Chapter 4: The Passenger
563 Words
Daniel stared at the ticket in his hand.
LAST STOP — MIDNIGHT.
He rubbed his thumb across the printed words, hoping they would disappear.
They didn't.
He looked toward the opposite seat again.
The mysterious woman was gone.
But something remained.
A small silver pendant lay on the seat where she had been sitting.
Daniel stood slowly.
The train rocked beneath his feet as he walked across the carriage.
He picked up the pendant.
It was cold.
On one side was a strange symbol that looked like a clock with its hands pointing toward midnight.
On the other side were two initials:
E.M.
Daniel turned around.
The old man was watching him.
"What does this mean?" Daniel asked.
The old man's expression changed.
For the first time, he looked frightened.
"Where did you get that?"
"On the seat."
The old man stood up.
"Put it down."
Daniel stepped backward.
"Why?"
"Because that doesn't belong to you."
Daniel looked at the pendant again.
"Then whose is it?"
The old man didn't answer.
The train suddenly began slowing down.
Daniel grabbed the nearest seat for balance.
Outside the window, a platform appeared.
There were no buildings.
No lights.
No people.
Only a single sign.
STATION 00:00
The train stopped.
The doors opened.
Cold air rushed through the carriage.
Daniel looked outside.
The platform was completely empty.
Except for one person.
A young woman stood beneath the station sign.
Daniel's breath caught.
It was the same woman from the carriage.
She looked directly at him.
Then she pointed at the pendant in his hand.
The old man grabbed Daniel's arm.
"Don't get off."
Daniel looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because nobody gets off at Station 00:00."
The woman outside slowly raised her hand.
She pointed toward the tracks behind Daniel.
Daniel turned.
At the far end of the platform stood another train.
It looked exactly like the one he was sitting in.
But there was something different.
That train was completely dark.
No lights.
No passengers.
No driver.
Yet it was moving.
Slowly.
Straight toward them.
Daniel stepped back.
The old man whispered:
"That's the train you should be afraid of."
The doors began closing.
The woman outside suddenly shouted something.
Daniel couldn't hear her.
He moved closer to the door.
"What did she say?"
The old man grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't listen!"
The doors shut.
The Midnight Train began moving again.
Daniel looked through the window.
The woman was still standing on the platform.
But now she wasn't looking at him.
She was looking at the old man.
The old man lowered his head.
Daniel turned toward him.
"You know her."
Silence.
"You know her, don't you?"
The old man finally looked up.
"Her name was Emily."
Daniel felt the pendant in his hand.
"E.M."
The old man nodded.
"Emily Mokoena."
Daniel's face went pale.
"That's my surname."
The old man said nothing.
Daniel stared at him.
"How does she have the same surname as me?"
The train disappeared into another tunnel.
The lights flickered.
And somewhere behind them, from the darkness of the last carriage, came a quiet voice.
"Daniel..."
He turned.
Nobody was there.
Then the voice came again.
This time, much closer.
"Daniel... you were never supposed to leave."
The old man closed his eyes.
And Daniel finally understood one thing.
The Midnight Train wasn't taking him somewhere.
It was taking him back.
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