Mystical Words: A Short Story Collection

Paranormal: The Ghost Express

"Bye, mum!" Anna said to her mother, who bid her farewell. She then walked out of her house and headed to her friend's house. Being an athletic teen, Anna moved with a rather big spring in her steps as she was invited to a big popular classmate's birthday bash!

At the traffic light, Anna pressed the button and waited patiently for the green man turn on. When the cars stopped at the red light, she looked left and right twice ; a rule any child would have been told in primary school, but tragedy struck. One of the cars closer to the zebra crossing moved, and struck Anna, knocking her to the ground. She only remembered several shocked and pale onlookers staring at her, just before everything went black.

After losing consciousness, Anna woke up in a white room. Surprisingly, the room was not a hospital ward, but was an ordinary room, with a table, chair, wardrobe and bed. Anna's eyes drifted to an envelope on the table. Opening it, Anna read it out loud.

"Dear Reader, please board the Ghost Express at nine sharp. Buy the book the man in the Barney's Books bookstore is promoting before nine. Also, when you're done, give the ticket to the beggar in the nearest train station to board. Please be punctual, or you will have to take the next train!" Later, she headed on West Town street on the way to the bookshop.

Weirdly enough, it seemed that no one could see Anna while she was walking. Anna looked down and gasped. She had no legs! Creepy! Luckily, it was morning so it would not be as scary as at night. Anna even could go through walls! She went up to the salesman at the bookshop (whom nearly no one noticed) and asked to buy the book. After that, she opened the book and saw a ticket. "Ghost Express" it read.

After that, she glided her way to the nearest beggar , who was in front of platform 1, and gave him her ticket. The man smiled, and pocketed the ticket.

Suddenly, the train at platform 1 turned into a white train with the words "Ghost Express" on it! "Please board," the man, who had unexpectedly turned into a ticket collector, said to Anna. She stopped him, however, and asked, "What's this all about? Have I died?" she asked anxiously. "If yes, then how am I still here?"

"Well, basically, you died in the accident, came back as a ghost (hence the train name), and are going to the Ghost Half World to enjoy your eternal stay as a being," the man explained. "But now, I think you need to board. Questions are answered later!" the man added.

"But wait!" cried Anna as the man put her on board. "Why..." before the train doors shut.

"This is going to be one wild ride," Anna thought as she took a seat. She could not have been more right.