A week had passed since Daniel's strange journey - if it had even happened. He'd told no one. What proof did he have? Just the memory of Lena's touch and the cryptic note in his pocket.
Then the ticket came back.
It was waiting on his kitchen table one morning, neatly placed where his breakfast plate should've been.
Same parchment texture. Same stamped date. But now it read:
"Departure: May 21, 10:17 p.m.
Destination: Answers."
His pulse quickened. The last trip gave him closure - but not clarity. Who sent the ticket? How did it work? Why him?
That night, he boarded again.
This time, the train wasn't empty. There were others: a man clutching a bloodied briefcase, a crying child without parents, an elderly woman whispering names in her sleep. No one met Daniel's eyes.
The conductor appeared, smile unchanged.
"You're not the only one looking for second chances," he said.
"Where is this going?" Daniel asked.
"To the heart of your question."
As the train moved, the windows flickered scenes from his life - times he ignored calls, missed visits, walked away from hard truths. But something else crept in: visions he didn't recognize. A cabin in the woods. A man's shadow in Lena's window. A phone call she made - frantic, crying - that he never received.
He leaned forward. "What is this?"
The conductor's voice was softer now. "Memories you weren't ready to see."
The train screeched to a stop.
Daniel stepped out - not into a town this time, but into the woods from the vision. Fog coiled around the trees. He followed a faint trail to a small, abandoned cabin. Inside: old photographs, Lena's handwriting on the walls, a locked desk drawer. He pried it open.
Inside was a journal. Hers.
"He's watching again. I saw him outside the café last night. I told Daniel, but he didn't believe me. If anything happens to me…"
Daniel stumbled back, heart thudding. The night he didn't show up - it wasn't just a broken promise. Lena had been scared. And she'd reached out.
He'd ignored it.
The conductor stood in the doorway. "Not all second chances are about forgiveness. Some are about facing the truth."
Daniel's breath shook. "What happened to her?"
The conductor handed him one final note, yellowed with time:
"Come find me. I'm still waiting."
And the train horn wailed through the trees.
To Be Continued...