The Last Passenger

The train screeched to a halt in the middle of nowhere. Sophie jolted awake, her carriage eerily empty. A single light flickered above, casting long, ghostly shadows across the rows of seats.

She glanced at her phone—dead. Panic crept in as she realized she hadn’t seen another passenger for the last few stops. The conductor hadn’t come by either. Heart racing, Sophie stood up and peered down the dim aisle, but darkness swallowed everything beyond her sight.

A faint scratching sound echoed from the front of the train. Trembling, she stepped forward, her footsteps hollow on the metal floor. As she reached the door leading to the next carriage, a soft whisper broke the silence.

“Sophie…”

She froze. She hadn’t told anyone her name. The whisper came again, closer this time, the voice familiar yet distorted. With a mix of dread and curiosity, she pushed the door open, revealing more darkness. Her breath hitched when she noticed a shadow moving—no, slithering—across the floor.

Suddenly, a cold hand grasped her wrist. She turned, but there was no one there. The air felt thick, suffocating.

The last thing Sophie saw before everything went black was her own reflection, smiling back at her.