"No, don't touch her, please, I beg you!"
— Yui!
Kaisa jolted awake and hit her head against the upper bunk in the compartment.
— Ow! Where did that even come from?
Kaisa began rubbing the top of her head — the throbbing pain slowly faded.
The compartment was empty. Outside the window, the sound of rain and the clatter of wheels on rails could be heard. Kaisa looked around. The upper bunk across from her was empty, but on the lower one there was a black backpack. On the table lay some cookies.
"How did I even get here? I was in my apartment!"
Recent memories flooded back to Kaisa. She pulled her knees close and quietly began to cry.
Tears rolled down one after another.
Why did all of this happen to me? Why am I on some train? Where is mom now — is she looking for me? And where is my sister? Is she alive? Could I have done anything differently?
Kaisa wiped away her tears.
"That's it. Pull yourself together! Yes, I'm going somewhere unknown and ended up here for an unknown reason."
Kaisa suddenly reached for the back of her head.
"I saw blood coming from my head…"
"What the—"
Kaisa fell silent because she heard footsteps.
With every second, they became clearer.
A chill ran down her spine. Her body was gripped by fear — fear that the events might repeat themselves.
The footsteps stopped right in front of the compartment.
Thunder roared with tremendous force.
"The moments are repeating. Is this really it?" Kaisa thought.
The door handle jerked downward, and the door slowly began to slide open.
Time seemed to stop: the rain and the clatter of wheels could no longer be heard.
Kaisa involuntarily remembered that moment in the apartment — when she looked through the peephole and saw that horrifying scene — and then she remembered her sister's scream.
Suddenly, time sped up again. The sound of rain and the wheels returned, and the door swung open quickly.
A guy stood in the doorway, holding a mug. Before entering, he took his phone out of his pocket and started typing something with one hand. Quickly stepping inside the compartment, he pushed the door shut with his foot. Placing the mug on the table, he sat down on the seat opposite Kaisa.
She slowly turned her head toward him and stared at him. The guy looked up from his phone, frowned slightly, and met her gaze.
— Are you okay?
Kaisa continued staring at him, her взгляд empty.
— Are you feeling unwell? Should I call the conductor?
Kaisa snapped out of it and shook her head.
— Huh? — she asked.
— I'm asking, should I call the conductor?
— I'll go myself.
Kaisa suddenly jumped down from the upper bunk, and her vision went dark. She began to lose her balance. After swaying a couple of times, she ended up falling прямо onto the seat next to the guy.
— Are you sure you don't need help?
Kaisa looked at him and weakly shook her head in refusal. Then she stood up and, staggering slightly, left the compartment in the direction of the conductor.
With each step, she felt better.
Her heartbeat stabilized, and her legs moved more steadily.
Reaching the conductor's door, she stopped and knocked.
A plump woman opened the door.
— Hello, what can I do for you?
— Hello! May I ask what route we're taking?
— That's a strange question, dear. We're traveling the Patros–Vodes route, with a stop in Karakare.
— Was someone accompanying me onto the train?
The woman placed a finger to her chin.
— As I remember, there was a man with you, wearing a black coat. He walked with you like a father, and you were wearing glasses.
— I see, thank you!
Kaisa nodded and headed back to the compartment.
"A man in black… Most likely, that's the same one who broke into my apartment. But why would he send me to the mountains? I need to think this through and talk to that guy — maybe he knows something."