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Engine 21 (12) : Once, Destiny City had a functioning train station. Over the years the tracks took their damage, and the cost to repair couldn’t be justified. So the city let it, and the station, fall into ruin. Of course there have been rumors that the train station was a hot spot for ghouls, stuck in perpetual transit. Lost souls with no place to go. It’s not uncommon for trespassers to come out of the station claiming they saw some frightful apparition wearing outfits right out of the mid 1900s. Sometimes, they even hear the whistle of a train, or the clattering of the track as a phantom train rolls in. Engine 21 was the last train to depart from the station, allegedly, and derailed on the way to the mountains. There were no survivors, but the legend differs in how many souls were lost. Some say, if you stand on the platform at 3:33AM you can hear their screams forever cemented in an endless loop, reliving their deaths nightly. It’s not uncommon for people to say that the railroad crossings will mysteriously light up and lower despite no oncoming trains, and some have even said they’ve seen a phantom train speeding through the night. Maybe it’s just a ghost story, but maybe you’ve seen something, too.
Armed with a camcorder and recorder, Canary tromped through the brush and ruin where a functioning train station once stood. Staring cooly at the crumbling brick wall and fast encroaching overgrowth, she had to admit that she was a bit impressed. She’d never really been into trains as a kid and had completely missed out on knowing of this place’s existence. Until now. She’d kept her ear to the ground and heard the rumors of spooky goings-on. Of ghoulies and ghosts and mysterious lights.
Frankly, she thought it was all so much bullshit. Nothing but brain mush for gullible sheep. Or at least, the Canary of prior to two nights ago would have thought that. After her foggy encounter, she wasn’t so sure anymore. Which made this place perfect for a little reconnaissance. She’d already been to the library and devoured every bit of news she could find pertaining to this place and to Engine 21. Normally, catastrophes didn’t phase her, but the idea of a train derailing with no survivors so early in the morning horrified her. If there had been cellphones or better tracks or GPS or something, maybe some people might have survived. It was pure and simple tragedy.
Which she would, naturally, attempt to capitalize from. But she didn’t want to be ghoulish. Thus the compromise of focusing on the train station itself being spooky. And boy, was there a nice variation of stories to sift through. Considering her options, she chose to film as much as possible before it got too dark. Then, she’d have to pick a place to set up and just let the camera record for the rest of the night.
“Okay, boys and girls, Canary Jones here. Let’s see if we can’t prove or debunk some of the stories surrounding this place. Now, a lot of people say that they’ve seen the crossings lower and light up. Well, we’re looking at those crossings right now and we’re gonna go with possible. See these vines growing? Now, some of them are ripped near the joint. So, they’re either moving or we’ve got people and or animals coming through and dicking about. We’ll put a pin on this one. And I think this is where we’re film. Maybe we’ll be lucky and see the phantom train go by!”
Working swiftly, Canary set up the little camera along with some backup power. Aiming it at the crossings, she thought that this was the most tangible of the stories and the most likely to be caught on film.
Soon enough, darkness fell and she huddled within her coat, quietly exploring the station for hours. She refused to pull a Ghost Hunters and start screaming about orbs and evil presences. But she kept her recorder clicked on and paused to listen every few minutes. Checking her watch, she saw that it was very near to 3:33AM. If the stories were to be believed, that was the magic moment. She wasn’t entirely sure that she wanted to hear the souls of the damned screaming in pain and terror, but if she could catch it on tape…
Taking a moment to move towards her camera, she waved into it just as her watch clicked over to the appointed time.
“Well, kids,” she whispered, “it’s time and so far nothing. But trains are always running late somewhere, right?”
For a moment, she was pleased with her joke and convinced that the most she’d catch would be a curious raccoon or stray cat. Then, time seemed to stretch and she heard a far off sound, a train whistle. Neck prickling, Canary froze, cupping her hands behind her ears. There it was again! The whistle was closer this time. And while the lights didn’t flicker on, nor the crossings lower, there was the unmistakable shrieking sound of a fast moving train and over that… the wavering and terrified screams of hundreds of people being carried past and up towards the mountains.
Thumb clicking the recorder off, Canary shrank into her coat, shivering. She almost thought she could hear grinding, tearing metal echoing off in the distance and it was too much.
Then, the moment passed and her watch read 3:34AM. Peaceful silence fell over what was left of the station.She didn’t know if either or her gadgets had caught anything and she wasn’t terribly eager to find out.
Word Count = 730
