The train ride was an awkward one. A long die had gone through and the unfortunate ones were found all together in the same wagon, going back home after their late shifts. Andrew was sitting with Beatrice to his left and the ghost girl to his right. He didn't know what to think or what to say, neither did Beatrice.

The prospect of going to a woman's place should have been rather thrilling, especially since she was his crush, but Andrew felt none of that.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" She asked with her arms crossed, usually, they'd be talking all the time from the moment they left the shop, all the way until he dropped her at the station, yet now Andrew was as silent as a sleeping owl. She understood why but still hoped things wouldn't be so awkward.

"You said you'd explain everything once we were at your place so, I'm just going to wait, this is the station, right?" Burnside Ave was the station where she'd usually stay, then he'd ride a few more along the express until he'd reached Kingsbridge Road.

He stood up, intending to leave the train but she took his wrist and made him sit back down.

"It is not here".

"What do you mean it is not here? I have been dropping you here every time"

Beatrice leaned forward and rubbed her temples as if looking for the right words, "That was a lie... I don't have a little brother or a mother, Andrew... there is an apartment there I use to stay in every so often but, my main place is not here".

"..." The absentminded boy sat back down beside her when she saw how his gaze once again showed disappointment, she didn't know what to say. Trying to reach him, she ended up retracting her hand.

"I mean I had a mother, but she's no longer alive... m-my other places... we have to keep going for some more stations, alright?" Her voice was stuttery, showcasing either apprehension or fear, but at this stage, Andrew didn't care.

"..."

"I'm sorry".

She apologised but for the sake of nothing. Many were looking at them, thinking they were a fighting couple; such scenery was usual to come by at midnight in the subway.

Sophia wa trying as hard as she could to give the pair some due privacy, Beatrice wasn't able to see her, but often times Andrew found himself looking at her and speaking to her inadvertently even if just with whispers. The atmosphere on the train was sombre as always, but during this evening Sophia felt something wasn't right.

Like a slight malevolent aura with one origin. She resisted the urge to turn her head... they were roughly in the middle of the coach but to her furthest right there was the division between each coach with a small window that allowed one to take a glimpse into the next one even as the train moved. She wasn't taking a glimpse of anything, instead... someone was there, looking at them.

!!!

Sophia wouldn't have thought anything about that was suspicious, the person could just be looking at the inside of the wagon, the problem was the identity of that individual!

'Andrew, someone is looking at us. Don't make a move, we're not in a position to run!'.

Sophia's stuttery voice came so suddenly that for a moment Andrew didn't even know what to say, disregarding her words he started looking left and right like a fan. There were about a dozen people in this coach, all of them leaning on their chairs and also, a family of three... a couple and their little son who was sleeping on the father's lap; nothing else.

"Who is it? I don't see anything" He tried to whisper just so Beatrice wouldn't think he was going insane. He couldn't be speaking on the phone as there wasn't any line in the subway.

'T-The window to the next coach to your right. I-It is Sasha'

!!!

Andrew gulped a mouthful, like being told one was being predated without prior notice he adamantly refused to look at that window where from his periphery he could see a dark silhouette. He couldn't see who it was, but he could still confirm.

"Andrew?" Beatrice sensed his reaction and asked what was going on but all she received was silence, "Hmn? What is it? There you go talking on your own again".

"Beatrice, in the window leading to the next coach, is there anyone there looking at us? Try to not look too obvious".

"..."

The woman was confused, her reaction wasn't what Andrew expected, he thought she'd get flustered, confused, brazenly looking at the figure without a single bit of concern. That wasn't the case at all, instead... the woman cut down the remaining distance between them in the seat and whispered at his hear words that astonished him.

"You think we're being followed, where from? do you know this person's identity?"

Her voice changed completely, if before she sounded sweet... the current her seemingly transformed into a cold-hearted woman who was looking at everyone in the wagon as if they were suspicious of murder.

"Beatrice?"

"What is it? quickly tell me who is following us?"

"I told you... take a discrete look at the window and tell me if you see anyone, I think I saw someone I know".

Beatrice did as he asked, giving a mere sidelong glance, but she failed to catch anyone in there.

"No one, they could have moved" Beatrice said the verdict which sank both of Andrew and Sophia's hearts into the abyss... it could have been just a coincidence until Beatrice just proved that whatever was looking at them wasn't alive.

'S-She's still there, Andrew!'

'Oh my god...'

'It may not be safe to go to your place, Andrew, try to not act suspicious' if head to your house now and she follows us, she's going to know where we live'.

