Subway of Secrets

The sounds Emma heard were familiar--but they weren't sounds she ever expected to be waking up to. Her eyes shot open and she was stunned to see where she was: the subway. Looking around, she saw she wasn't alone in the car. It wasn't nearly as packed as it was when she took the train to work, but there was still a good amount of passengers around her.

What the hell is going on? Emma thought, her head feeling a little dizzy as she got to her feet.

Emma had actually gone out just the other night to join her co-worker Paige for a night at their favorite karaoke bar. After a few hours of drinking and belting out their favorite tunes, Emma decided to turn in a little early while Paige opted to stay until closing. With her phone dead and her attempts at hailing a cab proving futile, Emma resigned herself to walking home.

I know I was a little tipsy last night, but I know I got home in one piece. How the hell did I end up on the subway!? Indeed, while Emma's memory was a bit cloudy, she could distinctly remember making it back to her apartment. She even recalled how relieved she was to finally be able to collapse into bed, not even caring to take her heels off. But now, here she was: on the subway, still wearing those heels and her newest club dress, without the foggiest idea of how and when she got aboard the train.

"Um...can anyone tell me when the next stop is?" Emma asked no one in particular. But to her surprise, nobody responded. She'd had her fair share of encounters with rude and combative subway passengers. But in her experience, such a remark would at least inspire someone to look up in her direction before pettily ignoring her question. Instead, it was as if nobody heard her--or they were too distracted by their own thoughts to answer. Upon another inspection of the car, Emma was perplexed to see that everyone was simply staring into space. Usually, about 70% of the people on the train would be taking a call on their cell phone or scrolling through messages while waiting for their stop. But here, there wasn't an electronic device to be found...and everyone's eyes seemed completely devoid of emotion.

OK, fuck this shit. I'm getting off this crazy train.

Scanning the car, Emma saw the emergency brake cord and ran for it. She gave the cord a hard yank...

Nothing. She gave the cord a few more tugs, only to get the same outcome. The train's speed remained unchanged, as if it had no brakes and the cord in Emma's grip was only there for show.

"You might as well sit back down. You're never getting off this train." The gruff voice surprised Emma as she turned to see a man behind her. He wore a tattered green hoodie, faded jeans, and dark brown boots. His hood was up, but the lights allowed Emma to see the look in his eyes. It was cold, but not in the same way as the catatonic passengers around them. Beneath his icy glare was the distinct feeling of malice.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?" Emma demanded. This seemed to spark more anger in the man's gaze.

"You mean you don't remember? Maybe this will help." With that, the man pulled his hood down--and Emma gasped in horror. One side of his head was caked in coagulated blood. A deep wound could be found underneath the solidified liquid.

And suddenly, the memories came flooding back.

Emma was stumbling quite a bit during her drunken walk back home. The route to her apartment complex took her right past the subway.

She remembered seeing the man standing at the top of the subway stairs, trying to light a cigarette.

She remembered getting tripped up on her heels.

She remembered bumping into the man.

She remembered watching in shock as he took a hard tumble down the stairs, landing at the bottom with a sickening crack.

She remembered walking away, convincing herself the guy would be fine.

He would bleed out on the hard subway floor as Emma made her way home safe and sound...for the last time.

"You took my life from me. Now I'm returning the favor. Have a safe trip." And with that, the man vanished right before Emma's now tear-filled eyes.

"NO!" That was the only word Emma could scream over and over again as she ran through the train car, looking for a way out. She pounded on the windows. She clawed at the doors. She begged the other passengers to help her. But she got no response. And as the man had told her, there was no escape to be found.

As Emma continued to yell and bang on the walls, her unwilling travel companions continued to sit in silence. When they first arrived, a lot of them reacted the same way as Emma. But they'd all long since given up on fruitless escape attempts and resigned themselves to their fate. The fate given to them by the vengeful spirits of those whose lives they'd stolen.

An eternity aboard an endless train ride to nowhere.