The subway to no surprise was in complete disarray. People stampede to get on the train while shouting and screaming for some reason or another. “I have a child!” “Let me through!” “Please just let me by!” It was all the same things being said over and over again but I can’t blame them. Our lives are in danger it’s a natural response to the situation above ground. To be honest I did the same as all these people after all I was just like them desperate. The ground started to shake and the people around me started to panic even more. I think even the train tilted to a degree. The ground started to shake even more violently as cracks formed into the walls and ceiling of the subway. Before my very eyes, the ceiling collapsed. Everything moved so slowly, it was like everything was in slow motion. I saw the desperate people around me, their faces crying out for someone to save them. Their eyes… their eyes were begging for hope, but hope never came. 

The roof slowly moved toward me. I thought to myself at the time I was going to die here and now… in a subway underground. I was hit by the debris from the roof and blacked out. I don’t know how long I was out, could have been hours or days, I couldn’t tell. When I came to agony fell on my body. It was as if little fire ants were crawling all over my body biting just enough to not hurt but instead get this unnerving feeling on my skin. I looked around for a second trying to gather my surroundings. Ruble covered my body but nothing truly crushed me. I started to move little by little, shifting the materials of the roof off myself. I eventually could crawl using my hands with the use-to-be ceiling hanging low. It was like crawling underneath a bed except the bed is a slab of cold hard concrete. I kept crawling and before I knew it I reached out my hand and touched the metal of the train.

The metal felt warm to the touch. I was almost sure that my fingers felt the sliding doors to the train. The slide door was caved in to a great degree but because the door was caved in there was a slight opening at the bottom. The opening looked to be just enough to fit through. Of course, I didn't know that, I just wanted to say that to give myself just a hint of hope. Inside I felt shattered like the few shards of glass that lay on the floor. If the widows were from old times, I’m sure the window would have been in little bits. I pushed the shards there were on the floor to the sides of me and crawled my way to the opening. Before I managed to make it to the opening my body turned cold. I started to quiver and shake at the sight of what was beyond that opening. A body of a dried-up corpus. Its skin mummified and decrepit. I only looked at the body in horror for several minutes before gathering my mental strength. I crawled to the opening and had to put my hands on the corpus to push it away for some space. It felt like I was touching very thin leather that was feebly attached to smooth hollowed wood. I could finally crawl fully through, I couldn't help but be full of hope and joy. I even cracked a smile due to this surge of happiness. 

I stood up and looked around the train, small cave-ins and dents lined the roof of the train but that was only minimal damage. The floor was cluttered with the same mummified bodies as the one I pushed away. But the bodies that lay on the floor were not to my concern as I shifted my attention to a portal in the center of the train. The portal was like the surface of a broken window. The outline was jagged with a blue glow coming off it. I could almost see a reflective surface near the outline. But there was more, something…Beyond the portal. I could clearly see the inside of a forest but it was strangely covered in total darkness. I really couldn't make out much due to the darkness of it all but I was sure there were some trees. I had no doubt about it. 

My mind began to wonder about, thinking of all sorts of questions and the reality of my situation. Before I was too deep in thought I was interrupted by the same voices from before. Their chatting was louder than before but I still couldn’t make out what they were saying. I put my hands to my ears to at least calm these voices but the attempt was futile. Their voices would shift and change, sounding like simple men and women while some sounded eerie, almost ghost-like, or monstrous. I stood there trying to process all that was going on but the voices would scatter my thought. My emotions started to take over slowly as I grew frustrated with my situation more and more. Before that frustration could bloom further there was a sharp shriek that came from beyond the portal. My body was instantly put into fight or flight. I heard the shriek get closer as a thud of footsteps followed. Along with the slow snapping and ripping of trees. The voices that were present all congregated together to speak only two words, “Turn around!” Almost out of instinct, I turned away from the portal as quickly as I could. The moment I turned around there was complete and utter silence. 

Then I felt it

Absolute dread and paranoia of some….things gaze. I never turned around but whatever was looking at me was staring into my soul. Like as if a bear was standing over me. Softly clawing at my back like it was playing with its food. The gaze lasted for only a few seconds but to me, it felt like hours. Once this feeling subsided I couldn't help but stand silently. My heart was beating out of my chest, my face a cold sweat. I hoped I would never have that feeling again. When I turned back around there was no portal in sight and the voices that were present steadily faded away. I finally could catch my breath and think of what to do next. I sat down on the left side of the train and plotted what I was to do next.