horror story: the 4th passenger on the last train at Sabuk Station

okay I wasn't going to post this but.

Winter 2023. I was living near Sabuk Station in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province, one of those tiny mountain train stops where like three trains run a day and after 9pm that's it, last call, you missed it you're cooked.

So I get on the last train. The car is basically empty. Me and two other people, that's it. I sit in the middle, crack open a book.

And then.

That feeling. you know the one. like someone is STARING at you and won't stop.

I look up.

At the far end of the car, there's a person sitting there. Black puffer jacket. Mask. Nothing weird on the surface except... they were blurry somehow. Like not quite in focus. And they weren't moving their head. Not even a little. Just. eyes locked on me. completely still.

Then the train intercom clicks on. The conductor's voice.

"Attention passengers, is there a fourth passenger on board? We currently have three confirmed seats. The boarding record isn't matching up... we're checking again."

I froze.

I looked back at that seat.

Empty.

Not like they got up and walked away. just. gone. but the seat cushion was compressed, like someone had been sitting there for a while. And on the seat. a pair of black gloves.

We get to Jeongseon Station and the conductor pulls me aside after everyone else is off.

"Listen," he says. "This line had an incident a few years back. Train stopped on a snow-covered mountain stretch between Sabuk and Jeongseon. A woman went missing. Never showed up on CCTV. But the boarding records. they always show four passengers."

Always.

After that, apparently they put up a sign on that route.

"Even if a seat appears empty. do not check it."

and I think about those black gloves a lot actually