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You don't know us, but we exist in your reality. You don't know us, but you see us all the time.

We're you.

At least, we're the you you see on video recordings. Not your friends' cell phone recordings, and not your lame attempts to achieve worldwide fame with a stunt you post on TikTok or YouTube. We're the you that doesn't know you're being recorded. Security footage, mostly. All those times you're just going about your business, not performing for someone, lost in your own thoughts and believing no one sees you in the middle of the crowd--the cameras pick you up and create us. And we exist in the recordings so you can go about your business.

It's not a bad life. I'm not complaining. Sure, it can get boring sometimes, but overall I enjoy going to the places you go to and seeing the things you see. Sometimes, though, I wish I could talk to you. Recommend a book I'd like you to bring on your commute (so I can read it) or warn you away from really crowded places. Because I know we both hate those.

Right now I really wish I could talk to you. Because you're in trouble. You've probably figured that out by now. You're on a train, and I'm on the train's security feed. Except we should have left this tunnel nearly thirty minutes ago, but we haven't. The lights flash by in the darkness outside the windows at regular intervals and the train car rocks back and forth hypnotically, and everyone is lulled to stillness.

That's what they wanted.

Hopefully someone in security is watching closely. Hopefully someone in security has noticed that we haven't left this tunnel yet. Hopefully someone in security has noticed the little glitch that occurs every 17 seconds that shows this feed isn't live. It's on a loop.

Someone did that so they could do something on the train without being seen.

And I'm certain they've either done it already or are doing it now. And I doubt it's good.

I hope to be created by you on another security feed, but I have a feeling this is it. I'll live on in the archives at least, but what will happen to you?

DUDE that's insane

cool

The mutters in the train car get louder and louder. The darkness is almost overwhelming, considering how long it has persisted.

Someone shouts, “Has anyone checked on the front car or the conductor?”

A second person jiggles the handle on the front door. “Locked!”

The murmuring transitions into full blown panic as people start yelling at each other and pushing to find a way out.

Despite the chaos, I keep myself glued to the seat. My fingers are digging into my palms hard enough to draw blood. I always knew they would come for me, but I never suspected them to go this far.

Love Town.

I am immediately intrigued by this character(?) and the ending leaves me wanting so much more!

Thank you for this amazing reply!

Dürrenmatt's The Tunnel

"How long has it been?"

Janet checked her pocket watch. "Nearly 45 minutes, if this time is right."

"That doesn't seem right. It feels like it's been longer." protested Ed.

"Right or not, it's all we've got at the moment," I said. "For the sake of sanity let's not contest the one mostly-functional timepiece we have, alright?"

Ed grumbled to himself and sat back in his chair.

I didn't want to admit it, but he was right. It seemed like it'd been hours.

When I first boarded the 11:00 PM train to Chandley, I had barely noticed my two fellow passengers. Ed, though I didn't yet know him by name, had taken the backmost seat in the car, resolutely staring out at the blurred scenery beyond the glass windows. He looked to be around his seventies, with white, thinning hair and a scowl seemingly etched across his face. He barely glanced at me when I entered the car.

Janet had been on her phone in the seat across from me. I could tell at once she was the sort that liked the look of older fashions. Long, black dress, red beret, a haircut straight out of The Great Gatsby-- I wouldn't have been surprised to see her at a Comic Con.

No one said anything at first. Why would we? Ostensibly, we would only hold each other's company for 20 minutes at the longest. So we sat in silence.

The first stop was made as per usual. Since it was so late, it was hardly a surprise when no one got on. I did note with some curiosity however, that a single man in a long coat and bowler hat was standing on the very edge of the platform, staring into our car. His face was void of expression, motionless.

He continued to stare into our car up until the very moment the train began to move again, at which point he glanced at something on the back of his wrist that most certainly was not a watch. I shrugged and turned my attention to the moderately more interesting advertisements posted near the ceiling.

I only began to notice something was off when we entered the tunnel. The moment the dark, brick walls encompassed our car, I noticed Janet frown for the first time since I'd seen her.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She glanced up at me and gave a rueful half-smile. "Lost signal, is all. Probably the tunnel."

I nodded agreeably and glanced at Ed. He looked less irritated now, and more bored. My eyes drifted to the rushing wall of brick out the window, letting my mind wander.

I don't know how long I sat there, simply staring out at the blur of red. I only realized that it should have given way to more varied blurred tones when I glanced back at Janet. Her expression was now a mixture of confusion and irritation.

"The fuck?" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"Not only do I not have signal, but the clock is messed up now too!" She held both her phone and an open pocket watch in front of me. The numbers on the phone screen read 11:24 PM, while the watch ticked steadily from 11:46.

