Chapter 17: Midnight Train

It was just past eleven forty-five when Daniel stumbled onto the deserted platform of the old railway station. His breath came in ragged gasps, each exhale turning to mist in the frigid night air. The town of Black Hollow was eerily silent, save for the occasional rustling of the dead leaves that swirled at his feet.

He had never heard of a train passing through Black Hollow at this hour, nor had he ever seen anyone waiting at this decrepit station. But tonight, drawn by an inexplicable force, he found himself standing there, staring down the rusted tracks that disappeared into the darkness.

The clock above the station's entrance ticked over to midnight.

A distant whistle howled through the air, sending a shiver down Daniel's spine. Then, out of the abyss, a train materialized. It rolled in slowly, its black steel carriages gleaming under the dim station lights. There was no conductor, no station master, no one to announce its arrival. The doors hissed open with a mechanical groan.

Something told Daniel to run. His gut twisted with a deep, primal fear. Yet, his feet carried him forward. He stepped onto the train.

The doors shut behind him with a dreadful finality.

Inside, the train was unlike any he had ever seen. The seats were lined with deep crimson velvet, the lights flickered with an otherworldly glow, and the air was thick with the scent of aged paper and something else—something metallic.

Daniel took a hesitant step forward, his boots clicking against the polished black floor. He expected to see other passengers, but the car was empty. Completely silent.

He chose a seat near the window, staring out into the darkness. The station outside was gone, replaced by an endless void. The train wasn't traveling through any landscape he recognized. There were no trees, no buildings—just a yawning abyss that stretched on forever.

A soft voice broke the silence.

"You shouldn't have gotten on."

Daniel whipped around. A girl sat a few rows behind him. Her wide, frightened eyes locked onto his.

"What?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

She didn't answer immediately, just clutched at the fabric of her faded dress. She looked out of place—her attire was something from a bygone era, and her skin was as pale as moonlight.

"This train…" She swallowed hard. "It doesn't go anywhere real."

Daniel felt his stomach drop. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head. "It only stops for those who are lost. The people who get on… they don't come back."

Daniel's pulse quickened. He turned to the window again, hoping to see something, anything familiar. But there was nothing. Just an endless stretch of blackness.

The train lurched. The lights flickered wildly, and a distant, inhuman wail echoed through the cars. It was coming from the front of the train.

Daniel stood abruptly. "What the hell was that?"

The girl's face twisted in terror. "It knows you're here now."

Before he could demand an explanation, the train's interior shifted. The luxurious velvet seats withered into rotting wood, the warm glow of the lights turned an icy blue, and the scent of decay filled the air.

A guttural growl resonated from the front car.

Daniel grabbed the girl's wrist. "We need to get off."

She shook her head violently. "You don't understand. The train never stops once it starts moving."

He turned towards the doors, hoping to pry them open, but they were sealed tight. The windows, once clear, were now fogged with something that looked like breath from an unseen presence outside.

The growling grew closer.

Daniel's heart pounded. He turned to the girl. "Is there any way off this thing?"

Her lips trembled. "Maybe… but it's dangerous."

The lights surged again, casting deep shadows across the car. From the corridor leading to the engine room, something stepped forward.

It was tall, its form obscured by tattered, black fabric that swayed unnaturally as if caught in an unseen wind. Its face was hidden beneath a hood, but Daniel could feel its gaze piercing through him. The air around it seemed to shimmer, distorting reality itself.

The girl squeezed his arm. "Don't move."

The creature let out a slow, rasping breath. Then, it reached out with elongated, clawed fingers.

Daniel's body screamed for him to run, but he was frozen in place. The girl, however, acted quickly. She pulled a small, silver pendant from around her neck and held it up. The creature recoiled with a shriek.

"This way!" she urged, dragging Daniel towards the back of the train.

They ran through the twisting corridors, past car after car, each one more warped than the last. One was filled with rotting mannequins, their hollow eyes following them as they passed. Another was lined with mirrors that didn't reflect them but rather showed distorted versions of themselves—Daniel saw his own face, but it was older, decayed, his eyes hollow sockets of darkness.

They reached the final car. A heavy iron door loomed ahead.

The girl yanked at the latch. "Help me!"

Daniel pushed with all his strength, and the door creaked open. Beyond it was nothing but open darkness.

The creature's wail echoed through the train. It was close.

The girl turned to him, eyes desperate. "We have to jump."

Daniel hesitated. The void beyond the door was infinite, an abyss that seemed to stretch beyond time itself.

"No other choice!" she screamed.

As the train trembled violently beneath them, Daniel took a deep breath—and leaped.

The darkness swallowed him whole.

Daniel gasped, his lungs burning as he shot upright.

He was lying on the cold, damp platform of Black Hollow's station. The train was gone. The tracks were rusted and broken, leading to nowhere.

Beside him, a small, silver pendant lay on the ground.

The girl was nowhere to be seen.

The station clock chimed twelve.

Daniel stumbled to his feet, his mind reeling. Had it been real? The train, the creature, the girl?

Then, from the far end of the platform, he heard a familiar, distant whistle.

The Midnight Train would return.

And next time, it might not let him go.