Latest / Shallow Nights: Scary Bedtime Stories / Unsettling Encounters: Tales of Eerie Commutes and Haunted Train Yards

Transcript

Unsettling Encounters: Tales of Eerie Commutes and Haunted Train Yards · Shallow Nights: Scary Bedtime Stories

0:08
It was one of those nights where exhaustion settled deep in my
0:12
bones. The office had been chaos all
0:14
day, and I had stayed late finishing up a report that no
0:17
one would read until Monday. By the time I got to the subway
0:21
station, it was nearly deserted, the eerie silence making the
0:25
city feel wrong, like a clock that had suddenly stopped
0:29
ticking. The last train home screeched
0:33
into the station. I stepped in, looking around the
0:37
nearly deserted car. A few people sat scattered
0:40
about, one guy slumped over, probably asleep, an older woman
0:45
clutching her purse, and a man in a dark coat at the far end of
0:48
the car. I slid into my usual spot near
0:51
the middle, letting my head rest against the window.
0:55
The train jerked forward and the station blurred outside.
1:00
I checked my phone. No new messages, no missed
1:03
calls. Just me, the sound of the
1:06
subway, and a long ride home. A few stops in, the older woman
1:12
exited. The sleeping guy stirred but
1:15
didn't wake. I looked at the man in the dark
1:18
coat. He was sitting completely still,
1:21
staring straight ahead. No phone, no book, not even a
1:25
twitch. Just staring.
1:28
I looked away, trying to convince myself I wasn't being
1:30
weird, but at the next stop, when another passenger left, I
1:35
noticed something unsettling. It moved closer, not
1:39
dramatically, just a few seats up, but it was enough to make my
1:43
stomach tighten. I turned my attention back to my
1:46
phone, willing the train to move faster.
1:50
Another stop. The sleeping guy stumbled off,
1:53
leaving just me and the man in the dark coat.
1:57
He moved again. Now he was just a few seats
2:01
away, close enough that I could hear him whispering to himself,
2:04
but the sound of it was low, hurried, and impossible to
2:08
decipher. I gripped my bag tighter, eyes
2:12
locked on the reflection in the dark window.
2:15
I wanted to believe this was a coincidence, that he was just
2:18
another tired commuter, but I could feel his eyes on me.
2:22
The train lurched into the second to last stop.
2:24
I had one more to go, just one. Then he slid right next to me.
2:29
I flinched, turning sharply. He was staring at me now, his
2:33
eyes wide and unblinking. Up close, he smelled of damp
2:37
fabric and something stale, like old cigarettes.
2:40
His lips moved again, but this time I heard the words.
2:44
I've been waiting for you. A chill shot through me, my
2:49
pulse hammered, but I kept my face neutral.
2:52
If I reacted, would he escalate? Was he armed?
2:56
I had no idea. I just knew I had to get off the
2:59
train now. As the doors hissed open, I
3:03
bolted, not giving a damn if I looked crazy.
3:06
I ran toward the stairs, hearing footsteps behind me.
3:10
He was following. I didn't stop, didn't look back.
3:15
I flew up the steps 2 at a time, my breath ragged.
3:18
The second I reached the turnstiles, I forced myself to
3:21
look back. He wasn't there.
3:24
I scanned the platform. Nothing.
3:27
Just the train pulling away, its lights flickering as it vanished
3:30
into the tunnel. My hands were shaking.
3:33
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.
3:38
Maybe he had gotten back on the train.
3:40
Maybe he had never followed me at all.
3:43
But I couldn't convince myself I was safe.
3:46
I walked home quickly, my keys gripped between my fingers.
3:50
Every shadow seemed too dark, Every footstep behind me felt
3:54
heavier than it should have. I double locked my door and
3:58
checked the peephole 3 times before finally convincing myself
4:02
to go to bed. The next morning, I tried to put
4:05
the whole thing behind me. Maybe he had gotten back on the
4:08
train. Maybe he was just some creepy
4:10
guy looking for a reaction. That's what I told myself.
4:16
That's what I needed to believe. But the feeling didn't go away,
4:20
that gnawing unease that stuck with me long after I got home.
4:25
For the next few nights, I found myself looking at every passing
4:29
stranger, flinching when I saw a dark coat in the crowd.
4:33
I switched up my route home. I started taking Ubers instead
4:37
of the train. I even thought about moving to a
4:40
different part of the city. Then, about a week later,
4:44
something happened that made my blood run cold.
4:48
I was leaving my building early one morning, coffee in one hand,
4:52
keys in the other, when I saw it.
