I have to travel alone overnight by train to my hometown.
After college
I board the train and find my bunk, the ac was broken so I complain about it
,buy chai while the train hasn't board yet, scroll Insta reel
The train was crowded when I boarded
But after the first station, i realized
i couldn't remember seeing a single passenger get off.
There is an old man sitting in the opposite bunk
He was really quite just sitting in one position straight .
The train stops at a station i got up
passes a man sleeping near the door.
When I walk through two coaches.
And come back
The same man is still there.
Except now he's sitting upright.
I just walks away
To buy something to eat after
Comes back again.
The man is sleeping again.
I didn't thought much of it
When I came back to my coach number s7
The coach number outside says S6.
My ticket says S7
I was in s7 before
And now I just can't found s7
Just when I was going to finding tte
The old man sitting in the opposite
bunk was standing behind me.
I don't even know when he came
He warn me to "not roaming around and
Whatever happen , don't get off the
train at the next station "
It was getting late and dark
The coach has less light the old man,
He guide me to my coach and I thank him
I was thinking although the old man was
weird but he did help me
he notices everyone else closes their
curtains before the tunnel
The old man said “Don't look.”
I ask "why"
The old men didn't answer
Then the train enters the tunnel.
And from outside the window...
someone knocks on the glass.
Not once.
Not twice.
Three times.
Even though I'm looking at the window from inside a moving train.
The train passes through a tunnel.
I was sitting still
Don't know what to say
The train stop at a tiny station
i look outside
The station is completely dead
No passengers.
No railway workers.
No shops.
Just one flickering light and a station board.
I see something disturbing.
The name on the board is my own hometown.
But I'm supposed to be hundreds of
kilometres away from it.
I turn around to ask the old man what is happening.
The old man is gone.
His bunk is empty.
I check my phone.
3:17 AM
No network.
The coach was silent.
Then I notice something even worse:
The train isn't moving anymore.
But I can still hear the wheels going:
tak... tak... tak... tak...
I look outside again.
The train is actually standing still.
The sound is coming from inside the train.
I don't know what is going on.
I went to other coaches to check.
I walk through the coaches looking for the TTE or another passenger.
Every coach is empty.
Except... One
There are people sitting in every seat.
They're all completely still.
I realize they're not sleeping.
They're staring at me.
I run back toward my coach.
And finally I see the old man again.
Except now the old man isn't sitting across from me.
He's sitting in my original seat.
And he says:
“I told you not to get off.”
