The Last Train

Taking the train in the middle of the night isn’t bad. Personally I prefer the trains at night when they are a lot less crowded. Though, there was one strange night I remember that made me think twice about taking the train at night. 

I just got off working a double at 12am and was really tired.  Luckily for me I was able to catch the last train home and didn’t need to call an uber. I stood on the platform as the train pulled into the station. Waiting at the spot I know the doors should open. I stood there as I felt myself nodding off once in a while. The train doors lined up right in front of me as I just stood there. I didn’t realize the doors were not opening. Everyone else that was waiting in front of the same door noticed that the doors were not opening. They all left for other train cars. When I realized I was about to go to the next car over but the doors suddenly opened for me. Not thinking twice, I entered the train car. 

No one else was in this train car and I thought to myself that this was perfect. I sat down on the first seat and dozed right off. I knew I had a good hour before the train would pull into the last station. Usually, I would be able to sleep the whole ride back home but for some reason the train lights wouldn’t stop flickering above me. The lights were flickering randomly enough to wake me up.

When I awoke, I wasn’t sure what station the train was at. I took a quick look around to figure where I was at. To my surprise there were only two other people in the train car with me. Normally there should be around a dozen people in each train car, even if it was the last train of the night. 

There was one person that sat right across from me and they seemed to be having a pleasant nap. Apparently, they have the ability to sleep through the flickering lights.. The other person was sitting on the opposite side of the train, in the seat that would be the furthest from me. I’m not sure but I think they notice me looking at them because I swore I saw a grin on their face. Probably was just seeing things because of the flickering lights.

I decided to stay awake for the rest of the train ride, it was probably getting close to the end of the line. Minutes passed but the train didn’t make any stops. As more time passed the train still didn’t make any stops and I started to worry. I was probably overthinking things so I decided to look at the other two passengers to see if they noticed it too. 

The person in front of me was still sleeping but the one I thought grinned at me, moved a few seats closer towards me. I thought I was going crazy but I might have been remembering wrong. Once in a while the lights would start to flicker and when the flickering would stop the person was getting closer. Every time they notice me looking at them I see a flash of their teeth in an unnerving grin.

I started to panic but I wasn’t sure why. All I know is that I wanted to get off the train. I thought to myself if the doors opened before my stop I’ll get off the train and walk the rest of the way home. The lights would flicker and the person got a little closer each time it happened. I told myself everything was going to be fine because the train will stop soon. Sure enough the train was pulling up to the next station. To my relief the doors were opening and I decided to get off. I looked at the strange person and they were only a few seats away now. It was clear that they were smiling and I just needed to get away.

I got off the train and as the doors were about to close someone pulled me back into the train car. I let out a scream and braced myself to turn and see the grinning person. To my surprise it was the person that had been sleeping on the train.

“Why did you pull back into the train?!”

“Look out the train door.”

As I looked out the door the person with the unnerving grin was right in front of the closed doors. I didn’t see them leave the train. I think they were waiting for me. The grin that gave me an unnerving feeling was now a frown. The train started to leave the station. The person just stood there watching as we moved away. I turn to look at the person that had pulled me back into the train.

“Why?”

“Stay on the train until it is your stop. Do not leave sooner than you stop.”

I looked at them confused but did what they told me. I tried asking them who or what the other person was but they said nothing back. We rode the train in silence, until the other person left a few stations before me. They got off at a station I didn’t recognize. After they left the train I was able to recognize where I was. I was all alone on the train again . The train pulled into the final stop on the line and the doors opened normally, no delay. I got off and a bunch of other people got off from the other cars.

 I started to walk home like I normally do but a little more alert to my surroundings. I was contemplating if I just had a bad dream. It was a quiet night and I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It was a missing person poster. On the poster was the person that pulled me back on the train.