Phantom

The train pulls into the station, sputtering steam as it chugs along. A silent shuffling crowd fills it, mostly children being sent away. The year is 1940.

A terrified mother ties tags around her daughter's neck. "Remember. You are just a girl. Don't speak back, and know that I love you." The girl's eyes are brimming with tears as the suitcase with her whole life is handed to her. But she couldn't pack her mother's hugs.

She couldn't pack the feeling of Autumn sneaking up to you like it did in London. She couldn't pack her mother's smile, no matter how many photos she took. She couldn't pack her sister, who was over the age of 17.

She ran into their arms for the last time in her mind. She was finally whisked away by a guard. "Annie! We love you!" they called to her one last time. Then she was pushed into the train.

Without her mother's comforting arm, she was pushed into a world of nightmares. She closed her eyes and stood there, shaking, reliving the 11 day nightmare that had rained down on her home. She shivered, remembering the screams of people on the streets, the CRASH! of bombs thundering down.

She was awoken from the nightmare by a young girl, about five years older than herself. She smiled at Annie and took her hand, coaxing her into the train. She smoothed her dark brown hair and took the young girl into the train.

They found a compartment and the girl let Annie relax on her lap. She smoothed her hair and patted her back. Annie soon drifted off as the train began to rumble. Lilah, the girl who helped Annie was in more danger of the Nazis than anyone else. She was a Jew.

Air raid sirens rang, deafening the people. That didn't matter. They all ran to the shelters, knowing their lives depended on it. But John wasn't moving as fast as the others. He grabbed photos of a three year old girl as he ran, slowed down by the added weight. "John! Drop them! Run faster!" his mother called. She held open the shelter door for him as a bomb crashed down on his head. A little girl watched her brother die.

Annie woke up screaming, remembering the night when her brother had died. Lilah was still there. She comforted the young girl who had seen to much pain, knowing she herself would always have more. Her only protection was the cross around her neck, which helped with her disguise.

Suddenly the train stopped. The train was nowhere near the remote city that they were to be dropped off at. A shrieking noise came from the hall. Lilah startled. Annie did too. Annie acted first, pulling open the compartment door. There in the hallway was the bloody body of a girl.

On the wall was a note made with her blood. Whoever came to the scream first will be next. Annie stood, shell shocked. She was first. She then saw a gray shadow on the ground. She followed it to nothing. She steeped back into the compartment, Lilah seemingly frozen. SO was everyone else. You are trapped. What? There is no escape. You saw her first. You will pay.

ANNIE

No, this couldn't happen. Wait. If it was invisible, I could make it visible. I opened my suitcase and got out my paints. I looked for the shadow and threw them, hard. The shape of a man appeared, splattered in blues and reds.

"John? Is that you?" My brother's face stared back. He didn't recognize me. How could I save myself? I looked around. He was coming closer, wiping the paints off. I felt a pressure pinning me to the ground.

I shivered with dread. "John, I love you. I don't know what or who you are, but I love you. I wanted to tell you this. I won't fight you know. Do whatever you want to me. It wasn't my fault you were killed. Blame all of humanity for war. Not your little sister."

He seemed to be touched, and the blood starting to erupt from my stomach seized, along with the pressure pushing me down. "Relax brother. Let your spirit be appeased. You are more than this."

He walked off and they were unfrozen again. A new note was on the wall reading Thanks little sister. I smiled and hugged the older girl again.