A sense of adventure was bubbling in the heart of Ella, a young girl of 12 years as she boarded her first ever train ride alone. Her goal was to visit her grandparents who lived a couple of towns over. The thrilling idea of being on her own filled her with excitement.

As the scenery rushed past through the train windows, a sense of ease washed over her. She had a book to keep her company and snacks to fill her belly. Everything seemed to be going well.

As the train began to slow, Ella knew her stop was coming up soon. The train was about to speed through a tunnel. The world outside began to shrink and get swallowed by the darkness of the tunnel.

Suddenly, her phone lost all signal. The chatter of her audio book was replaced by static. The train's lights flickered and went off. A shiver of fear ran down her spine.

As the train emerged from the tunnel into the brightness, Ella looked around. She blinked in surprise. The train was completely empty. There was no one else in sight.

Every passenger, every conductor — they had all disappeared as if vanished into thin air. The train, previously bustling with activity, was now eerily silent and empty.

The train came to a sudden halt, its doors opened of their own accord. She looked out of the window. There was no station, no platform, just an empty landscape stretching out as far as the eye could see.

Confusion marked her face as she stepped off the train. There was no conductor to guide her, no passengers to follow. All alone, she started walking without a sense of direction.

After what felt like hours of wandering aimlessly, Ella found herself in front of an abandoned station. Its dilapidated walls held an eerie charm that sent chills down her spine. Was she even in her own world anymore?

As soon as she set foot on the platform, a figure appeared from the shadows. The man, dressed as a train conductor, greeted her with a chilling smile. His eyes were as black as night.

The man handed Ella a small card. On it were the words: ‘Inspector pass’. Before she could ask any questions, the figure vanished as if he had never been there.

Ella was left alone once again. Days turned into weeks as she tried to make sense of her new reality. Trains passed, but no one could hear her or see her. They were like ghosts passing through her.

She screamed, she cried, she begged for help. But each passing train only served to remind her of her solitude. They were indifferent to her pleas, completely oblivious to her existence.

As the weeks turned into months, Ella noticed a change in her reflection in the station's dusty mirror. Her once bright eyes had begun turning as black as the night sky.

She found herself caring for the dilapidated station, cleaning, and maintaining it as if it were her new home. A sense of responsibility and purpose began to fill her. She was becoming the inspector.

Though it was a lonely existence, she found strange comfort in the routine. The peculiar station, the spectral trains, and her black eyes became her new normal.

Years passed as Ella embraced her new identity as the inspector of the abandoned station. But she always hoped that one day, she would see another living soul in this desolate place.

One cold morning, just as a ghost train was passing, Ella noticed something unusual. There was a passenger on the platform, a girl around the same age as when Ella had first arrived.

Ella watched as the new arrival looked around in confusion and fear, mirroring Ella's own emotions from what felt like a lifetime ago. She realized that the cycle was about to repeat, and she was now part of it.

The young girl noticed Ella approach. Ella offered her the inspector pass with a knowing smile. Her black eyes glistening in recognition of the fear in the new girl's. The cycle had come full circle.

Ella disappeared, leaving the new conductor on the platform. As she faded away, she turned back one last time, to look upon the station that had been her ethereal home for so many years.

Her adventure had turned into a waiting game. But Ella wasn't sad. She felt at peace as she knew the cycle would continue and she wouldn’t be the last. After all, there was always another tunnel, another train and another ticket inspector waiting to take her place.