The Night Light

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It was dark, as the train light was dim yet filled with people, while I stood close to the safety rail. But I wasn't comfortable, as I felt a dark figure lurking in the corner of my eyes like something pressed upon the world instead of a part of it. Like a stain that marred the depths of the crowd that shoved in around me. But still, I kept my eyes fixed forward refusing to turn towards the figure.

Growing up as a child my mother would always tell me about train etiquette each time we boarded a train. Mind your business and remember to move the second the doors open. And that I have followed since my childhood, but instead, I state away, as far as I could using the people around as a shield. Soon, the train lurched, as it slowed.

My tight grip on the safety rail was the only thing that kept me from being drowned in the flood of bodies squishing around me, each pushing to gain position and balance. I used the movement to take a fast glance over my shoulder trying to see if it was watching me but couldn't catch sight of the dark unknown figure again.

The scent of strong sticky sweats and other things I didn't want to name filled my nose, corrupting my body scent, as I anxiously waited. I had managed to ignore it for most of the trip but now, with the odd feeling and strange occurrence that is happening, the humid air made my stomach cramp. It wasn't possible to keep away from close body contact with the passenger, especially as they inched ever closer to the doors in restless anticipation. Their cheap cloth, accompanied with the unpleasant warm fresh scent. The crowdedness and close contact with the passengers made it possible to expect the unknown, as straying elbows carelessly jabbed into my ribs. I froze as a new sensation invaded the normal crush.

Immediately, the doors opened just as I tried to turn, cool night air chilled my soft skin as the flow of the crowd pushed me forward with renewed determination to avoid whoever was on the train, I gathered my hair over one shoulder and ignored the retreating touch, as I moved swiftly to avoid being consumed by the flowing crowd, I passed alongside the moving train, heading down towards the exit stairs.

The lights of the train went back to the night as best they could. But still, dark shadows splayed across the ground and walls. Each one was weaker than the figure I had spotted before but enough to make me flinch, so I kept my gaze locked straight ahead. It didn't stop my attention is captured by the figure again. It flicked across the corner of my eyes, vanished as quickly as I spotted it, but the sensation of being watched lingered, it played across my skin like a wave of needles, as I held my coat tightly around my body and rushed up the stairs.

Reaching the bridge that arched over the rails didn't change the sensation, only lessened it, so I adjusted my chest bag and took a deep breath of the night air. But still, I felt an emptiness in my stomach, probably a sign of hunger, making it a struggle to keep my head high. Still, a part of me wanted to look back. So I focused instead on getting away from the station and clearing my mind.

The side of the subway station was almost as populated as the train itself. Traffic was a steady strum through the streets while both sides were filled with restaurants and shopping stores. As my fellow travelers dispersed around me, they were instantly replaced with people searching for their friends, food, and luggage. Different scents filled the air reminding me of how hungry I am.

Weaving through the crowd, I twisted to avoid a couple that had suddenly stopped to kiss each other passionately, neglecting their environment. That's when I noticed the strange figure from the train, it remained still as the world seemed to swirl around it, suddenly I lost sight of it again.

People bumped into me, as I stood still, shoving my back and forth, snapping out of my shocked stupor. Clutching my bag to the other side, I rushed forward with renewed determination. My skin crawled over my bones, my heartbeat wildly around my warm chest even as I struggled to dismiss the strange figure as merely a trick of the light.

Moving through the crowd was like pushing against a tide, the short distance took far too long. I just wanted to be home, finally, I was able to reach the corner where the stoplight made it possible to cross the road, as I joined the crowd already matching. That didn't stop me from feeling like they were only a breath away from my back. I could almost feel the heat of someone's hand hovering over my left shoulder.

Twitching as if I could physically dislodge the sensation, I pushed my hair over my shoulder just the barest of a turn and it was there again, lurking in the corner of my eyes. My spine straightened, the figure was closer than it had been before, but still, I couldn't see its face but its figure was horrifying. It was on a long black dress like a Grim Reaper with a veil covering its face and had hands dripping with blood. It was nothing more than an ebony smear in the edges of her peripheral vision. As subtle as I could, I shifted fussing with my bad strap for an excuse to look back. A spike of fear lodged in my lungs as the thought bubbled into my mind that my pursuer would be encouraged by any form of acknowledgment. I struggled to keep myself breathing even at the point of darkness seeped behind me, only to reemerge and settle once more on the very edge of her blind spot.

Soon… the word froze my blood, as the walk light flickered on. I raced forward pushing my way past a few people in front of me, as I ran home barefooted with my shoes in my hands. My nerve endings felt like live wires, each one screaming at me to get some distance from my pursuer. But there was a price to pay, as I was closing my house, racing around the street, I spotted my penthouse, now it's to find my apartment. It never occurred to me that I was leading the figure to my house. I made a quick run to the hallway leading to my apartment, as the hallway light started blinking fast.

Soon, I reached the room door, I put my hands into my bag to get the key, as my hands were shaking, unable to fit the key into the lock, then I took a glance at the empty hallway, as I found the scary figure standing watching. I snapped my head up, a scream lingering on the tip of my tongue but failing to come. It drew nearer to me.

Now, my mind screamed to move, to run, but my muscles wouldn't listen. Each one is locked to the ground where I stand. Soon the horrifying dark figure surrounded me, engulfed me. As a hot breath washed over my trembling skin, my field of vision narrowed. Breaking through the shock. I opened my mouth to scream for help. The darkness rushed forward, latching onto me like thousands of hands that wouldn't let go. The darkness enveloped me, crawled into my open mouth, and stung my eyes as the invisible hands pulled me in and dragged me down into the bottomless abyss. As the figure said."Time to come home."

My scream died as swiftly as it began, leaving only the rattle of my keys swinging in the lock to break the silence of the now empty hallway.

_{The End.}