4:55
A piece of paper folded neatly tucked between my door and the
5:00
frame. My first thought was that it was
5:03
some junk flyer, another take out menu or apartment listing,
5:07
but as soon as I unfolded it, my stomach dropped.
5:11
No words, no threats, no explanation.
5:15
Just a single subway ticket for the exact same time and route I
5:20
had taken that night. My hands started shaking so
5:23
badly I nearly dropped it. I spun around, scanning the
5:27
street, the sidewalk, the windows across from mine,
5:31
anywhere he could be watching from nothing.
5:35
I stood there for what felt like forever, the city buzzing around
5:38
me, normal, oblivious people rushing to work, cars honking,
5:42
life moving forward as if nothing had changed.
5:46
But for me, something had. I wasn't imagining things.
5:51
He had found me. I never took that train again.
5:56
In fact, I started avoiding the subway altogether.
6:00
It didn't matter how much longer the commute took, being stuck
6:03
underground with nowhere to run wasn't worth the risk.
6:07
To this day, I still don't know how he found out where I lived,
6:11
but I know this. That subway ride wasn't the
6:16
first time he saw me, and I don't think it was the last.
6:27
Solo backpacking through Europe was one of those bucket list
6:31
dreams of mine. After years of saving and
6:34
planning, I was finally doing it.
6:37
By the time I boarded the overnight train from Vienna to
6:40
Budapest, I had already been on the road for two weeks, hopping
6:44
from hostile to hostile, exploring cities, meeting new
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people and soaking in every moment.
6:51
But travel exhaustion is real, and I was looking forward to the
6:55
overnight train ride. 7 uninterrupted hours of sleep in
7:00
a private cabin. A luxury compared to the crowded
7:03
dorm rooms I had been staying in.
7:06
It was late December and the train station in Vienna was
7:10
quiet, the platform illuminated by a sickly yellow glow.
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I boarded, found my sleeping car, and tossed my backpack onto
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the small bed. It wasn't exactly the height of
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luxury, but it was clean, warm, and most importantly, private.
7:28
As I pulled my jacket off, I caught movement in my peripheral
7:31
vision. Through the narrow gap in my
7:34
cabins curtain. I saw a figure standing just
7:37
outside the next sleeping car. An older woman.
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She was staring directly at me, completely still.
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I felt a small jolt of unease. People watching wasn't unusual
7:50
while traveling. Sometimes curiosity took over.
7:54
But there was something off about the way she stood,
7:57
unmoving, her hands at her sides, eyes locked on me, just
8:01
standing there, staring. I pulled my curtain fully shut,
8:05
giving myself a mental shake. Maybe she was just lost or
8:10
confused, or maybe I was just overly tired and reading too
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much into it. The train started moving.
8:17
I let out a slow breath, put in my ear buds, and tried to ignore
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the nagging discomfort creeping along my skin.
8:24
It was just another passenger, nothing weird about it.
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A couple of hours later, I woke up, needing to use the restroom.
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I peeled my blanket away, groggy, and rubbed my eyes.
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The train swayed gently, the rhythmic clacking of wheels
8:39
against the tracks filling the quiet.
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I slid open my cabin door and stepped into the dimly lit
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hallway. Empty.
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The dim lighting gave everything a washed outlook, but I saw no
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one. No eerie woman, no late night
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Wanderers. Just a long, narrow corridor
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stretching toward the restroom. I exhaled, feeling a little
9:02
silly for how uneasy I had been earlier.
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It was just an old lady. Maybe she was confused.
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Maybe she was just weird. Whatever the case, I wasn't
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going to let my imagination get the best of me.
9:17
I hurried to the restroom, did my business, and splashed some
9:21
cold water on my face. The mirror reflected my tired
9:25
eyes, my expression a little more drained than it had been
9:29
earlier. I needed sleep.
9:33
But as I stepped back into the hallway, a bolt of panic shot
9:37
through me. She was there, standing halfway
9:41
between me and my cabin, closer than before.
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She wasn't looking at me this time, her face turned slightly
9:49
downward, her hands hanging limply at her sides.
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But she was there. My fingers dug into my palms.
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The hallway stretched behind her, empty.
10:00
No signs of other passengers, no train attendant making rounds,
10:04
just me and her, and I had no choice but to walk past her, to
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get back to my cabin. I forced myself to take a step
10:12
forward, clearing my throat slightly.
10:15
Excuse me, do you need help? I kept my voice low, not wanting
10:19
to wake other passengers. She didn't respond, didn't
10:24
blink, didn't move. I took another step, then
10:29
another, hugging the opposite wall as I passed her.
