THE LAST TRAIN

The last train

The station platform was bathed in an eerie, dim light as the last train of the night pulled away. Sarah watched it vanish into the distance, cursing her bad luck. Her heart pounded with frustration, the sound echoing in her ears like a relentless drumbeat. She had missed it by mere seconds, her fingers grazing the cold metal of the closing door.

With a sigh, she resigned herself to waiting for the next train, which was due in an agonizingly long hour. She found an empty bench, her thoughts a whirlwind of annoyance and impatience. That's when she noticed a man seated at the far end of the platform, his presence strangely captivating.

He was dressed in a long, dark coat that seemed out of place on this warm summer night. Shadows danced across his face, obscuring his features, but his voice was clear and enchanting as he spoke, "Missed your train, didn't you?"

Sarah looked at him, intrigued yet cautious. She could feel her heart racing, not just from the missed train but also from the mysterious allure of this stranger. "Yes, unfortunately," she replied, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Who are you?"

The stranger gave her a cryptic smile, and it sent shivers down her spine. "Call me Gabriel. I have a proposition for you, Miss Sarah. I know your future, and I can change it for a price."

Sarah raised an eyebrow, her skepticism tinged with intrigue. "Change my future? What are you talking about?"

Gabriel leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with an otherworldly wisdom. His words were like a siren's song, drawing her further into the enigma that was him. "You're destined for heartache and regret, but I can alter the course of your life. All I ask in return is a small favor."

Suspicion gnawed at Sarah, but curiosity outweighed caution. "What kind of favor?"

He leaned in closer, his voice a whisper that seemed to caress her ears. "A simple one. I need a lock of your hair, a trifle, really. With it, I can weave a new destiny for you, free from the troubles that await."

Sarah hesitated, her mind a whirlwind of doubts and questions. But there was something about Gabriel that drew her in, an inexplicable magnetism that pulled at her very soul. Her voice quivered as she asked, "What's the catch?"

Gabriel's smile widened, revealing a hint of sharp teeth. It was as if he held the secrets of the universe, and he was willing to share them with her alone. "Ah, Miss Sarah, in exchange for this favor, you will owe me a debt. Someday, when I come to collect, you must be ready to grant me a request, no matter what it may be."

The gravity of his words hung in the air like a heavy fog, enveloping her in a web of uncertainty and fear. Sarah pondered the consequences, her heart torn between curiosity and caution. Finally, she made her decision, pulled out a pair of scissors from her bag, and snipped a lock of her hair.

Gabriel accepted it with a nod, and as he vanished into the darkness, he left her with a haunting promise, his voice fading like a haunting melody, "Remember, Miss Sarah, when the time comes, you will know what I need. Until then, your fate is in my hands."

As the next train approached, Sarah's mind raced with a mixture of fear and anticipation. She had taken a leap into the unknown, trusting in the enigmatic stranger to change her destiny. Only time would tell if she had made a deal with the devil or a savior in disguise. Her heart was heavy with the weight of her choice, and she couldn't shake the feeling that her life had just taken an irrevocable turn down a path she could not predict.