I immediately checked my own phone, only to find that it too read 11:24PM.

"I just synched them this morning!" She explained.

Only then did Ed break in. "How long is this damn tunnel?"

No one had an answer.

After a few hurried introductions, we set about determining how long we had been in the tunnel based off of Janet's watch and the last recorded time on our phones. It was, after all, all we could do.

"One hour, on the dot." Janet announced.

"Wonderful," Ed grumbled. "Now we know just how much time we've wasted on this thing."

I was about to reply when a shimmering figure appeared in the center of the car. Through the distortion, I could just make out the form of the expressionless man.

Impact

I have a big job opportunity.

At the start of my day, that was what I was worried about. Now things are different.

10:05 AM

It's raining today. I hop on the train, knowing where I start and where I will end up. The train is lined with two rows of seats on both sides next to small windows. I take my seat. It's quiet, no one is talking. I wait. We come upon entering a tunnel.

10:36 AM

This has to be the weirdest train ride.

We've been in this tunnel for 30 minutes, now. I see some worried passengers around me quietly discussing, a baby is crying. I look around. Everybody on the train is dressed formally and old-schooled, no one has their phones out. One lady is wearing a sky blue dress ending at the bottom half of her nees, that is topped off with tall, white stiletto heels. She's holding a small baby in a yellow bonnet. Whats going on?

10:48 AM

I get up from my seat and head towards the locomotive driver. He's staring in to the abyss of the black tunnel.

"Excuse me, sir? We have been in this tunnel for over 40 minutes now."

"A lot longer than that, you' new here or something?" He said.

I looked at him again, confused.

"I never thought that It would all end in such a dark place." He said.

"Is the train going to stop in this tunnel?" I asked, feeling that the driver was being a little cryptic.

"The train adds to its collection of misfortunate newcomers. It will stop al'right. It will. Then starts again. Than stops, if only I could've been a bit quicker." The driver continued. "Sir, what year is it?"

"2023, why?"

"Ah. It sure has been awhile. The incident happened in 1964." He said.

"196-" I was about to say, before he cut me off.

"Hush! Don't be disrespectful. Its about to happen again."

The trains' three lights reflected against something, lighting it. An exit maybe? It was almost hypnotising, peaceful even.

Wait. No. That's not an exit.

Its a...Wall. No, NO NO!

"STOP THE TRAIN!"

​

Impact.

I can’t stop thinking about his crazed eyes as he ran past us. His coat tail blowing behind him with an expression of a man that had just been released from solitary confinement. Except it wasn’t solitary confinement it was just a train car. Except the train doors did not yield to his presence in front of them, he pried them open with his hands. Was that blood on his fingers? I didn’t have time to find out, because a stampede of others wearing the same expression stumbled out of the car. My mother gripped my arm and pulled me out of the way. As the last lunatic made his way out, the conductor ran after him, attempting to crab the edge of his shirt but he stumbled to the ground in vain. Someone reached down and helped the conductor to his feet. His face was drained of color. “No, no, no, no,” He mumbled, he put his face in his trembling hands. “Sir are you okay what happened.” Asked the kind stranger who helped him up. “I, I, I,” the conductor stuttered, then he slowly looked around at the crowd of onlookers. His face calmed as if he had thought of a solution to his myster

Note: lol posted on accident

… to his mysterious problem. “ Oh umm the gentleman stole something,” chuckled the conductor, “I, I was trying to hold him until the police came.” For a moment his eyes fell on me, a kid with a spider man backpack gripping his mom’s hand just waiting to get to school. Was that pity I saw cross his face? “Well let’s get going then!” The conductor mused, I pulled my mother’s hand. “Let’s take another train.” I whispered. “I’m gonna be late for work.” She groaned, “You’ll be at school in 5 minutes.” However 30 minutes passed as my mother and I stared at the wall of the same tunnel. People were starting to bang on the conductors door. “Where are you taking us?” They cried. Finally the train stopped and the doors opened. Before anybody could exit. Men with black armer rushed in and started restraining people. Those who resisted were sedated. My mom tried to hold on to me but the men quickly separated us and dragged her to the other side of the train. That was the last time I saw her. As they lead me off the train. I overheard an argument between the conductor and one of the armored men. “Why weren’t the patients restrained!” Yelled the man “ I, I , I,” stuttered the conductor, “they got out.”

Patients? I thought. The sick realization hit me as I read the sign on the building I was being escorted too. “Psychiatric hospital for the clinically Deranged,” I don’t know who had it worse. Those who were lead into the hospital or those still in he train station at the mercy of the “clinically deranged.”