The Train

It was a train. Yes, a train, a locomotive, a big heavy tubular kind of thing that moved over tracks rather fast for its size and weight. It was a train. Sam was a man. Yes, a man, a guy, a gentle guy who sat alone on the train. Sam didn’t particularly like taking the train because he was usually a target for unruly teens who traveled on the train. Sam was not a fighter. He was not a hero. Sam was a normal guy, a husband, a father. All Sam wanted that day was to be left alone.

He saw them as they boarded at the Shady Circle Avenue stop. They were as rowdy as usual as they made their way towards his section of the car. Bracing for a confrontation, he made no eye contact. He pretended as though he was reading a news article, but that caught the attention of Ebantu, the leader, and he made a beeline for Sam.

“Hey guys, look what we have here, the heavyweight,” Ebantu joked.

They all began laughing and pointing as they descended on Sam, making fun of him and trying to goad him into a fight. Sam tried ignoring them, as onlookers braced for a confrontation. It was a scene that was not unfamiliar. Everyone knew of the rowdy teens and everyone knew Sam would not allow them to get under his skin. He was a gentle giant, and he was used to Ebantu’s antics.

Terry Randall, from a few rows back, yelled at the teens to leave Sam alone. That caught the attention of Ebantu. Ebantu liked to project toughness, bravado, laddish behavior. He made his way back to Terry and stared at him with a relentless, soul-scorching stare. Without saying a word, he slapped Terry and then leaned in to him, positioning his face to within inches of Terry’s. Ebantu’s eyes were wide open, displaying a creepy, crazed look that sent shivers though to Terry’s core. He turned away, nearly in tears as he told Ebantu he meant nothing by what he said and begged to be left him alone. Ebantu did not move.

A lady sitting beside Terry told Ebantu to leave him alone, and that seemed to make Ebantu back off, but not before slapping her across the face as well. Finally, Ebantu stood and refocused his energy back towards Sam as he made his way back to him. He continued his taunt and encouraged his friends to join in, which, of course, they did.

⁂

It had remained dormant for years, waiting for the opportune time to appear. Sam never knew it was there. Unfortunately, he soon would, as his day was about to go from bad to worse, much, much worse. As Ebantu continue’d his verbal attack, he began poking at Sam to make him fight back. Ebantu had never taken things that far before and frequent travelers wondered why that day was different.

Sam began to sweat, lightly at first, but soon he was sweating profusely. He felt sick and began bending over in his seat while grabbing at his stomach. Ebantu didn’t care and continued egging him on to the fight.

“C’mon, man,” He yelled at Sam. “What the heck is wrong with you? Defend yourself.”

Sam felt as though he was going to pass out. He slouched in his seat as his skin was getting clammy and actually changing color. He began shaking as if he had a fever. It was subtle at first but quickly escalated into all out convulsions. It was only then that Ebantu backed off as he watched in horror at what was happening to Sam.

Suddenly, Sam rose to his feet and immediately collapsed on the floor as he began violently clawing at his face, his chest, his stomach, pleading for someone to help him. As a crowd formed, Ebantu backed away, saying he had not touched Sam and that he didn’t know what was happening. He looked around at the crowd as if begging for forgiveness, for which he received none.

Sam convulsed intensely as something seemed to snatch his body upward and then slam it back to the floor. It was as if something was inside of him trying desperately to escape. Then there was the smell, the smell of something not human. Sam’s eyes rolled upward until only the whites were visible, and soon his body went completely limp as he lay on the floor. People, including Ebantu, breathed a sigh of relief as they thought Sam had finally gone through whatever had made him sick. But then it happened.

Sam’s eyes returned to almost normal, but opened wide, unnaturally wide as he looked towards Ebuntu with a stare that terrified him. Sam began moaning, a deep guttural moan as he ripped at his shirt to reveal his stomach. Something was inside, ripping at his skin as if trying to claw its way out. Sam began screaming and hitting his stomach as if attempting to keep it inside. It was a fight he was losing, as his screams of pain subsided into whimpering cries for help.

Suddenly, whatever was trying to get out ripped an opening in Sam’s stomach and a hand pushed its way through. Sam, in great pain at that point, passed out, and the creature continued ripping at Sam’s middle as it emerged. Onlookers began screaming and running. A man tried to leave the car to flag down a porter, the conductor, anyone to report the incident to, but by then the creature had fully emerged, having grown to an enormous size and pulled him back.

With one swift motion, the creature jerked the man’s head so violently to the side; it snapped his neck and it his head just dangled against his chest as fell to the floor dead. The creature looked upwards with outstretched arms and screamed loudly, as if killing the guy brought great pleasure. Panic set in as everyone ran towards the exit at the rear of the car. Everyone except Ebantu. Frozen stiff, his fear would not allow him to move as the creature came to within inches of him. Ebantu was shaking violently as a stream of piss ran down his pants and onto the floor.

His tears had no effect on the creature as it grabbed him and curled him into its arms with his back facing upwards. It began folding Ebantu up, bringing its arms together as Ebantu’s body folded over onto itself. He screamed in pain as his back snapped and his head met the back of his legs. He died and the creature let his body fall to the floor.

⁂

When Sam awoke, he was sweating and in a panic at the thought of how real his dream was. He looked on the floor where he thought he’d see Ebantu lying dead, but he was not there. Luckily, that time it was only a dream. The entire confrontation with Ebantu was only a dream.

 K.R. Eaton - The Train

Short Stories by K.R Eaton