21/06/2026
THE 3:17 TRAIN
Episode 2: DON'T LOOK BACK
The train didn’t stop at the next station.
It blew past Ikeja, doors locked, lights flickering. Chika’s message sat on her screen, unanswered. The man in the black cap hadn’t moved. He just watched her in the reflection of the window.
Her heart hammered. _Get off at the next stop._ But the next stop was gone.
She stood up, clutching the two notes. Her legs felt like water. If she ran to the emergency lever, would he stop her?
“Stay seated,” a voice said.
It wasn’t loud. But it was right behind her.
Chika turned slowly.
It wasn’t the man in the cap.
It was the conductor. His uniform was wrong. Too new. No name tag. His eyes didn’t blink.
“You shouldn’t have read that second note,” he said. “It was for someone else.”
The train sped up. Outside, the Lagos skyline blurred into streaks of orange.
Chika’s phone buzzed again.
> “He’s lying. The lever is at the end of the car. Pull it.”
But the message had no number. No name. Just like the notes.
The conductor smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes.
“Last chance, Chika. Sit down. Or I’ll sit you down.”
*[END OF EPISODE 2]*
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*What happens next:* Does she pull the lever? Who’s really in control of the train?
Follow for episode 3.
