The Fourth Station

I suddenly found myself in an unfamiliar train station.

My eyes wandered around, not a soul to be found. The surroundings were clean and there wasn’t a speck of dust wherever I looked.

Contrast that to the dreadful atmosphere around me where the air is heavy and stagnant.

Where the hell am I?

I pulled out my phone to check for reception, but of course.

None.

I pulled my headphones down to my neck to try and absorb my surroundings. Just as I did, a jingle played from the speakers of the station. A combination of notes that I’ve never heard before. It sounded dissonant yet harmonious in a dreadful sense. Then at the end a feminine voice says “Welcome to the Fourth Station” in a distorted way. It felt like 10 copies of the voice were being played at once with each of them a half step lower than the other.

I’ve listened to a lot of music, but this is definitely new to me.

Ugh. It makes me sick.

I explored the place, checking every nook and cranny for additional hints as to where I might be. Nothing turned up.

“Fourth Station, huh.”

That’s my only clue as to where I am. But nobody really names a station after a number. It’s usually named after a place or sometimes a name. I’ve never heard of a station just named “Fourth”.

This jingle is starting to get on my nerves.

I wore my headphones again to try and stifle the noise, but it didn’t work. It felt like the jingle was being played directly to my brain.

Repeating.

Over and over. Increasing in volume every second it’s played.

This is insane.

I rushed over to what looked like the main office to look for a way to stop it. Luckily, I found the computer which seemed to be the one responsible for it. Written on the screen was something I’m starting to get familiar with.

“Welcome to the Fourth Station”

I minimized that window and was greeted by a security footage of a dimly lit staircase. The camera, from what I can deduce, is placed at the top right corner of the room as I can see a staircase going down at the bottom left and the one going up at the far right.

The staircase looked different. A stark contrast from the station’s cleanliness. I was about to minimize it, thinking that it’s maybe a part of the station that I haven’t seen, maybe something beyond the locked doors that I couldn’t break through.

But something intriguing appeared at the screen.

A person who looked like me emerged from the staircase and headed to the far-right side of the room towards the door that seemed like lead to another room. He stood in front of it for a couple of seconds before he started knocking softly.

Knock. Knock.

Knock. Knock.

I removed my headphones and gulped.

Knock. Knock.

The knocks continued.

I started to sweat profusely.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t take any staircase when I reached this place. In fact, I don’t even think there was a staircase in there!

Knock. Knock.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

A voice echoed from behind the door. I just froze, I didn’t know what to do. A single mistake here could spell out something grim and I didn’t want to make that mistake.

Why does that guy look exactly like me down to the voice?!

“Uhh, this is the main office, right? I just want to ask that you turn down the jingle that’s been playing over and over as it has been bothering the other passengers for quite a bit… Thank you.”

Wait, other passengers? There are other people in here?

As I was about to rush out and talk to whoever was on the other side of the door, the lights turned off leaving only the monitor of the screen as my source of light. I looked at it and saw that the person has already vanished. Where the hell did he come from?

I minimized the window and looked for the music player. I found it quickly and stopped it. I let out a sigh of relief as the jingle finally stopped. But just as the first problem was solved, another one emerged.

I looked at the door.

If I take what just happened in consideration, the logical conclusion would be that I’d be welcomed by a pair of staircases. One going up, the other going down. I prepared myself for whatever is on the other side and slowly opened the door. What greeted me was complete darkness.

Huh?

I grabbed my phone and turned on the built-in flashlight.

It really is the same thing. I’ve been transported to another part of the station.

In front of me were two staircases just like what I saw in the security footage. I looked for a CCTV Camera, but I couldn’t see one. I turned back to see if I can check out the footage once more but the door I came from has already vanished and was replaced by a stone wall oozing with green fluid from its gaps. I surveyed the surroundings and found that the stairs leading to the floor above me leads to nowhere, there’s a wall similar to the one I saw earlier that’s standing in the way.

I guess the only way is down.

I slowly made my way downstairs with the little light my phone’s torch can produce. The deeper I go the dimmer my light gets. I can also feel my surroundings getting colder, heavier, and it’s starting to affect my breathing.

