Episode 57 - