Post by Pawzkat on Dec 24, 2016 19:26:52 GMT -4
The Devil’s Train
On a chilly autumn evening, three teenagers walked to the old train station. It hadn’t been in use for at least a couple decades, and local scary tales said it was haunted, but these three had agreed, for whatever reason, that it would be a good idea to explore the place. Where their bravery came from is hard to say, but regardless, here they are.
“This place ain’t nothin, Tommy. You’ll see.”
“I dunno Bill, I’ve heard a people comin to these tracks that don’t come back.”
“Well even if that were true, the tales always say they come alone. You got me an’ Al with ya. No ghosty is gonna try an take ya away.”
The third boy nods.
“I still dunno, Bill.”
Bill stops, and the two others stop with him. He turns to Al.
“You got yer papi’s switch blade, right, Al?”
The third boy pulls a handle from his pocket and presses a button. A blade pops up from within the handle.
“I never met a knife proof ghost, Tommy. Now common!”
Bill turns back around and continues walking to the station.
The trio arrives at the station. It’s an old red brick building, covered in foliage and graffiti. The boys walk through the entrance, past the ticket sales box, and through the waiting area. A series of stone steps lead up to the train platform. Bill runs up them, nearly tripping over the fifth step, then calling for his two friends to follow suit after he makes it to the top. The platform was clearly worn with time. The clock on the south wall had been shattered, most of the benches were either upside down or smashed, and the bricks were beginning to crumble. Trains still passed through on this track, but they hadn’t stopped at this station since it’s closing many years prior, as such, it was a rather curious sight to see a finely dressed man with a briefcase standing near the edge of the platform checking his wrist. Al puts his hand in his pocket and grips the switchblade, while Tommy keeps near the stairs, looking as if he’ll bolt any minute. Bill, having always been the ballsiest of the group, throws caution to the wind and decides to address the man.
“Hey pally, what’cha doin here?” Bill asks.
The man lowers his wrist and glances behind himself.
“Oh, I’m just waiting for a train.”
The man’s voice is mellow and pleasant, and he exudes charisma.
“I think yer a bit loopy there, pal. No train’s run through this place in a real long time.”
The man turns around, a smirk stretches across his face.
“Wanna bet on that?”
“Ha, that’s a bet you’d lose.” Bill scoffs.
“You sound pretty confident in that, so how about this.” The stranger checks his watch. “I’ll set my watch for an hour. If no train comes by then, you can have my briefcase, and everything inside it.”
Bill gets a smirk of his own, and stretches out his hand.
“You’ve got yourself a de-“
“Wait!” Tommy shouts as he runs between the two. Pulling from some newfound bravery, the normally timid boy gets right up in the face of the mysterious man.
“What do you want in exchange?” He asks firmly.
The stranger’s smirk seems to grow ever wider.
“You see, dear boy, I run a business, and if your friend here loses, he’ll come work for me. No questions asked.”
Bill pushes Tommy aside, and puts his hand out with newfound vigor. “You gotta deal!”
The stranger grabs Bill’s hand and shakes it, his grin seeming as if it’ll stretch right off his face at this rate. Now content with his seemingly assured victory, Bill takes a seat on a bench, folds his arm, and happily starts waiting for the hour to pass. Al, still eyeing the man intensely, goes over and sits next to Bill. Meanwhile, the stranger walks over and helps Tommy up.
“I do hope we’ve not gotten off on the wrong foot, young man.” He says as he dusts the boy off. “My name is Lucius Ignatius Valentino Eugene DeLuca, but please, just call me Lucius.”
“Uh, alright then, Mr. Lucius.”
“Now, would you tell me your name?” A warm smile comes across Lucius’ face.
“I’m, uh, Tommy, sir.”
“Tommy, eh? Well, Tommy, if you’d allow me to make assumptions for a moment, you don’t seem like the happiest sort on the block. Care to tell me why that is?”
The man’s words were laced with fake compassion, and his concerned expression served to hide how honeyed he was.
“Well, uh… I guess my home life ain’t so great. My dad’s kind of a bastard, and so’s my mum.”
“Say no more, my boy. I’ve met many like you. What would you say if I could offer you a job far away from here? You could make enough money to support yourself, and you’d never have to return to your dastardly parents.”