Ugh, it’s starting to sting my lungs.

I let out a sigh.

Huh?

Condensation?

As my breathing started getting huffier, I noticed that I could see condensation from it too. Probably because of the temperature around me. Good thing I’m wearing a jacket. That’s not the only thing that’s weird though. I checked the stairs I just descended from and found that there’s a wall that’s preventing me from going up.

It’s the same thing earlier, at least from where I started. Am I just going in loops?

I pondered.

I don’t think so, but that’s just a deduction from the temperature. There’s also a chance that the room just so happened to suddenly get colder.

This isn’t helping me at all. I need more information.

I walked upstairs and examined the wall. The green slime thing, whatever the hell it was, produced an abhorrent smell enough to make an adult’s stomach turn inside out while also giving them a mind shattering headache.

Despite that, I still pushed through as I saw something that piqued my interest. In this particular wall, there’s a small gap. I’m guessing that I can probably peek through it and see where this slime is coming from.

My body froze as my mouth went agape.

There were a bunch of bodies, all of them covered with the green slime present all over this labyrinth of a staircase. No, wait. They weren’t covered by it. It was directly fused into their bodies; each of them showcased warped facial expressions straight out of a nightmare. Some of them were contorted into postures the human body just wouldn’t be able to do. Some of them appeared to be running away from something with outstretched hands and terrified eyes.

Then, there was a sudden jolt. It was subtle, but I saw it.

The body was of a man, though compared to the ones beside him, he seemed a little more fortunate. He still retained most of his body, the only jellified part of him were his eyes. His head moved slightly towards my direction, it was slow and kind of robotic. It seemed like he was fighting an external force putting pressure on his neck.

All of a sudden, the pressure broke and his eyes met mine. His mouth slowly broke into a wide smile, revealing his gums and teeth that are jellified as well. His head tilted to the side violently while still maintaining eye contact. My eyes just couldn’t break away from him. I wanted to step back and just run away, but I couldn’t.

“Just what the hell are you?!” I yelled.

No other choice popped into my mind as my whole body was paralyzed from the fear that emanated from that room. But the moment my voice reverberated, the jellified people were no longer in sight and the green slime was nowhere to be found. The wall still stood there, but there was nothing behind it anymore.

I can’t stay here anymore, I need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.

I forced myself to run downstairs to look for the elusive exit which I found not even a couple of floors below. I opened the door, which had ‘exit’ written above it, and left that hellish labyrinth.

What greeted me was a familiar sight.

The Fourth Station.

It was the same way as I left it. Save for one thing.

There’s a train waiting at the platform. It looked like an old train; completely different from the one I rode when I got here. A lone man stood in front of the train’s doors. He wore an old train conductor’s uniform and his face was covered by his hat. On his right hand, he held tickets that had, from what I can assume, bloodstains.

I looked behind me and to find that the door behind me has vanished once more.

“Uhh, hey.” I approached the conductor.

No answer.

“Do you know where this is?”

Kind of a dumb question, I know. But damn, I just need someone to confirm where the hell I am.

He shrugged the question off once more and just motioned for me to enter the train.

“Hey! I’m talking to you!”

I grabbed his collar and pulled him towards me.

“Where the hell am I and what the hell is this place?!”

I looked at him in anger while I shook him violently, but he said nothing and again, motioned for me to enter the train. Realizing that nothing else will come out of this, I gave up and just followed his instructions. I don’t know where this is going but this might be my only exit, I might as well take the risk. I sat just beside the exit, giving me a window seat and a chance to get out just in case something bad happens.

When I sat down, the door beside me closed slowly and the door that connects each carriage opened. There was an influx of passengers I’ve never seen before and they’re taking their seats around me, some are even standing and looking down at me.

They didn’t look like humans. I mean, they do. They look exactly like humans, but they don’t feel like one. There’s something robotic to them that I just can’t put my finger on. They just felt lifeless. Eyes open, staring at something, and never blinking.

The train started moving and together with it, their bodies started swaying like trees being blown away by the wind losing and regaining their balance.

