# "The train I usually take has changed its course, it is now headed nowhere..." Creepypasta

An episode of [CreepsMcPasta Creepypasta Radio](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492008134), 11 Aug 2024, 34 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60988960/the_train_i_usually_take_has_changed_its_course_it_is_now_headed_nowhere_creepypasta.mp3

CREEPYPASTA STORY►by SocietysMenaceCC: / the_train_i_usually_take_has_changed_its_c... Creepypastas are the campfire tales of the internet. Horror stories spread through Reddit r/nosleep, forums and blogs, rather than word of mouth. Whether you believe these scary stories to be true or not is left to your own discretion and imagination. LISTEN TO CREEPYPASTAS ON THE GO- SPOTIFY► https://open.spotify.com/show/7l0iRPd... iTUNES► https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... SUGGESTED CREEPYPASTA PLAYLISTS- ►"Good Places to Start"- • "I wasn't careful enough on the deep ... ►"Personal Favourites"- • "I sold my soul for a used dishwasher... ►"Written by me"- • "I've been Blind my Whole Life" Creep... ►"Long Stories"- • Long Stories FOLLOW ME ON- ►Twitter: / creeps_mcpasta ►Instagram: / creepsmcpasta ►Twitch: / creepsmcpasta ►Facebook: / creepsmcpasta CREEPYPASTA MUSIC/ SFX- ►http://bit.ly/Audionic ♪ ►http://bit.ly/Myuusic ♪ ►http://bit.ly/incompt ♪ ►http://bit.ly/EpidemicM ♪ This creepypasta is for entertainment purposes only

## Transcript

[0:02] Speaker 1: The gentle sway of the train car had always been
[0:04] Speaker 1: soothing to me. As a regional sales manager for a
[0:08] Speaker 1: large pharmaceutical company, I spent more time on railways than
[0:12] Speaker 1: I did in my own bed. The rhythmic clack of
[0:15] Speaker 1: the wheels on the tracks was my lullaby. The ever
[0:18] Speaker 1: changing landscape outside my window a constant companion. This particular
[0:24] Speaker 1: Tuesday evening found me on yet another overnight train, heading
[0:28] Speaker 1: from Chicago to New York for a critical meeting. I
[0:32] Speaker 1: settled into my usual routine, laptop out, spreadsheets, open, a
[0:37] Speaker 1: cup of mediocre coffee cooling on the fall down tray.
[0:42] Speaker 1: The first sign that something was amiss came about three
[0:45] Speaker 1: hours into a journey. I glanced at my watch, frowning slightly.
[0:51] Speaker 1: We should have reached Cleveland by now, but the cityscape
[0:54] Speaker 1: outside remained stubbornly rural fields and forests rolled by, bathed
[1:00] Speaker 1: in the eerie glow of a full moon. I flagged
[1:04] Speaker 1: down a passing attendant, a middle aged woman with graying
[1:08] Speaker 1: hair and a pinched expression. Excuse me, I said, but
[1:14] Speaker 1: shouldn't we have reached Cleveland by now? She gave me
[1:19] Speaker 1: a strange look, her eyes slightly unfocused Cleveland. I'm sorry, sir,
[1:25] Speaker 1: but I'm not familiar with that stop. Perhaps you're thinking
[1:29] Speaker 1: of a different route. Before I could respond, she hurried away,
[1:34] Speaker 1: disappearing into the next car. I sat back, puzzled. How
[1:40] Speaker 1: could she not know Cleveland? It was a major stop
[1:43] Speaker 1: on this line. I shook my head, choking it up
[1:48] Speaker 1: to a new employe's confusion, and returned to my work.
[1:53] Speaker 1: As the hours ticked by my r knees grew, a
[1:57] Speaker 1: landscape outside never changed, an endless loop of moonlit fields
[2:02] Speaker 1: and shadowy forests. My phone had lost signal long ago,
[2:07] Speaker 1: and my watch seemed to be malfunctioning, its hands spinning
[2:11] Speaker 1: wildly before stopping altogether. I decided to stretch my legs,
[2:18] Speaker 1: hoping a walk through the train might clear my head.
[2:22] Speaker 1: As I made my way through the cars, I noticed
[2:25] Speaker 1: how eerily quiet it was. The few passengers I saw
[2:30] Speaker 1: sat motionless in their seats, staring blankly ahead round the windows.
