“Yes, thank you, dear,” she answered. “Just took a tumble. Not quite sure what happened there. These old legs get wobblier each week.”
“Are you getting off at the next stop?” Eleanor asked as the announcement came and the train began to visibly slow down.
“I'd like to,” the woman smiled tiredly.
“Let us help you,” the voice next to Eleanor said.
Eleanor looked up and smiled. Charlene had joined her. Eleanor stood up and they both reached out. The old lady gratefully accepted, and with help, she managed to stand. Eleanor looked around.
“Any luggage?” she asked.
“Oh, no,” the woman answered. “I was just visiting some friends. I only have my handbag.” She indicated the bag clutched under her arm.
The woman surprised Eleanor by gently shrugging off her supporting arm and making a shooing gesture.
“You're both very kind, thank you,” she said, still smiling. “But I've got it from here.” Her eyes showed a steely self-determination. “I just lost my balance, but now that I am up, I am fine. Thank you.”
With that, she made her way towards the nearest exit where she waited, defiant of gravity and moving trains. Eleanor gave the old lady a respectful glance as she walked past, and saw tears in the woman's eyes. Eleanor felt sad for her, but a sense of pride also filled her. It wasn't easy getting old, but some people still had fight and a strength of spirit in them until the very end. Eleanor had never seen the woman before, but she somehow knew that she was a tough old bird, and Eleanor respected that. She also glanced at Charlene and gave a proud smile as the teenager walked past, back to her seat. Most other young people would probably have remained seated.
The old woman's strength and determination had somehow strengthened Eleanor's own resolve and she looked openly at the thing.
It was even bigger here in the carriage than it had been out on the street. It stood slightly hunched over and Eleanor was now, more than ever, convinced that the thing was over seven feet tall. She also noticed other small details she had missed earlier.
It was clearly a predator. The muscular build, the claws, the over-extended jaw with twin rows of serrated teeth, the slits in the snout functioning as a nose, the six eyes, spread in a horizontal line around its head (it would have but a very small blind spot, Eleanor mused), and then four slits, spaced between eyes two and four, and four and six, which would likely be its ears. She also noticed that the thing had extra joints in its arms and legs. Apart from these small differences, it was still humanoid in appearance. Head, neck, shoulders, trunk, two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet. It had one more finger on each hand, and one less toe on each foot, but yes, it had the basic form of a human being.
Which led to the questions; what was it exactly? And where did it come from?
Eleanor turned her back on it and moved back to her seat, resisting the urge to give it the middle finger. Instead, she squeezed Charlene's hand as she sat down next to her.
“Thanks for the help,” she said.
“No sweat,” Charlene answered. “She okay?” she asked, pointing at the old lady with her head as the train screeched to a stop.
“She's fine,” Eleanor nodded, remembering the woman's steely gaze.
They watched the woman and two other passengers get off at South Norwalk. Only one male passenger took their place. They were halfway into their journey home and Eleanor dreaded what was to come after intermission. She resisted the temptation to bolt for the doors as they closed. Instinct told her to just keep running and not look back, but she knew that would mean death. The thing had shown that it could track her. It was also bigger and faster, so there was no way she would ever be able to dodge and weave and outrun it. There was only one option left for survival - she had to be smarter.
That led her back to her questions as the train pulled out again.
What is it?
Where did it come from?
Why is it here?
Before Eleanor could begin to speculate on possible answers, the thing moved down a row from the back. It towered over Eleanor's world from only a row over. But it wasn't interested in her. Instead, it tilted its head and looked at a baby in a stroller. It bent closer and the baby started to scream.
The mother immediately took the baby and cradled it close to her, trying her best to soothe the terrified child. Inadvertently, the mother had now brought the baby closer to the thing. The thing turned its head towards Eleanor, making sure it had her attention and then it started to open its mouth. Like a snake, its jaw seemed to unlock and drop, making it nearly three times the size it had been. Its maw was big enough to swallow both mother’s and baby's heads.
“No,” an involuntary gasp escaped Eleanor as she stood up.
The thing was now less than five feet from her. With its mouth so impossible wide, she expected to be assailed by a carrion stench, but she couldn't smell anything. She also didn't hear any sound from it. This close, Eleanor expected to hear something as it unhinged its jaw and opened its gaping mouth. Her mind stored that piece of information to process later. For now, her only concern was for the mother and child.
The mother was looking at her questioningly.
“I'm sorry,” the mother offered sheepishly. “I don't know what got into him. I'll offer him a bottle or a pacifier.”
She turned her attention away from the hovering Eleanor and looked in the baby bag at the front of the stroller. The action had taken both their heads away from the gaping black hole above them.
The thing closed its mouth, flared its twin nostrils at Eleanor, turned and walked to the back of the carriage, taking up its former space again.
“Okay,” Eleanor offered the woman, feeling the need to apologize herself. “No need to worry. I was just worried for the little one. He okay?” she asked lamely, sitting down.
“Yes, yes,” the woman said. “He'll be fine.”
Eleanor could feel Charlene's eyes boring into the side of her head. She turned slightly and faced the teen.
