I stand alone in an empty station. No sound of footsteps from busy commoners, no vendors by the side selling their sweets.

My gaze followed the train tracks in front of me. They seemed to stretch out to the end of the horizon. I have a hesitant attempt to step on and see where it leads. Suddenly, I felt someone grabbed my arm, pulling me back.

- No point taking the train then, eh? A cloud of white haze slowly forms in the shape of a figure.

I should be surprised by this supernatural encountering. However, I merely let it pull me, watching the figure gradually takes the shape of a man before my eyes. He looked somewhat familiar, but I can't quite remember.

I shrugged.

He retreated a few steps back after letting go of my arm. Then, a unique leather-covered large trunk forms in his right hand. We stand in silence.

I tried to recall his features. Somehow, I can't remember his face from just a few seconds ago.

- Where am I? Pathetically, I tried to strike up a conversation.

- You're in hell, that's where you are. He laughed.

- Oh, give him a chance, you jerk. A feminine voice yelled from behind. I saw a blond haired woman form as she walks past me towards him. She pulls the two cowlicks on his head.

- Ouch! He put his trunk down, stops her, and rubs his head.

I chuckled.

As the man tries to apologize to the woman, a train pulls in distance. The two walked up, the man lifted his trunk. The woman gained a purse between her arm. She turned around to face me, who stood like a vegetable.

- You better come up too. Her informative tone sounded more like a warning.

We walked quietly on, I followed them to a spot in the middle of the compartment. The man pulled his trunk up the shelf above. He then sat down near the window. The woman took a seat opposite of him, she lays the purse beside her. He sighs.

- Take a seat. He offered.

I plopped down beside him. The woman took something out of her purse, she polishes her nails.

The man soon began chatting to the woman. I took no interest in the contents of their conversation. I was preoccupied wondering if I'll have a piece of luggage appear out of thin air like them too.

I tried to imagine what mine will look like. Preferably not a miserable leather trunk.

- ...surely had dealt with last summer.

- Don't you think it's a little late?

- Well...

I didn't notice as their voice becomes distant. They faded into existence. I was alone again.

I slide to the seat the man had vacated not too long ago and stared out the window. Seagulls fly past.

Lazy clouds in the distance, illuminated by the forever bright sunshine.

The sound of train rattles.

I decided I should explore this place a bit. However, another stranger walked up to me before I stood up.

- It's not good to wander around.

I glance up at him. The man has short brown hair, a darker shade than the previous. He smiles.

I took another glance at the shelf above. That miserable trunk is still there.

- Don't worry, he'll come back. The stranger said. Don't you remember me?

I shook my head.

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- Well, it's not a problem. I could always fancy a little chat.

- Sorry, I don't feel up to it.

He smirked. I just realized how blunt I was.

- We're not like them. He smiles again. A mist forms a cup of tea in his hand. He took a sip.

We sat relaxed in our compartment. I wonder when the man and woman will come back. If they'll ever come back at all.

- Well, he's a complete idiot. He seemed to had read my thoughts. I feel somewhat unsettling.

The stranger puts down his teacup as it disappears into the mist.

I looked away from him. He reminded me of something, something I can't quite get.

The seagulls scoop up fish bones from the water. They cried in pain as the bones rip through their claws in a vain attempt to catch. They fell into the water, some droplets splashed onto the windows.

Far away, the day is still bright.

- Why are we here? I turned around.

The stranger smiled again but said nothing.

It disappoints me.

I tried to summon a teacup out of air. He's already reading a book in his hand. I imagined as far as my mental capability to come up with something, maybe not a teacup, anything.

My useless fidgeting caught his attention. He laughs.

- You can't.

I snorted.

There are some feathers scattered on the white carpet, so I started counting them.

I heard the sound of the compartment doors opened. I saw the woman coming towards me. Her facial expression changed to that of fear. She halts.

- You horrifying creature! She stares wide-eyed to the stranger. Stay away from him, murderer!

The man followed behind her looks up. He froze.