[2:37] Speaker 1: In the dining car, I found an elderly man hunched
[2:40] Speaker 1: over a cup of coffee. His wrinkled hands trembled slightly
[2:44] Speaker 1: as he lifted the mug to his lips. Excuse me,
[2:49] Speaker 1: I said, sliding into the seat across from him. I
[2:53] Speaker 1: don't mean to bother you, but have you noticed anything
[2:57] Speaker 1: strange about this journey? The old man's roomy eyes focused
[3:02] Speaker 1: on me, a flicker of recognition passing across his face.
[3:07] Speaker 1: You're no, aren't you, he said, his voice a dry whisper.
[3:13] Speaker 1: First time on this line. I nodded, a chill running
[3:18] Speaker 1: down my spine. What do you mean this line? This
[3:22] Speaker 1: is just a regular Chicago to New York root, isn't it.
[3:27] Speaker 1: He let out a wheezing laugh that turned into a cough.
[3:31] Speaker 1: Oh my boy, he said, shaking his head. This ain't
[3:35] Speaker 1: no regular route. This here's the last line. Ain't no
[3:39] Speaker 1: New York where we're headed. I don't understand, I said,
[3:45] Speaker 1: my heart beginning to race. Where are we going? Then
[3:50] Speaker 1: the old man, leaning close, the smell of stale coffee
[3:53] Speaker 1: on his breath. Nowhere, he whispered. Everywhere. This train don't stop, son,
[4:02] Speaker 1: It just keeps going round and round world without end,
[4:08] Speaker 1: I joked back, Convinced I was dealing with the madman.
[4:13] Speaker 1: That's impossible, I said, Every train has to stop eventually.
[4:19] Speaker 1: He just smiled a sad, knowing expression. You go on,
[4:24] Speaker 1: believing that if it makes you feel better, but mark
[4:27] Speaker 1: my words, you'll see we all figure it out sooner
[4:32] Speaker 1: or later. I stood off abruptly, nearly knocking over my chair.
[4:39] Speaker 1: You're crazy, I muttered, backing away. This is just a
[4:43] Speaker 1: normal train. We'll be in New York by morning. As
[4:49] Speaker 1: I turned to leave, the old man called out, what's
[4:52] Speaker 1: your name's son? I hesitated for a moment before answering Jack,
[4:59] Speaker 1: Jack Thurston. He nodded slowly, Well, Jack Thurston, I'm Howard.
[5:08] Speaker 1: I'll be seeing you around. We've got all the time
[5:11] Speaker 1: in the world after all. I hurried back to my seat,
[5:17] Speaker 1: Howard's words echoing in my mind. It was nonsense. Of course,
[5:22] Speaker 1: trains didn't just go on forever. There had to be
[5:25] Speaker 1: a rational explanation for the delays and strange behavior of
[5:29] Speaker 1: the staff. As I sank into my seat, I noticed
[5:35] Speaker 1: a young woman across the aisle furiously scribbling in a
[5:38] Speaker 1: note book. A long, dark hair fell in a curtain
[5:41] Speaker 1: around her face, and her leg bounced with nervous energy.
[5:46] Speaker 1: Excuse me, I said, leaning towards her. I don't suppose
[5:51] Speaker 1: you know when we're due to arrive in New York,
[5:53] Speaker 1: do you? She looked up, her eyes wide and slightly
[5:58] Speaker 1: mannic New York, she repeated, letting out a hysterical giggle.
[6:04] Speaker 1: Oh honey, there is no New York, not any more.
[6:08] Speaker 1: There's only the train. I felt my blood run cold.
[6:15] Speaker 1: What are you talking about? She leaned in close, her
[6:20] Speaker 1: voice dropping to a whisper. I've been on this train
[6:24] Speaker 1: for I don't know how long, days, weeks. It all
[6:29] Speaker 1: blurs together, but I figured it out. We're not going anywhere.
[6:34] Speaker 1: We're stuck in a loop and never enny journey to nowhere.
[6:39] Speaker 1: And shook my head, refusing to believe it. That's impossible.
[6:44] Speaker 1: You've just confused. Maybe you've fell asleep and missed your stop.
