SHOCKING END …

It was the last train of the night, and Ella was tired. She’d had a long, draining day at work, dealing with clients who never seemed to understand the meaning of deadlines. Her mind was preoccupied with the constant tick of her phone, emails that demanded immediate attention, and the nagging voice of self-doubt.

The train car was almost empty. A few scattered passengers sat in silence, lost in their own worlds. The faint hum of the tracks was the only sound, a rhythmic, soothing drone that seemed to match Ella’s exhausted state. She sank into the seat near the window, watching the dark, city streets pass by. It had been a long time since she’d had any quiet moments to herself, and tonight, she relished the peace.

As the train rumbled forward, she noticed a man sitting across from her. He was staring directly at her, but his expression wasn’t one of interest or curiosity—it was something more unsettling. His eyes were too still, too focused. He wore a black coat and a scarf, his features partially obscured by the shadows. His face was pale, and his lips were thin and tight.

Ella tried not to look at him, but his gaze was magnetic, as though there was something she needed to understand. She quickly turned her head to face the window again, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was still watching her.

Minutes passed, or maybe it was longer. The train continued to travel through the night, each station coming and going. A soft ding sounded as the doors opened at the next stop, but the man didn’t move. He just continued to sit there, staring.

Ella shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The train was growing colder, and she couldn’t help but feel an eerie sense of unease creeping over her. She wrapped her coat tighter around her shoulders, but it didn’t help. The cold seemed to be coming from within the train itself, an unnatural chill that seemed to seep into her bones.

“Are you okay?” A voice broke through her thoughts. It was soft, hesitant. She turned to find the man still watching her, his eyes now narrowed as if he were waiting for her to respond.

Ella opened her mouth to speak, but the words didn’t come. There was something about him that made her hesitate. Something about his presence felt wrong, like he didn’t belong on this train—or in this world at all.… I’m fine,” she managed to say, her voice wavering slightly. “Just tired.”

The man didn’t reply immediately. He simply tilted his head slightly, as if considering her response. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke again, his voice low and deliberate.

“You’re not tired,” he said. “You’re running from something.”

Ella froze, her blood running cold. How could he know that? She hadn’t told anyone about her recent fears, her constant anxiety about the future, about her job, about her past. She hadn’t told anyone about the strange dreams that had begun to haunt her every night. Dreams where she was running through dark alleys, being pursued by something she couldn’t see but felt all around her.

“How do you know that?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

The man leaned forward, his eyes never leaving hers. “I know because you’re not the only one on this train, Ella. Not anymore.”

Ella’s heart skipped a beat. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. What did he mean by that? Who else was here?

The train suddenly screeched to a halt, throwing Ella forward in her seat. The lights flickered, plunging the car into near darkness. A strange, metallic smell filled the air, and Ella could feel the temperature drop even further.

She looked around, but the other passengers were gone. The car was now completely empty, except for her and the man across from her. His eyes were no longer cold or distant—they were wide, almost… desperate.

“What’s happening?” she asked, her voice trembling.

The man’s lips parted, and for a moment, Ella thought he might be about to explain everything. But then, with a suddenness that took her breath away, he stood up. His body jerked unnaturally, as though something was controlling him, something beyond his will.

Before she could react, the man was at her side, his hand grabbing her arm with an iron grip. Ella tried to pull away, but his touch was unyielding. She looked into his eyes, and for the first time, she saw something truly horrifying—emptiness. A darkness that was more than just the absence of light.

“You’re not running from something,” he whispered, his voice now a chilling rasp. “You’re running to something.”

Ella’s pulse pounded in her ears, her chest tight with panic. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. The train was no longer moving. It was as if time itself had stopped, the world outside frozen in place.

Then, the man let go of her arm. He stepped back, his face twitching in agony.

“Look,” he gasped. “Look at what you’ve done.”

Ella’s mind raced. What did he mean? What had she done? She turned her head toward the window and gasped.

Outside, the night had completely changed. The city streets were no longer familiar. The buildings were crumbling, as if the entire city was decaying before her eyes. The sky was filled with swirling, dark clouds, and she could see flashes of lightning in the distance. It was as though the world itself had collapsed into chaos.

The train, once a simple mode of transportation, had transformed into something else—something that no longer belonged to reality.

“You’ve been running from the truth, Ella,” the man said, his voice barely audible. “And now you’ve brought it with you. This is where you belong. This is where you’ve always belonged.”

Ella turned to face him, but he was gone. In his place stood something else—something far darker.

It was her. But not her. The figure in front of her was a twisted reflection, a shadow of what she had been. And as the truth of it hit her, she understood. She had been running from herself all along.