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Up close, her skin looked sallow under the dim lights, her
10:36
clothes slightly out of place. A mothball smell clung to the
10:40
air around her. I hurried back to my cabin.
10:44
The moment I got inside, I locked the door behind me with
10:47
shaky hands. I leaned against the wall, heart
10:51
hammering in my chest. This was ridiculous.
10:55
She was probably just an odd older woman, nothing more.
10:59
Maybe she had dementia. Maybe she was confused about her
11:03
cabin number. I just needed to get back to my
11:06
bed and go to sleep. I pulled the curtain tight and
11:10
crawled into bed. Every muscle tensed.
11:14
My body was exhausted, but my mind wouldn't shut off.
11:17
But nothing else happened. Eventually, exhaustion one out
11:21
and I drifted into uneasy rest. I woke up at dawn to the sound
11:27
of the train slowing into Budapest.
11:30
Sunlight trickled through the gaps in the curtain.
11:33
My body ached from sleeping so stiffly, but I was relieved the
11:37
night was over. I gathered my things and stepped
11:40
into the hallway, scanning instinctively for the woman.
11:44
No sign of her. Maybe she had gotten off at an
11:48
earlier stop. Maybe I had been overreacting.
11:53
As I passed the train attendant, curiosity got the better of me.
11:57
Excuse me? I said.
11:59
The woman in the cabin next to mine.
12:01
Do you know when she got off? The attendant frowned.
12:06
Which cabin? The one right next to mine.
12:10
Older woman, kind of pale, staring a lot.
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I let out a small, nervous laugh, trying to make it seem
12:18
like no big deal. The attendants frowned,
12:21
deepened. That cabin is empty, Miss.
12:23
It's been unoccupied for this entire trip.
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A sharp chill crawled up my spine.
12:30
That's not possible. I saw her multiple times.
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The attendant shook his head. I checked the reservations
12:38
myself. No one's in that cabin.
12:41
I wanted to argue, wanted to insist that I wasn't imagining
12:44
things, but the word stuck in my throat.
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The attendant gave me a polite but dismissive nod and walked
12:51
away, leaving me standing there alone with my swirling thoughts.
12:57
I grabbed my backpack and hurried off the train, the crisp
13:02
morning air barely registering as I stepped onto the platform.
13:06
I needed coffee, I needed to breathe, I needed to forget
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about the whole damn thing. Of all the stories I brought
13:14
back from the trip, this is by far the strangest and most
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inexplicable one, and one that I'm pretty sure I'll never
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forget. I've always been drawn to
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abandoned places. There's just something about
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them, places that once thrived, now left to rot, that makes them
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irresistible. My best friend Danny and I had
13:45
been urban exploring for years, sneaking into decaying
13:49
buildings, forgotten tunnels, and crumbling factories.
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But nothing ever gave me the kind of gut wrenching unease as
13:57
that night in Detroit's old train yard.
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It was the summer of 2018, and we had heard about a stretch of
14:05
abandoned rail cars on the outskirts of the city, rusting
14:09
away behind a chain link fence that barely did its job.
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The train yard was massive, an industrial graveyard of twisted
14:18
metal and forgotten locomotives. Most people wouldn't go near it.
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Word was that squatters and Drifters made it their home, and
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some explorers swore they'd seen shadows moving where no one
14:31
should be. But that just made it all the
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more tempting for us. We waited until dusk before
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slipping through a gap in the fence, backpacks stuffed with
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flashlights, gloves, and a crowbar, just in case.
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The air was thick with the smell of rust and old oil, the kind of
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scent that clings to your clothes and hair.
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We moved carefully, stepping over loose gravel and avoiding
14:55
the shards of broken glass scattered across the ground.
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The first few train cars were covered in graffiti, layers of
15:03
vibrant spray paint blending into a messy yet mesmerizing
15:06
masterpiece. We climbed into one, stepping
15:09
over empty beer cans and old tattered blankets.
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Just another spot where someone had crashed for the night,
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nothing special. Then we found it.
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It was a single rusted train car, different from the others.
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While most were covered in bright tags and bubble letters,
15:27
this one was almost untouched. Let's check it out.
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The heavy metal door groaned as we pushed it open, exposing the
15:35
pitch black interior. The dust in the air glittered
15:39
under our flashlight beams, illuminating rows of long, empty
15:42
seats. The air inside was different,
15:45
stale, almost suffocating, like it hadn't been disturbed in
15:48
decades. Danny stepped in first, and I
15:52
followed. You smell that?
