The Train of the Dead

Chapter Eight

A strangled scream escaped Michael's throat. Despite his panic, it was almost quieter than his frantic gasps – almost a squeak. He turned away from the window, his heart pounding. He tried to wrap his head around what he had just seen.

It was a trick of the light, he told himself. It was just a shadow – a shadow that, for some reason, he had thought was a living creature of some kind. And those eyes were just some kind of reflection of the moonlight overhead – of course he hadn't seen a creature staring up at him. The thought was ridiculous. He didn't know why it had ever occurred to him.

As he rationalized it to himself, he slowly began to calm down. His imagination was playing tricks on him. He needed to get up and head back to his carriage. They'd arrive at Minato City shortly afterwards, and he wouldn't have to board the shinkansen again for quite a long time. He might even be able to convince his father to let them take a normal train back.

Michael stood up and carefully walked out into the aisle, almost stumbling over again. He turned around, gripping the top of the seat tightly, and began to make his way slowly down the carriage. He was tempted to run to his seat as fast as he could, but his fears stopped him from doing so. He was just a few feet away from his carriage now. He could vaguely glimpse Akira's sleeping body.

Just as he began to regain control over his fear and panic, it returned, except amplified by a thousand. His blood ran cold for a second time, every hair on his body seeming to stand up. He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. The shock he had felt when seeing the strange figure was nothing compared to the terror he felt now.

It was a noise – a strange, eerie, terrifying noise. Creeping across the train floor, becoming gradually closer to him. Despite how soft and low it was, it echoed in Michael's ears in the silence of the darkened train, seeming to be almost louder than the roar outside.

Teke Teke. Teke Teke.