Chapter 93
Ray trudged through the blazing afternoon heat toward the local train station. The place was packed with city commuters rushing around, but the second he got close to the ticket counter, that sharp voice rang out in his head again.
’Skip the counter, dumbass,’ the girl’s voice ordered, sounding super satisfied and cocky. ’Go straight to Platform 4.’
Ray stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes darting around in panic. ’Wait... what the hell? I haven’t bought a ticket yet.’
’No need, motherfucker,’ she shot back fast, followed by a short dismissive laugh. ’Just walk through the gate. I already hacked the security cameras and the automatic turnstiles. Unless... you actually wanna pay just to be my slave?’
Ray gritted his teeth, swallowing his pride whole as he passed the ticket area. Just like she said, the automatic gate flashed green when he approached, opening up without a single staff member getting suspicious.
He hurried down the stairs to Platform 4, right as a pitch-black train rolled in with screeching brakes. The carriage doors slid open silently, revealing a completely empty car inside. The windows were covered in super dark tint, blocking any view of the outside world.
’Get in. Hurry up,’ she commanded again.
Ray hesitated for a split second. He craned his neck, trying to check the digital signs on the platform or any route stickers on the train to figure out where this crazy ride was taking him. But all the LED screens just showed broken static and glitches.
Before he could step back, the hydraulic doors slammed shut behind him with a heavy thud. The train took off fast, speeding up at an unnatural pace.
’Hey! Where the fuck is this train stopping, bitch?!’ Ray yelled loud. His voice echoed in the empty carriage like a tomb.
Silence. The girl in his head suddenly went quiet, leaving Ray alone with the rumble of the engine and the scraping of the tracks.
Minutes turned into hours. One hour, two hours passed. The dark windows completely blocked out the sunlight, throwing the carriage into a creepy dimness that made his neck hair stand up. Ray paced back and forth with no direction, his chest getting tighter the farther the train went. His phone had zero signal, he was lost as hell, and there was no way out.
Finally, after what felt like forever, the train started slowing down. The metal brakes screamed loud, and the train came to a complete stop with a heavy jolt.
’Psssshhhh.’
The carriage doors opened.
’End of the line, Slave,’ the girl’s voice suddenly snapped back in his head, sharp like a whip. ’Get off.’
Ray stepped out onto the concrete platform, and the piercing cold air instantly sent chills down his spine.
This station was completely dead and abandoned. Vines of wild plants cracked through the concrete, rusty metal frames hung pathetically from the rotting station roof, and thick fog hung low over the tracks. Not a single soul around—no station master, no other passengers, not even birds chirping. The place felt like a ghost town in the countryside that someone deliberately erased from the map.
’Now what?’ Ray whispered, his breath caught in his throat.
’See that broken wire fence at the end of the platform?’ the girl’s voice came back, now calm and ice-cold in a way that raised goosebumps. ’Push through that fence. Head into the forest.’
Ray turned his head toward the end of the platform. Behind the rusty wire fence stretched a dense, wild forest. Tall pine and oak trees rose unnaturally high, their thick canopies blocking almost all sunlight and leaving the path below in heavy dark shadows.
Ray walked hesitantly toward the fence. A cold gust of wind suddenly blew across the station, kicking up dry leaves on the concrete.
He stopped right at the tree line. The silence here wasn’t peaceful—it was heavy, choking, and felt all kinds of wrong. Goosebumps shot up his arms, and a deep fear gripped his stomach.
’Hey...’ Ray muttered, his voice shaking a little as he stared into the endless darkness between the trees. ’...where the hell are you taking me now?’
With reluctance, Ray let out a long sigh. There was no other choice. If he turned back or tried to run now, this crazy girl in his head would just call the federal agents to bust down his door and throw him in an underground prison.
Pulling his jacket tighter against the biting cold, Ray stepped through the broken wire fence and into the darkness of the forest.
’Straight ten steps, then turn right near that rotten oak tree,’ the girl’s voice guided casually in his head, like she was giving directions inside a minimarket.