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He asked, wrinkling his nose. Something damp, something
15:59
rotten. My stomach churned.
16:03
We moved deeper into the car, scanning the walls until we
16:07
found some carvings. Some were words, but they didn't
16:11
make sense, just strings of letters mixed with numbers.
16:15
I felt a shiver creep up my arms.
16:17
Maybe we should head out. I muttered.
16:20
Danny chuckled, getting spooked already.
16:23
Before I could answer, the door slammed shut behind us.
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The sound was deafening, metal against metal echoing through
16:29
the hollow car. I spun around, heart hammering.
16:33
The door was closed, completely closed.
16:37
Danny ran to it, pushing and pulling at the handle.
16:40
What the hell? Wind?
16:43
I suggested weekly, though the air had been perfectly still.
16:48
Dude, this thing's heavy. It didn't just blow shut.
16:52
Then we heard it. A shuffle, a scrape from
16:56
somewhere inside the train car. I swung my flashlight toward the
17:00
back, my pulse pounding in my ears.
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The beam landed on empty seats, dust swirling in the light.
17:07
Nothing, no one. Danny cursed under his breath.
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You hear that? I nodded slowly.
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Another sound, footsteps moving just out of sight.
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My fingers tightened around my flashlight.
17:23
Then came the whisper, a breathy, low murmur, like
17:27
someone just on the edge of speaking but never quite forming
17:30
words. It came from the far end of the
17:33
car, near the conductor's cabin. Danny took a cautious step
17:37
forward. Hello.
17:41
The whisper stopped. I felt an overwhelming sense of
17:45
dread, a feeling I couldn't explain.
17:48
I wasn't the type to scare easily, but this, this was
17:52
different. It wasn't just the dark or the
17:56
abandoned setting. It felt wrong, like we weren't
18:00
supposed to be there. Danny reached for the crowbar in
18:03
his backpack, gripping it tight. Let's get the hell out.
18:08
We both turned to the door, pushing with everything we had.
18:12
The metal groaned, resisting, but finally it gave way, sliding
18:15
open just enough for us to slip through.
18:18
We stumbled out onto the gravel, gasping for air like we've been
18:22
suffocating inside. We didn't stop running until we
18:26
were clear of the train yard. When we finally slowed, Danny
18:29
bent over, hands on his knees. What the hell was that?
18:34
I shook my head, trying to catch my breath.
18:37
I don't know. We stood there for a moment, the
18:41
unspoken fear between us weighing heavier than words.
18:45
And yet, against all logic, I turned back.
18:50
The train car stood there, still and lifeless, but something
18:54
caught my eye. Movement inside, just a shadow,
18:58
shifting slightly, like someone was sitting in one of the seats
19:02
watching us. We left that night, swearing
19:06
never to go back. Danny did some research later,
19:10
digging through old articles and urban legends about the train
19:13
yard. He found something that sent an
19:15
icy chill down my spine. Back in the late 80s, a
19:21
transient man had been found dead in one of the abandoned
19:24
cars, locked inside with no way out.
19:28
Some said he had been hiding from someone, others claimed he
19:32
had been trapped. His body wasn't discovered for
19:35
weeks. And the train car where he died?
19:39
It was still there, the exact same one we had stepped into.
19:45
I felt sick reading those words. The article even described the
19:48
carvings found inside, scratched symbols, numbers, and strange
19:53
patterns along the walls. The same ones we had seen, the
19:58
same ones we had touched. No way, I muttered.
20:03
No way. We never went back to that train
20:07
yard. Didn't even talk about it much
20:10
after that. But every once in a while, when
20:13
I'm lying in bed at night, I swear I can hear that sound
20:16
again, Metal groaning, something shifting in the dark, and I
20:22
wonder, did we really escape that night, or did something
20:25
follow us out? Seattle's public transit system
20:37
had never bothered me much. I'd taken the late night train
20:41
countless times, usually heading home after gigs, tired but
20:45
content, guitar case slung over my shoulder.
20:49
The trains weren't usually crowded that late, just a
20:52
handful of night shift workers, the occasional drunk stumbling
20:56
home, or people like me who preferred the city when it was
20:59
quiet. That night wasn't any different,
21:04
at least at first. I got on near downtown, found a
21:08
seat near the middle of the car, and leaned back, putting my
21:11
headphones in. It was one of those nights where
21:15
I just wanted to zone out, let the train rock me toward home,
21:20
and not think about much. My stop was still a ways off and
21:26
I had time to decompress after playing a long set.
