Mark was a night-shift worker in the city, taking the last subway train home every evening. One Friday, after a long day at the office, he boarded the empty carriage as usual. The doors closed with a hiss, and the train rattled into the dark tunnel. But something felt off – the lights flickered more than normal, and a strange smell lingered, like rotting meat.

As the train sped along, Mark noticed scratches on the windows, deep and jagged, as if made by claws. He shrugged it off, pulling out his phone to check messages. No signal. The announcements crackled: “Next stop… eternal.” Mark frowned. That wasn’t right. The voice sounded gargled, like someone drowning.

Suddenly, the train jerked to a stop between stations. The lights went out, plunging everything into blackness. Mark’s heart raced. He fumbled for the emergency button, but it did nothing. Then, from the far end of the carriage, he heard shuffling footsteps. Slow, wet slaps against the floor.

A dim emergency light buzzed on, revealing shadowy figures emerging from the darkness. They were people – or what used to be people. Their bodies twisted, skin hanging loose like melted wax, eyes milky and blind. One crawled closer, its jaw unhinged, whispering, “Join the lost… we waited for you…”

Mark backed away, pressing against the door. He remembered the urban legend about the “Forgotten Line” – an old subway route abandoned after a collapse years ago, where victims were trapped and starved, turning feral. But that was just a story. Or was it?

The figures lunged, their fingers bony and sharp. Mark kicked one away, its flesh tearing like paper, spilling black ooze. He ran to the next carriage, but it was worse – bodies piled up, fused together in a grotesque mass, moaning in unison. “The train never stops… feed us…”

Desperate, Mark smashed a window with his bag, glass shattering. He climbed out into the tunnel, the cold air biting his skin. Behind him, the creatures poured out, screeching. He ran blindly, tripping over rails, his flashlight app barely lighting the way.

Up ahead, a faint glow – an old platform, sealed off. Mark scrambled up, pounding on a rusted gate. But as he turned, the horde caught up. Their leader, a skeletal woman with stringy hair, grabbed his ankle. “You can’t escape the depths,” she rasped.

Mark fought, but they overwhelmed him, dragging him back into the shadows. His screams echoed as they tore into him, adding his bones to their eternal ride.

The next morning, the subway ran on time. No one noticed the missing worker. But late-night riders sometimes hear faint cries from the tunnels, warning of the forgotten below.

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Vocabulary Notes

Jagged: Adjective
Definition: Having a rough, sharp, or uneven edge or surface, often with points that stick out irregularly, like something broken or torn.
Example: “As the train sped along, Mark noticed scratches on the windows, deep and jagged, as if made by claws.” (This describes the scratches as uneven and sharp, emphasizing the creepy, animal-like damage.)
Similar words: Ragged (uneven and torn), serrated (notched like a saw), uneven (not smooth or level).

Gargled: Verb (past tense of gargle)
Definition: To make a bubbling or gurgling sound in the throat, often like liquid being swished around, which can sound distorted or unpleasant.
Example: “The announcements crackled: ‘Next stop… eternal.’ Mark frowned. That wasn’t right. The voice sounded gargled, like someone drowning.” (Here, it describes the announcement voice as distorted and watery, adding to the eerie atmosphere.)
Similar words: Gurgled (bubbled like liquid), rasped (spoke harshly or roughly), croaked (made a low, hoarse sound).

Plunged: Verb (past tense of plunge)
Definition: To suddenly fall or thrust into something quickly and deeply, often implying a dramatic or forceful drop, like into darkness or water.
Example: “Suddenly, the train jerked to a stop between stations. The lights went out, plunging everything into blackness.” (This shows the sudden shift into complete darkness, heightening the sense of fear and isolation.)
Similar words: Dived (jumped headfirst), immersed (submerged deeply), thrust (pushed suddenly).

Unhinged: Adjective
Definition: Detached or removed from its normal position, like a door off its hinges; can also mean mentally unstable or crazy, but here it’s literal for something like a jaw.
Example: “One crawled closer, its jaw unhinged, whispering, ‘Join the lost… we waited for you…’” (This describes the creature’s jaw as hanging loose, making it look monstrous and inhuman.)
Similar words: Dislocated (out of joint), loosened (not firmly attached), deranged (insane or unbalanced, in a figurative sense).

Feral: Adjective
Definition: In a wild, untamed state, like an animal that has returned to nature after being domesticated; often implies savage or aggressive behaviour.
Example: “He remembered the urban legend about the ‘Forgotten Line’ – an old subway route abandoned after a collapse years ago, where victims were trapped and starved, turning feral.” (This refers to the trapped people becoming wild and animal-like from starvation.)
Similar words: Wild (untamed or savage), savage (fierce and violent), primitive (basic and uncivilized).

Grotesque: Adjective
Definition: Strangely distorted or ugly in a way that is shocking or repulsive, often combining elements that don’t belong together to create horror.
Example: “He ran to the next carriage, but it was worse – bodies piled up, fused together in a grotesque mass, moaning in unison.” (This describes the fused bodies as horribly twisted and unnatural, evoking disgust.)
Similar words: Hideous (extremely ugly), monstrous (frighteningly abnormal), bizarre (strangely out of place).

Story written by Grok 4 AI

Image created by Imagiyo AI

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads

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