The train

A Story by Ayisha sherin

The train which let you go through a dense forest awaits you with a mystery

Its been years since I travelled in train...the last time I travelled in train was a terrific incident which I never forget,made me hate the travelling in train... Especially in way to my home town...The railway is through the center of the forest, dark and deep...The trees around look extremely scary...

I was abroad for a couple of years.. Now its an emergency that I have to travel back to my home town.. The typical Indian family...
My grandpa wanted to see me before his death, even though he is rough and tough in this age too..he still wants to see me..I cannot resist as we learn to respect our elders wishes and opinions...

Here I am on my way again, to my hometown hoping that the tragedy does not repeat itself..

It's already sunset and its dark...The train has taken his way through the forest..The number of passengers in the train are usually less especially in the night trains..I don't have a choice but to choose the night train to reach home at morning because travelling on night is difficult in my village....
The train goes on, all the passengers seems happy to be there...I think those guys are new here...Or they may not know the history...
I always turn out to be the most religious during my time here...

It's almost eight...I looked at my phone...
I grabbed my bag tight and looked around through the window...There were only 5 fellow travellers in the compartment with me..
“Beti...are you ok...?” may be with my expression one of them asked me..
“No,I am fine..” I replied...He looked a bit confused... Even I knew that my reply is not appropriate...

The train moves on....And I started to hear howling from a very long distance.... My eyes sparkled and I look around with the prayer I don't see anything...
Understanding the tension from my face another fellow traveller came and sat next to me..
“is it your first time alone in a train..? Are you scared...?”
He asked gently...
“It's not my first time in a train...But if you ask if I am scared...yes I am...”
I think my reply may have confused him.But I was in no spot for lying...
As we stop the conversation, we hear a groaning from another compartment...And then a scream....Alot of screams...
My eyes turned red with tears....
“Its happening... Its happening again...”
I whispered... The man near me looked me with fear in his eyes...And I looked him back...

The groaning raised and then a sudden howl...
Everyone in my compartment stood up with fear...
“Don't make noise..Don't catch its attention.. Close the windows and doors, off the lights,stay calm...”
I told them..

“A moment ago you were extremely scared and now you are saying us to calm down...“
Someone raised the voice at me..

”hey..don't do that, lower your voice...“
I said with a soft voice...
But that woman was not ready to listen to me..The groaning approaches to us...we could hear it from very near...There was a sudden knock at the door between the two compartments...We were all frozen for a minute...Then there was a second knock and continued knocking...And the final knock.The knock was so strong that the door break in to pieces..We were looking into that side to see what is coming from there...
I already knew what is on the other side, so that I slowly moved myself back....That person from before who sat next to me was so brave that he step forward... Infront of all the passengers...Everyone's eyes were at the door, waiting for someone to come...But suddenly to all their surprise it was the loco pilot....
”move on..we are in trouble...“
He said... He was already bleeding....But still he manages himself to reach to us....
There was a sudden jerk movement and the train stopped suddenly...
”what's it..?“
Someone asked...
”He is dead I guess..“ The loco pilot whispered and I happened to hear it...I understood the fact that he left the other loco pilot to death...
I was terrified...And I noticed a wound in the his leg...It was a big wound and he is still standing.. I was a bit confused...
”Move come on....Get down from the train...“
The loco pilot said...
”But why..? What's going on...?“
One of the passengers asked...Everyone wanted to know the problem...
”we have been attacked...I cannot explain you more lets move out..“
Loco pilot said..
”no sir...“
I refused..Everyone looked at me shockingly..
”if we get out of the train we are doomed...
We can't do that...we have to stay in the train..“

”are you nuts..? The danger is in the train... How can we stay in the train...?“
The loco pilot said..

”i know..but it's safer inside than outside..“
I refused...

”Don't listen to her...we could atleat escape from that creature if we get out..“
The loco pilot spit the truth...

”What creature...?“
Everyone was curious...He was about to answer but we hear the groaning....The shadow of the creature it was right in front of us...We.could see it through the broken door...

”what is it...?“
Everyone was eager to know and also scared..
The creature stepped into our compartment...

”WEREWOLF“
My lips murmured...Everyone gazed at me with shock and looked back to the creature...
It was so ferrosious..Blood was drooling out of its mouth...Everyone were terrified and was ready to run for their life...But it was very quick and it grabbed one of the passengers and took his head off from his body...We were shocked to see such a terrific scene....It was not satisfied and it jump on to another passenger...He fall down...It sat on his chest and ripped his heart out with its long sharp claws..All of us were frozen and was unable to decide what to do...It covered its mouth with that passengers blood... All of the passengers begin to jump out of the train..
That man who sat next to me held my hand and took me along with him...I refused to jump but the werewolf was so close we run to the next compartment... It followed us...He dragged me so fast that I tripped and the hand hold me separated.. As soon as I decided to stand up I saw the werewolf standing next to me and looking me in the eyes with hunger....It came close and I closed my eyes imagining my death..
It came so near that I could smell human blood and rotten flesh...It was less ferrosious for a moment as it smelled me..And it retreats without even touching me...I was confused and even that man with me too...
He never wasted a moment he found a sort of hammer under the seats he hit the werewolf with it...He striked directly to the head and it fell down...He continuously striked at it...I dragged him back as I saw it was bleeding and that was the end of the werewolf...

Both of us walk to the front of the train...He reached to the engine and try to start it...
In the mean time I looked for our fellow travellers...But I couldn't find them...He manages to start the train....As the train moves I heard the screaming and a groaning...And I could see a werewolf on the right side of the train hunting on the other fellow passengers...

”are there many werewolves..?“
He asked me...

”no that's probably the loco pilot“
He looked me with disbelief..

”how do you know...?“

”Because I saw a wound in his leg that a werewolf would make and he was still standing and I understood that soon he will turn into one..And the newly turned werewolves are extremely strong and will be unable to control...“

”what unable to control..? What you mean..?“
I didn't replied to his that questions...

We reached at the station and informed about the incidents... Nobody from the station was surprised but it surprised him...He turned out to me and asked..

”Do people in here know this stuff..?“

”yes..“
He was surprised again...

He had one more question before leaving...I asked him to spit it out..

”Why does the werewolf didn't attack you...?“
He looked at me eagerly waiting for the reply...

”Even if the Queen hates to rule...
No soldiers attack their queen....“
I smiled and walk past him...
He was stunned and was trying to understand what I said...
As I walk out of the station with a howling within myself.....