It was 1:00 AM when I scrolled past a frantic post on the local city subreddit, r/MetroCity. u/Caleb_In_Transit: [Help. I’ve been on the Blue Line for an hour and it hasn't stopped.] u/NightOwl: [? Fun fact: The train has to actually arrive at a station for you to get off.] u/TrollPatrol: [OP is probably dreaming. Go back to sleep.] u/Caleb_In_Transit: [I’m not sleeping! I know how subways work! The next stop is usually four minutes away. It’s been twenty minutes since the last stop!] u/SubwaySurfer: [Maybe a signal malfunction? Stay put. Which train are you on? I'll call transit authority.] u/Caleb_In_Transit: [I'm on the southbound Blue Line, heading downtown.] I stared at the latest reply and froze. I was on the southbound Blue Line, heading downtown. 1 I checked the time on my phone. 1:11 AM. It had been eleven minutes since I boarded. The Blue Line is the busiest, most reliable artery in the city. Trains run frequently, and the stops are close together. Going this long without slowing down wasn't just odd—it was impossible. If I hadn't seen that Reddit post, buried in my phone, I might not have even noticed. I typed a reply with trembling fingers: u/RileyWorkz: [OP, which car are you in? I think I’m on the same train.] The reply came instantly. u/Caleb_In_Transit: [Last car. Rear of the train. I like the privacy.] u/RileyWorkz: [Don't move. I’m coming to you.] 2 Three minutes later, I met the OP in the rear car. His name was Caleb. He looked like a typical college sophomore—varsity jacket, messy hair, looking scared out of his mind. "Thank God, thank God. I thought I was the only living person left." Caleb clutched his chest, exhaling sharply. "You have no idea. When I realized the train wasn't stopping, especially at 1 AM... I thought I was losing it. I thought I clipped into the Backrooms or something." "Okay, let's not panic," I said, trying to sound calmer than I felt. I looked at Caleb’s clear, terrified eyes. Definitely a student. He posted on Reddit instead of calling 911 because that’s just how Gen Z handles crises. "Let's call 911." Another few minutes passed. No deceleration. No station lights blurring past the windows. Just black. It had to be a malfunction. I dialed 911. "We're sorry, the number you have reached is not in service." The automated voice made my blood run cold. Not "call failed." Not "no signal." Not in service? 911 is always in service. I hung up, checked the number, and dialed again. "We're sorry, the number you have reached is not in service." "We're sorry, the number you have reached is not in service." I tried five times. Same result. Caleb swallowed hard. "Riley... did you... did you dial the wrong number?" "You think I messed up three digits five times in a row?" My voice cracked. I wasn't sure of anything anymore. "Maybe it's your carrier. Verizon sucks in tunnels," Caleb said, slapping his forehead. He pulled out his iPhone. "I'll try." He put it on speaker. "We're sorry, the number you have reached is not in service..." "NOT IN SERVICE NOT IN SERVICE NOT IN—!!!!!!" A piercing, electronic shriek erupted from the speaker. Caleb dropped his phone as if it were burning hot. "Riley... my... did my phone just scream at me?" I gripped the metal handrail. I'm only three years older than him, just a corporate drone who’s been grinding at a marketing firm for a year. I am not equipped for this. "Maybe," I stammered. "Check the Reddit thread. See what people are saying." Caleb scrambled to pick up his phone. u/UnluckyDuck: [Another victim? Seriously?] u/TransitNerd: [Wait, the Blue Line shuts down for maintenance at 12:30 AM tonight. There shouldn't be any trains running.] u/HorrorFan99: [OP hasn't posted in a while. RIP.] u/ConspiracyKev: [I've read about this on creepypasta forums. They've entered a slip-space. Probably dodging zombies or ghosts right now.] "...Your priority right now is to delete every horror app on your phone," I deadpanned. Caleb pointed at the conspiracy comment, eyes wide. "You don't think he's right, do you?" I pointed to comment #87. "Probably not. Look, this guy says he called for help for us." u/StubbornTurnip: [Don't panic guys. I called the transit authority. They said they're troubleshooting a system error.] u/Caleb_In_Transit: [Sorry to ask, but what number did you call? We tried 911 and the emergency line on the wall, both dead.] u/StubbornTurnip: [555-0199] "What the hell?" Caleb cursed. "The emergency sticker right there says 555-0188." "No wonder we couldn't get through." "This whole city is held together by duct tape and prayers," I muttered. Just like my boss, asking me to rewrite a pitch deck at midnight, leading me to be on this godforsaken train. Thinking we were about to be rescued, the tension broke. We ignored the screeching noise from earlier. We ignored the fact that physics didn't make sense. 3 Bzzt... Bzzt... The intercom crackled to life. "Are there two passengers currently trapped on board?" Caleb, who had been slumping against the door, jumped up like a golden retriever. "Yes! Yes! Oh my god, you're finally here!" The voice on the intercom was calm, almost mechanical. "We apologize for the terrible experience." "We are initiating an emergency stop sequence. Once you disembark, walk forward 550 yards along the track. You will see the platform." I frowned. "Can't you just pull into the station?" The voice replied instantly. "Apologies. The train's braking system has failed. We cannot align with the platform." "Whatever, just open the doors!" Caleb yelled. "I just want to go home and sleep." "Understood. Initiating emergency stop. Please brace yourselves." The train shuddered violently. The lights died. "Holy—!" When the emergency lights flickered on, Caleb and I were sprawled on the floor. "Ouch." I stood up, dusting off my blazer. The train had stopped. Ding. The doors slid open. "You may exit. Remember, walk forward to the platform." That was the last thing the voice said. "Let's go," Caleb said, hopping down onto the tracks. I looked out. The tunnel was pitch black. Endless. And there was no wind. Subway tunnels always have a draft. Something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it. "Caleb, check the thread. Any new updates?" "Now? We're saved. Let's just walk." "Just check. Tell them we're safe." "Fine." Caleb pulled out his phone. "Hey... wait." "Don't just stand there, walk and type." I stepped one foot out of the train. The moment my foot hit the gravel, a sensation like an electric shock zipped through my spine. "I know what's wrong!" "Oh sh*t, no!" 4 We shouted at the same time. We both scrambled back inside the car before the doors could close. "What did you realize?" I asked, breathless. "You go first," Caleb said. "I just realized something we ignored," I said rapidly. "This train has been moving for forty minutes. It hasn't passed a single station." "We haven't even seen a service light." Forty minutes at high speed. We should be in the next state by now. Are we even in the city anymore? My gut told me that stepping into that darkness was a one-way ticket to something worse than being trapped. Caleb was shivering now. He shoved his phone in my face. "That user, StubbornTurnip, DM'd me three minutes ago." "He said the Blue Line is closed for maintenance tonight. It shut down at 11:00 PM." "This train... it shouldn't exist."
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