Camp Lost

Just like any other weekend I began my usual commute into Manchester to see my grandma. Dad always had some sort of excuse as to why he couldn't come but this weekend that jar of lies ran its course. Now here we sat, opposite each other at a table seat we managed to get before anyone else, deliberately not paying any attention to one another. I was mindlessly scrolling through my Instagram, refreshing every couple minutes, nothing taking my interest. Dad was too busy making some business phone call; I had no idea what he even did these days.

Bored of the repetitive cycle of checking my texts, then snapchat, then YouTube, then Instagram became monotonous after a while so I put my headphones in and listened to some music. I tried to look out the window instead of at the table that looked like it hadn't been washed in the last decades due to the questionable stains and scratches on them. I grimaced at the state of it. Trying to look out the window though gave me a headache due to everything going by in a blur so fast.

I was bored and uncomfortable. Squirming in my seat, I finally found a decent position to sit in. I rested my head on the glass with my legs slung over the armrest and rested my feet on the empty seat next to me. I closed my eyes trying to sleep for a bit; all I could feel below me was the shaking of the train though.

The train was starting to shake noticeably more than it previously had but I shook it off as nothing but my bored mind playing tricks on me. I opened my eyes and looked straight across from where I was sitting. It was a blank wall instead of a window which I found strange as it didn't match the other side.

I was taken from my train of thoughts as the train jolted slightly making me bash my head slightly on the window leaving a dull pain. Entering a dark tunnel, the lights of the train flickered slightly.

Suddenly all the lights went out on the train leaving nothing but darkness. I felt my chest tighten like a dark force was pressing down on it. This had never happened when I was on this train before...

The lights flickered on again. Immediately, I shut my eyes tight to stop my eyes from hurting from the sudden brightness. Slowly I opened them again only to realise that something had changed.

The once opposite bare wall was now covered in missing person's posters. I turn to my right to ask my dad what was happening only to realise that he was no longer there. My eyes widened and a deep seated fear began to set in my chest.

"dad?" I called out reluctantly getting up out of my seat
"Dad?! where are you" there was no reply. The entire carriage was empty.

"DAD! I'm not playing these games! come out you're scaring me" I screamed to no avail. hot tears streaming down my face like a rushing river.

I turned to my left to look at the posters plastered on the wall. There right in the middle of all the posters... was my face. I snatched the poster off the wall reading it allowed

Name: Talia Carter
Age: 18 DOB: 12/04/2001
Height: 5ft 5.5" weight: 107lbs
Appearance: grey eyes with shoulder length brown hair, piercings in both ears, a small nose, a scar on her left knee
If you have seen this missing person or have any details of their location please contact your local authorities or the police.

I tore up the poster in a fit of rage. This can't be happening! All I wanted was to have a nice day spending time with my family making and eating cookies like me and grandma always do. I wanted this all to be over.

"This is just a dream, this is just a dream" I repeated it over and over in my head constantly pinching my arms trying to wake myself up from this living nightmare but to no avail. My chest tightened like a snake was trying to constrict my entire body so it could immobilise me to make me its next meal.

Suddenly the train jerked again sending me flying backwards from my standing position. My head collided with one of the seat's armrests as I fell. My vision went blurry. I struggled to move my body. I felt paralysed. All sound became nothing but a ringing in my ear. I was enveloped into a not-so-welcoming darkness and after that there was nothing.

After what felt like a lifetime, my senses started to return. I could hear faint voices around me and a feeling of relief washed over me

"Had this all just been a dream then?" I thought to myself as I began to come round again.

My body was being lifted up off the ground and into someone's arms but I had no idea who. I could only just make out their voice and I didn't recognise it at all. I didn't move a muscle afraid of what would happen if I did.

About 30 minutes had passed before I felt myself being placed on some sort of bed. Groggily, I opened my eyes. I was no longer in the train. It looked like some run down shack. Looking to my left I see a man staring down at the floor sat on a stool. He looked about 6ft with his chin length hair dyed a light silver. His stature was intimidating so I made my next move cautiously. Gulping quietly I decided to talk knowing full well I could be killed so very easily with one wrong move.

"Excuse me, sir, would you happen to know where we are right now?" Speaking in a volume of almost a whisper

"You're in 'Camp Lost' now, kid" the man spoke not removing his gaze from the dirt floor

" I'm where?" I took a sharp inhale of breath.

What the hell had I gotten myself into...