The Strange Lights

A man on a train realises something is not quite right.

The Strange Lights

It was the dead of night. The only sound was a train as it made its journey to Glasgow. In each carriage were a few, while most spent their time watching films or reading digital books on their tablets. For the people who didn't own such gadgets, there wasn't much else to do, apart from sleep or order food and drink from the train bar.
Nathan awoke, he ran a hand through his short brown hair. He felt on edge, he couldn't understand why. Sweat covered his brow. His mouth was dry, he needed a drink. With some trouble he got up, the pain in his leg wasn't improving. A week and a half back he'd injured his leg while playing rugby. Nathan made his way down the narrow walkway, limping a little. On the left of him was a woman taller than him, he gave her a friendly smile as he passed her. Walking through the door, then entering another carriage, he noticed more people while the majority slept. One chap was on his mobile phone, as he argued with someone on the other end. He kept his voice at a minimum level though, so he wouldn't disturb anyone.
Making his way through two more carriages, he had finally made it.
The woman at the bar looked tired. She must of been in her fifties, as her hair was losing its natural colour slowly. Under her eyes were dark lines through lack of sleep. "How can I help you, sir?" she asked nicely.
Nathan wanted to quench his thirst and decided to order a cold lemonade. A few seconds later he gave her the money.
"Thank you," he said, picking the drink up, and having a mouthful. That was perfect. Taking his time he proceeded back to his seat.
The tall woman he'd encountered before was now sitting down, staring at her iPad. He found it funny how technology had replaced normal conversation, everyone now obsessed with writing messages to each other. He owned a mobile, which was pay as you go, apart from that he hated the modern world of computers and massive TVs. His ideal world would consist of a playing field, a rugby ball, and some mates to play with. He was a simple soul really.
Nathan sat down putting the lemonade on a thin shelf just in front of him. Outside was pitch black. Peering at his watch it was 2.27am, he closed his eyes. A few minutes later he'd drifted off.

.............................................................................

