Night Time Story: The Train That Never Stopped
Jamie lived in the last house at the edge of town, right beside the old train tracks that hadn’t been used in fifty years. At least, that’s what everyone said.
But every night at exactly midnight, Jamie heard the distant whistle of a train that shouldn’t exist. His parents never heard it, and neither did his friends when they stayed over.
On the night of his thirteenth birthday, Jamie decided to see the mysterious train for himself. He slipped out of bed and crept through the moonlit backyard to the rusty tracks.
At exactly midnight, a strange mist rolled in. The air turned cool, and Jamie heard the whistle—closer now than ever before. From around the bend came a gleaming black train, its windows softly glowing with golden light.
The train slowed as it approached, steam billowing around it. To Jamie’s surprise, it came to a complete stop right in front of him.
A conductor stepped out, dressed in an old-fashioned uniform with gold buttons. He looked at Jamie with kind eyes.
“You can see us,” the conductor said, sounding surprised. “How interesting. That’s quite rare for the living.”
“The living?” Jamie asked, suddenly nervous.
The conductor smiled gently. “This is the Midnight Train. We transport those who have recently passed on to their final destination.”
Jamie looked more closely at the train and saw transparent faces peering from the windows—men, women, children, even animals—all with peaceful expressions.
“Don’t be afraid,” the conductor said. “Everyone’s journey ends eventually. We simply make the last part of it comfortable.”
A small girl ghost waved at Jamie from a window. He recognized her as Martha, an elderly woman who had died in his town last week. But on the train, she appeared as a child, her face unlined and happy.
“Why do they look different?” Jamie asked.
“People appear as they felt most themselves,” the conductor explained. “The body is just a temporary home, after all.”
The train whistle blew softly. “We must continue,” the conductor said, checking a pocket watch. “We have many stops tonight.”
As he turned to leave, Jamie called out, “Wait! Can I… can I help somehow?”
The conductor considered him thoughtfully. “Those who can see our train often have a purpose connected to it. Perhaps yours is to help those caught between worlds.”
After that night, Jamie began noticing people others couldn’t see—confused spirits who hadn’t found their way to the train. With gentle words, he would guide them to the tracks at midnight, where the Midnight Train would make an unscheduled stop.
Years later, as an old man, Jamie sat by his window each night, still watching for lost souls who needed direction. And when his time finally came, he wasn’t surprised to hear the familiar whistle or to see the conductor waiting with a welcoming smile and a hand outstretched to help him aboard for his own final journey.
By Stella Wayfarer
