The train crawled through the quiet countryside, its shrill screech occasionally cutting through the stillness like a dying cry. A hollow silence had spread among the passengers of Car 8. They had witnessed horror, chaos, and near-death—but for the first time in hours, there was a flicker of hope.
Asher sat near the emergency window, his arms folded around his knees. He watched the outside world pass slowly, trees blurring in a dull green smear. But his thoughts weren't on the scenery.
They were on Ethan.
He stole a glance toward the back of the car, where Ethan stood with Jason, mapping out something with a marker on a tray table. Jason's wife rested nearby, one hand gently over her rounded belly, her face pale but determined. The 5-year-old girl was sleeping, head in her mother's lap, while the young couple whispered nervously in a corner.
And yet, even in this semi-calm moment, Asher's mind reeled with unease. The slow train… the lack of rescue… the growing hunger… and worst of all, the unknown.
He flinched slightly when Ethan sat beside him.
"You okay?" Ethan's voice was soft.
Asher didn't look up. "Do I look okay?"
Ethan gave him a small smile. "Actually, you look like a pissed-off cat in a hoodie."
Asher snorted. "That's... accurate."
They sat in silence for a few moments, just the hum of the slowing train between them.
Then Asher finally asked, "Why did you go with him?"
Ethan tilted his head. "Someone had to."
"You could've died."
"I could've died a dozen times today," Ethan replied, shrugging. "But if I hadn't gone... we'd all still be trapped, headed full-speed toward god-knows-where. We have a shot now."
Asher finally turned toward him. "Yeah. But I wouldn't have forgiven you."
Ethan leaned closer. "You didn't say that because you were worried about the group. You said that because of me."
Asher said nothing.
"I get it," Ethan continued, quieter now. "You're trying to be the tough one. But you don't have to do that with me."
And just for a moment, Asher let his walls drop. "I just... I don't want to lose you. Not here. Not like this."
Ethan nodded.
And Asher rested his head on Ethan's shoulder—just for a second.
Just enough to breathe again.
At the other end of the car, Jason spread out the hand-drawn plan across the table.
"We're here," he pointed. "Three cars away from the very front. We've sent the signal, slowed the train, but if no one responds... we'll have to take matters into our own hands."
The young woman with the 5-year-old leaned forward. "What do you mean?"
"I mean we might need to stop the train manually at the next junction. But it's risky. Could derail us if we do it wrong."
"No more risks!" the pregnant woman snapped suddenly. "We've all done enough risking!"
Jason softened. "I understand. But we can't sit here forever. If the infected break through from Car 9, this whole car goes down. You, your baby, everyone."
Leo, who had been unusually quiet for the past hour, suddenly stood. "Can we not talk about dying for five minutes?"
Everyone turned to him.
Leo exhaled shakily. "Sorry. I just... I just saw a guy eat his own hand this morning. And I joked about it. Like it was funny. And now it's not."
No one laughed.
Jason nodded. "It's okay to feel it now. But when it's time to move again, I need all of you present."
They all nodded, some slower than others.
The train whined as it passed through another small station—abandoned. Overgrown tracks, empty benches, vending machines still glowing. But no rescue.
"Why won't they stop us?" one of the elder couples murmured. "They must see us."
Ethan and Jason exchanged a glance.
Asher spoke what no one else wanted to admit. "They probably do see us."
"But they're not opening the doors," Leo whispered. "Why?"
Jason answered grimly. "Containment. If the government suspects a biohazard outbreak on a moving train... they'll treat it like a mobile quarantine. The infected can't be allowed to spread. Which means they won't risk letting any of us out."
"We're not all infected!" the mother said, clutching her daughter tighter.
"They don't know that," Ethan said. "And even if we aren't infected, we've been exposed. That's enough for them to treat us like we're already dead."
The air thickened.
The sense of being trapped became real again.
Suddenly, there was a sharp bang from Car 9.
Everyone turned toward the sealed door.
Jason drew his knife.
Ethan grabbed the bat.
The noise came again—Bang. Bang. Bang.
Something was hitting the metal hard.
"Brace the door!" Jason barked.
Leo, Ethan, and the young boyfriend ran to press their weight against it. Jason shoved a luggage cart in front of it, wedging it in tight.
Then silence again.
Minutes passed like molasses.
The pregnant woman—her name was revealed earlier to be Mira—clutched her belly. "He's kicking," she whispered to her husband, Jason.
Jason kissed her forehead. "He's fighting. Just like you."
Hours passed.
The train continued to creep.
Night fell.
Hunger gnawed at their bellies.
A few shared snacks they had left—crackers, half a juice box, a protein bar torn into tiny bites for the little girl. Ethan gave Asher the last bite of his chocolate granola.
"You'll need it more," he said.
Asher shoved it into Ethan's mouth without speaking.
The gesture said enough.
Around midnight, a faint beep echoed from the front of the car.
Jason rushed to the panel.
A transmission.
Static... then a voice.
"This is Control Center to Train 1142. We received your distress signal."
The room went still.
Jason grabbed the mic. "This is Jason Malik. Confirming contact. Train 1142. Overrun by infected. Request immediate assistance. We have uninfected survivors."
"Understood. Situation is known. Proceed to Junction 47. Government teams will be dispatched."
Ethan's eyes widened. "They're coming?"
Jason's smile was grim. "They didn't say they're coming for us. Only that the situation is known."
"Do not attempt to leave the train under any circumstance. Containment protocols in place."
The transmission ended.
The silence that followed was cold.
As dawn approached, Ethan, Jason, and Asher sat together near the front.
"We're a liability to them," Jason said. "If they think we're infected... they'll never let us leave alive."
"So we prove we're not," Asher said quietly.
Ethan nodded. "We survive. We get off. We fight if we have to."
Jason looked at them both. "If it comes down to choosing between the living and the dead, remember: we choose each other."
The train curved gently.
Far ahead, faint lights of a city blinked.
Hope flickered once again.
But behind them, the growls returned.
They weren't out of the woods yet.
But they had something more powerful than weapons now.
They had purpose.
They had each other.
And they had the will to survive.