In the early hours, Train K104 sped through the darkness.

In the pitch-black carriage, a series of ‘beep beep beep’ sounds echoed.

‘Fuck, who’s sending messages at this hour?’

I heard someone curse.

I’ve always been a light sleeper, and I have a habit of turning off my mobile data before bed.

But now, my phone kept pinging with WhatsApp notifications—highly unusual.

01

Unlocking my phone, I saw I had been inexplicably added to a WhatsApp group, and it was muted.

The number of members showed 129.

‘Dear passengers, good evening,’ an anonymous user spoke up.

WhatsApp can be anonymous?

Anonymous: ‘Due to certain reasons, the train will soon stop running. During this period, we hope all passengers can carefully read the group prompts and remember the survival rules. Pay attention, remember these rules!’

[1. The train will halt in a frigid suburban area. Please stay under your blankets and keep all parts of your body covered. It’s very cold and dangerous outside. The train will restart at 3 AM and the heating will resume. Note: Before 3 AM, please try to sleep or pretend to sleep and remain silent.]

[2. This train provides free food services. Bread, eggs, and mineral water are distributed for free. Please get food from blue uniformed attendants. Do not buy food from red uniformed attendants. Note: We only provide bread, eggs, and mineral water. There is no other food! Note: There are no red uniformed attendants on this train. Note: If you see a red uniformed attendant, do not speak to ‘it.’ Close your eyes and pretend to sleep. Note: Do not make eye contact with the red uniformed attendant, or you will face dire consequences.]

[3. For public health, do not smoke in the train carriage. Smoking is harmful. Note: If you really can’t hold back, you can smoke in the restroom before the train stops.]

[4. Once the train stops, the restroom doors will automatically lock and cannot be opened. If someone is trapped inside, crouch down to avoid being seen through the window. Note: There are no people in the desolate wilderness outside the train. If you see shadows passing by, it’s an illusion. Note: If the ‘person’ outside the restroom window starts staring at you, stay still and hold your breath until ‘it’ leaves. Note: Do not use the restroom before 3 AM after the train stops. It’s not safe! Not safe!]

‘Reminder: There are 25 minutes left until the train stops. Use the restroom or smoke if needed.’

…

‘Damn it, are you kidding me?’

‘What kind of lunatic is this?’

‘What a load of crap!’

The carriage was filled with curses, but in the next second, a deathly silence fell.

‘…’

For a long time.

‘Something’s wrong, who added me to this group?’

‘Hey man, did you get added to this group too?’

‘It’s strange, there are no common friends. Who could add so many people to a WhatsApp group at once?’

The guy on the opposite berth, wearing headphones, lightly asked me, ‘Hey man, are you in the group too?’

I nodded, not saying a word. Just as the crowd’s noise subsided, a sweet female voice suddenly came through the train’s PA system:

‘Attention all passengers, attention, it is now 1 AM on August 20, 2023. Due to an outbreak of an unknown virus at the next station, the train will make an emergency stop for disinfection. Please remain calm and stay inside the train.’

Emergency stop! I immediately thought of the messages on my phone.

My mind buzzed, my scalp tingling. The messages in the group were real.

Something bad was going to happen.

The carriage fell silent, the air heavy with tension.

I jumped off my berth, rushing to the restroom before anyone else.

As soon as I got in, several figures jumped off their berths behind me…

Luckily, I moved quickly, or I’d have to wait in line.

Nervous, I accidentally peed on my fingers. Already terrified, I cursed under my breath, ‘Damn it! This wretched train!’

Just as I was about to wash my hands, I suddenly felt a strong sensation of being watched—from outside the window!

The feeling was intense, like being stared at by a vulture.

My spine chilled.

Gulp!

I swallowed hard.

‘Don’t scare yourself. Believe in science.’

But humans are curious in dangerous situations.

I couldn’t control myself and slowly turned to look out the window.

Despite being prepared, I was still startled!

A shadow stood outside the window!

Those eyes glowed with a strange red light, staring unblinkingly at me, locking eyes.

Those dark red pupils were as red as fresh blood clots, bizarre, terrifying…

‘Knock knock knock!’

‘What’s going on in there? Hurry up!’

‘I’m dying out here!’

