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The Last Train Home

 *The Last Train Home

With its headlights piercing the fog like a dagger, the final train arrived at the run-down station as the clock struck midnight. An elderly guy crouched on a wooden bench, holding a faded leather luggage, but otherwise the platform was almost deserted.
Emily, a young lady with weary eyes and a shabby coat, emerged from the train, her breath catching in the cold air. With a beating heart, she glanced around. She had no intention of returning. Too many ghosts and too many memories haunted the community.









Even though he looked feeble, the old man's eyes were keen when he saw her. With a gravelly voice, he questioned, "Are you here to create new memories or to preserve the legacy?"
"Neither, I guess," Emily said, trying to smile. "Merely passing through."
He laughed quietly. "Don't we all just go through this?"
Emily looked toward the borders of the platform, where wildflowers were sprouting through the concrete fissures. She recalled laughing with friends who were long gone and summers spent chasing fireflies.
He remarked, perhaps reading her mind, "There are times when we have to face what we left behind."









She inhaled deeply as the earthy and piney smells filled her nostrils. Perhaps it was time to acknowledge the past. With the old wood cracking under her weight, she took a seat next to him.
She was inquisitive, so she said, "What's in the suitcase?"
"I hope," he said, his eyes glimmering. "And some apologies."
Watching the steam rise from the train as it got ready to depart, they sat in friendly silence. A summons to those who were prepared to move on was sent out by the whistle, which reverberated throughout the night.
Emily got up and looked at the train. "You believe it's too late for me?"
Knowingly, the elderly man grinned. "It's always too early. Even in the cracks, you can rebloom like those flowers.










A sensation of warmth surged through her as she nodded. Returning might not have been a mistake after all. She walked resolutely toward the station door, her suitcase feeling lighter now.
Taking the burden of her past with it, she watched the train disappear into the distance as it left. With his wave, the elderly guy shone brightly in the shadows. Emily was also prepared to accept whatever came next for the first time in years..




last train home story

  • emotional short story

  • returning home fiction

  • new beginnings story

  • life journey short story

  • healing and hope narrative

  • second chances story

  • departure and arrival fiction

  • sentimental train story















































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