Emily's Punishment: Part Two

Chapter Thirteen - The Midnight Train

(A quick note before the chapter. Just want to say thank you to everyone who follows the story and thank you for being patient while they waited for this chapter. Life is very bust right now, but I'll do my best to write whenever I can. Sorry it's been a while, but I hope you enjoy it)

Chapter Thirteen – The Midnight Train

Once again, Emily found herself staring mournfully at her own translucent reflection, suspended somewhere between the darkened window and the world outside, which blurred past in streaks of shadow and light. The gentle drone of the engine filled the void of silence between Emily and the driver as the taxi sped through the deserted streets towards the station. Neither had a word to say to the other. Emily was far too consumed by her own thoughts to make small talk, and the for the driver, it was just another case of Friday-night drama he'd prefer not to know about. So she sat, motionless and silent, staring out the window and wondering what the future held for her, while the flickering city lights cast fleeting shadows across her face.

Why did I have to tell him? Why didn't I just keep my mouth shut? Nobody needed to get hurt, she thought, as she briefly glanced away from the window and up at the steadily rising meter beside the driver. No... I did the right thing. It would have been worse if I'd tried to cover it up and he'd found out on his own. And I know he'd have found out sooner or later. He always does.

Emily looked down at her phone, her fingers clutching it tightly on her lap. For a brief moment, her heart lifted as she saw a string of notifications light up the screen, but it quickly sank again when she realised they were all from Tom.

"Please speak to me," she whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible. The driver, catching the faint murmur, glanced back at her through the rearview mirror, their eyes meeting for a brief, awkward moment before he quickly looked away again. Emily sighed and resigned herself to staring out of the window for the rest of the journey.

She barely noticed the time pass as the taxi pulled up beside the large station carpark, coming to a stop beneath one of the street lights that were dotted across the wide, open space.

"That'll be twenty-three pounds please, my love," said the driver in a deep, subdued voice as his eyes once again met hers in the rearview mirror.

Without a word, she tapped her phone on the payment pad and climbed out of the car. The warmth of the earlier evening had dissipated, leaving the night air crisp and chilly beneath the clear sky. A sudden gust of wind swept across the near-empty car park, making her shudder as it cut through her thin jacket.

"Going somewhere nice?" he muttered as he retrieved her case from the boot of the car and placed it down beside her.

"What?" she murmured, barely registering the question. She gazed at him and blinked as his words slowly registered. "Uh... no. Nowhere," she replied, reaching down for the handle of her case. "Thank you."

He looked back at her for a moment with a sympathetic look in his eye and spoke. "Alight, my love. You take care, okay. It's awfully late to be travelling alone," he said, as his voice softened with concern.

"Thank you," she nodded again, feeling a sudden unease about the man. She quickly turned and walked away, wheeling her case noisily over the bumpy tarmac. As she approached the brightly lit doorway to the station, she glanced back to see the driver still watching her as he leaned against the door of his taxi.

Why is he looking at me like that? she thought as her eyes scanned across the closed ticket office and the deserted lobby, searching for any other signs of life. Trying her best to shake off her anxiety, Emily checked the departure times and made her way down the long ramp that led into the station.