The boy was in disbelief. No one had ever really offered him anything, let alone this. Logic seemed to leave the boys head. He asked no questions as to why he was being offered the same job Bill was being bet to take. With a bit of charisma and flickers of compassion, this stranger had given Tommy hope of a brighter future, whether it be real or fake, and that was all he needed.
“Y-yes.” He stutters out, “I’ll work for you.”
“Excellent boy, excellent. When my train comes, you’ll come with me.”
Eagerly, and with an expectant look in his eye, Tommy sits down next to Bill and Al. All four individuals begin waiting for a train to come, or for the time to run out. After a while, the boys begin talking amongst themselves about this and that. Lucius, meanwhile, continues to stand near the edge of the platform, checking his wrist every here and there. Ten minutes pass, then twenty, then forty, then fifty minutes have passed. Bill looks impatient. He has a watch of his own which he’s been using to check the time, and he knows time is nearly up. He gets up off his bench, and walks over to the man.
“Hey, buddy, just concede, al-“
A noise comes in the distance that stops bill in his tracks. A train whistle. Smoke billows out above the tracks, and something speeds ever closer. Lucius smiles.
“Ha, you ain’t gonna fool me, pally. That train is just passin’ through.” Bill guffs.
Lucius crosses his arms and says nothing, a smile still dotting his face. The train comes ever closer. It doesn’t appear to be slowing down, but much to Bill’s dismay, it puts on its breaks as it comes into the station. A passenger car stops just in front of Lucius and Bill, and its doors open.
“It appears I win. Would you care to step inside, Bill?”
Bill sighs, and turns to his two friends one last time before stepping inside.
“Common, Tommy. I’m not departing without you.” Lucius says
Tommy gets up off the bench. It’s clear he’s having second thoughts.
“I-I’m not sure anymore.”
Lucius walks over to Tommy and puts his arm around him.
“Oh, but dear boy, you agreed. No going back now.”
Lucius starts walking with Tommy towards the passenger car. Tommy stops just short of entering.
“I refuse!” He shouts
“No going back now.” Lucius says softly before pushing the boy inside.
Lucius turns around to face Al, the only one remaining.
“It’s been a pleasure meeting you, my boy.”
Lucius bows, then back steps onto the train car. The doors close, leaving Al all alone. The last thing he ever saw of the man was his wide grin as the doors shut.
On a chilly autumn evening, three teenagers walked to the old train station. It hadn’t been in use for at least a couple decades, and local scary tales said it was haunted, but these three had agreed, for whatever reason, that it would be a good idea to explore the place. Where their bravery came from is hard to say, but regardless, here they are.
“This place ain’t nothin, Tommy. You’ll see.”
“I dunno Bill, I’ve heard a people comin to these tracks that don’t come back.”
“Well even if that were true, the tales always say they come alone. You got me an’ Al with ya. No ghosty is gonna try an take ya away.”
The third boy nods.
“I still dunno, Bill.”
Bill stops, and the two others stop with him. He turns to Al.
“You got yer papi’s switch blade, right, Al?”
The third boy pulls a handle from his pocket and presses a button. A blade pops up from within the handle.
“I never met a knife proof ghost, Tommy. Now common!”
Bill turns back around and continues walking to the station.
The trio arrives at the station. It’s an old red brick building, covered in foliage and graffiti. The boys walk through the entrance, past the ticket sales box, and through the waiting area. A series of stone steps lead up to the train platform. Bill runs up them, nearly tripping over the fifth step, then calling for his two friends to follow suit after he makes it to the top. The platform was clearly worn with time. The clock on the south wall had been shattered, most of the benches were either upside down or smashed, and the bricks were beginning to crumble. Trains still passed through on this track, but they hadn’t stopped at this station since it’s closing many years prior, as such, it was a rather curious sight to see a finely dressed man with a briefcase standing near the edge of the platform checking his wrist. Al puts his hand in his pocket and grips the switchblade, while Tommy keeps near the stairs, looking as if he’ll bolt any minute. Bill, having always been the ballsiest of the group, throws caution to the wind and decides to address the man.
“Hey pally, what’cha doin here?” Bill asks.
The man lowers his wrist and glances behind himself.
“Oh, I’m just waiting for a train.”
The man’s voice is mellow and pleasant, and he exudes charisma.
“I think yer a bit loopy there, pal. No train’s run through this place in a real long time.”
The man turns around, a smirk stretches across his face.
“Wanna bet on that?”
