I clutch the seat underneath me as the train whistles and begins to move along the tracks. As the metal beast comes to life I grow more and more anxious. I had never been a passenger on train before today. I only worry more when it snows harder. I gaze out the window when the train makes an exceptionally sharp turn shaking the whole box car. The view is absolutely beautiful. The mountain tracks don’t seem as treacherous, but more regal. Snow covered trees swaying with the strong winds, frozen bodies of water slowing down the fast paced nature of the forest, and snow building up as it rolls down the sharp cliffs. I place my hand on the window feeling the piercing cold glass.
The box car shakes once again, but this time more vigorous than the last. The train struggles to remain hugging the mountain side as it turns around a particularly sleeted portion of the tracks. Once around the turn the train comes to an abrupt halt. All the lights shut off, my stomach drops. I try to reassure myself that everything if perfectly fine, when I heard a blood curdling shriek from a few cars behind me. Every single passenger in the car falls silent, the only sounds I could hear is the soft howling of the wind and the frantic beating of my own heart. I sit completely still, my breath hitching when a soft banging comes from behind. “Mommy what’s that noise?” the little girl in the seat next to mine whispers to her mother. “Be quiet honey” the fear is audible in her voice.
Another scream, but this time more shrill, it must have been a woman. The screaming got louder and more pained filled until it was overcome by silence once again. A sudden burst of adrenaline pulses through my body as I hop out of my seat to hide underneath it.
During my haste, a single gunshot is fired followed by a muffled roar. The roar didn’t sound like that of a beast, hell it didn’t even sound organic. The deep cry resonated throughout the train, almost shaking the box car. I looked around at the other passengers, faces filled with terror, frightened by the unknown entity. My own fear distracted me from the discomfort of the boxcar floor. Tantalizing silence only to maximize mine as well as the other passengers’ suspense of what was to happen of them. Fears slowly dwindling as the silence dragged on, when suddenly something slammed against the back of the car, then again silence. A quick shadow speed across my window. My breath stopped, then again silence.
With no warning one of the windows toward the front of the car was smashed in. It was inside. I couldn’t get any kind of visual due to my hiding place, which I was now glad I had. The young woman two or three seats in front of me shrieked. She was soon silenced by the beast, crimson blood splattering against the walls, windows, and ceilings. Another window shattered as it exited. I let out a long sigh of relief thinking it was gone for good.
I was wrong, oh how I was so horribly wrong. Long sharp talons pierced the top of the box car. It peeled back the top of the box car, rigid cold air and snow flooding into the car. I was paralyzed in panic. I couldn’t move as the beast dropped down into the now exposed box car.
It was a horrible looking thing, it was bent down on all fours with thin, almost humanoid limbs and spine poking out of its slender back. It’s pale, translucent skin revealing veins. I drew in a sharp breath, and instantly regretted it. It jerked its head in my direction. Its eyes completely black and lifeless, nothing but two thin slits for a nose, and sharp jagged stained fangs. Blood from its previous victims dripped from its gapping mouth. It smelled horrid, like rotting death. My heart jumped into my throat, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t so much as blink. All I could do was stare, stare into the dark void of the beast’s eyes.
The mother whimpered holding her child tighter. The beast ripped its gaze from mine to find the source of the noise. It leaped at the woman ripping out her jugular spraying hot blood all over me. The warm sanguine contrasting with the bitter cold air. The beast resumed its gaze on me. In the blink of an eye it was standing right above me, studying me. I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen causing me to cough, warm liquid dripping down my chin. I didn't scream, I just continued to star at the beast until everything went black, then once again, silence.