Tía Dolores

I don't know if it was bad luck or something more, but everything that night seemed off, like the universe was trying to stop me. My name is Edwin, and here was this scary story. It started with the uber. The guy was supposed to pick me up at seven point thirty sharp. My train was scheduled for eight fifteen, and I'd planned it all out perfectly, But instead of showing up at my apartment, he was parked two blocks away. He said his GPS was acting weird. Sorry, bro, you're gonna have to come to me. It's saying you're somewhere else. By the time I got to the car, I was already seven forty five. The ride was tense. The driver kept glancing at his phone like he was lost. The streets they looked normal, but something fell wrong. To many red lights, roads that should have been clear were backed up. It was like the city didn't want me to leave. I finally made it to the station at eight ten, five minutes to spare. I sprinted inside my bag, banging against my side. Ticket already pulled up on my phone, but when I scanned it at the gate, it didn't go through. It didn't work. I tried again, the same thing. The screen flashed this message I had never seen before, in valid entry. I rushed over to the counter, my heart pounding, trying to explain to the clerk. She just stared at me like I was crazy. This ticket is for tomorrow night, she said, But it wasn't. I checked it a hundred times when I bought it. It was for tonight. She printed it, told me to try again, and this time it worked. But I was down to the wire. The platform was almost empty when I got there, and that's when I realized something else. My train wasn't even here yet. Those who take this route regularly must have known that it's never on time, because there are only a few people relaxing by the columns of that coal train station, two women out in the distance, struggling with the vending machine. The schedule on the board showed a delay, no explanation, just late. It was getting close to nine p m by then, and I was standing there, feeling this chill settled in the air. People were leaving the station one by one and me I just stood there, waiting for a train that might never come. I don't know why, but I felt it then. Something wasn't right. Whatever it was. It wasn't done with me yet. Something was trying to stop me. At long last, the train arrived. I barely waited for the doors to open before I rushed inside, my breath fogging up in the coal air. I found a seat by the window, tossed my back down and leaned back, trying to shake off the tension. My fingers were shaking as I pulled out my phone. No messages, no missed calls. It didn't surprise me. No one else in the family seemed to care about my Theodo Loris like I did. She had been the only one who whoever really looked out for me growing up. She liked to keep to herself, and all I knew was that I had to get to her before it was too late. I stared out the window, the platform barely lit and fading fast. As the train started moving, trees blurred passed in the darkness, and for a moment I felt like I could finally breathe again. But then I noticed it a light. At first, I thought it was just a reflection or maybe another train passing by, but it wasn't. It was out there, and the trees, bright but not steady, flickered and darted from side to side, swerving in and out of the branches like it was alive, and I couldn't look away. The light was keeping up with the train and maybe even gaining on it. And then it got closer, close enough that I could make out something behind it. It wasn't just a light, It was a figure, a shape I couldn't quite make out. The closer it got, the clearer it became. Pale, almost translucent, skin stretching over a face that wasn't human. Hollow eyes, twisted horns, teeth too sharp to belong to anything natural. It slammed against the window, grinning at me with this impossible smile. It claws scraped against the glass, leaving streaks like it was trying to get in. I jumped back, nearly falling out of my seat, my heart racing. No one else seemed to see it. They just sat there, staring at their phones like nothing was happening. And then it was gone, just like that. One moment it was there staring at me through the glass, and the next light vanished into the trees. It wasn't even going to try to sleep. For the rest of the ride, I couldn't. All I could do was sit there, staring out the window, waiting for it to come back. By the time we pulled into the next station, the air outside felt even heavier, but the rest of the ride was eerily calm. I couldn't shake the image of that thing though, its hollow eyes, its claws scratching against the glass, and my hands were trembling, but I did best to hide it from the other passengers. As we waited at the station, I found myself thinking of Theodolores, her voice, her laugh, the smell of her favorite herbal tea. She'd been eccentric, sure, always talking about energies, unseen forces, things that most of us brushed off as all the wives tales. But she believed in them, all of them, the chusas witches. I take kids in the middle of the night. There's more to this world than meets the eye. You just have to be willing to see it, she used to say, and I used to laugh it off as a kid, her stories about spirits, protective charms, and the time she swore she saw a shadow figure in the garden. But now, sitting on that train, I couldn't help but wonder had she known something I didn't? She had tried to teach me too, show me how to recognize the signs, how to protect myself. I hadn't taken it too seriously back then, had been too busy with school, friends, my own life. Now all I could do was wish I had paid more attention. When you feel it, that heaviness in the air, it's not just your imagination. You listen to it, Mico. You listen and you act. Don't let it catch you off guard. Her words echoed in my head, blending with the sounds of the train, and for the first time in years, I thought about the small charm she had given me on my twelve birthday, little carved stone wrapped in a thin cord of leather. She said it was for protection, but I had lost it somewhere along the way. Now I wish I still had it. I pulled my jacket tighter around me and glance out the window again. The night outside seemed darker than before, the trees rushing by like shadows, and for a moment I thought I saw it again, the light farther away this time, but still there, watching, waiting. