Return Journey
She eyed the old station from her kitchen window. After living here for a couple of weeks, she hadn’t seen a single person go near it. She hadn't even seen any trains go past. This entire section of the tracks must be disused. Strangely though, there were no gates or fences to keep people out. Apparently, people found the place unsettling. That's what she'd been told. It's why this house was so cheap to rent, which was one of the reasons she'd chosen to move here. It’s not like she could afford much, and it was nice to have an entire house to herself.
Abandoned places always fascinated her. The kind of places which people told stories about. Children telling ghost stories at school. People posting urban myths on the internet. All she saw were fascinating old buildings which she wanted to go and explore. She’d picked up urbexing as a hobby a few years ago, back when she was a student. Before everything in her life had fallen apart and she’d ended up in this place. Before... No. She shook her head. These needed to stop thoughts like these.
There were still a couple of hours before dark. Pulling on some boots and a jacket, she stepped outside, crossing the road to the station. It was a cloudy day, and the ground was still wet from the rain that afternoon. Wind buffeted her, and she turned up her jacket collar. The place was dilapidated. Broken paving slabs, lined with moss and weeds. A ticket office window, shuttered and encrusted with grime. An old wooden door, still firmly closed. Pulling out her phone, she snapped a couple of photographs. Take only photographs, leave only footprints. That was the urban explorers’ motto.
She found her way around, onto the platform. The wind bit at her face, as she photographed the old tracks. Still in surprisingly good condition despite their disuse. The platform paving was uneven, messy with scattered splinters from decaying woodwork. There was an old bench, unused for years, its wooden frame rotten and discoloured. Above it, someone had sprayed graffiti on the wall. ‘Be careful what you wish for,’ it read. She smiled, taking took a moment to compose a good photograph. This was the kind of picture she loved to take. It seemed an odd message to write, but it had obviously made sense to whoever wrote it.
Halfway along the platform, she found steps leading down to a tunnel under the tracks, and to the other platform. Broken tiles and crumbling brickwork. It reminded her of the first time she’d explored one of these derelict places. Lining up a picture looking down the bannister, a nostalgic feeling swelled inside her chest.
She stepped carefully down, on the algae ridden steps. There was a slight musty smell here, and she could no longer hear the wind. More graffiti scrawled nearby, read ‘where do you want to go?’ She took another quick photo before looking hesitantly into the tunnel. Places like these weren’t always safe. This place gave her a strange feeling, she couldn't quite describe. But he’d been to spookier places. Like that one time, with her old friends. Before she’d lost contact with them. She closed her eyes for a moment. No. She needed to stop thinking about that. About her life before... him. Inwardly, she still wished he'd never come into her life to ruin it all.
She breathed a sigh, and slowly walked into the tunnel. Dim light came from the exit at the other side. The walls were lined with cracked and broken tiles. The tunnel seemed darker now, from the inside. She paused, and looked back. The entrance she'd come from appeared strangely distant. She turned back and continued walking for the exit.
The darkness started to feel claustrophobic, pushing in around her. Her pulse quickened, and she started to walk faster. The exit still seemed so far away. Taking a deep breath, she stuffed her hands into her pockets to steady them. All she could hear were the echoes of her footsteps and the pounding of her heart. The darkness started to feel heavy. Weighing down on her. She picked up her speed. By the time she finally reached the other side, she was almost running.
She took a deep breath as she emerged from the tunnel. Grinning, she shook her head. How silly to get scared like that. She started climbing the steps to the platform, before she noticed. They were clean. Tidy. No broken tiles. No moss. Reaching the platform, the sky was a deep twilight blue. Had it gotten dark that quickly?
Turning, she gasped. There was a train standing at the station. Its windows dark. Its doors closed, apart from a single one, with a light pouring out of it. Hesitantly, she found herself walking towards the open door. When had this train arrived? She hadn’t heard anything at all.
Cautiously, she looked inside the train carriage, through the open door. The inside appeared well lit. Just like any other train. She glanced again at the windows, but they all looked dark from the outside. This felt wrong. She took a step backwards.
“You don't need a ticket for this train, you know.”
The voice startled her. She turned sharply on her heel. An old woman, wearing a hooded shawl. Her eyes were hidden from view.
“I–” She stammered, “I don't–”
“If you know where you want to go,” the old woman said, “this train will take you there. Better hurry if you want to get on.”
She turned to look at the open train doors, her thoughts racing. “But how–” She turned back to find herself alone on the platform.
That nostalgic feeling crept into her mind again. Thoughts of the past, when she'd been happy and carefree, before everything had gone wrong. She did know where she wanted to go. She took a long, deep breath. Then she stepped onto the train.