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Do you know anything about him? The ghost on platform 8?
***
12.59 pm: The last train usually waited for the night owl worker by the platform, doors opened invitingly. Although you needed to admit, it was terrifying to take the train with a few passengers inside who had the same fates as you—working until late at night, hoping to make extra money to survive. The train was the only transportation available to return home.
You stumbled on your feet as you rushed to platform 8, nearly slamming your face on the stairs. The announcer’s voice bombed out of the speaker right after you entered the train – indicating the doors were closing. Hands falling to your knee, your mouth quickly gasping for air, ears easily slipped off how the voice of the announcer glitched at the end of the sentences – a male had taken control, bidding the train with an eerie voice reminding the passengers or you to take a seat and enjoy the ride.
Looking around, the yellow chairs staring back at you. The silence in the air was thickening as moments passed by. You were the only passenger.
You headed to the seat beside you, head resting against the glass as you threw your gaze to the window across you, your bag cast to your side. The train was still moving along the tunnel; the low scratches between the train’s wheel and the railway were distant, but due to the quietness, you could catch it. The fluorescent lights turned blurry in your vision when your eyelids felt heavy as if someone’s finger were pushing your eyelids down. Your shoulder slumped backwards.
“Only for a while, Y/N. Or else you’ll miss your stop.” You whispered. Long after, you gave in to the temptation that was your tiredness. Before you were out of your consciousness, you felt a hot breath fanning your ear.
What an easy victory for him .
“Wake up, princess. How long are you going to sleep?” a voice teased. He saw your eyes twitching in discomfort, and the smirk on his face grew even wider. Unfolding your eyes, your eyes widened, and a sharp gasp escaped you when his face was inches away from you. His odd eyes burned a hole into yours, gleaming in unexplainable excitement.
His hands were pushing you into the seat, and his firm hold showed no sign of letting go; instead, his nail began digging into your shoulder. You tried to pry his hand but it was vain.
“Who…are you?” You stammered.
The fear in your voice was too evident, feeding him with more adrenaline rush than he had expected. When was the last time he felt this? Years ago?
“Didn’t anybody warn you about me?” He tilted his head and his smirk faltered, a stark contrast to his previous demeanour. His tone carried a heavy disappointment, the excitement in his eyes faded.
You hastily shook your head, your figure quivered in his hold. He leaned back, retreating his hand from your shoulder. Some blood dripped to your clothes and to the polished floor above where his hands were hanging, its clothed sharp nail changing into a light shade of black from your blood.
Your shoulder ached in pain but no scream left your lips.
“Introduction is pointless when you have less than one hour.” His voice echoed throughout the train, sending shivers down your spine at how distorted it sounded. Your gaze wandered inside the train. The light had dimmed. The yellow chairs had changed into white chairs with black and red uncanny substances splashed onto them; some reached the window surface. Your legs jerked into the seat after realising bodies were scattered on the floor, eerie red liquid flowing on the floor from the broken necks and stabbed bodies. What the hell was happening?
“But since you’re new, I’ll tell you my name. It’s Chris”
Your breath stuck in your throat at the name. Your face drained of colour. A delightful chuckle bubbled out of him as if your fear was dopamine that was coursing through his body, keeping him alive.
“Huh…I never laughed this much before. You’re different.” His small pupil trailed its way toward you momentarily before walking off to another compartment of the train, kicking any heads in his way away, the cracking of their bone echoed in your ears. You observed the view outside the window. It's pitch black, but the train is still moving.
You froze in your seat, muscles unable to move due to your trembling figure.
1 second…2 second…3 second
“Are you going to let the death devour you, princess?” He asked lowly and as soon as he spoke, the bodies under you twitched, arms limping toward you in a desperate attempt to get a hold of you. Their skins were melted from the skull and were covered with the same liquid on his face. He never wanted to warn you but to lead you to your death.
Clenching your fist, you ran after him, your stomach twisting unpleasantly at the sound when you accidentally stepped onto their hands. Fortunately, you arrived at him with a few scratches on your legs. He threw his head back, letting out a sinister laugh as the light above you flickered.
“Please let me out.” You gripped his suit, your knuckles turned white while your knee was losing its strength. Was this the right to do? Your only destination was home, why did he suddenly haul you into this hell hole?
His laugh abruptly stopped as he looked down at you, his fingers gently running through your hair. “And why should I?!” His lips stretched into a wide smile as the train rumbled.
“Don’t you see the others? They are happy! I bring an end to their misery and grant them the eternal life that they always wanted. Don’t you want to feel it too?”
You heard their blood-curdling screams and someone pleading to you to run away, away from Chan. He scoffed, palm rubbing off his blood trail from his cheeks. With the last ounce of strength, you pushed yourself to your feet and took their advice, running to another part of the train.
“Quiet it. Running away won’t do you any good.”
You ignored his words and quickened your pace, never sparing a glance toward him. Chan spun his cane around his arm, counting the seconds after you fleed. The deaths were crawling toward him, each one begging for its soul to be returned to its body but Chan glanced at them, his gaze hollow of feelings. One of the bodies clenched his legs, tugging on his trousers as it whimpered.
Bending down, he hauled its hand and twisted it before crashing its skull wide open with his legs. He picked up the body and tossed it to the side, sighing.
He was having fun with you, can't they stop mourning over their fate?
You reached the end of the train, so completely out of breath that you thought you could faint at any moment. Your heart was thumping violently in your chest, it was begging to be let out.
“This is exciting!” Your head snapped at the voice, finding him seated on the seat. He had his hand clasped as he wiggled his shoulder in excitement while he approached you, his footsteps bounced off the wall.
“But that’s enough.” His hand unclasped and fell to his side, his cane clacking against the floor. He halted on his steps and glanced toward you, engraving your quivering silhouettes in his mind.
He sprinted toward you, sending your body to crash into the metal structure, breaking a few of your bones. His hand wrapped around your neck, and a choked breath passed your mouth. Your fingers reached for his hand, wrist, and fingers, anything to loosen his grip yet your windpipe was shrinking every air you breathed in.
“It's fun while it lasts” He mumbled, a wicked smile playing on his lips as your face turned blue as the ocean. Your surroundings began closing up, your hand fell away, and strength drained away from your body. He leaned in, your throat even tighter and stopped beside your ear.
Suddenly, you felt a sharp pain in your stomach, causing you to bleed out from your mouth. You looked down and saw his other hand embedded into your stomach.
“Thank you. You really make my day”
His voice and the shouts of death were your last before you fell to the floor.
Outside the train, a shadow was engulfing the vehicle slowly.
The train vanished.
***
“The train is on its way. Please remain behind the yellow line. Thank you for your attention”
Upon the announcement, Jeongin kept his phone back in his pocket and peeked at the other end of the tunnel where the light had seeped in. Later, a gust of wind blew into him, messing his hair everywhere. He scoffed and tidied up his hair with his hand while waiting for the door to open.
He got an interview today, the wind can’t mess up his appearance.
Once the door slid open, a scream escaped him, attracting every passenger's attention as he fell to his butt, trembling finger pointing to something inside. A man approached him and he immediately fished his phone out of his pocket to dial the emergency.
Curiosity piqued the others as they gathered behind Jeongin, eyes widening in horror at the sight.
A girl was lying lifeless in the middle of the train, head snapped at a weird angle as a puddle of blood formed under her. Her face was painted blue and black liquid smeared on her lips and cheeks. A hole in the middle of her abdomen didn’t make the situation any better.
That day, the ghost of Platform 8 got himself another precious collection, terrorizing the train’s passengers with his art.