The elderly woman rubbed the spot where she had bumped into earlier, her face marked by anxiety and unease as she muttered,
"Being stranded here in the middle of nowhere… I hope nothing bad happens."
Hearing this, the elderly man beside her grew more uneasy, as though an invisible hand had gripped his heart, tightening with each passing second.
"Could there really be danger...?"
Seeing that the attendant had not responded, the man began pacing frantically,
"Ah, this is driving me crazy!"
Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he slapped his forehead.
"Wait a minute… Could there be something blocking the tracks ahead?"
The attendant did not immediately reply to the man, but hurried to the train's connecting section, looking out with a serious expression, as if searching for something...
The boy, rubbing his girlfriend's bruised spot, grumbled,
"What is going on here?"
Meanwhile, the girl wept quietly, her eyes red, complaining,
"Waaah... I never want to ride this terrible train again!"
As the passengers fell silent, awaiting further updates, the lights in the carriage suddenly began to flicker erratically...
Zzzzt…
Everyone's gaze turned toward the flickering lights above. A low murmur of surprise spread through the carriage:
"What's going on now? Is this place haunted too?"
The already tense atmosphere escalated as the flickering lights sent a wave of unease through the car.
Each flicker made everyone's hearts skip a beat.
"Don't worry…" the burly man said, though his body instinctively pressed against the elderly man beside him,
"Maybe... maybe it's just an issue with the electrical system..."
The bespectacled man scanned the room warily, his voice attempting to project calmness:
"Everyone, stay calm. It should be nothing serious."
His eyes were fixed on the lights, though he too felt a gnawing unease.
Zzzzt…
Amid the unnerving buzzing sound, the lights abruptly went out.
In an instant, darkness swept over the carriage, engulfing everything.
People screamed in panic, their voices echoing through the narrow train car, like the cries of souls from the depths of hell.
The elderly man coughed a few times.
"Cough, cough… Don't scream. What if we attract something?"
Perhaps fearing that his words would come true, the passengers instinctively fell silent, and for a moment, the car was utterly still.
Fear clung to each person like a second skin, tightening around their hearts.
In the darkness, it felt as though countless eyes were watching, filled with malevolent intent and mocking amusement.
Time seemed to freeze, every second stretching endlessly.
Thump, thump, thump…
In the silence, the sound of their hearts pounding grew louder, like the ticking of a death clock.
Meng Changyi rubbed her eyes, pulling off her headphones, still disoriented from sleep. How had she fallen asleep without realizing it?
How strange… why is it so dark? So quiet?
Had she just heard a scream? Was it just her imagination?
Why had the lights gone out? Is it sleep time? Surely that's not it…
Or... had everyone else gotten off the train, and she was the only one left behind?
Had no one called her to leave?
No…
How do I get out now?
Fear surged through her mind as she tried to rationalize the impossible. It seemed utterly absurd, surely impossible.
Just as she fumbled for her phone to check the time, a blinding flash of white light suddenly illuminated the carriage.
Instinctively, Meng Changyi raised her hand to shield her eyes. Thank goodness, someone's here! I won't be trapped!
But this person had no manners, shining a light directly into her eyes.
The harsh, pale light flickered across the carriage, and Meng Changyi squinted through the gaps between her fingers to see.
It looked like someone in red... an attendant?
A cold, detached voice spoke,
"Please remain calm."
The light passed over faces filled with terror, and the voice continued,
"This is likely just a temporary malfunction. Our staff has already gone to check."
Meng Changyi sat in a daze, confused.
What malfunction? Have I disconnected from reality?