[6:49] Speaker 1: She laughed again, the sound devoid of humor. Oh I
[6:53] Speaker 1: wish you were that simple. Look around you. Have you
[6:57] Speaker 1: seen anyone get off? Have we stopped at any stations?
[7:02] Speaker 1: This is an a normal train, Jack, This is something
[7:05] Speaker 1: else entirely. I started at the sound of my name.
[7:11] Speaker 1: How did you know my name? She smiled a sad,
[7:15] Speaker 1: knowing expression. I heard you talking to old Howard in
[7:19] Speaker 1: the dining car. I'm Lisa, by the way, I'll come
[7:23] Speaker 1: aboard the Eternal Express. I start off abruptly, my head spinning.
[7:29] Speaker 1: This is insane. All of you are insane. I'm going
[7:33] Speaker 1: to find the conductor and get some answers. As I
[7:37] Speaker 1: stormed off towards the front of the train, I heard
[7:40] Speaker 1: Lisa call out behind me, good luck with that, But
[7:44] Speaker 1: don't say I didn't warn you. I made my way
[7:48] Speaker 1: through car after car, each one identical to the last.
[7:53] Speaker 1: The same faded blue seats, the same flickering overhead lights,
[7:58] Speaker 1: the same blank faced passengers daring into nothingness. How long
[8:03] Speaker 1: had I been walking? It felt like hours, but that
[8:07] Speaker 1: was impossible in a train of normal length. Finally I
[8:13] Speaker 1: reached what should have been the engine car, but instead
[8:17] Speaker 1: of a locomotive, I found myself in another passenger car,
[8:22] Speaker 1: exactly like all the others. I spun around, disoriented. How
[8:29] Speaker 1: could this be? A hand on my shoulder made me jump.
[8:34] Speaker 1: I turned to find the attendant from earlier, her pinched
[8:37] Speaker 1: face now twisted into an unnaturally wild smile. Can I
[8:42] Speaker 1: help you, sir? She asked, her voice sickly sweet. I
[8:48] Speaker 1: need to speak to the conductor, I said, trying to
[8:51] Speaker 1: keep the panic out of my voice. There's been some
[8:53] Speaker 1: kind of mistake. This train should have reached New York
[8:56] Speaker 1: by now. A smile never waved I'm sorry, sir, but
[9:02] Speaker 1: there is no conductor, and there is no mistake. You're
[9:07] Speaker 1: exactly where you're supposed to be. I backed away from her,
[9:12] Speaker 1: my heart pounding. What is this place? What's happening? She
[9:19] Speaker 1: tilted her head, her eyes suddenly black and empty. And
[9:23] Speaker 1: this is the last line, mister Thurston, the train that
[9:27] Speaker 1: never stops, never ends. You bought a ticket and now
[9:32] Speaker 1: you're on the ride of eternity. I turned and ran,
[9:37] Speaker 1: crushing past confused passengers, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
[9:42] Speaker 1: This couldn't be happening. It had to be a dream,
[9:45] Speaker 1: a hallucination, anything but reality. I burst into the space
[9:51] Speaker 1: between cars, the cold night air hitting me like a slap.
[9:55] Speaker 1: The door next to the car was just a few
[9:57] Speaker 1: feet away. If I could just reach it, maybe I
[10:01] Speaker 1: could find a way off this nightmare train. But as
[10:06] Speaker 1: I stepped forward, the gap between the car seemed to stretch.
[10:10] Speaker 1: The next door moved further and further away. No matter
[10:14] Speaker 1: how fast I ran, the wind howled around me, drowning
[10:18] Speaker 1: out my screams of frustration and fear. Suddenly a hand
[10:24] Speaker 1: grabbed my arm, yanking me back into the car. I
[10:28] Speaker 1: fell to the floor, gasping for breath. Lisa stood over me,
[10:33] Speaker 1: her face pale in the flickering light. Are you crazy,
[10:37] Speaker 1: she hissed. You can't come out there between the cars.
[10:41] Speaker 1: That's that's where it gets you. Where what gets you?
