Rachel sat in the last car of the train, clutching her bag tightly to her chest, her breath shallow as she watched the darkness of the tunnel outside the window rush by in endless, shifting shadows. The old train rattled along the tracks, the dim, flickering lights above casting a sickly glow over the empty seats around her. She didn’t remember how she’d ended up here. One moment, she’d been stumbling through the woods, running from the thing that had hunted her. And now, she was on this train, alone.

A creeping unease settled over her, growing with each passing second. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. The train car was silent, save for the steady clanking of the wheels against the track, but the air was heavy, thick with something she couldn’t name. The kind of silence that felt alive.

Rachel’s gaze flicked down the length of the train car. The rows of empty seats stretched out before her, bathed in that eerie yellow light. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves, but her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Every instinct screamed at her to get up, to move, to find a way out. But she was frozen, her legs leaden beneath her as fear wound itself tighter around her.

And then, the lights at the far end of the car went out.

One by one, the fluorescent bulbs winked out, each flicker bringing the darkness closer. Rachel’s breath hitched, her heart pounding as she watched the shadows crawl toward her, swallowing everything in their path.

Thud.

A heavy, deliberate footstep echoed through the car, loud and ominous. Rachel’s pulse quickened, her body tensing as she strained to see down the length of the car. The shadows were thick, twisting, but she could just make out the faint outline of a figure—a dark shape moving through the darkness, slow and methodical.

The lights continued to go out, closer now, each bulb popping with a sinister hiss. Rachel’s grip on her bag tightened, her nails digging into the fabric as she shrank back against the seat, her gaze fixed on the darkness that was closing in.

Another step.

And another.

The figure moved closer, emerging from the shadows just long enough for her to catch a glimpse of it—a tall, hulking shape, its outline barely visible in the dim light. The footsteps grew louder, each one echoing through the empty train car like a drumbeat, steady and relentless.

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Rachel’s breath came in shallow gasps, her mind racing as she searched for an escape. She glanced toward the door at the far end of the car, but it was locked, the metal latch glinting coldly in the fading light. There was nowhere to go.

Another light went out.

The darkness crept closer, swallowing the seats around her. The figure was closer now, its features obscured, its movements slow and deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey. She could see the faint glint of something in its hand—something sharp, something that caught the light in brief flashes as it swung with each step.

Rachel’s body trembled with fear, her mind racing as the reality of her situation set in. She was alone, trapped, with nothing but the cold, empty train car between her and whatever was coming.

Another light went out, plunging her deeper into the shadows. Only a few bulbs remained now, casting a dim, flickering glow over the car, and she knew it was only a matter of time before the darkness claimed her.

Thud. The footsteps were closer now, echoing louder, and with each step, she could feel the air grow colder, thicker, as though the very presence of this thing was draining the life from the room. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, her heart pounding as she clutched her bag tighter, her mind a whirlwind of terror.

Another light went out.

She could hear the faintest whisper now, drifting through the silence, a low, guttural sound that sent chills down her spine. The figure was only a few rows away, its silhouette looming in the shadows, its face obscured, but she could feel its gaze fixed on her, cold and unfeeling.

“Rachel…” The voice was low, twisted, dripping with malice. It knew her name. The sound of it sent a shiver through her, her heart racing as she pressed herself back against the seat, her mind screaming for her to move, to run.

But her legs wouldn’t obey.

Another light went out.

The shadows were only one row away now, stretching out, reaching for her like dark, skeletal fingers. She could see the glint of the blade in the figure’s hand, a long, jagged edge that caught the flickering light, reflecting it back in cruel, twisted shapes.

The last light flickered, casting the car in an intermittent, strobe-like glow. The figure moved closer, stepping into the final row, its form looming over her, towering, monstrous. She could see it now, its face twisted and grotesque, a pale, hollow visage with empty eyes that stared straight through her.

Rachel’s breath hitched, her body frozen in place as she stared up at the figure. The train car was plunged into darkness, the last light finally dying with a soft, electric pop, and she could feel the cold, suffocating presence of the thing that loomed over her.

The blade lifted.

And in the darkness, she felt it—a cold, sharp edge pressing against her throat, a chilling promise of what was to come. The figure leaned in close, its breath hot and rancid against her skin, and in that moment, she could hear it whispering to her, the words barely audible over the pounding of her heart.

“You can’t hide from me, Rachel,” it said, the voice twisted, mocking. “You never could.”

And then, with a single, fluid motion, the blade cut deep, slicing through flesh and bone, spilling warm, sticky blood that splattered across the cold metal of the train car.