“We’re now entering Kisaragi Station.”

Kisaragi? Sounds familiar

The train entered a short tunnel and emerged at a rail track in the middle of a beautiful rice field. It’s such a different vibe from where I was that my eyes took time to adjust to the brightness of the sun.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“Hey, why are you sighing?”

The person standing beside me asked.

I flinched for a second, I didn’t expect anyone to speak to me. I’m also using the term “person” loosely. They’re more… zombie. Zombie with feelings? Do they even have feelings? Probably zombies that can think. I don’t know. I didn’t reply. I just kept my eyes forward. I didn’t want to be associated with these people, but he kept on pressing me with questions while his face slowly approached mine until he was in close proximity.

Then he whispered:

“The fun only starts now.”

I looked at him for the first time and realized that this guy was the same guy that I saw in the gap with the jellified eyes and gums. He smiled and his body moved erratically like someone who’s being exorcised. My chest tightened and I’m at a loss for words. My mouth just hung open, but I couldn’t get anything out, not even breaths. It just felt like my lungs were slowly getting drained of its oxygen.

Then all of a sudden, as the sun lost its light as it was being covered by the clouds, the man started to shake much more violently than before, to the point where I can see his bones getting dislocated and fractured inside of his own body. This only happened during the brief darkness the clouds have provided. He immediately stopped when the sun is in its brightest outside.

The next one was different.

It lasted longer.

Maybe about a minute.

But that minute was enough to break this man’s body internally. His body stopped shaking and his broken bones protruded his skin violently, sending pools of blood all around him. His body exploded soon after, sending his internals flying across the carriage.

That wasn’t all, though.

What really made me uncomfortable were the reactions of the people around me. They were cheering. As if a great spectacle just happened right in front of them. My fear turned into anger. I couldn’t fathom whatever was happening around ever since I dropped into that fourth station. What the hell did I even do to deserve this hellish experience?! Am I cursed?! Did someone hex me?!

“Why the hell am I here?!” I whimpered.

My mind couldn’t handle it anymore. My anger turned into despair, and my despair turned into… nothingness. I just quickly realized that my questions won’t be answered. It was just hopeless.

“Hey, man. You don’t have time to worry about that.”

The man behind me said.

“You’re next.”

He continued.

And the sun slowly lost its glow once more.

***

I woke up short of breath and grasping my chest.

A nightmare?

I looked around me. I’m back in my room. No traces of anything that happened. It’s just me in my room, that’s it. No creepy old men with exploding bodies and jellified eyes. No innards all over me nor blood.

I’m back.

I’m finally back.

I almost shed a tear but as if on cue, my alarm sounded notifying me that I’m almost late to my classes. So I rushed to get ready and head out as soon as I can.

Crap, I’m gonna be late.

I charged straight through the crowd, doing my best to avoid bumping into people. Luckily, I still caught up to the train. Meaning, I probably won’t be late.

Probably.

The daily commute from my house to the school only takes about 30–45 minutes. But I just checked my phone and it’s been going on for about an hour now.

Maybe there’s a problem?

I’ll just wait for the conductor, they usually do checks periodically. I’ll just ask them about it.

Soon thereafter, one came on sight. She slowly made her way through the passengers checking if they’re okay and answering their questions or concerns whenever they have any. She handled herself differently from the conductors I’ve seen, though. She seemed much more elegant and her actions just radiated grace from all angles.

When she reached me, she looked at me with caring eyes.

“You seem lost, child.”

Lost?

“Umm. I’m not sure I follow, Ma’am.”

“Just like I said. You seem lost.”

She repeated.

“Oh, did I enter the wrong train?”

I tilted my head to the side. I was confused and this raised a lot of questions. Let’s say I’m actually lost, how did she know that? Why does she seem like she knew who I am the moment she looked at me?

Just who is she?

“Hmm, let’s just say that you’re quite familiar with this station.”

“Yeah, it’s gonna drop by the station near my university, right?”

“Oh, no no no, baby.”

She waved her index finger.

“Huh? Then where is this headed?”

“To the Fourth Station.”

She smiled and walked away.