Andrew felt apprehension, on one side there was Beatrice who looked alarmed against a threat she couldn't perceive, on the other he thought perhaps this wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"Isn't that good? that means you can reunite with her-"

'No, that thing is not Sasha! I can tell, just like your blue flames or that shadow that night, she scares me... t-that creature kidnapped her before; don't you think it could have taken over her body?'

"Run away Sophia, just leave me and go!" There was little they could do in this situation where the train is still moving, if that thing decided to attack or do anything then what?

Andrew thought at least she can save herself by phasing through the train and fleeing, he wasn't that lucky... all he could hope was that the train arrived soon, and then he could take Beatrice to a hotel or something, anything.

"Sophia? Andrew, you better tell me what's going on, I'm not getting it" Beatrice was fuming, she stood up much to Andrew's dismay, immediately calling everyone's attention when she raised her voice, exactly what none of the two wanted... to call for attention.

'There is no way I can leave you! The moment we leave the station we're flying away.

"Are you insane!? what about Beatrice?"

"Listen Andrew you better tell me or-"

'She's coming!'

!!!

The shadow of the girl phased through the door leading to the wagon, dead at night with nothing but a few people in it. None could see the dark presence that has just entered this secluded space.

"As expected, you saw me~ and here I thought I was concealing myself well enough, punisher".

The lights in the wagon started to flicker with her every step, no one could see her, but they all could find the atmosphere suddenly turning dense as if they had sunk into the stillest of lakes.

Andrew stood up abruptly and pulled Beatrice behind him there was no point in feigning anymore. Sophia did much the same but instead of standing back, she stood in front of Andrew protectively.

"W-What do you want!?" Andrew's sudden shout gained the attention of everyone on the train, the thought he was another cracked having his delusions. As for the flickering lights? everyone knows what the country does with the taxpayer's money, it certainly doesn't pertain to new bulbs in the subway.

"What is going on?" Beatrice for her part was clueless, she thought Andrew had gone insane.

It was still the standard battlefield for Andrew, standing forth in this world, against beings only he could see... this time it was different. This time he felt a real threat looming from this being in front of them, at the far edge of the wagon.

'This version of you is weak, punisher... what a lucky chance; I can take your essence before you grow stronger. After devouring enough souls, this should be enough to defeat you'.

"..."

'...'

Neither Sophia nor Andrew had any clue what this thing was talking about, but at least they confirmed it is indeed not Sasha.

"What are you talking about?"

'There is no need to act ignorant, the fact that you can see me is enough for me to tell you're not normal. Hand over your-'

*RUMBLE!*

The lights started to flicker again, this time more intensely and not only that, the wagon itself started to shake, scaring everyone present who was beginning to realise things weren't so simple. Even Sasha's countenance fell when she placed her gaze to the furthest end at the opposite side of the coach.

"W-What is that?!"

One of the men yelled, but that person wasn't pointing at 'Sasha'.

Instead, that person was pointing towards the other end of the corridor. Andrew turned his head like a fan just like everyone else and that was when they saw 'it' except this time... he wasn't special.

Everyone could see this terrifying 'thing' and the fright was so strong that without thinking twice or even minding the astonished Andrew's reaction... Beatrice took out a gun from her waistband and shakily pointed it at this thing.

Whatever it was, it was evil.

The lights of the train remained dimmed and the announcement for the next station rang loudly but no one paid attention to it. Instead, everyone paid attention to the shadow at the end of the train, and the two shining red dots it had as eyes.

The silhouette resembled that of a man, but without factions, a pitch black figure, tall to the point it was bending down since 'it' didn't fit in the wagon at all. The shadows behind it seemed to have a life of their own, expanding along the walls of the coach towards them.

"AS A MONSTER, YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO STEAL FROM YOUR PEE'RS MAW"

...

'Sasha', Andrew, Sophia, Beatrice... no one had time to react at all at what happened next. The lights only flickered twice and the next thing Andrew and everyone on this train saw, was countless shadows impaling 'Sasha' mercilessly piercing through the iron walls of the train and producing sparks!

They couldn't see it, but Andrew and Sophia could see clearly how Sasha was squirming in pain, splattering black blood everywhere as dozens of pitch-black spikes mercilessly impaled her!

*PA!*

*PA!*

*PA!*

Beatrice didn't think twice before shooting towards the mysterious wicked being who had been several inches away from ending their life and amidst the shacking of the train, chaos broke loose as the paranormal world exposed its fangs.