[10:47] Speaker 1: I asked, my voice shaking. She helped me to my feet,
[10:52] Speaker 1: glancing nervously at the door. The thing that runs this train,
[10:57] Speaker 1: the thing that brought us all here. You don't want
[11:01] Speaker 1: to meet it. As if on cue, a low rumbling
[11:07] Speaker 1: sound echoed through the car. It was like nothing I'd
[11:10] Speaker 1: ever heard before, part machine, part animal, all wrong. The
[11:17] Speaker 1: lights flickered more intensely, and for a moment I could
[11:22] Speaker 1: have sworn I saw something massive moving in the shadows
[11:25] Speaker 1: between the cars. Lisa pulled me back to our seats,
[11:30] Speaker 1: her grip in my arm almost painful. Listen to me,
[11:34] Speaker 1: she said urgently. I know this is hard to accept,
[11:38] Speaker 1: God knows. I fought against it for I don't even
[11:41] Speaker 1: know how long. But fighting only makes it worse. You
[11:45] Speaker 1: have to accept where you are or you'll go mad.
[11:51] Speaker 1: We slumped in my seat, my mind reeling. But why
[11:56] Speaker 1: why is this happening? What is this place? She shook
[12:01] Speaker 1: her head. I don't know, none of us do. All
[12:05] Speaker 1: we know is that we're here on this never ending journey.
[12:09] Speaker 1: Some think it's hell, others purgatory. Old Howard thinks it's
[12:14] Speaker 1: some kind of cosmic mistake. Me. I think it's just
[12:18] Speaker 1: the universe's way of saying tough luck, kiddo. I looked
[12:24] Speaker 1: out the window, watching the same moonlit landscape roll by.
[12:29] Speaker 1: How many times had I seen those same fields, those
[12:32] Speaker 1: same trees? How long would I continue to see them?
[12:37] Speaker 1: So what do we do? I asked, my voice barely
[12:42] Speaker 1: a whisper. Lisa gave me a sad smile. We ride,
[12:48] Speaker 1: we talk, We tried to stay sane, and we hope
[12:52] Speaker 1: that maybe, just maybe one day we'll reach the last stop.
[12:59] Speaker 1: That's the train rolled into the endless night. I realized
[13:03] Speaker 1: with a sinking heart that my journey had only just begun,
[13:09] Speaker 1: and their destination that remained a terrifying mystery. Days blended
[13:18] Speaker 1: into nights, and nights into days. The monotonous rhythm of
[13:23] Speaker 1: the train became the backdrop to my existence. I lost
[13:27] Speaker 1: count of how many times I'd watched the same scenery
[13:30] Speaker 1: roll by. How many times I walk the length of
[13:33] Speaker 1: the train, hoping to find something anything different? Lisa became
[13:40] Speaker 1: my anchor in the sea of madness. We spent hours talking,
[13:45] Speaker 1: sharing stories of our lives before the train. She's been
[13:50] Speaker 1: a journalist, always chasing the next big story. Yes, I
[13:55] Speaker 1: found it, she would say with a bitter laugh, gesturing
[13:59] Speaker 1: at our surrounded Old Howard joined us, often, his weathered
[14:05] Speaker 1: face a map of the time he'd spent on this
[14:08] Speaker 1: hellis journey. Been riding this rail for longer than I
[14:12] Speaker 1: can remember, he'd say, his roomy eyes distant, seeing folks
[14:17] Speaker 1: come and go, some just disappear, others, He trailed off,
[14:24] Speaker 1: shaking his head. I learned to fear the spaces between
[14:29] Speaker 1: the cars. Sometimes late at night, when the train's rhythms
[14:34] Speaker 1: seemed to falter, we'd hear things scraping, slithering sounds. Once
[14:43] Speaker 1: I caught a glimpse of something massive and dark undulating
[14:46] Speaker 1: past the windows. Lisa pulled me away before I could
[14:50] Speaker 1: get a better luck. Trust me, she said, her face pale.
[14:56] Speaker 1: You don't want to know. The other passengers were a
[15:02] Speaker 1: mix of the resigned and the mad. Some like us
[15:05] Speaker 1: try to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Others had given
[15:10] Speaker 1: in to despair, sitting in the same spots day after day,
[15:15] Speaker 1: staring blankly at nothing. And then there were those who'd
[15:19] Speaker 1: lost their minds entirely browling the cars with wild eyes
[15:24] Speaker 1: and incoherent ramblings. One such soul was a man we
[15:28] Speaker 1: called the Preacher. Tall and menacing, with a tangled beard
[15:34] Speaker 1: and eyes that burned with fanatical fervor. He would roam
[15:38] Speaker 1: the train shouting about sin and redemption. We're all here
[15:43] Speaker 1: for a reason, he bellow, spittle flying from his lips.
