Page 27 of Dead

Chapter Six

Jeph searched the field, looking for any sign that they had been there. Any clue as to why… anything that would lead them back to wherever they’d been. His head ached, a massive headache had hit him when they’d neared this place. Was it the location doing it to him or was his internal search to blame?

A name suddenly whispered in his mind.

Heinrick.

Jeph frowned, trying to figure out who Heinrick was. Nothing came to him…

And then he heard the whistle of a train in the distance.

The train…

Jeph searched the area, looking for signs of rails or a train. He stood there silently a moment, waiting to hear something again.

No sounds came to him. He scanned the area again. No birds. No animals… I haven’t seen any wildlife, or heard sounds of scattering. Something’s not right here.

Griffin and Nick made their way over as the sun began to lower, both with irritation on their faces.

“There’s nothing here,” Nick spat. “It’s been over an hour. We’re wasting our time.”

Jeph shook his head. “We’re not. Something’s here, I can feel it.”

“I don’t know, Jeph… I think I have to agree with Nick. I don’t know that we’ll find answers here.”

“Then where do we go?” Jeph demanded.

“I don’t know,” Griffin answered. “How do we know we weren’t just dumped here? Whoever had us might be a million miles away.”

Jeph heard a train whistle in the distance again, and the hairs on his arms and neck stood up. “Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Nick asked, cocking a brow.

“The train.”

Both Griffin and Nick frowned at him. “What train?” Griffin asked, but then his eyes widened.

“Heinrick, Heinrick, Heinrick,” Griffin suddenly bellowed.

A man in a conductor’s uniform appeared before them… man might’ve been an over-explanation… as it appeared he was no longer living.

Jeph took a step back, his eyes widening.

The ghost lifted his stare and shoved his timepiece back into his waistcoat. “What is it with you mortals? I have a job to do, and you keep pulling me from it.”

Keep pulling me from it? “What job?” Jeph asked.

The ghost frowned. “Conducting the train to Midnight, of course. Are you daft?”

Midnight.

“Can you take us there?” Griffin asked.

Heinrick looked between the three of them… he frowned. “You’ve been wiped, haven’t you?” The ghost stepped back, as if he was afraid of them. “I shouldn’t be talking to you. Send me back where you yanked me from.”

“How do we do that?”

“Same way you sent me back last time,” Heinrick spat. “And hurry it up. I’ve got tickets to check.” The ghost pulled out his pocket watch again and looked at the time. “I’m late!”

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