“What is going on, Eleanor? Are you okay?” Charlene asked, genuine concern in her voice. “Do you want more pills?” She whispered. “You're freaking me out.”
“I'm fine,” Eleanor said and averted her gaze, looking back at the thing.
“Like hell you are.” Charlene whispered under her breath. “Something's going on here.”
Eleanor ignored her as a staring match ensued between woman and beast that lasted several minutes.
Neither relented. It was a battle of wills.
Eleanor had to concede when Charlene pulled on her arm and got into her face.
“What's going on?” she asked again, frustration and worry etched on her face.
Eleanor sighed audibly. What possible explanation could she give Charlene for her weird behavior?
“You've been staring at the door and nothing else for the last five minutes. Do I need to get you to a hospital or something? Did you have a stroke maybe? Help me understand what's going on, I want to help.”
Eleanor felt her defenses crumble. Charlene was genuinely concerned and it warmed her heart. But she still had no answers for what was happening. She decided to go with that.
“I don't know what's going on,” she said, tearing her gaze from the thing and looking Charl in the eye. “It's hard to explain without sounding crazy.”
“Try me,” Charlene offered. “I know a little about crazy.”
Charlene had suffered from acute anxiety since she was thirteen, and it had only gotten better over the last year. She only started to feel like a person again over the last few months and worked hard at not being overwhelmed by things. She was in a good space and hated seeing Eleanor like this. It reminded her of her own dark days.
Eleanor smiled and shook her head in wonderment. “You're a good kid.”
“And you're an old hag. Now stop trying to change the subject and tell me what's up.”
“Okay,” Eleanor relented. “Just give me a few minutes t
o try and figure out how to put it in words. It's freaking me out, too, especially since I don't know how to describe it. Will you give me a few minutes to think?”
Eleanor struggled to maintain eye contact. Her entire being needed to see the thing. She had to know what it was doing, but keeping her eyes on Charlene was important here. She needed to show the girl that she had her full attention and was sincere in what she had said.
“Okay,” Charl said after a few seconds. “Take your time. But you need to tell me.”
“I will,” Eleanor ensured her by squeezing Charl's hand briefly.
Charlene leaned back and Eleanor's attention was immediately fixed on the leering thing again. It hadn't moved. Instead of engaging in a staring match again, she opted to look at the corner of the carriage roof to the back, enabling her to still see the thing from the corner of her eye. As soon as it made a move, she would be able to see it.
She spent the next few minutes running through various conversations in her mind. She honestly didn't know how she was going to explain it all to Charlene. Who would believe it? Eleanor was wondering if she should come up with a lie when the thing provided an answer for her. It moved again and Eleanor focused her full attention on it. Charlene saw the change in Eleanor's demeanor and followed her gaze. She was looking at the woman nearest the aisle in the back row. There was a look of nervous apprehension on Eleanor's face.
Eleanor saw the thing leaning over the nearest person to it. It was a woman in her thirties, dressed in a formal, corporate two-piece suit. A junior office manager, a sales rep perhaps? It didn't really matter, Eleanor thought. The woman was busy on her laptop, furiously typing and concentrating on the screen and nothing else.
The thing gently lifted a strand of her hair into the air. The woman didn't notice, and neither did anyone else except for Charlene who had taken in a sharp breath. Eleanor looked at Charlene quickly. She was seeing it, too.
The thing held the woman's hair in the air for a few short seconds. It looked at Eleanor and then back at the woman. The next instant, it slashed at the hair with a claw from its opposing hand.
No longer held upright, the bottom part of the hair that hadn't been severed, fell back to her head. The woman showed no reaction. She hadn't felt a thing.
This was clearly for Eleanor's benefit. The thing wanted to show Eleanor how sharp its claws were. With disdain, it threw the cut hair in the air.
“What the fu...” Charlene uttered from beside Eleanor.
She had clearly seen the hair being lifted, slashed and then strewn, and didn't know how to react.
The woman's hair started floating down in strands. Some settling on her laptop, some on the people next to her. She reacted as if she was being attacked by snakes. She immediately slammed the laptop shut and dropped it on the floor as she stood up, grabbing at the hair still on her head. She somehow knew that the hair falling all around her was hers. She brushed them off in a panic, a mewling sound escaping her lips, her eyes franticly looking around, looking for the person who had done this. Seeing that there was no one near her with a pair of shears, the mewling sound grew into a startled screech of, “What? Who?”
No one answered. Everyone looked confused. Some were even frightened.
Charlene moved closer to Eleanor and tugged at her arm; her eyes were huge, her nostrils flaring from under the brim of her dark hoodie.
“What the hell's going on?” she hissed in Eleanor's ear. “What just happened? How did it happen? What are you seeing Eleanor?” She pointed with her hand in the general direction of where the thing was and surprised Eleanor with her next words; “What is there?”
Charl was looking at the exact spot where the thing was standing nonchalantly, arms folded, grinning again. Eleanor didn't answer. She didn't know how. What would she say? How could she explain it? What could she possibly say to make Charlene understand what was going on? And why would her young friend believe her? She didn't even fully believe it herself.
“I don't know,” Eleanor offered lamely.
“You saw that right?” Charlene asked with a desperation in her voice.
