The Terror Train

Chapter 2: The Monster Attack

The ground was obscured， buried beneath layers of fluff. No train tracks or roads were visible—only a thick blanket of snow-like tufts. The air itself carried a fine dust， and as Ajex inhaled， he felt a sharp， needle-like pain in his nostrils. Violent coughs erupted， the fiery sensation spreading from his nose down to his throat， as if he’d consumed chili peppers.

　　Around him， others also coughed violently. The airborne fluff， like dust， triggered immediate fits of hacking. Ajex covered his nose with his sleeve， surveying the chaotic scene. Bodies lay scattered—some passengers flung from the train during the derailment， their forms barely recognizable amidst the c*****e. Others bore gruesome wounds—throats torn or chests ripped open， as if attacked by massive claws.

　　Yet， interspersed among the human corpses were creatures Ajex had never seen before—strange， lifeless beings. He continued to shield his nose， the coughing subsiding slightly. He understood what had happened: their train had inexplicably plunged into this unseen field of fluff and rock formations. The violent impact had drawn these enigmatic creatures from the cracks， attacking the passengers.

　　Though terrifying， the creatures numbered no more than ten. Despite inflicting harm， they were eventually overwhelmed by the growing crowd of survivors. Ajex’s gaze shifted to Ethan and Henry， who approached him.

　　Henry sported a bruised lump on his forehead， evidence of an injury sustained during the chaos. He coughed and grimaced， still calling Ajex’s name. Meanwhile， passengers emerged from the wreckage， searching for companions or attempting to call for help. But their phones remained useless—no signal， not even for emergency services.

　　“Damn it， what’s this dust? It’s unbearable!” Henry’s voice cracked as he covered his nose and mouth.

　　Ajex， too， muffled his breath with his sleeve. Although it lessened the concentration of airborne particles， the fluff still infiltrated his airways. Each inhalation scorched his nose and throat.

　　“Why’s the sky so dark? This place… feels eerie，” Ethan muttered， his face etched with fear. He stared at the colossal mounds of unseen fluff-rock formations， a foreboding sensation settling over him.

　　Ajex glanced upward. The sky remained overcast， and the surrounding rock formations—piled tufts—loomed like monstrous sentinels. In the distance， a dark mass drew the attention of those who had crawled out of the train. Ajex， Ethan， and Henry followed the crowd toward the three fractured train cars. As they rounded a half-buried section， they noticed something else—an intact train parked nearby， separate from their accident-stricken one.

　　The C2123 train， which Ajex and his companions were aboard， lay across the midsection of another train. The collision’s force was indescribable， leaving the locomotive and several carriages of their train in utter ruin. The steel carriages crumpled like paper， and from the outside， only the steady flow of blood could be seen， hinting at the gruesome fate of the passengers within.

　　At that moment， a crowd had gathered， staring at the other train that sat eerily still. Their expressions were a mix of confusion and disbelief. As Ajex approached， he understood their astonishment. Their C2123 had struck another train， yet the impacted train remained unscathed.

　　This train， hit but undamaged， was coated in black with no visible markings. Its doors stood wide open， revealing an empty interior that whispered of mysteries untold. The growing number of onlookers shared a collective sense of bewilderment， as the scene before them defied all logic.

　　Suddenly， a thunderous boom echoed， causing everyone to turn in shock. One of the C2123’s carriages had exploded without warning， igniting the entire train. Flames engulfed the wreckage， and any passengers trapped inside were instantly consumed by the inferno.

　　The situation grew increasingly bizarre. Cut off from the outside world， with no rescue in sight， panic spread. The air， thick with minuscule fluff particles， triggered incessant coughing. Then， a piercing scream shattered the uneasy silence.

　　“What’s happening? What’s going on now?” Ethan’s voice trembled with fear. Known for his timidity， he now shook uncontrollably， more frightened than ever.

　　Without a word， Ajex looked into the distance. Another scream followed， then a frantic shout:“Run， run for your lives， there are so many—”

　　The crowd on the other side erupted into chaos， rushing toward them. And then， Ajex saw them—pairs of eyes glowing with a faint green light. The owners of these eyes leaped from the darkness， wielding clubs and dripping with fresh blood， their hairless bodies monstrous in form.

　　These unknown creatures emerged from the shadows in droves， hundreds strong， and charged at the people.“There are too many， run!” someone yelled.

　　“Don’t panic， don’t run， let’s stand together—” another voice called out， trying to rally the crowd. But as he realized he stood alone against the horde， fear took over， and he too fled.

　　In the blink of an eye， more than ten lives were lost to the creatures’ claws.“They’re on this side too， we’re surrounded—”

　　In the midst of the fleeing crowd’s pandemonium， a voice cried out in terror. Ajex， Ethan， and Henry were among the throng， with Ajex’s keen eyes discerning the emergence of unknown creatures from the surrounding darkness. Thousands of passengers were encircled， unarmed and vulnerable， facing the onslaught of these lion-tiger-like beasts.

　　“Quick， get on the train， block the doors， hurry—”

　　From within the crowd， someone bellowed， racing towards the silent， pitch-black train with its doors agape. Following suit， the desperate masses surged into the ghost train’s carriages， with some attempting to close the doors behind them.

　　“Ajex， let’s hide inside，” Ethan urged， pulling Ajex along as he squeezed through the crowd towards the ghost train.

　　At work， Ethan and Ajex shared a close bond， and even amidst the chaos， Ethan didn’t forget to lend a hand to his friend. Ajex cast a wary glance at the mysteriously silent ghost train， feeling an inexplicable dread. Yet， with unknown monsters surrounding them and those who couldn’t escape already dead， boarding the ghost train seemed their only option.

　　As a creature neared within ten meters， Ajex finally dashed towards the closest door. Several robust men stood guard， armed with backpacks， lifted stones， or scraps of metal， ready to defend the narrow entrance.

　　A monster attempted to breach the door but was repelled by the improvised weapons. The doorway was too narrow for more than one creature at a time， and the defenders managed to thwart several attacks， preventing any from entering.

　　The black train was now entirely besieged by the creatures. The passengers， either dead outside or aboard the train， took turns guarding the doors， fending off the relentless assaults.

　　The creatures outside roared furiously， clawing at the carriages. Despite the resounding“bangs” from their strikes， the black train remained undamaged， a testament to its eerie resilience.