Urgent knocking came from outside, like a death summons, but I didn’t dare make a sound. I was trembling all over, terrified, abandoning all materialistic beliefs.

Those red eyes were like eerie fireworks, contracting and expanding like a heart, with a gray ring in the middle, like a demon peering through a mirror.

 What the hell is this! Although it looked human, it couldn’t be human!

Wait… the group mentioned this! Stay still, hold your breath!

I forced myself to calm down, leaning against the sink, staying still, holding my breath!

The eyes flickered, as if in doubt.

But I’m not athletic, with poor lung capacity, and after being scared, my breathing was erratic.

I couldn’t hold my breath for long, praying it would leave quickly, leave quickly… It’s an illusion, an illusion…

Ten seconds…

Twenty seconds…

Thirty seconds…

One minute…

Just as my face turned red, feeling my lungs about to explode, the shadow disappeared as if it had never been there.

‘Huff huff huff…’ I gasped for air, my legs weak, leaning against the sink, breathing hard like bellows.

…

Suddenly, a loud ‘bang!’ I almost fell!

‘What are you doing in there? Planning to stay in there until New Year’s?’

‘Hurry up!’

Impatient urging came from outside. Ignoring the urine on my hands, I rushed out of the restroom, still shaken.

Outside was the guy from the opposite berth, swearing and glaring at me, squeezing into the restroom with his headphones on…

Luckily, there was a sink outside the restroom.

I turned on the tap, washing my fingers, still replaying the scene in my mind.

In the mirror above the sink, my face looked out of control, muscles twitching… Dark red eyes, taller than average, a black shadow…

That’s definitely not human! Not human!

I washed my face, took out a cigarette, and just as I was about to light it, the lighter jammed, failing to ignite.

‘Snap! Snap! Snap!’

‘Aaaah!!!’ Suddenly, a terrified scream came from the restroom, turning into a shrill cry!

I jolted, dropping the lighter into the sink! Then, frantic banging and crashing! ‘Bang bang bang!!’

‘Bang bang bang bang!!’

‘Help—!’

‘Help…’

‘Aaaah!!!’

…

Suddenly, everything stopped. Silence lingered in the air…

Outside the restroom, everyone held their breath, wide-eyed, silent.

No one knew what had happened inside. After a while, the restroom door suddenly opened from the inside.

Strangely, it opened by itself. Inside, only the sound of flushing and a pungent stench…

‘Where’s the person?’

‘Who opened the door?’

The restroom was empty.

02

The people in line to use the restroom glanced inside, their urgency heightened by fear, but no one dared to enter.

Only I guessed what had happened inside.

It must have been that shadow! Based on the hints, anyone using the restroom would encounter ‘it.’

Following the group’s instructions might be the only way to avoid danger.

Cold sweat trickled down my back, relieved to have survived, my cigarette dropped into the sink unnoticed…

Now’s not the time for smoking!

I checked the time; the PA announcement was at 1 AM, now it was 1:20 AM!

I had to get back under the blanket!

Thinking this, I rushed back to my A12 berth, not even taking off my clothes, diving under the blanket!

Time passed.

The guy across from me didn’t return.

His backpack lay alone on the berth.

I realized he had been taken by some force, likely dead.

At this moment, another anonymous message appeared in the WhatsApp group.

Anonymous: ‘The train is about to stop. The earlier tips are only for the sleeper carriages. If you hear any strange noises from other carriages, ignore them. It’s an illusion, an illusion! Don’t check, it’s dangerous!’

Not for other carriages? What does that mean? I couldn’t figure it out when another message came through.

Chris: ‘Tim, the PA announced we need to transfer to another train. Call me when you get off so we can meet up.’

Chris is my high school and college buddy.

We were close, often skipping classes to go online or get massages.

We planned this trip together, now on our way home.

With many travelers, I got a sleeper ticket while he, slower, got a seat.

But his message contradicted the group’s hints.

Something’s wrong!

The attendants asked seat passengers to disembark?

Why didn’t the sleeper carriages get notified?

 And how could there be a transfer station in this desolate wilderness?

‘Tim, we’re getting off. Hurry up, don’t leave anything behind.’

Chris messaged again.