Ray followed the instructions. Wet ground and dry twigs cracked under his shoes. The towering tree shadows made everything darker and more oppressive. After passing the pointed-out oak, he glanced around at nothing but thick bushes.
’The fuck are you? Google Maps?!’ Ray grumbled with heavy sarcasm, trying to push away the fear gnawing at his chest.
The girl’s voice chuckled in amusement, clearly enjoying his irritation. ’Wow, you’re funny when you joke... But relax, Ray. No matter how much you clown around, I won’t forget you’re just a perverted dude with a filthy mind.’
’Fuck you,’ Ray cursed quietly, jaw clenched tight.
’Enough talking. Walk twenty meters straight ahead, then turn left,’ she cut in coldly.
Ray held back his curses and kept walking. The deeper he went, the thicker and more overgrown the forest became. The smell of wet soil and rotting leaves stung his nose. Finally, through the darkening gaps between trees, a medium-sized wooden building started to appear.
It was an old, abandoned cabin. Its wooden walls were weathered and blackened with age, the roof covered in thick moss, and the windows sealed with dull curtains from inside. The cabin stood totally isolated in the middle of the woods.
Ray stopped a few meters from the wooden porch. His goosebumps got even worse.
’You... you in there?’ Ray asked, instinctively lowering his voice.
No answer in his head. The girl’s voice that usually replied instantly went completely silent. The oppressive quiet took over the area again.
’Yo! You inside or what?!’ Ray called again, this time both in his thoughts and out loud.
’Static.’ The girl only gave one short command that dinged softly in his brain: ’Walk to the front door.’
Ray swallowed hard, his throat dry. His steps felt heavy as he climbed the creaky wooden porch stairs. ’Kriiiet... kriiiet...’
He finally stood right in front of the thick wooden door of the old cabin. His hand hovered in the air, hesitating to knock.
Suddenly—
’Thump... thump... thump...’
Slow but steady footsteps sounded from inside the cabin. The steps dragged from the dark interior, getting closer and closer to the door where Ray stood.
Ray’s heart pounded hard against his chest. Cold sweat started dripping down his temples even though the forest air was freezing. In his mind, Ray cursed this insane situation—he came here to negotiate about the system, but the vibe of this place made him feel like the first victim in a low-budget slasher horror movie.
Ray stood frozen as the heavy wooden door creaked open slowly. The footsteps from inside got louder until a figure appeared in the doorway. His heart was hammering. He’d been picturing some tall, sadistic psycho chick this whole time, and now the moment of truth hit him hard. Nervous as hell, he waited.
The door swung open all the way.
Ray had to look down. Way down.
A short-ass girl stood there, barely reaching his chest. She stared up at him with sharp eyes.
"What are you doing here, kid?" Ray muttered, squinting in confusion.
The girl’s face twisted in instant rage. "KID?!" she barked at the top of her lungs, her voice cracking with fury.
Ray froze. That voice... it hit him like a truck. It was exactly the same one that had been screwing with his head all night, the same mocking tone, the same bossy edge. No doubt about it.
His body started trembling without him realizing. Legs shaky, hands cold.
The short girl smirked, tilting her head. "Aww, look at you shaking. Scared, huh?"
Ray blinked once... twice... then suddenly burst out laughing like a maniac. "Hahahaha! What the fuck?!" He laughed so hard his eyes watered. "All this time... I’ve been getting threatened and mind-fucked by a damn shorty like you?!"
The girl’s expression darkened, pure anger flashing across her face. Before Ray could finish his next laugh, a sharp pain exploded in his head like someone stabbed an ice pick through his skull.
"AHH—!" He dropped to his knees hard, clutching his temples, teeth gritted against the agony.
The girl stepped forward, lifted her knee, and roughly tilted Ray’s chin up with it, forcing him to look at her.
"Once again you call me kid..." she hissed, voice low and deadly, "I’ll kill you."
This continues directly from the previous part. Let me know if you want more!