The Station was Desolate save for a Few Passengers Awaiting for the Arrival of the Next Train that would Take Them to Places Far and Near.
On Benches Made out of Red Onyx that gave off the Appearance of Bleeding Stone They Sat and Waited Never Making any Sound except that of a Whisper Barely Heard.
The Rustle of Newspaper and the Moaning of the Morning Breeze seemed to be the Only Other Sounds that One could Hear in this Station as well as the Patrolling Foot Steps of a Constable.
On One Bench Far from the other Passengers and looking quite Perplexed was a Girl of the Age of 19 and each time She Looked Around at the Station and the other Passengers, Her Eyes would Grow Wide in Disbelief and a Creeping Sense of Dread would begin to Envelop Her Causing her Entire Body to Shake Violently as if she was Plunged into a Tank full of Frigid Water.
She Wore Dark Clothing that Bore the Colors of Late Fall... A Jacket that was Pale Yellow Complete with a Scarf of Burnt Orange. Her Pants were Black as a Starless Night and keeping her Hands Warm were Gloves that Matched the Color of her Scarf. Her Hair was Silver Blonde and Braided up in a PonyTail.
Her Eyes were Venomous Green Hidden Behind Shades of White Rims and Orange Lens.
In her Hands, She Held a Single Black Ticket and illustrated on the Black Paper was a Silent Screaming Skull with the Number 31 Branded on its Pale White ForeHead. It Eyes were also Venomous Green but seemed to Pulsate with an Unnatural Glow as if the Skull was somehow Alive. Above the Skull in a Curved Font were the Words:
TOMBSTONE 31 Express
and Below:
Admittance for the Recently Departed
Party of 1
She had Read over and over these Words Hardly Believing what She Saw Printed on the Black Ticket but yet even after Reading the Ticket for the 15th Time the Words did not Change nor Disappear.
So...She was Dead? No No No That can\'t be Right....She shook her Head in Denial and Attempted to Remember what she was last Doing before she Woke up and Found Herself in this Macabre Place. But No Memories came to the Surface and she was Left with her Questions and Denial.
The Only thing that would come to her Mind were Thoughts of Bird Song and Sun Light Streaming through a Open Window with a Light Breeze parting Soft Silk Curtains.
She Lost Herself in these Thoughts for awhile paying the Station and its Passengers No Mind until a Raspy Voice Interrupted her Ruminations...
\"Pardon Young Miss....The Train will Arriving Shortly and it is time for Tickets to be Collected.\"
She had her eyes Closed during her Ruminations and when She Opened them and Beheld the Individual Speaking to her, She nearly Screamed out in Fright and Fainted...but She Managed to keep herself Silent and Conscious. The Speaker was the Constable and he was Dead in Appearance. His Skin was Pale and Shrunken and She could See that he had no Eyes but only Pitch Black Hollow Emptiness where they should have been. There was a Faint Reddish Glow Emanating from within the Hollows of the Constables Eye Sockets but it Vanished before she could Catch another Glimpse of it. His Mouth was Filled with Wooden Teeth which made a Grating Sound whenever the Constable spoke to her and a Slurping Sound was added as his Jaw Struggled to keep Intact as it Appeared to be Almost Rotted and Close to Falling off.
This was the Closest she had ever been to one of the Inhabitants of this Train Station and She Realized in Grim Fascination and Shock that the Passengers were Walking and Talking Corpses even when they only Spoke very Little and Only in Hushed Whispers that Reminded her of Scenes from a Ghost Flick.
\"Ma\'am? Are you Feeling Well? You look a little Pale?\"
At this, She almost Laughed Out loud but She Nodded her Head and Managed a High Pitch \"Yes\"
\'Very Well then Young Miss. As I Said Before...The Train is nearly here so May I Please See your Ticket.\"
She looked down at the Black Ticket and then all around the Station then back at the Constable who had one Outstretched Hand Held out to Receive Her Ticket.
