Nowhere to Run
369 Words
Nowhere to Run**
Ryan stumbled backward, nearly tripping over his own feet. The woman was inches away now, her presence suffocating, the air around her thick with something rotten and cold.
Her head was still tilted at that unnatural angle, her dark hair shifting as she took a slow step forward. For the first time, Ryan saw part of her face—pale, almost gray skin stretched too tight over her cheekbones. And her mouth… her lips were parted, revealing teeth that were *too sharp*.
His breath came in short gasps as he grabbed onto a seat for support.
“What do you want?” His voice barely worked.
She didn’t respond. She only took another step.
The train lurched again, the lights flickering wildly. Ryan cast a desperate glance around the car. The old man hadn’t moved. The woman with headphones was frozen, her eyes now locked forward, unblinking.
Something was very, very wrong.
Ryan turned and slammed his fists against the locked door, ignoring the dull ache in his hands. “Hey! Somebody help me! Open this door!”
No response.
The air grew colder.
A shadow loomed over him.
He knew without looking—she was right behind him.
Ryan squeezed his eyes shut. His entire body screamed at him to run, but there was nowhere to go. His pulse thundered in his ears as he slowly turned his head.
The woman was standing directly behind him. Closer than before.
Too close.
He could feel her breath, icy and damp, on his skin.
Her lips moved. A whisper.
"You were never supposed to be here."
The train jolted, throwing Ryan forward against the door. The impact knocked the air from his lungs. He gasped, spinning around—
The woman was gone.
Ryan whipped his head around, scanning the car. The seats were empty. The passengers—gone. The old man. The woman with the headphones. *Everyone.*
The train was silent.
Dead silent.
His chest heaved as he staggered back, gripping a nearby pole for balance. The windows were still black, as if the outside world no longer existed.
A deep, heavy realization settled in his stomach.
This wasn’t just a train ride.
He was trapped.
- Writer
