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The loudspeaker in the compartment crackled.
“Attention passengers… there are robbers ahead. They have broken the track. Please stay together and stay calm.”
At once, the chatting stopped.
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The uncles’ smiles faded.
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The cousins stopped laughing.
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Even the old woman beside the girl gripped her prayer beads tighter, whispering, “Ya Allah, protect us.”
The girl shivered. Her brother put his arm around her shoulder.
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“It will be fine,” he whispered, but his voice was tight.
The train slowed, then stopped with a loud screech.
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Outside, the conductor shouted, “Everyone out! The track is broken ahead!”
People grabbed their bags in a rush. The big uncle walked in front, his chest out, but his eyes darting nervously. The other uncles followed with their sons. The girl and her brother came last.
The cold night air hit their faces. The lamps on the train flickered, throwing weak light on the empty track.
Then came the shouting.
A group of men stood ahead — ten, maybe more. Some carried sticks, others carried guns. Their faces were covered with cloth.
From another compartment, two young girls were being dragged out by their hair. They screamed for help.
The train driver, an old man with a thick grey mustache, stepped forward.
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“Leave them! They’re only girls!” he shouted.
One robber laughed coldly. “Step back, old man.”
The driver didn’t move. “This train is under my watch. You’ll have to—”
A gunshot cracked through the air.
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The driver fell instantly, blood darkening his shirt.
Gasps and cries erupted.
“
Oh Allah
…” the old woman whispered, turning her face away.
The robbers didn’t even look at the body.
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One of them shouted, “Everyone stand still! Don’t try to be smart!”
The uncles went pale. One cousin whispered, “father… what do we do?”
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“Quiet,” his father snapped, pulling him back.
The robbers started pulling passengers out one by one, looking at their faces, their clothes, their fear.
Then… she stepped down.
The girl in the black dress. Black hair flowing over her shoulders. Her eyes wide, trembling, yet innocent.
The leader froze for a moment, his gun lowering slightly. His eyes scanned her from head to toe.
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“A queen… in the night,” he said slowly, with a greedy smirk.
The girl’s heart pounded. She gripped her brother’s hand tightly.
One of the men caught her cousin by the arm. The cousin yelped, “Uncle! Please!”
The leader turned his head toward the uncles.
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“Don’t even think about moving,” he warned. “Your driver died for less than that.”
The uncles looked away. None of them stepped forward.
Then, her brother moved.
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He stepped in front of her, his eyes blazing.
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“Don’t you dare look at her,” he growled.
The leader chuckled darkly.
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“Brave boy,” he said, stepping closer. “But bravery… has a price.”
He raised his gun. The cold steel gleamed under the flickering lamp.
Her brother stood tall, but she could see his hands balling into fists.
“Step back,” the leader ordered.
Her brother didn’t move. “You’ll have to kill me first.”
The leader’s eyes narrowed. Slowly, he placed his finger on the trigger.
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The gun aimed directly at her brother’s chest.
“NO!” the girl screamed, her voice breaking.
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“Brother!”
The sound echoed in the night, mixing with the whistle of the cold wind.
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and then Add to home screen.