[15:47] Speaker 1: This is our punishment, are penance, repent, and maybe, just
[15:52] Speaker 1: maybe you'll find your way of this damned train. Most
[15:59] Speaker 1: ignoring him, but some listened. I watched as he gathered
[16:05] Speaker 1: a small following passengers desperate for any explanation, any hope
[16:10] Speaker 1: of escape. It was on when I guessed there be
[16:14] Speaker 1: my hundredth day on the train that things took a
[16:18] Speaker 1: darker turn. I was jolted awake by screams coming from
[16:22] Speaker 1: the front of the car. Lisa was already on her feet,
[16:27] Speaker 1: her face and mask of terror. They've done it, she whispered,
[16:32] Speaker 1: They've actually done it. I followed her gaze to see
[16:38] Speaker 1: a group of the Preacher's followers dragging a struggling passenger
[16:42] Speaker 1: towards the door between cars. The preacher stood by his
[16:47] Speaker 1: arms raised, chanting something I couldn't make out over the
[16:50] Speaker 1: victim's screams. What are they doing, I asked, though part
[16:57] Speaker 1: of me already knew the answer. A sacrifice, Old Howard said,
[17:03] Speaker 1: his voice grim. Fools think they can appease whatever's rolling
[17:07] Speaker 1: the strain by their way off with blood. I started
[17:13] Speaker 1: to move towards them, but Lisa held me back. Don't,
[17:18] Speaker 1: she hissed, There's nothing we can do, Just don't watch.
[17:24] Speaker 1: But I couldn't look away. The group reached the door,
[17:29] Speaker 1: and with a final triumphant cry from the preacher, they
[17:33] Speaker 1: shoved their victim out into the space between cars. For
[17:38] Speaker 1: a moment, nothing happened. Then came a sound, a wet,
[17:46] Speaker 1: tearing noise that would haunt my nightmares for days to come.
[17:51] Speaker 1: The door slam shut, cutting off the screams. The breacher
[17:56] Speaker 1: turned to face the rest of us, his eyes wild
[17:59] Speaker 1: with exc It is done, he shouted, The unworthy has
[18:05] Speaker 1: been cast out. Soon we shall reach our final destination.
[18:12] Speaker 1: But the train rolled on, unchanged. Hours passed than days,
[18:18] Speaker 1: no final stop, no salvation, just the endless journey and
[18:23] Speaker 1: the growing madness of the preacher and his flock. More
[18:28] Speaker 1: sacrifices followed. The train's population dwindled as passenger after passenger
[18:35] Speaker 1: was thrown to whatever lugged between the cars. Those of
[18:38] Speaker 1: us who refused to join the preachers called banded together,
[18:42] Speaker 1: watching each other's backs, sleeping in shifts. He was during
[18:48] Speaker 1: one of my watch shifts when I first saw her,
[18:53] Speaker 1: a little girl no more than seven or eight, wandering
[18:57] Speaker 1: alone through the car are being dressed was pristine, her
[19:01] Speaker 1: blonde hair neatly braided. She looked so out of place
[19:06] Speaker 1: in this nightmare that for a moment I thought I
[19:09] Speaker 1: was hallucinating. Hello, I said, softly, not wanting to scare her.
[19:17] Speaker 1: Are you lost? She turned to me, and I had
[19:22] Speaker 1: to stifle a gasp. Her eyes were completely black, like
[19:27] Speaker 1: empty voids in a small face. When she spoke, her
[19:32] Speaker 1: voice was old, ancient, even lost, she repeated, tilting her head. No,
[19:41] Speaker 1: I don't think so. I know exactly where I am,
[19:46] Speaker 1: do you. I felt a chill run down my spine.
[19:52] Speaker 1: What are you, I whispered she smiled, revealing teeth I
[19:59] Speaker 1: would just a bit too sharp. I'm a passenger, just
[20:04] Speaker 1: like you. We're all passengers here, Jack, all of us
[20:09] Speaker 1: riding the rails to eternity. How do you know my name?
