Train ride horror stories - story 1

It was just another long train ride home from work, one of those boring weeknights where the commute feels like it’s dragging on forever. I’d settled into my usual spot, earbuds in, mindlessly scrolling through my phone, trying to drown out the hum of the moving train and the occasional chatter from other passengers. It was supposed to be a typical, uneventful evening. But it wasn’t. I wasn’t paying much attention when I first noticed the commotion. It started as low murmurs from the car behind me, something I barely registered at first. Probably just people arguing over a seat or something stupid like that, I thought. But the more I tuned in, the more it sounded off. Voices were too intense, too sharp. I pulled out one of my earbuds, trying to hear better. “…Just do it already.” That made me sit up straight. The words were muffled, but there was a clear edge to them, the kind of tone that made my skin crawl. I glanced around at the other passengers in my car, but no one seemed to notice. Some were asleep, others were too engrossed in their own worlds. I was the only one paying attention. I debated whether to mind my own business or investigate. Curiosity got the better of me, so I quietly slid out of my seat and walked towards the connecting door, trying to act casual, as if I was just stretching my legs. As I approached the door, I could hear the voices more clearly. “…You didn’t see his face, right?” “No, man, relax. He ain’t gonna talk.” I felt a pit form in my stomach. This wasn’t some random argument. Something bad was happening. I peered through the small window in the door, trying to get a glimpse of the next car. There were three men huddled together in one of the booths, speaking in low, hurried voices. Their body language screamed tension—one of them kept glancing around nervously, while another had his hand tucked inside his jacket in a way that made me uneasy. Was he holding something? Before I could think it through, the third man turned his head and locked eyes with me. I froze, heart pounding in my chest. He stared at me for a long moment, his expression hardening. It was the kind of look that told me I’d seen something I shouldn’t have. I quickly ducked back, trying to act natural as I returned to my seat. My hands were shaking. This wasn’t good. I’d definitely seen too much. For the next few minutes, I sat there, pretending to be calm, but my mind was racing. What had I just walked into? A drug deal? Something worse? My gut told me I needed to get off the train as soon as possible, but we were in the middle of nowhere, still miles from the next stop. I tried to text a friend, just to let someone know what was happening, but when I looked down at my phone, it was dead. Of course. My one shot at calling for help, gone. Just great. I felt a cold sweat creeping down my back. What if they came for me? What if they realized I’d overheard everything? I glanced back at the door, hoping they hadn’t followed me, but when I turned around, I saw one of the men—the one with the hard stare—walking toward my car. My pulse quickened. He was coming for me. I quickly stood up, thinking I could maybe move to a different car or blend in with the other passengers, but it was too late. The man was already in the car, his eyes scanning the rows of seats. My heart was pounding so loudly in my ears, I was sure he could hear it. I tried to stay calm, sinking into my seat and pretending to be asleep. But I could feel his presence, feel him moving closer. I peeked through the corner of my eye, and there he was, standing just a few feet away, staring right at me. “Hey,” he said, his voice low and menacing. I opened my eyes, feigning confusion. “Yeah?” He didn’t smile. “You were looking in on us.” I shrugged, trying to act casual. “Just stretching my legs. Didn’t mean to interrupt anything.” He stepped closer, towering over me. “You heard something you shouldn’t have.” I swallowed hard. “I didn’t hear anything, man. Just passing through.” His eyes bore into mine, unblinking. For a second, I thought he might pull out whatever was inside his jacket, but instead, he leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Here’s the deal. You get off at the next stop and forget this ever happened. Understand?” I nodded, my mouth dry. I was too scared to say anything else. “Good,” he said, standing up straight. “Make sure you do. Or next time…” He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to. As soon as he walked away, I let out a shaky breath. I’d never been so terrified in my life. I looked out the window, desperate to see the next station, but it was still a few minutes away. When the train finally pulled in, I grabbed my bag and bolted. I didn’t care where we were. I just needed to get off that train. The moment my feet hit the platform, I felt like I could breathe again. I watched the train pull away, the man’s hard stare still burned into my mind. I didn’t know what crime they were involved in. I didn’t want to know. All I knew was that I’d narrowly escaped something far worse than a casual confrontation.