Panic, She Wrote

Date: Unknown

Time: Unknown

I awoke to find myself slouched on the floor of some barren train car; my head throbbing with each screech of the wheels hitting the metal below. I found my hands pressing against my forehead, pulling it back down the second I felt something moist once my fingertips touched the crown. I had to blink a couple times to see once again, still a bit blurry but at least I was able to see a bit clearer.

The last thing I remembered was that I had arrived at the train station. I had been half-awake from the all-nighter I had pulled just the night before, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of that city. Away from them. They say to hold your family close, but what do you do when you when they're the same people who would rather harm you than give you protection from your worst nightmares?

I remember walking up to the ticket counter. The minimum wage employee working the counter looked to be about maybe sixteen or seventeen; she had been more focused on what was on her phone rather than the customer standing in front of her, but I didn't care as long as she handed me a ticket out of there. There was a guy. Suspicious looking, but that's typically what most guys look like to young females like myself. He was standing just a ways away from where I was, looking up at me every now and again as he was leaned up against the counter with a newspaper in hand. Dark clothing. Dark hair. Dark eyes. He was the complete embodiment of those villainous men you read about in horror novels. After grabbing my ticket, I shot him a small wave before turning to head towards the waiting area.

The waiting area didn't seem as suspicious, at first. It was packed full of those looking to travel to their chosen destinations. From stressed out moms with young toddlers they were trying to calm down to young businessmen with briefcases who only cared about what was on their laptop screen to notice those happening around them, it seemed pretty normal. Taking a seat in the back, I pulled out my book from my bag and began to shift myself from reality.

"You're a reader, huh?" Some voice said next to me. I looked over to notice that it had been the same guy that I've seen before. The dark aesthetic gave him away immediately, except now he had his newspaper sitting on the seat next to him. "My ex was a big reader as well," He laughed, "Must be a type I have in women."

I just nodded and continued on with my book.

"Where are you headed?" He asked me.

"My dad's house." I lied. Figured it was better to just say I was going to be in the presence of a male rather than going off on my own. He didn't need to know.

"You sure?" He placed his hand on my thigh, causing me to jerk my leg away.

"I'm just trying to-"

"I just wanted to make conversation." He smirked, "Is that too much for me to ask?"

"Sir-" I looked over to see another man in dark clothing sitting next to him now. The second dude was wearing similar dark attire to the first, except his hair was a light shade of brown and his eyes twinkled a bright green color. "-I'm sure you're nice and all, but I just want to be on my own right now." I tried to be as polite as I possibly could without causing a scene.

"You shouldn't have to be alone when you look this gorgeous." He brushed the back of his palm against my cheek. By now, I had begun shoving the book back into my bag and was slowly edging myself off the seat.

"Seriously," The other guy chimed in, "I can't let you go off on your own."

Without saying another word, I got up and walked towards another empty seat in a much more crowded area of the waiting area when a third guy stepped in front of me.

"Where are you going?" The third guy asked.

"You cannot think you'd get away this easily." The second guy chimed back in.

"Just let me go and I won't do anything." I told them.

"No." The first guy stepped over to me, placing his palm against my cheek, "We cannot let you do that."

"Seriously?" I waved my hand towards the security guard standing by the entrance, trying to grab ahold of his attention, when the first guy grabbed my wrist.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He whispered to me.

"You shouldn't make us angry." The third guy whispered into my ear.

"Let me go." I told them through gritted teeth, "Let me-"

When I awoke, I was slouched across the floor of some barren train car. My head was throbbing and bleeding, almost as if someone had bashed it in with a hard object. I blinked a couple times to see past the blurriness to reveal the wooden boxes, trunks, and bags slung all over the car. Was I where they typically store the luggage of passengers of those who purchased tickets? My eyes scanned around to notice one of the dark attire-dressed men sitting next to a long wooden coffin, while another sat directly across from him. I wanted to scream but my voice wasn't wanting to come out in volume.

"You're awake." A guy stood in front of me. I remember him. The train station. Leaning up against the ticket counter with a newspaper in hand. "I was hoping you'd awake soon, Elizabeth Leslie Carter." He smiled, using his finger to twirl a strand of my hair, "You were exactly the girl we've been looking for."