[20:15] Speaker 1: I asked, though I dreaded the answer. I know everyone's name,
[20:21] Speaker 1: she said, her black eyes boring into mine. I know
[20:25] Speaker 1: why they're here. I know their sins. They're fears, the deepest,
[20:30] Speaker 1: darkest secrets. She took a step closer. Would you like
[20:35] Speaker 1: to know yours? Jack? I backed away, my heart pounding.
[20:41] Speaker 1: Stay away from me, I said, my voice shaking. She
[20:46] Speaker 1: laughed a sound like breaking glass. Oh, Jack, you can't
[20:51] Speaker 1: run from any of this. You bought your ticket, Now
[20:57] Speaker 1: you have to ride. I blinked, and she was gone,
[21:04] Speaker 1: just vanished, as if she'd never been there at all.
[21:08] Speaker 1: I slumped in my seat, my mind reeling. Was I
[21:12] Speaker 1: losing it? Had I finally snapped Like so many others
[21:16] Speaker 1: on this god forsaken train. I must have dozed off,
[21:26] Speaker 1: because the next thing I knew, Lisa was shaking me awake.
[21:31] Speaker 1: Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear. Jack,
[21:36] Speaker 1: she said urgently, something's happening the train. It's slowing down.
[21:44] Speaker 1: I sat up, suddenly alert. She was right. For the
[21:50] Speaker 1: first time since this nightmare began, I could feel the
[21:53] Speaker 1: train decelerating the familiar clack of wheels and tracks was
[21:58] Speaker 1: becoming more distinct. Passengers were stirring, looking around in confusion
[22:05] Speaker 1: and hope. Even the preacher and his followers had stopped
[22:08] Speaker 1: the mad ranting, staring out the windows with a mix
[22:11] Speaker 1: of fear and anticipation. Are we stopping, i asked, hardly,
[22:18] Speaker 1: daring to believe it. Old Howard shook his head, his
[22:23] Speaker 1: expression grim, don't get your hopes up, son. In all
[22:28] Speaker 1: my time here, I've never known this. Trying to stop.
[22:32] Speaker 1: Whatever's happening, it ain't gonna be good. As if to
[22:37] Speaker 1: punctuate his words, the lights in the car began to
[22:40] Speaker 1: flicker more intensely than ever before. The temperature dropped rapidly,
[22:45] Speaker 1: my breath fogging in the suddenly frigid air, and then
[22:51] Speaker 1: with a great screeching of metal and metal, the train
[22:55] Speaker 1: ground to a halt. For a moment, there was absolute silence.
[23:05] Speaker 1: We all held our breath, waiting, hoping, fearing. Then, with
[23:13] Speaker 1: a hiss of hydraulics, the door slid open. Finally, the
[23:19] Speaker 1: breacher cried, pushing his way towards the exit. Our salvation
[23:23] Speaker 1: is at hand, Come, brothers and sisters, let us. His
[23:28] Speaker 1: words were cut off by a scream of pure terror.
[23:32] Speaker 1: As he stepped off the train, something grabbed him, something
[23:36] Speaker 1: huge and dark and impossible. In the blink of an eye,
[23:42] Speaker 1: he was gone, leaving nothing behind but a spreading pool
[23:45] Speaker 1: of blood on the platform. Chaos in erupted. Passengers brushed
[23:54] Speaker 1: and shoved, some trying to get off the train, whilethers
[23:57] Speaker 1: desperately attempting to close the doors. I lost sight of
[24:01] Speaker 1: Lisa in the pandemonium, and through it all I heard laughter,
[24:08] Speaker 1: the same glass like sound from before. I turned to
[24:12] Speaker 1: see the little girl with the black eyes, standing calmly
[24:15] Speaker 1: in the middle of the mayhem. Welcome to the last stop, Jack,
[24:21] Speaker 1: she said, her voice cutting through the screams and cries.