21:30
A few stops in I noticed him. A guy, boarded, disheveled,
21:37
wearing a worn out jacket that looked a size too big for him.
21:42
He wasn't exactly homeless looking, but there was something
21:45
off about him. He moved strangely, like he was
21:49
choosing each step with careful thought.
21:53
The car was mostly empty, yet he made a beeline straight for me
21:57
and sat down right next to me. I tensed.
22:01
There were at least a dozen open seats, but for some reason he
22:05
had decided to sit shoulder to shoulder with me.
22:09
I pretended not to notice and kept my headphones in, hoping
22:12
he'd take the hint. But then he spoke.
22:18
You always take this train. His voice was hoarse.
22:22
I pulled 1 earbud out, giving him a short answer.
22:25
Yeah, sometimes. He stared at me for an
22:28
uncomfortably long time before speaking again.
22:31
You live alone? That sent a shiver through me.
22:36
Who asks a stranger that? Nah, I got a full house.
22:40
I didn't. I lived alone in a small studio.
22:44
But he didn't need to know that. He hummed like he was thinking
22:48
that over. Then he asked.
22:50
Do you ever feel like someone's following you?
22:53
My skin crawled. That was it.
22:56
I needed to move. At the next stop.
23:00
I stood up casually, trying not to seem too obvious, and made my
23:04
way to the next car. The guy didn't follow right
23:08
away, and I started to relax. Maybe I was overreacting.
23:14
Maybe he was just a weird dude who didn't know how to make
23:17
conversation. But two stops later, I heard the
23:22
door slide open. I looked up and there he was.
23:26
He entered the car slowly, scanning the seats before
23:30
locking eyes with me. Then, just like before, he
23:34
walked past rows of empty seats and sat right next to me again.
23:40
This time, he didn't say anything.
23:43
He just sat there, breathing steady, staring at his hands.
23:48
My heartbeat picked up. I wasn't looking for a reason to
23:52
panic, but this wasn't normal. I had changed cars and he had
23:58
followed me. I had to test something.
24:02
At the next stop I got up again, this time more abruptly, and
24:05
moved to another car. I sat near the exit, watching
24:09
the door. 2 minutes later it slid open.
24:14
There he was again. I wasn't imagining it now.
24:19
This guy was following me, and he wasn't even trying to be
24:22
subtle. He moved like he had all the
24:25
time in the world, like he knew I wasn't going anywhere.
24:30
I stood up fast and switched cars again.
24:34
I heard the door behind me slide open once more, his footsteps
24:39
echoing on the linoleum floor. Panic settled into my chest.
24:44
I had to get off this train. I checked my phone.
24:49
Three more stops until mine. I wasn't going to wait.
24:53
The train slowed into the next station, and I made my move.
24:59
As soon as the doors opened, I stepped out and immediately
25:02
turned as if I was heading toward the exit.
25:05
But at the last second, just before the doors shut, I pivoted
25:08
sharply and darted back inside. The doors slid closed and the
25:13
train began moving. I turned to look at the
25:16
platform. He was standing there, watching
25:19
me. He didn't look angry, he didn't
25:23
look surprised. He just stood there, staring.
25:27
As the train carried me away, I felt relieved, my entire body
25:32
buzzing with adrenaline. He was gone.
25:36
I was safe, Or so I thought. The next day, something still
25:41
felt off. I took a different train route,
25:44
switching up my routine just in case.
25:47
When I got to my usual station near my apartment, I didn't want
25:51
to go straight there, just in case he had somehow followed me.
25:55
I decided to grab coffee at a shop nearby, killing time.
26:00
That's when I saw him across the street, standing near a bus
26:04
stop. He was watching me.
26:07
I didn't wait. I went straight into the coffee
26:10
shop, found a seat near the back and pretended to be on my phone.
26:15
After about 10 minutes, I peeked outside again.
26:20
He was gone. I made my way home, nerves on
26:24
edge, checking over my shoulder every few steps.
26:28
The paranoia was real now. From that day on, I never ever
26:34
took the same train route twice in a row.
26:38
I never saw him again, but I still wonder, was he just a
26:42
weird lonely guy or was he waiting for the right
26:45
opportunity? I'm glad I never found out.
26:53
If these stories made you side eye your next train ride, smash
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27:00
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Ever had a creepy experience on a train?
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Drop your story in the comments or e-mail me, I'd love to
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feature it. Stay safe out there and
27:20
remember, just because a train car looks empty doesn't mean it
27:24
is. Thanks for watching and I'll see
27:27
you in the next nightmare.