Ghost Train

This is the first draft of an opening to a short story piece I have in mind. It is inspired by that strange detached feeling I get sometimes when travelling on a bus or train late at night. When it is so dark outside, and the lights are so bright inside that you could almost imagine there is nothing out there. And if you dozed off you could end up anywhere.

Ghost Train

The train rattles along the rails, its slight swaying trying to lull me to sleep. No, must not sleep. I'll miss my stop. Who knows where I'd end up? It is black outside the windows, a thick and swallowing darkness that permits no escape. A pinprick of light here and there; nothing to tell if it is a star low in the sky or a far distant house on a high hill.

Fatigue claws at my eyes. Must not sleep. Nothing to keep my attention outside, I must look within. There is nothing. I am alone in the carriage. I hear only the sound of my own breathing above the rattling of the train. Am I the only passenger? Is there even a conductor, a driver? Am I alone on this train, hurtling along to nowhere, to the ends of the earth?

Such silly thoughts. Tiredness is getting to me. Thick hedges now edge the tracks and the branches tap against the windows. It's almost like they want to come in. Tap tap tap. Clawed, skeletal fingers reaching, tapping, let us in... They are swept away suddenly as the train shoots into a tunnel. I resist the urge to hold my breath, we will be out soon, no need to fear.

The glaring fluorescent lights seem so cold and harsh in the enclosing darkness just outside the windows. It feels like it's pressing in, that the night will pass through the walls of the train and swallow all that's within. We must be nearly out now. I think I may go mad if we don't get out soon. I'm sure it's not that long, and I'm fairly certain we haven't slowed any.

Relief! The train races out into the night. The darkness outside looks little different, just a black mirror reflecting the lights inside back at me, showing a wide eyed and pale face peering at mine. But the dark seems infinitely more welcoming than the close and lurking night of the tunnel.

I rub my eyes. Must not sleep. So tired. I'll just rest my eyes for a moment. I won't fall asleep. Just need to close my aching eyes. I won't fall asleep. Never know where I'll end up. I... won't... fall... asleep...