[24:25] Speaker 1: Are you ready to get off? As I stared into
[24:31] Speaker 1: those bottomless black eyes, I realized with dawning horror that
[24:36] Speaker 1: our endless journey had only been the beginning. The real
[24:40] Speaker 1: nightmare was just starting. And somewhere in the distance, I
[24:46] Speaker 1: heard the sound of a train whistle, signaling the departure
[24:49] Speaker 1: to our next unknown destination. The curse around me faded
[24:56] Speaker 1: into a dull roar. As I stared into the little
[24:59] Speaker 1: girl's black eyes, time seemed to slow, and in that
[25:04] Speaker 1: moment I had a sudden, crystal clear realization. This was
[25:12] Speaker 1: a test, the endless train ride, the maddening repetition, the
[25:17] Speaker 1: horrors would witnessed. It had all been leading to this
[25:21] Speaker 1: moment of choice. No, I said, my voice surprisingly steady.
[25:28] Speaker 1: I'm not getting off, not here, not like this. The
[25:33] Speaker 1: girl's smile faltered for a split second, a crack in
[25:37] Speaker 1: an otherworldly composure. You don't have a choice, Jack, everyone
[25:42] Speaker 1: has to get off. Eventually, I stood my ground, even
[25:47] Speaker 1: as I heard more screams from the platform, more passengers
[25:51] Speaker 1: being dragged into the darkness. There's always a choice, he
[25:56] Speaker 1: told me. I bought a ticket for this ride. Well,
[26:00] Speaker 1: I'm not ready for it to end. Her eyes narrowed.
[26:06] Speaker 1: You can't stay on the train forever, Jack, it doesn't
[26:09] Speaker 1: work like that, watch me, I growled, turning away from
[26:15] Speaker 1: her and pushing through the panicked crowd. I had to
[26:18] Speaker 1: find Lisa and Howard. We'd survived this long together. I
[26:23] Speaker 1: wasn't about to leave them behind now. I spotted Howard first,
[26:27] Speaker 1: huddled in a corner, his eyes wide with terror. Come on,
[26:32] Speaker 1: I said, grabbing his arm. We need to move where
[26:37] Speaker 1: he asked, his voice trembling. There's nowhere to go. It's
[26:41] Speaker 1: got us. It's finally got us. I shock him, perhaps
[26:47] Speaker 1: more roughly than I intended. Listen to me, this isn't
[26:51] Speaker 1: the end. It's just another part of the journey. We
[26:55] Speaker 1: have to stick together. Now, help me find Lisa. Something
[27:03] Speaker 1: in my voice must have reached him, because he nodded.
[27:06] Speaker 1: Stumbling to his feet, he pushed through the crowd, searching
[27:10] Speaker 1: desperately for Lisa's familiar face. We found her near the
[27:15] Speaker 1: front of the car, trying to pull other passengers back
[27:18] Speaker 1: from the door. Lisa, I called out, we have to go.
[27:24] Speaker 1: She turned, relief floating her face when she saw us.
[27:28] Speaker 1: Go where she asked as she reached us. In case
[27:32] Speaker 1: you haven't noticed, we are little shortened options here, he
[27:37] Speaker 1: pointed toward the back of the train, and keep going.
[27:41] Speaker 1: This thing has to end somewhere, and I don't think
[27:44] Speaker 1: it's here. As if in response to my words, I
[27:48] Speaker 1: heard the train whistle again, louder this time. The engine
[27:53] Speaker 1: was starting up. It's leaving, Howard said, his eyes wide.
[27:58] Speaker 1: We have to get off now, or we'll be trapped forever.
[28:01] Speaker 1: I finished for him. I've got news for you, Howard.
[28:05] Speaker 1: We're already trapped. I've been since we first stepped on board.
[28:09] Speaker 1: But now we have a chance to find the real
[28:11] Speaker 1: way out. Lisa looked at me, understanding dawning in her eyes.
[28:18] Speaker 1: You think this is all part of it, don't you
[28:21] Speaker 1: the final test? I nodded. It has to be, and
[28:26] Speaker 1: I'm not failing it by giving in. Now, the train lurched,
[28:32] Speaker 1: beginning to move. The last of the passengers were either
[28:36] Speaker 1: fleeing onto the platform or collapsing in despair. It's now
[28:41] Speaker 1: and ever, and said, are you with me? Lisa grabbed
[28:46] Speaker 1: my hand without hesitation. Howard hesitated for a moment, looking
[28:51] Speaker 1: longly at the door, but then took Lisa's other hand.