I could feel the train slowing down, about to stop.

The carriage atmosphere was eerily silent. No one made a sound.

… After a long time, someone with a loud voice suddenly shouted, ‘Damn it, why didn’t they notify us while others are getting off! I can’t stand this wretched train anymore!’

Then there was the sound of people packing and leaving.

‘Cough, that person seems to have gotten off.’

‘Should we… get off too?’

‘Idiot, if you want to die, don’t drag us along! It’s not safe inside the train, you think it’s safe outside?’

The conversation stopped as soon as the train halted.

At this moment, everyone seemed to have agreed and fell silent.

According to the group’s prompt, we had to sleep.

I lifted a corner of my blanket.

Sure enough, countless figures were disembarking, standing in rows in the wilderness.

Time unknowingly passed to about 1:30 AM, the ‘sleep time’ mentioned in the anonymous message.

I had a bad feeling, immediately messaging Chris: ‘Chris, did you get off?’

‘Chris, don’t get off, don’t get off!’

But I received no reply.

 Anxious, I muted my phone and called Chris, my head under the blanket, breathing heavily, sweating profusely.

After about thirty seconds, the call was rejected.

‘Why didn’t he answer?’

Chris never hung up on me.

As I wondered, he sent a photo.

The photo showed only the pitch-black wilderness, nothing else.

‘Tim, something strange has happened. Train K104 disappeared! Did you get off the train?’

I just realized that the photo shows the tracks winding in the dark.

On the tracks, there’s no Train K104.

No train! Then… where are we now?

The train clearly stopped; it should be stationary.

If the train doesn’t exist, then where exactly are we?

My mind went blank.

A sudden realization hit me.

I quickly opened the ticket booking app.

I couldn’t find Train K104!

There’s no such train! I held my breath, my limbs went cold, and my heart pounded wildly as if it wasn’t beating for myself.

Suddenly, Chris sent another message: “Don’t get off the train!”

I quickly replied, “Chris, what’s going on outside? I’m still on the train!”

But there was no response.

The train’s soundproofing was excellent, blocking out 80% of the outside noise.

However, my hearing has been extraordinary since I was young, making me a light sleeper, easily awakened by the slightest noise.

At this moment, I could hear the faint noises outside the carriage clearly!

“Ahhhh—”

“Help, please…”

My nerves were taut like a bowstring.

The outside noise gradually turned into shrill screams, heart-wrenching cries, and rampant cursing mixed with the crisp sound of bones breaking.

It was like the prelude to the echo of hell. What exactly was happening outside?

Once curiosity arises, it’s hard to control, especially when anxiety compels me to investigate…

After a fierce struggle, I took a deep breath, mustered up the courage, and tried to lift a corner of the blanket to peek outside.

Just then, a strange sound suddenly interrupted me!

“Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!”

Like the sound of high heels on the floor, it was extremely chilling in the quiet carriage.

However, women usually walk lightly in high heels, but this sound was different…

It was like… bones directly hitting the floor?

The sound was getting closer!

No!

To be precise… it was right in front of me!

The sixth sense in a crisis is very accurate! I could feel that outside the thin blanket, a pair of eyes was staring at me!

Note: Before 3 AM, please try to sleep, don’t make any noise, you can pretend to sleep.

I remembered the group prompt, tightly clutching the corner of the blanket, forcing myself to sleep through mental suggestion.

But the more I tried, the more awake my mind became, conjuring up all sorts of demons and monsters, scaring me so much that cold sweat drenched my clothes.

Whether it was psychological or not, the temperature inside the blanket suddenly dropped, as if I was in a cold abyss, my hands and feet numb.

Under intense fright, the more I closed my eyes, the more anxious I became.

I bit my lip hard, not letting any sound escape my mouth, even stifling my breath, my blood seemed to freeze.

Gradually, my eyelids grew heavier.

Amid the frantic pounding of my heart, I somehow fell asleep.

I didn’t know how much time had passed when I was awakened by a wave of heat.

After struggling for a long time, I swallowed and slowly opened my eyes.

The carriage was as quiet as usual; I couldn’t hear a single sound. I glanced at my phone; it was already 3 AM.

Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, something unexpected happened…

“Ahhh!!!”

“My baby!”