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block it out, and whatever it was whatever it wanted, that wasn't going to let it stop me. Theado Lortes needed me, and I was going to get to her no matter what. I just had to hold on just a little bit longer. But I wasn't the only one who saw it. About twenty minutes into the next stretch of the ride, a man sitting a few rows ahead of me started to fidget. At first, it was subtle, just a glance out the window and then another, but soon he was craning his neck, pressing his face to the glass. What the hell is that? He wasn't quiet? Head started to turn. I slouched lower, hoping he wouldn't notice me. The last thing I needed was to explain what I had seen. Hey, does anyone else see that light out there? Following us? A woman across the aisle from him glanced out her window and shook her head, clearly annoyed. The guy wasn't letting it go. He stood off, swaying slightly as a train jostled. I'm serious, there's something out there. It's weird. Weird was the only word he could think of That wouldn't have been able to explain it either. He bolted toward the nearest attendant waving his arms frantically. Hey, hey, you have to stop the train. Something's out there. It's dangerous, dangerous. There you go. That seems to make more sense, Sir, Please return to your seat. You're causing a disturbance. No, you don't understand. It's a light, but it's alive. It's coming for us. The attendant glanced toward the window and then back at the man. Her expression stayed neutral, but I noticed her grip tightened on the back of the chair in front of her. Sir, if you don't sit down, I'll have to inform security at the next station. You're not listening. Please just look outside. The train rocked harder than usual, and for a moment, the whole car seemed to hold its breath. And then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it again, the light. This streak passed my window and possibly fast, darting between the trees like it was toying with us. The passenger wasn't wrong. Whatever it was, it was not normal, and it was getting closer. There. Look, it's right there. Everyone turned towards the windows, and for a split second, the light flared so brightly it lit up the entire car, and then the figure appeared. It wasn't just a light. It was the same thing I had seen before, Pale, twisted and grinning with those sharp, impossible teeth. Its hollow eyes seemed to pierce right through the glass through me. What is that thing? Everyone? Stay calm, Please remain in your seats. But no one was calm. People were scrambling, some were trying to move away from the windows. Others were pulling out their phones to record. The attendant grabbed the intercom. Her voice was shaking as she called for the conductor. We need assistance in car three. Now. The light outside seemed to grow dimmer, but it wasn't gone. Was circling us now, faster and faster, like a predator closing in on its prey. And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone. The light vanished into the darkness, leaving nothing but the faint echo to its growls behind. Is Is it over? No one answered the person. The attendant stood frozen, her hands still clutching the intercom. The rest of the car sat in stunned silence, everyone too afraid to move, too afraid to look outside again. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't done with us yet, not by a long shot. As the minutes crawled by, the train settled back into its rhythm, people whispered nervously, clutching their bags or their loved ones. My mind was somewhere else, entirely. My aunt used to call me her shadow. Wherever she went, I followed. When I was little, I would cling to her skirts, watching her perform her strange rituals, burning herbs, whispering words in the language I didn't understand. Never leave me, mihome, Promise me, no matter what happens, you'll stay. And I promised. I promised her a thousand times. But kids, well, we grow up. Life gets in the way, and somewhere along the line, I broke that promise. And now every mile that separated us felt like a weight on my check. Why had I waited for so long? Why hadn't I answered her last call? She sounded so weak, so afraid. And then I felt it again, that pressure, that sense of being watched. I turned my head slowly, dreading what I might see, and there it was, hovering just outside the window the light. It flickered and swayed, as if taunting me, And this time the passenger saw it too. A woman screamed, someone shouted for the attendant, but before anyone could react, everything went black. I woke up. The silence, and not the kind of silence you hear after the world settles, with the heavy, suffocating kind that feels alive. My body ached and my head throbbed with a dull, pulsing pain. I opened my eyes, but the world around me didn't make any sense. It was dark, but not the kind of dark you would expect. It was like being underwater, dim with shapes shifting in the distance. And then I saw her, my aunt, the Lories. She was standing a few feet away, her silhouette illuminated by a faint, rather worldly glow. She looked exactly as I remember, frail but elegant, her gray hair cascading over the sides of her head. You made it, Mi. Her words hit me like a punch to the check. I wanted to move, to run to her, but my legs felt heavy, like they were rooted to the ground. Yeah, how are you here? Sh don't worry about that. Now you're here, That's what matters. Her voice was soft, almost musical. That was something beneath it, something I couldn't quite place. I took a shaky step forward, reaching out to her, and that's when I noticed that she wasn't standing on the ground. She was floating just a few inches above it. What's going on? Where are we? You don't remember? Do you look around, Miho. I turned my head and the memories came flooding back. The train, the crash, the screams, the light. It all hit me at once, like a damn bursting above me. No, no, this isn't real. This is a dream. It has to be a dream. It's not a dream, meaningil, it's the truth. You kept your promise. You came back to me. My heart pounded as I realized what she meant. I wasn't alive anymore. The crash, I didn't survive it, and now somehow I was here with her. I didn't mean to leave you. I try to get back. I really tried. I know, Mikol, I've always known, and that's why I waited for you. Her face softened, but there was a glimmer in her eyes, something that sent a chill down my spine. She stepped closer, and I could feel the air grow colder with every inch she closed between us. Now, we can be together forever. Her words didn't feel comforting. I stumbled back, but the ground beneath me wasn't solid anymore. It felt like quicksand pulling me down. Before I could finish, her face twisted, The warm smile disappeared, replaced by something monstrous. Her eyes turned black, her mouth stretching into an unnatural grin. You promised, Kardigno promises, can't be broken. I try to run. There was nowhere to go. The darkness closed in around me, her voice echoing in the background. You said you'd never leave me. Scary Story Podcast has written and produced by me Edwin color Rujez and you can find out more about me and information about the show over on Scary Story podcast dot com. You can also find links to everything in the description of this episode. If you want to listen to these episodes completely add free and support the show at the same time, head on over to scaryplus dot com. Thank you very much for listening. Keep it scary everyone. Let's see you soon.