Mystery Train Walkthrough In The Dark Night
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There’s a strange feeling of déjà vu in the air. A feeling that you’ve been here before, though it was a long time ago and in some other place altogether. It feels like a dream… or maybe a nightmare, one you’ll wake from eventually. Or not. Maybe this is how things are going to end for you—in an old train station at night with nowhere left to go.
With no one to help. No light shining out into the darkness. Just you alone with the dead inside your head as they whisper their dark secrets. This is the story of what happened on Mystery Train, and what might still be coming down the tracks ahead…
The sound of the whistle breaks through the quiet evening; it comes and goes quickly as the train moves slowly past, pulling away from the station and vanishing into the distance. You’re standing right there by the platform, waiting patiently for the next train. Your feet move easily along the worn wooden planks as if they know exactly where to step.
As soon as the engine passes by, another train will come, just like always. You never think about what might happen when one doesn’t show up; you take each train that pulls into town as a gift from someone who cares more than you ever could.
That’s something you can understand because deep down, you believe in miracles even though life has tried so hard to convince you otherwise. But now that you’re paying attention again, you realize you don’t know what day it is anymore.
There’s no sign above the ticket window to tell you; there isn’t anything except for a single clock with numbers moving too fast, ticking off seconds and minutes like the hours in some insane asylum. Time flies by so fast here. Time always does.
It wasn’t always like this; it wasn’t always so dark. Once there was hope. Once you were full of optimism, dreaming of the future. When did all that change? What happened? How did your dreams get lost? Did you forget how to believe in yourself?
Were you forced to grow cynical and bitter after everyone around you seemed so content with their lot in life? Was it really all part of some master plan to keep you down or were you the only one blind to what was happening until you finally had no choice but to see it for yourself?
You feel lost, friend. All alone in the world with nobody to turn to for help. Everyone seems distant and untouchable, even the people you’d thought were friends once upon a time. Maybe you should have taken better care of them back then.
If only they’d known what kind of a monster they were dealing with… maybe you could’ve saved them. Now they’re all gone and you’re all that’s left.
Your eyes look up into the darkness of the abandoned station, searching for something, looking for clues and hints at what might lie ahead for you. Nothing but the endless shadows, a few old signs, and the occasional broken piece of machinery.
It looks as if someone tried to clean up a little bit of this place, maybe to cover over evidence of a crime. But the blood is still here. It’s still spreading its red stain across everything, making the scene appear far worse than it actually is. The smell of decay hangs heavy in the air along with the scent of something else. Something new.
Something strange. And you’re afraid, friend; very afraid. Because whatever it is that’s coming your way, you don’t want to run from it. You’d rather face it with courage, even if the odds seem stacked against you—even if you stand little chance of surviving. That’s how the best stories begin, isn’t it? With the hero alone on the battlefield. With one bullet left in his gun.
But this isn’t some ancient epic poem. This isn’t history being re-written to suit the agenda of those whose power depends on keeping others in the line. This is real life; the only thing standing between you and the unknown is your own fear. You’ve seen death and violence before and survived because you knew the rules.
But now it’s different. Now nothing matters anymore. You’re tired. You need rest. You need somewhere to lay down your burden, put your weary body down, and close your eyes for a while. You need someone to hold you and make sure you’re safe.
That’s why I’m here, you think. Because you know me, just like everyone else. We’ve been together many times before. We’ve stood shoulder to shoulder against impossible odds—against monsters. Because sometimes, when you least expect it, life gives you a miracle.
***
“You got a name?”
I nod in response to the question, not bothering to look behind me to see who asked.
He holds out one hand and waits for mine to be placed in his palm before closing it tightly around mine. I try to ignore the feeling of his fingers digging into my flesh, the cold metal he wraps his hand around. He’s holding a small revolver, just like I am, but his finger is already on the trigger. It must be loaded, just like mine.
The train pulls into the station without hesitation, coming to a halt with a deafening screech that rattles our bones and shakes our teeth loose. It comes to a stop just long enough to let us in, but it won’t wait any longer. The doors are sliding closed behind the last car. Soon we’ll be trapped inside with whatever horror lies ahead, just like always.
This is how it begins. Like clockwork. Every damn time. You’d think I would learn by now, wouldn’t you? But no, I never do. Not even when I know it’s going to happen. Somehow it always catches me off guard. Makes me wonder where the hell you’re hiding your surprises this time.
There’s a faint sound, like someone calling your name, echoing from the darkness. A woman crying out in despair, begging for help. Then again, maybe it’s just your imagination playing tricks on you. Perhaps she didn’t cry out loud enough or loud enough for anyone to hear her.
Perhaps you imagined it all, your mind trying to fill the void left by everyone else. Your heart yearns for the sound of another human voice, hoping desperately it might offer an explanation for what happens next. As if anything can explain it anyway. There is no justification for what happens here. Just terror and pain.