“Yes. But tell me what you saw,” Eleanor prompted.
Charlene looked at her for a second, doubt settling in. With a force of will, she dispelled the doubts by physically shaking her head, looking at the distraught businesswoman and then back at Eleanor.
“Something lifted that woman's hair, and then cut it. Then it threw the cut hair up into the air,” she whispered into her older friend's ear. “I saw that happen, so I know I'm not crazy. It's impossible for that to happen, but it did. I saw it, you saw it. The woman reacted to it. And...,” she faltered.
“And?”
“It feels as if something is there. Something I can't see. It's like there are eyes on me,” Charlene finished with conviction.
Eleanor could sympathize. She could easily imagine what was going through Charlene's head. For Charlene, it would be even more unbelievable. She couldn't see the monstrous thing.
“What do you see?” Charlene asked, making Eleanor realize that she had been staring at the loathsome thing again.
Eleanor breathed in and out in an effort to calm her thoughts. What to say? What to say? The truth? But the truth is insane. It makes no sense.
Charlene could sense the conflict raging within her friend.
“I can't see whatever it is,” Charlene said, “but I know there's something there.”
Eleanor's gaze shifted to Charlene. The kid was serious. She wasn't messing with her.
“And I know you can see it,” Charlene stated.
The two of them stared at each other for a few long seconds that seemed to stretch into eternity.
“I don't know what to tell you,” Eleanor said truthfully. “I don't want you to think that...,” she paused, unsure of what to say.
Charlene took her hand. “I know there's something there.” She squeezed. “Tell me,”
Eleanor took a deep breath.
She was filled with a cold dread, her marrow turning to cold slime as she realized that the thing was not only a great predator, but that it was intelligent as well. The taunting proved it. It was mean, and it was intelligent enough to know how to get a rise out of her.
She decided there and then that this was her burden to bear. Charlene, like most humans, would want to believe her, but in time, there would be doubts. Charlene might believe her today, but without physical proof, that belief would fade with time and so would their friendship.
“I honestly don't know what it is. Or if there even is anything there,” she whispered into Charlene's ear, making sure that Charl wouldn't be able to look her in the eye when she said it. “I can't explain it. But it's as if there's a blind spot there. As if my mind is telling me there's something there, but my eyes can't see it.” She paused and pulled back, looking at her younger friend. “Crazy right?”
Charlene merely nodded. “Crazy, yeah,” she whispered, looking at the spot where her instincts told her something was hiding from sight. “But that's exactly how I feel. The more I look there, the more it becomes like an itch in my brain. There's definitely something there,” Charl nodded her head. “We just can't see it.”
She knew what Eleanor was talking about. She could feel it, too. She couldn't see it, but she knew there was a wrongness there, as if an invisible malicious entity was lurking beyond her scope of vision. She could feel its invisible eyes on her and it made her shiver with dread.
Charlene looked at her watch. “How long before we reach Havensford?”
“Forty-five minutes.” Eleanor answered, looking utterly deflated.
Shit, Charlene thought. This is going to be a long train ride.
CHAPTER 14
“Next stop, Havensford.” The announcement came forty-five minutes later.
During that time, the thing had given them a short reprieve where it disappeared to the back of the train. It only returned during the last ten minutes of their ride and for some reason, it look
ed even angrier and more primal than before. Eleanor didn’t like its look. Now it looked hungry, not playful.
There was a palpable tension in the air. Everyone seemed on edge. The oppressive feeling from earlier had multiplied and spread throughout the train. There were no conversations. People looked around worriedly, as if they were expecting trouble but didn't know from where it would come. A handful, however, were looking towards the back of the train every now and again with apprehension on their faces. Others had caught on that the source of the discomfort was coming from the back. As far as Eleanor could tell, she was still the only one who could see it, but more people could now sense the wrongness of the thing.
Charlene was ready to get up and bolt to the door, but Eleanor held her back.
Eleanor leaned over and whispered in her ear. “We wait until the very last second.” She indicated that Charlene should give her the backpack. She casually put it over her shoulders. “We wait for the door to start closing. We're only a few yards away. You grab your duffel and follow me. I already have my keys ready.”
Charlene nodded, a little confused. Did Eleanor know more than she was letting on? Why do we have to make a break from a poltergeist on a train? It would make a terrible movie, she thought. She had come to the conclusion that it was probably a malevolent spirit. She couldn't see it and it seemed to be limited in its actions, therefore, poltergeist.
“You think this thing,” she didn't know what to say. “This entity. Whatever it is, that it might follow us?” Just saying it out loud sounded ridiculous.
But she couldn't disregard her instincts. Every fiber in her body had been telling her to run for the last ten minutes, and yet, here she was. Still in the same place, physically unable to run away.
“Let’s rather be safe than sorry. Besides,” Eleanor smiled. “This will be something we can laugh about in the near future. Remember that time we ran away from a monster in the train?”
“Monster?” Charlene asked.
“Ghost, gremlin, poltergeist, whatever.” Eleanor looked at the doors as the world outside began to move much slower. “Just be ready.”
Stirring Embers: An urban fantasy action adventure (The Light and the Void Book 1) Page 10