“Ha, that’s a bet you’d lose.” Bill scoffs.
“You sound pretty confident in that, so how about this.” The stranger checks his watch. “I’ll set my watch for an hour. If no train comes by then, you can have my briefcase, and everything inside it.”
Bill gets a smirk of his own, and stretches out his hand.
“You’ve got yourself a de-“
“Wait!” Tommy shouts as he runs between the two. Pulling from some newfound bravery, the normally timid boy gets right up in the face of the mysterious man.
“What do you want in exchange?” He asks firmly.
The stranger’s smirk seems to grow ever wider.
“You see, dear boy, I run a business, and if your friend here loses, he’ll come work for me. No questions asked.”
Bill pushes Tommy aside, and puts his hand out with newfound vigor. “You gotta deal!”
The stranger grabs Bill’s hand and shakes it, his grin seeming as if it’ll stretch right off his face at this rate. Now content with his seemingly assured victory, Bill takes a seat on a bench, folds his arm, and happily starts waiting for the hour to pass. Al, still eyeing the man intensely, goes over and sits next to Bill. Meanwhile, the stranger walks over and helps Tommy up.
“I do hope we’ve not gotten off on the wrong foot, young man.” He says as he dusts the boy off. “My name is Lucius Ignatius Valentino Eugene DeLuca, but please, just call me Lucius.”
“Uh, alright then, Mr. Lucius.”
“Now, would you tell me your name?” A warm smile comes across Lucius’ face.
“I’m, uh, Tommy, sir.”
“Tommy, eh? Well, Tommy, if you’d allow me to make assumptions for a moment, you don’t seem like the happiest sort on the block. Care to tell me why that is?”
The man’s words were laced with fake compassion, and his concerned expression served to hide how honeyed he was.
“Well, uh… I guess my home life ain’t so great. My dad’s kind of a bastard, and so’s my mum.”
“Say no more, my boy. I’ve met many like you. What would you say if I could offer you a job far away from here? You could make enough money to support yourself, and you’d never have to return to your dastardly parents.”
The boy was in disbelief. No one had ever really offered him anything, let alone this. Logic seemed to leave the boys head. He asked no questions as to why he was being offered the same job Bill was being bet to take. With a bit of charisma and flickers of compassion, this stranger had given Tommy hope of a brighter future, whether it be real or fake, and that was all he needed.
“Y-yes.” He stutters out, “I’ll work for you.”
“Excellent boy, excellent. When my train comes, you’ll come with me.”
Eagerly, and with an expectant look in his eye, Tommy sits down next to Bill and Al. All four individuals begin waiting for a train to come, or for the time to run out. After a while, the boys begin talking amongst themselves about this and that. Lucius, meanwhile, continues to stand near the edge of the platform, checking his wrist every here and there. Ten minutes pass, then twenty, then forty, then fifty minutes have passed. Bill looks impatient. He has a watch of his own which he’s been using to check the time, and he knows time is nearly up. He gets up off his bench, and walks over to the man.
“Hey, buddy, just concede, al-“
A noise comes in the distance that stops bill in his tracks. A train whistle. Smoke billows out above the tracks, and something speeds ever closer. Lucius smiles.
“Ha, you ain’t gonna fool me, pally. That train is just passin’ through.” Bill guffs.
Lucius crosses his arms and says nothing, a smile still dotting his face. The train comes ever closer. It doesn’t appear to be slowing down, but much to Bill’s dismay, it puts on its breaks as it comes into the station. A passenger car stops just in front of Lucius and Bill, and its doors open.
“It appears I win. Would you care to step inside, Bill?”
Bill sighs, and turns to his two friends one last time before stepping inside.
“Common, Tommy. I’m not departing without you.” Lucius says
Tommy gets up off the bench. It’s clear he’s having second thoughts.
“I-I’m not sure anymore.”
Lucius walks over to Tommy and puts his arm around him.
“Oh, but dear boy, you agreed. No going back now.”
Lucius starts walking with Tommy towards the passenger car. Tommy stops just short of entering.
“I refuse!” He shouts
“No going back now.” Lucius says softly before pushing the boy inside.
Lucius turns around to face Al, the only one remaining.
“It’s been a pleasure meeting you, my boy.”
Lucius bows, then back steps onto the train car. The doors close, leaving Al all alone. The last thing he ever saw of the man was his wide grin as the doors shut.
