From Hurried Ascensions
by Esi Noire
Rene expected to be alone.
Instead, she opened her eyes to a train car full of shadows.
Not ghosts, not fully. They shimmered, half-formed and half-faded, seated as if remembering they were once passengers. Some clutched photographs. Others held nothing but the hems of robes, ribbons, or invisible wounds.
One woman’s face was etched with coal dust.
A child’s palm pressed against a fogged window, as if still trying to wave goodbye.
Rene walked slowly down the aisle. None looked at her.
But she could feel their memory brushing her skin like warm breath.
“What is this place?” she whispered.
The voice came from behind.
“It’s where the forgotten go when no one remembers their names.”
Rene turned. An older woman stood near the back door of the car, her skin like folded cedar bark, her eyes soft but endless.
“My name was Dinah,” the woman said. “And I remember your grandfather.”
“You knew him?”
“I knew his father. And his father’s father. We were all on this train once, too. But we never had tickets.”
Rene’s throat tightened.
“How do I get him back?”
“You must call his name,” Dinah said. “But you must use the name he had before the world renamed him.”
And just like that, the shadows began to stir.
Support the Author: These stories are powered by memory and love. If Rene’s journey speaks to your spirit, share this chapter or support the author. Send a gift via PayPal (@SisLM) or simply leave a word in the comments. You are part of this line too.
Wicked Grim Stories 
Leave a comment