The train shook terribly, causing Nathan to wake up. What the hell was going on? Through the many windows a strong light shone in. Nathan got out of his seat joining two people that stood close by. One stared out of one of the windows, unable to process what was happening. "What is that?" said the elderly woman, while she neared the glass.
The man with her looked worried, softly putting a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, mother. Let's sit back down. Must be a passing helicopter. It'll be gone shortly."
All of a sudden the light vanished, to the relief of everyone.
The woman peered at her son, before saying, "Yes, you're probably right."
The man who had a receding hairline looked at Nathan, then said, "Can we help you?"
Nathan could tell this man had an attitude problem, and moved away from him not wanting to cause any trouble. He watched them sit down, then took a couple of steps to his seat, sitting down himself he decided to read the newspaper, which was in his rucksack by his feet. Suddenly without warning the strong light was back, shining intensely into the carriage.
The arrogant man stood up, shouting, "Who the hell is that messing about, because you're scaring my mother?"
Nathan saw the tall woman stand up, her iPad still in her hands. "What's happening?" she asked.
He needed to calm everyone down. "Look, it's probably nothing, but if we cause mass hysteria it won't solve the problem. Does everyone understand?" Nathan said, raising his voice a little.
The three people in the carriage now stared at him. The man came towards him with an angry look on his face. "Who put you in charge?"
Nathan was beginning to dislike this chap, and replied, "I know this doesn't give me any special privileges, but I'm a policeman, I know how to handle situations like this."
The man backed off without saying a word.
Nathan found his behaviour suspicious. "Maybe there's nothing to worry about. The best thing to do is sit back down, and not to worry too much."
Like before the lights from outside disappeared in an instance. The tall woman gave Nathan an odd look.
Nathan didn't understand it himself, he was just about to answer when the door to the carriage flew open and thirteen people ran in. Some hid behind seats while others went for the door at the other end.
Nathan couldn't take anymore, yelling, "What the hell is going on?"
The person closest to him, still crouching between the seats, looked up, terrified. It was a woman in her twenties with long dark hair and a pretty face. "Something's got on to the train. We heard it as it entered, just before the lights went out for a second time."
Jesus, he thought. This wasn't looking good.
Everyone began to panic. It was chaos.
Nathan needed to do something, if not, someone could lose it and cause even more problems. Maybe there was still a rational reason behind all the strange events? He needed to find out.
He needed to take control. "Look, I'm a policeman, I've been in situations like this plenty of times. If you all stay here I will check it out. I will see for myself if someone has made their way on here. And if need be, if they pose a threat, I will stop them."
Thankfully his words must of worked. Everyone took a seat, even the few which had gathered near the far door were now sitting down. "Be safe," said the tall woman.
It was time to go.
He opened the door reluctantly. Making his way to the entrance in front, which led to the other carriage, he started to regret his decision. Realistically he needed someone else with him just in case there was more than one intruder. Nathan carried on, his leg still giving him trouble. Proceeding cautiously down the carriage, he noticed bags on seats, and litter on the floor. The place looked like a tip. Reaching the far door he carefully went into the next carriage, inside, bags and other items had been flung everywhere, like a fight had taken place.
This was madness.
Being aware that the bar was in the next room, he needed to stock up on food and drink for the other people. He wasn't sure how long this would go on for, so it was best to be prepared.
In the connecting carriage it was a lot darker, as some of the lights nearer to him had blown. He could just make out the bar through the gloom. Taking it very slowly he proceeded with caution to it. A rotten smell lingered the nearer he got. At the bar the stench was intense, he needed to concentrate.
Where the hell was it coming from?
As Nathan made his way to the fridge which was behind the bar, he stumbled over a large object on the floor. Looking closer he realised a body lay there. Being a copper he was use to this sort of stuff, but it was still a shock to the system. Searching for a torch or a box of matches, he found a box on the second shelf down, next to the prepared sandwiches. He lit the match, and with horror realised it was the woman from earlier, who had served him the lemonade.
What the hell had occurred here?
He checked her thoroughly, and couldn't find anything which would result in her death. Maybe she'd died of fright? Inches from her body was a sharp knife. From how it looked she used this to defend herself, from whoever tried to attack her. Such a shame. Grabbing the knife, some sandwiches, and a carrier bag full of bottled water, Nathan stood up. The matches now safely in his trouser pocket, it was time to get back to the others. All of a sudden he heard something from the other end of the carriage. He turned, ready. Through the blackness he could see the outline of a figure over eight foot high, facing him. Whoever this person was, they stayed still. There was a few metres between them, Nathan needed to get out of there. With the stuff he'd collected he ran to the nearest door, opening it, then closing it as swiftly as he could. His heart raced. Nathan couldn't help himself, and peered through the little window back into the carriage. The worst sight he could ever imagine stared back with cold, snake like eyes. It grinned, enjoying his torment. Without thinking he ran petrified as can be back to the rest of the group. The moment he entered they all got off their seats.
The tall woman with short blonde hair approached him first, her iPad still clutched in her hands. "So, what happened?"
So many thoughts ran through his mind, he needed to sit down. He started to cry, not believing what he'd seen. "I can't help any of you. I'm so sorry."
The lady sat beside him, before saying, "Yes you can. Whatever this thing is it can be stopped. Please trust me."
Nathan peered up at her, not knowing what to think. "How do you know?"
Everyone else had sat back down while they ate sandwiches. Glum looks on all their faces. Even the idiot who sat with his mum stayed quiet.
"My name is Debra. I had a feeling when I came on this train that an unspeakable evil would come," she replied. "I see things you see. I've seen things since I was a child. I know how to stop it."
He couldn't take anymore of this. He covered his face with his hands. He was all out of ideas. What the hell was she talking about? What he'd witnessed tonight was a monstrosity, a demon from another place. After some minutes he glanced up at her, "So what do I need to do, and what the hell is that thing?"
She smiled, relieved he wasn't willing to give up. "I don't know what it is, but it arrived with the lights. It feeds off fear. This is how you can beat it, have no fear. If not it'll take everyone on the train. Do you understand?"
Nathan rubbed his forehead, still traumatised by what he'd seen. "I want to save everyone on here. And I'll do everything in my power to stop that terrible creature from hurting anyone."
The woman got up, before saying, "It's time. The longer we leave it, the stronger it gets. You need to act now."
He was ready. He got up, realising this whole plan was based on a stranger he'd just met. "I have a knife. Is that enough to kill it?"
She nodded in a good way, then answered, "I'll come with you. That way we can get rid of it before it harms anyone. Are you okay with that?"
The lights were back as they beamed intensely through every window. Everyone panicked. The arrogant man got up from his seat angry as hell. "What the f**k is going on, policeman? You're suppose to protect us. Instead you are sitting there feeling sorry for yourself. What the hell is wrong with you? The woman just chatting with you said you were solid and knew exactly what was going on. This is why we stayed quiet when you came back. You're full of s**t.".
He punched Nathan in the face. Nathan fell to the floor smacking his head hard, blood ran from the wound. He looked up disoriented, then he witnessed things which made him shudder. The awful monsters had appeared in every window, licking their grotesque lips. The arrogant man saw them, then muttering words under his breath, disappeared from the spot where he stood. Others noticed this and began fighting each other in a desperate attempt to escape.
Nathan saw the kind woman who'd tried to help him, her eyes were closed, her hands together like she was praying. In his mind he heard her say, "Think of happy things, and show no fear. If not, they will take you faraway."
Closing his eyes he thought of playing rugby with his mates. The monsters slowly becoming a distant memory. He could hear faint screams, but after a while, only silence.

.............................................................................

Opening his eyes, he yawned. The sun shone outside causing a pleasant glow in the carriage. Behind him was a woman while she stared at her iPad. Within half an hour the train came to a halt. It was time to get off.
Last night was a blur. He remembered buying a drink, then after that, nothing. He swore there were more passengers on the train, maybe they'd already got off?
Picking up his bag he made his way to the door, opening it, he stepped off the train onto the platform. He felt a presence behind him, then turned to face a very attractive lady, who stood about three inches taller than him. "Hello," he said, feeling a strange connection with her.
She giggled, before answering, "Hi, my name is Debra. I noticed you got on at the same station as me."
Nathan smiled at her. "So where do you live?"
She ran a hand through her hair, then said, "Thank you for last night."
Oh no what did I do?
"What happened last night, I can't remember a thing?" he replied, embarrassed.
She laughed, before replying, "It's quite funny really. We got attacked by evil aliens, and the other passengers were abducted and taken to their spaceship, never to be seen again."
For a second Nathan was taken aback, then laughing out loud, realised she was messing with him. "So, what really happened?"
"I played with my iPad, and you slept like a baby. That's all really.". She gave him a cheeky wink.
He found her captivating, and invited her to join him. She accepted. Then they made their way out of the station.

The End

Reviews

[roarke]

A sci-fi type thriller told in a matter of fact style. You described the setting in detail and that gave the fiction a certain realism that intensified the situation. I think the relationship between the main character and the tall woman could be developed a little more, their strange synchronicity and connection. Nice piece of crafting here.