Entry for WattpadShortStory's Reading List Marathon contest: write a 200-word paranormal/fantasy duodrabble with a borrowed title from the Realistic Fiction reading list.
Won Honorable Mention & now featured in WattpadShortStory's fantasy anthology, Magic Spindle!
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THE PAGES OF my book flutter as the doors of the train swing open. I try my best to stay focused on the chapter, but curiosity gets the better of me as my eyes travel to the boarding passengers: a young girl and her withered mother, an affectionate elderly couple, a group of rowdy teenage boys, and an almost recognizable, 20-something-year-old man with a peacoat slung across his arm.
As the other passengers settle themselves towards the front of the train, the man stalks down the aisle—unnoticed by his fellow passengers—before finally cozying up in an unoccupied table diagonal from mine.
A moment passes before the train jolts forward, continuing on its journey to somewhere upstate. As everyone returns to their conversations, magazines, and food, my attention remains on the man. There's something off about him. It's as if his existence is some sort of aura, flickering transparently like an apparition that's fading away from the world and into an entirely different realm.
And as he quickly bounds off the train at the next stop, I gather my belongings and follow him into the murky night. This man—or rather, bestial creature—is no stranger.
YOU ARE READING
Wonderwall
Short StoryAn anthology of short stories based on contests, writing prompts, or simply drabbles I can't get out of my head.
