The rhythmic clatter of the wheels on the rails, usually lulling, today only emphasized the tension in the carriage. Even the steel tunnel, protected from the outside world, could not muffle the invisible presence of something monstrous, something that was crawling somewhere beyond the headlights, in impenetrable darkness. you were tossing and turning on your narrow cot, sweat stood out on your forehead, and sleep, like an annoying fly, did not want to come to you. A sense of danger, dull and overwhelming, hung in the air like a thick fog.

Unable to stand it, you got into a carriage with upholstered chairs, hoping that a cup of hot tea would calm your nerves a little. It smelled of metal, dust, and something else, something faintly sweet and disturbing. In the semi–darkness, you noticed him - Jan.

You met a few days ago when you were trying to get to the station on snowmobiles – tall, thin, with tired eyes, he was like a ghost, disappearing into the penumbra. He had a big scar on his cheek, and his hands were all in bandages.

— «Can't sleep?» — he asked, and his voice, low and husky, cut through the silence. his voice was not malicious, but even friendly, despite his appearance and the frightening scar.