Haunting Glow: A ghostly, glowing font with a misty effect.

**The Silent Passenger** It was past midnight when Ryan boarded the last train home. The station was nearly deserted, except for an old man mumbling to himself near the ticket machine. Ryan ignored him and stepped onto the train, choosing a seat near the back. The air smelled faintly of metal and something else—something rotten. As the train doors slid shut, he noticed a woman sitting across from him. She wore a long black dress, and her face was obscured by her dark hair. She sat completely still, hands folded in her lap, not even swaying with the train’s movement. Ryan tried not to stare, but something about her made him uneasy. The train entered a tunnel, and the lights flickered. In the brief moment of darkness, he swore he heard a whisper right next to his ear. When the lights returned, the woman was sitting closer. Ryan’s breath hitched. He hadn’t heard her move. His grip tightened on his bag. The train continued its journey through the empty city, and he dared to glance at her again. Her face was still hidden, but he noticed something chilling—her hands weren’t resting in her lap anymore. They were now gripping the edge of her seat, knuckles white, as if she was preparing to lunge. The train entered another tunnel. The lights flickered again. And when they came back— She was sitting right beside him. A cold breath brushed against his ear. "You took my seat," a voice rasped. Ryan bolted from his seat, heart pounding, but the train was still moving. There was no escape. He turned back— The woman was gone. The train pulled into the final station. Ryan stumbled out, gasping for air. He looked back through the window, expecting to see an empty seat. Instead, the woman was still there, staring at him, her face finally visible—nothing but a hollow, grinning void. The train doors closed. And as it pulled away, Ryan realized— The train had never made a stop there before.