[28:56] Speaker 1: All right, he said, let's see where this crazy train
[28:59] Speaker 1: takes us. As the train picked up speed, we made
[29:05] Speaker 1: our way towards the back, brushing against the tide of
[29:08] Speaker 1: terrified passengers. The little girl appeared again, her face contorted
[29:13] Speaker 1: with rage. You can't do this, she shrieked. You have
[29:18] Speaker 1: to get off. Everyone gets off, Not today, I told her.
[29:23] Speaker 1: Pushing past, We reached the final car just as the
[29:27] Speaker 1: platform disappeared from view. Through the windows, we could see
[29:32] Speaker 1: only darkness, not the familiar darkness of night, but an
[29:37] Speaker 1: absolute void, empty of all light. And substance. The train
[29:42] Speaker 1: picked up speed, rattling and shaking more violently than ever before.
[29:48] Speaker 1: We huddled together, bracing ourselves against the walls of the car.
[29:53] Speaker 1: What now, Lisa yelled over the noise. We wait, I said,
[29:58] Speaker 1: and we don't let go. The darkness outside seemed to
[30:02] Speaker 1: press in on us, seeping through the windows like a
[30:05] Speaker 1: living thing. The light in the car flickered and died,
[30:09] Speaker 1: plunging us into blackness. I could feel Lisa's hand in mine,
[30:14] Speaker 1: how its presence at my side, but I couldn't see them. Then,
[30:21] Speaker 1: just as suddenly as it had begun, the shaking stopped,
[30:25] Speaker 1: The oppressive darkness lifted, and, for the first time in
[30:29] Speaker 1: what felt like an eternity, the train began to slow. Sunlight,
[30:37] Speaker 1: real warm, beautiful sunlight streamed through the windows. I blinked
[30:44] Speaker 1: my eyes, not used to the brightness after so long
[30:47] Speaker 1: in the train's artificial light. As my vision cleared, I
[30:54] Speaker 1: saw that we were pulling into a station, a real station,
[30:58] Speaker 1: with people waiting on the platform, going about their daily
[31:02] Speaker 1: lives as if nothing was amiss. The train came to
[31:07] Speaker 1: a gentle stop, and the doors opened with a familiar hiss.
[31:13] Speaker 1: For a long moment, none of us moved, afraid that
[31:17] Speaker 1: this was just another trick, another test. Then Howard let
[31:24] Speaker 1: out a whoop of joy and rushed for the door.
[31:28] Speaker 1: Lisa and I followed, stepping out onto the platform on
[31:31] Speaker 1: shaky legs. The station sign read Grand Central Terminal. We
[31:38] Speaker 1: were in New York. We had made it. As we
[31:44] Speaker 1: stood there, breathless and disbelieving, I felt a tug on
[31:48] Speaker 1: my sleeve. I turned to see the little girl with
[31:52] Speaker 1: the black eyes, but now in the sunlight, she looked different, normal,
[32:00] Speaker 1: just a regular kid with brown eyes and a confused expression.
[32:05] Speaker 1: Excuse me, she said, her voice high and childish. Is
[32:11] Speaker 1: this the train to Chicago? I knelt down to a level,
[32:17] Speaker 1: smiling gently. No, sweetheart, this train just came from Chicago.
[32:22] Speaker 1: But trust me, you don't want to get on it.
[32:28] Speaker 1: She nodded, thanked me, and ran off to find her parents.
[32:32] Speaker 1: I watched the go a weight lifting from my chest.
[32:36] Speaker 1: Lisa squeezed my hand. Is it really over? She asked,
[32:41] Speaker 1: her voice barely a whisper. I looked at her, then
[32:46] Speaker 1: at Howard, then at the bustling station around us. Yeah,
[32:53] Speaker 1: I said, finally, allowing myself to believe it. I think
[32:57] Speaker 1: it is as we made our way out to the
[33:02] Speaker 1: station and into the bright New York morning. I knew
[33:06] Speaker 1: the memories of our endless journey would stay with us forever.
[33:11] Speaker 1: But but Weird faced the darkness, made our choice and
[33:15] Speaker 1: found our way back to the light. And if I
[33:19] Speaker 1: ever saw a train again, it would be too soon.

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