\"Excuse Me...But Where am I?\"
the Constable looked at her in Silence then Answered
\"You are at the N.R.D Train Station Young Miss.\"
\"N.R.D.\"
\"Yes... Newly and Recently Departed.\"
\"Newly and Recently Departed....\" She Repeated to herself in a Numb Tone
\"Yes...It Says so on Your Ticket along with the Name and Number of your Train which I have Informed you Earlier should be Arriving any time now.\"
\"Excuse Me...But I think there has been some Mistake.\"
\"Mistake? Whatever do you mean Miss?\"
\"I\'m not Dead....I Know I\'m not Dead....I Can\'t be Dead....I Won\'t be Dead....How can I be Dead?\"
The Constable did not Reply but looked at her as if in both Pity and Curiosity.
\"I Can\'t Remember Anything before I found Myself Waking up here in this Strange Station Sitting on this Bench and Holding on to this Damn Black Ticket!\"
At the Mention of the Tickets Color, the Constable took a Step Back and Looked around Quickly then Leaned in to Whisper into one of her Ears.
\"I would not go Shouting out that you have a Black Ticket Young Miss...It might Attract Unwanted Attention.\"
\"Unwanted Attention?\"
\"Yes Young Miss. The Unwanted usually come here to the Station whenever a Black Ticket is Revealed to the rest of the Passengers who do not Possess one themselves except the White Tickets. The Passengers themselves do not really Care that you might have a Black Ticket but the Unwanted have ways of Seeing through the Passenger\'s Eyes and Hearing through their Ears....There is even Rumour that they can Speak through their Mouths in their Twisted Language.\"
\"Who are the Unwanted?\"
\"The Unwanted Young Miss are those who have gotten themselves the Punishment of Receiving no Tickets... White nor Black and they most Desire the Black Ticket.\"
\"What is the difference between the White Tickets and the Black Tickets?\"
\"Young Miss.... The White Tickets Gives Passengers a Seat on just the Angel\'s Vigil Express but the Black Ticket Gives you and any other Passenger a Seating on the TombStone 31 Express.\"
\"Angels Vigil? TombStone 31 Express? What are you Talking about? What makes this TombStone 31 Express more Important than the Angel\'s Vigil Express?\'
\"The Angel Vigil Express is Reserved to those Passengers who Possess White Tickets and have no more Business in their Lives to Take Care of so they can Ride in Peace and Solitude to their Final Destination. But the TombStone 31 Express is Reserved for those Passengers Possessing the Black Tickets And have Unfinished Business to Take Care Off.\"
\"But why do the Unwanted want the Black Ticket Most of All and Not the White Ticket?\"
\"Because the Unwanted are those who have Squandered their Lives away in Meaningless Excess of Violence,Greed and Lust and if they Gain a Black Ticket then they are able to Cause Chaos amongst the World Outside the Silent Necropolis. And we can\'t have that Young Miss. No We Cannot.\"
\"We?\"
\"I refer to Constables such as Myself as well as the Bone Librarians of the Skeletal Library.\"
\"The Skeletal Library?\"
Before the Constable could Answer her Question, a Shrill and Hollow Sounding Whistle Pierced the Silence of the Train Station.
\"That is your Train Young Miss...Now May I See Your Ticket Please.\"
After a bit of Hesitation She Handed the Black Ticket over to the Constable who Took it and Pulling out a Ticket Puncher Punched the Black Ticket then Handed it Back to Her.
\"Thank You Young Miss. Now Hurry Along and Board your Train before it Departs without You.\"
\"Wait! One Last Question.\"
\"Yes Young Miss?\"
\"Where will this Train Take me to?\"
\"The TombStone 31 Express has Nine Stops in Total but I\'m afraid that we both do Not have enough Time to go over them all. I can only tell you this... The First Stop is at the Port of Love Turn. Now Please Young Miss... Catch your Train and Please do keep the Fact that you Possess a Black Ticket to yourself or Suffer the Unwanted Hunting you.\"
The Constable then turned and Walked off towards the other Passengers who Gave Him their White Tickets for the Train Arriving after the TombStone 31 Express.
Taking One last Look around the Station then Down at the Black Ticket in her Hands, She Headed in the Direction of the TombStone 31 Express which Gave out one Last Whistle.