The Imprint On The Window

By Debananndita Ray

Willow needed a break. She had just finished her 2nd year exams in college, which had proved hectic. She had already phoned her friend, Melissa, to invite her to a charming beach house on the beaches of Santa Monica. She called her parents who lived in Phoenix, and asked if it was alright to spend a week at a beach house out in the sandy beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Her parents agreed, since she had secured good marks and definitely needed rest. She booked two tickets, one for herself and one for her friend on an Indigo flight. She trudged back to her hostel, changed her clothes, made herself a cup of coffee and melted into an armchair by the heater.

Next morning, she quickly packed her luggage and packed her electronic devices in a separate bag. She took a quick shower, and waited for the Uber to come while she dried her hair. The Uber took her to Melissa’s home, where she was found waiting for them. Melissa got in, and they were off. But reaching the airport, they were hit with devastating news. Their flight had been cancelled due to the jet engine malfunctioning. They went back, confused, a little angry and discouraged. Melissa proposed they go by rail instead. It would be cheaper, and if any of them had air sickness, it wouldn’t matter. The journey would take longer, though. Willow agreed, although grudgingly. The first chance of a splendid holiday, spoiled? It was just too bad. They still had an opportunity, and she was wise not to let go of it. They booked their train tickets on the way back home, and Willow stayed the night at Melissa’s house. Next afternoon, they had a quick, tasty lunch and went off to the train station. Their train was scheduled to arrive at a station a little further away from the city in a sleepy little village. They had their trolleys, along with a few pieces of clothing for the beach, and light, airy clothing for everyday use. With their luggage, they waited on the desolate platform for the train to arrive. The dusty wall clock read 9:31 P.M. their train would arrive at 9:55 P.M. They stood uncomfortably alone, and fiddled with their tickets to kill time on the platform. Their legs were aching from standing so long, so they laid their luggage on the dusty platform and sat on them. A chill swept through the station, and a dry, cold gale stung their faces and shoved dust particles into their eyes. Willow wrapped her face and neck with a muffler and offered one to Melissa. Melissa had very long hair, which flew over her face and got entangled in her muffler. She wiped the hair out of her face with her left hand, which, curiously, and a very small little finger.

Finally, they could see the light beams of the train’s headlights curving around the bend in the tracks. Willow sighed with relief; she feared the train would not arrive on time. As the train entered the platform, it slowed down and gradually came to a halt. Melissa stepped up the aluminum steps and pulled herself into the carriage. She pulled her bag up, and then extended her hand to Willow. As Willow caught hold of her hand, she felt Melissa’s cold skin, and wondered if she had a fever coming. They had been sitting in the cold wind for a long time,

alright. When Willow had gotten onto the carriage, they pushed open the door and went in. As soon as they did, a freezing drought hit them in the face, and sent chills down their spines. They got in and found two empty seats, side by side, left for them. The entire train was full. The passengers, if you could call them so, were totally mute. They didn’t utter a single sound. It was so silent, you could have probably heard the blood rushing through their veins. They daintily made their way through the rows of seats, and sat down on theirs. Then, after about 3 minutes or so, the train went into motion. As the train sped up, Willow decided to observe the passengers around her. They all seemed… translucent. It didn’t feel real sitting with them.

A cold, white haze prevailed in the coach, and it engulfed both Melissa and Willow, but it didn't seem to bother the others. There were some passengers who seemed distant, yet she felt that she had seen them somewhere… at some time in her life, she felt she had been with them. Others, she felt, were total strangers to her. They would glance at them from the corner of their eyes and look straight ahead again. They didn’t seem like they wanted to interact, but more like they just wanted to observe. Willow settled back in her seat, and nestled in. She wrapped the muffler tighter around herself, and slowly fell asleep. She had a restless, dreamless slumber. She could see nothing, although she felt like someone very near to her was fading away in a dull mist… She jolted up in cold sweat, and looked around. The glassy passengers were still there, and Melissa had dozed off on her shoulder. Melissa’s skin was colder than ever, but other than that, she seemed normal. About 10 minutes later, the train slowed down. Willow gently awakened Melissa, and told her to get up and retrieve her luggage. When she looked at her face, she noticed something different. Melissa was wide awake now, and her face was deathly pale. Her eyes wide, she looked at Willow, and asked her in a hoarse whisper - “Are we there yet?” Willow realized that Melissa was tired and sick, because her eyelids were burning hot. As the train stopped, she pulled Melissa up, got her luggage down, and stormed out of the carriage doors. She jumped down the steps with her luggage, and pulled Melissa behind her. At this station too, was a bright haze, which obstructed Willow from seeing what she was holding on to. As she half-ran and half-walked over the gravel path behind the station leading to the beach house they were supposed to stay in, the haze cleared, and she was surprised to see that there was bright sunlight everywhere. The salty sea smelt warm and fresh, and the sea gulls squawked above her. She turned around to show Melissa the beach house on the horizon, only to see that she wasn’t there. Willow glanced around, confused. Whom did she pull from the train then? She looked down at her hands, which were holding her and Melissa’s bags. She ran back to the station in mounting panic, and saw to her disbelief that the train had vanished.

She sadly trudged back to the beach house and checked in. She was handed a key to the main door. She took it, and ventured into the house. She pushed open the door to her room, and went in. She sat on the bed in a confused tangle of thoughts. Where had Melissa gone? She figured she couldn’t do anything more, so she slept in her outdoor clothes itself. When she got up, it was evening. The sun was setting on the west, spreading a fiery red glow on the clouds above. It was a lovely sight, but Willow couldn’t really enjoy it. She couldn’t understand the demented feeling she had sensed in the train, nor could she figure out why Melissa had left her alone. Why hadn’t she come down from the train? Being exhausted from the day’s events, she had a bland dinner and went to her room. She scrambled inside the bedcovers, and switched off the bedside lamp.

Something woke her up at night. It was a faint tapping on the window. Since the blinds were pulled, she couldn’t see what was causing the noise. She was about to go back to sleeping, when the tapping became more persistent. And then, it stopped. Willow slid down from bed, and cautiously went to the window, and pulled the blinds up. What did she see there? A clear imprint of a left hand, with a very small little finger.

By Debananndita Ray