Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition

The night was heavy with mist, swirling under a pale full moon. Mira stood at the edge of the railroad, the scent of rust and rot thick in the air. The others were behind her—Draven, Elias, and Zara—all staring at the oncoming train barreling through the darkness.

But this was no ordinary train.

Its metal gleamed black, streaked with crimson. Shadows moved within its windows, too fast, too unnatural. A ghastly whistle tore through the air, and the wind howled in response.

"The Nightmare Express…" Elias muttered.

Draven exhaled sharply. "This wasn't part of the plan."

The Cursed Book they'd taken pulsed with an eerie glow, reacting to the presence of something ancient.

Zara pulled her twin daggers. "Then we change the plan."

The train screeched to a halt, and the doors yawned open with a sickening groan. Inside, the carriages were lined with twisted figures, hunched and ravenous. Their eyes burned blue, their skeletal fingers twitching.

Mira's breath caught. "Those aren't just zombies."

"No," a voice rasped.

From the shadows of the engine room, The Ghoul Trainmaster stepped forward. His elongated face was hollowed, his smile stitched into a permanent grin. His conductor's uniform was tattered, the badge rusted over. A lantern swung in his bony grip, its glow revealing faces pressed into the walls of the train—souls trapped, forever riding.

"You hold the book," the Trainmaster crooned. His voice was oil and gravel. "That means you belong to me now."

Draven raised his shotgun. "Not happening."

The Trainmaster tilted his head. The dead moved.

With a single gesture, the passengers lurched forward, their jaws unhinging.

Mira threw up a hand, chanting something arcane. A wave of blue fire roared outward, slamming into the first wave of ghouls. Their shrieks filled the night as they burned, but more came, crawling over the seats, scaling the walls like insects.

"INSIDE, NOW!" Zara shouted.

They had no choice.

One by one, they leaped onto the train, weapons flashing. The doors slammed shut behind them, and the train roared to life, its wheels screeching against the tracks.

Elias exhaled, gripping his revolver. "Well… now we're on the damn thing."

Mira turned to Draven. "Tell me we have a plan."

Draven's grip tightened on the Cursed Book. He could feel the pages trembling.

"We need to reach the engine," he said. "And kill the Trainmaster."

The train's lights flickered.

From the darkened halls, the ghouls came crawling.

And the nightmare had only begun.