly turned around.
The clock had stopped.
11:59.
And someone was standing at the end of the carriage.
A figure wearing a dark coat.
The same figure from the photograph.
Daniel couldn't see the person's face.
But he heard the voice.
"Daniel."
The clock began ticking again.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
11:59.
One minute remained.
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Author’s Note
Chapter 6 takes Daniel deeper into the mystery of the Midnight Train.
The train is no longer simply carrying Daniel through the night. It seems to be connected to his memories, his family, and something that happened years ago.
This chapter also introduces an important rule:
When the clock reaches midnight, the train will choose who stays.
But what does that mean?
Who is the mysterious figure from the photograph?
Why was Daniel's memory taken?
And what happened on the train years ago?
Chapter 7 will finally bring Daniel face-to-face with the figure who has been following him since the beginning.
One minute remains until midnight.
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