- My, my, is that what lies underneath the mask of yours? 'Murderer', I must say I'm impressed. He gave me a sick smile. So you do remember.

- Cut the crap. I finally said.

- See what you can do.

The image of the stranger in front of me distorted as he stood up. Blood was pouring out underneath his skin as sharp bones protrude. Panic rushed through me. What's left was nothing more than a monster.

The woman darted front, pushes me aside as the monster launches out one of its conjured eye tendons in my direction. It melted a hole on the floor, layers of tissue underneath. The woman dodged quickly, but the monster was only targeting me.

Blood oozed in from the windows even though the scenery's remain unchanged. Inside the hole on the floor its meat interior contracts like heartbeat.

The monster made another attempt at me, who was still crouched on the ground from the impact. Before I could react, the man blocked his trunk in front of the attack. It only reduced the speed a second before I noticed another attack aimed at me as I hurried myself up. This time the man threw the damaged trunk aside, his hand colliding with the monster's treacherous flesh. Somehow, blood doesn't seem to stain him at all.

The woman grabbed my arms and began running to the next compartment at full speed. The monster chased after us. The man caught up with us sooner, locking each door as the monster approaches.

Terror washed over me as I felt something penetrates my arm. The woman fell onto the floor, her feet tangled by tendon, dragging her down. My vision was all blurred from the blood. I tried desperately to run, but I was paralyzed.

The monster threw the man aside. It grabbed me by the damaged arm, cracking my bones and ripping out, I screamed in pain. I want to close my eyes and avert it, but something was keeping me strangely awake.

- That's why I have a distaste in negotiations.

The monster held me up, its bloodshot eyes mixed with sharp teeth protruding from some surface of the larger eyeballs. I struggled, wanted to cry. I wanted to break my damaged arm completely, to land on the ground, and be able to run. But that part was connected by the tendons, stretching out like a spider's web detached from any sort of symmetry.

- Let me end this already! It doesn't sound like his voice. It doesn't sound like mine.

- Can't you see this is the easier way out? My head hurts so much. I had already begin to think which way I'll be diced. What a pathetic way to die, in the hands of a creature that defies all previous knowledge.

The man threw his trunk at me hard, snapped me back to reality.

- Figured I could hit you.

I was about to be teared up. The monster held me dangling like a ragged doll, eating from the insides. It was blood-soaked, pieces of skin still hang on the surface. It's pounding like heartbeat. I realized something.

I ceased to struggle. I closed my eyes, watered by blood still dripping from my hair. My own blood.

It had always been my own blood.

I see red strings hanged all around me, in pitch darkness. Violently, I began ripping them apart.

It felt like cutting paper, it seems out of place.

I don't know how much time had passed. I opened my eyes again. We were back at the station. As if all those sights from the train were just illusions.

The monster loosened its grip on me, I dropped onto the floor. My broken arm felt numb. The monster no longer intimidates me. More blood oozed from its eyes.

- You're just taking his place in everything! You'll never wash the blood off your hands! It screamed.

The monster shudders into large chunks of flesh. Rotting.

The man beside me slammed his large trunk into the monster's head. It melts.

- Congratulations, you slew the impostor, brunette. The blond woman holds a glass of champagne in her hand. Toast! She laughs.

- Had I the chance again, I'll change that stupid nickname.

I stood idle, dazed.

She laughs at him again. I don't get a thing going on.

- Get over here, the cause of everything. He turned around.

- I hesitated. Why?

He didn't answer. The woman still holds her champagne.

We stood amidst this mess. The man walks up, crouched down. He dives his hand and lifts something resembling a piece of intestine.

- There is no paradise. No matter what we do, we'll all eventually end up in the same place.

Then, the woman chimes in.

- If I'd knew you're going to be this pathetic, I should've killed you ages ago.

She drops the empty glass. It shatters.

I woke up, drenched in cold sweat.

- "Are you alright, admin?"

- "I'm fine, I'm fine..."