The door behind us opens and two figures step onto the platform—one tall and thin with a pale complexion and long hair that falls past his shoulders, wearing ragged clothes that don’t match the season we’re in, and carrying a large axe in his right hand that glows bright blue; the other short and stocky, dressed in black leather armor and carrying a handgun in both hands.
Both are armed. Both know the score. And they both know who stands beside me.
We stand in silence as the first figure walks slowly towards us, stopping only to study our expressions with his dead eyes. His dark skin seems almost unnatural against the white snow and his features seem to shift slightly as if he’s not entirely comfortable with being out in the open so close to town.
Then he stops moving altogether, turning to regard the second figure with the guns, who continues to stare at him from the opposite end of the platform, motionless. He stares back, unblinking until finally, the tall man reaches out with one arm and places it around his waist, pulling the smaller creature in front of him like an obedient dog.
And then we walk away together, leaving them behind; walking through the snowstorm and towards something much darker than either of us has ever faced before.
***
A chill runs up the spine of every living creature that has ever existed; it’s the same thing that keeps humans in line even when they feel themselves slipping away. It’s the thing that makes animals run from the threat of predators, even when they know there’s nowhere to hide.
For all their intelligence, they still follow the rules because deep down inside we don’t want to die. We just don’t want to be alone.
You remember what happened last time you went into the woods alone, don’t you? What happened to all those others who chose not to come with us? You remember how we were torn apart and left for dead. Left to face a fate worse than death, which is precisely what we’ve found ourselves in again.
We’re running, but they’re hunting us and no amount of screaming will save us this time. They’re faster than us. More powerful than us. And they’re watching every move we make, ready to pounce the moment we fall asleep. This is what it feels like to die—the final moment before the lights go out forever.
They’re coming. You can sense it. Can you smell them yet? Smell their blood on the breeze, thick and rich as wine. Smell the stench of their sweat. You can hear the distant sounds of their breathing in the darkness, getting closer and closer with every passing heartbeat.
Can you feel them reaching out, taking hold of you, tearing your flesh with their sharp teeth? Because that’s how they work, isn’t it? You never get to choose whether it’s you or them. Either way, it’s going to hurt.
But there’s more than one of them in here with us, isn’t there? There’s always been three of you. Three bodies in search of a soul. But what about the fourth? Where’s the girl who’s supposed to be with us?
It’s funny, isn’t it? How things change. One day, everything is perfect, the sun shines brightly, the birds sing sweet songs, and life couldn’t possibly be better.
Then suddenly everything changes in a blink of an eye and all hope are lost, and all you’re left with is a lingering fear that you’ll find yourself in a situation just like this again; left wondering what you could have done differently to avoid such a horrific outcome.
Maybe you didn’t notice, but I did. The girl in the red dress who seemed perfectly happy in our world—she was always there. She was hiding just beneath the surface, always listening to every word we said, always waiting for the right moment to jump out of the shadows and scare us to pieces.
We had no idea she was there, though we should have known from the beginning. Why do you think we’re all so scared of her? Because we know what she can do. And now it looks like we’re going to find out what exactly that is.
We walk through the forest, leaving a trail of blood behind us and making enough noise to wake the dead, following the tracks of our prey as we try to catch up with them before they make any more progress. The forest is quiet. The snow muffles the sound of our steps and the trees block out the sky to prevent anyone from seeing where we’re heading.
It’s dark in here, too dark, which means you can only see what you expect to see, and the girl’s got that covered. It doesn’t take long for us to stumble upon the third body lying on the ground in a pile of broken twigs and frozen dirt.
There’s nothing else left. Not a single scrap of anything useful—not even a single strand of hair. Nothing that we might have needed to help us catch up with the other two. All we have is this empty, hollow shell, devoid of whatever was once buried deep inside.
Maybe something was wrong with the girl who tried to escape, or maybe the girl in the red dress is stronger than we expected, but either way, we’re losing our chance to stop them before they get away and we’re going to end up just like them.
That thought sends a chill down my spine. I know what happens to people who don’t play by the rules and it’s not pretty, let me tell you. We need to turn back while there’s still time—before it’s too late—and head straight home until we learn how to deal with what’s going on here.
“Don’t be afraid.”
The voice rings out above us and it takes us a minute to realize that the girl in the red dress has appeared beside us in the darkness. She stands there smiling at us, a small smile, as if she knows something we don’t know.
“I won’t leave you. I promise,” she says as she reaches out with her hands, searching for the first thing she can find in order to touch and reassure herself that we are real. She finds your hand, touches it, and you know then that you’re finally safe. That no matter what happens next, at least we’ve got each other.
The End