The Last departure

It was past midnight when the last train left the station, but one light in the control room was still flickering. Inside, Aarav stared at the signal board — one train signal still showed “active”, even though the tracks were supposed to be empty.

Aarav then rushed and announced through the microphone that an unidentified, unscheduled train was on the tracks. He sprinted to the platform to see which train it was and what its purpose could be.

As Aarav ran onto the platform, the air turned strangely cold. The train screeched to a stop — no passengers, no driver, just empty compartments glowing faint blue. On the last coach, faint letters appeared on the dusted window: “Train No. 13 — Last Departure.”

It was a bit creepy, and Aarav felt he shouldn’t be alone there. He tried to leave the train, but before he could, the doors shut on their own — trapping him inside.

The lights flickered, and suddenly the train began to move — slow at first, then faster and faster. Aarav banged on the doors, shouting for help, but his voice was drowned out by a haunting whistle. The announcement system crackled to life with a distorted voice saying, “Next stop — your past.”

He was confused and scared that this might be the end of him. He began to remember all the things he still wanted to do in life. Faces of his loved ones flashed before him. Tears flowed as he whispered the sacred words: “Is this my end?”

Just then, the lights dimmed and the train slowed to a halt in silence. Aarav wiped his tears and looked out the window — but what he saw wasn’t the city. It was his old school playground, a place he hadn’t visited in fifteen years. The announcement voice whispered again, softer this time: “You said you wanted more time… now relive what you left behind.”

He wondered if this was real or a dream — everything was too vivid to be imagined. Suddenly, the doors opened. Aarav rushed outside and saw children playing hide and seek. One small boy was hiding in a bush — and as Aarav looked closer, he froze.

“Is this… me?” he whispered.

The boy turned around — same eyes, same crooked smile. “You forgot how to dream,” the little Aarav said softly. The world around them shimmered like a mirage; the playground began to fade. The boy’s voice echoed: “You grew up too fast… come find what you lost.”

Before Aarav could respond, the haunting whistle returned, pulling him back toward the train.

He wanted to stay there, to spend more time with his younger self, but the force was too strong. As the train dragged him back, he shouted, “Always remember, you’re not alone!” and smiled through the chaos.

The boy’s voice echoed faintly, “Neither are you.”

Inside the train, the eerie blue glow turned into golden light. The train now glided peacefully through the night. Aarav looked outside — the city had returned, but it felt different. Warmer. The announcement whispered one last time: “Journey complete — destination: peace.”

He was still confused, wondering what had just happened. Maybe someone had played a trick — but it felt too real to be a joke. Still, something had awakened within him.

He remembered the little boy who once wanted to do so much. He realized how lost he had become in his worries and how much he had forgotten to live.

As he stepped off the train, a faint fog rolled across the platform. From within it, a soft voice echoed: “We meet again when the time comes.”

The fog disappeared, and so did the train. Aarav suddenly found himself back at his workplace, where his colleagues were asking where he wanted to go for dinner.

He smirked and said, “I know exactly where I want to go.”

— Story End (To Be Continued...)