He wanted me to come here, I don't know why. Dad always told me about the Blackthorne Train Station. He told me stories about all the people he meets on the train, he once said he sat next to a man with a parrot in a gold cage. According to him, he met my mother at that station, I need to learn more about this station.

Sadly, from what I've been told, the train station has been abandoned for 15 years. In short, people stopped taking the train, there were also complaints about the train conductor being physical with the passengers. Originally, they were gonna turn the station into a mall or something, but they never got to that. However, this does not stop me from investigating this train station.

~~~

I entered the Blackthorne Train Station, and as people said, it was abandoned: vines grew out between bricks, graffiti sprayed on the abandoned carts, and broken lights. This place has seen better days, I set one foot in the station, and I froze. I couldn't move the rest of my body. Was it my anxiety holding me back? Or was it something supernatural? With all the bones in my body, I was able to move my other foot, I started to calm down, I can already feel something suspicious about this place, I thought to myself. I was able to walk again.

Walking around the abandoned station, I noticed that there was one train that wasn't covered in graffiti or broken windows or even vines trapping it. It was a slick black color, even though it was black, it stood out more than the rest. I walked closer to it, it looked new, not a single scratch on it. I found a bench and sat on it, continuing to analyze the train, something about its design made me drawn to it. Then the intercom came on.

"All passengers riding the train, please show your ticket at the front desk." The intercom scared me, I jumped a little, almost dropping my bag. The intercom was working, but how? I looked around the station, and at the front of the railroads, a desk illuminated by a bright lamp. It looked ominous, especially how the lamp kept blinking on and off. I was hesitant but I walked slowly to the desk.

When I got closer, I saw a woman at the desk, tapping away at a typewriter, it smelled like new ink. The woman was a sickly blue color, she had sausage fingers with sharp red nails at the end of them, her red hair was a curly beehive hairstyle...Is that a bird in one of the curls? I clear my throat and it caught her attention.

"Hello there sweetie," her voice was very motherly and very southern, "do you have your ticket?" She asked politely.

"Oh, I'm sorry ma'am, I'm just looking around," I explained, "besides, I don't have a ticket."

The woman looked at my bag. "Check your bag, I know you have a ticket." She sounded passive-aggressive towards me, I felt offended.

To prove her wrong, I rummaged through my bag: nothing but books, pencils and...a piece of paper. I pull it out and...it's a ticket, with my name on it, 'Ashe Adara' was on it. "I...I guess I do have a ticket." I felt stupid. But where did that ticket come from? I never got a train ticket.

"Know worries sweetie, people are always like 'did I remember to get the ticket?' Give it to me so I can tell you what train you're going on." I hesitantly gave her the ticket. She skimmed through it, smirking at something. "Ashe Adara," she read, "you know your father comes here all the time. He never told me he had a son." She explained.

I got shy all of a sudden, I covered my face with my hand. "Yea, lots of people know who he is. He is an author after all." I explained to her.

She spoke after a couple of minutes of silence. "Your train is the black on sweetie," She pointed at the one working train, "you better hurry though, the train is about to leave."

I left the desk and walked to the train, it looked bigger when I got closer to it, the top of it looked like it was touching the wall. My daydreaming stopped when I heard noises, people. I turned around but no one was there, but I could still hear people talking, boots hitting the floor, and children screaming and giggling. I was one edge.

The train doors suddenly opened, fog covered the steps. The intercom came on again. "All passengers riding the train, please enter the Blackthorne Train, we'll be departing shortie." It said, cutting off again.

I was immediately on edge, hearing people enter the train, but no one was there. I walked cautiously to the door, I went up the steps and checked my surroundings. I went inside the left cart, no one was there, but the sounds of people murmuring was. I took a seat near the middle, I decided to tap my hand on the empty seat next to me, it didn't come in contact with human skin, but I can hear them next to me.

The train shifted, making me jump, is it moving? I looked out the window, seeing the abandoned trains zooming by. My anxiety flared up, I don't know where I'm going. Where is this train going? The train shifted again, the lights started to blink in and out. I held on tight to my bag, moving my head back and forth. The lights stopped blinking, my body could not stop shaking.

"Do not be afraid, little one," an echo-y voice called out to me, I looked around and I froze, a tall, black, slender figure stared at me with their hypnotic pink and black eyes, "the journey has only begun."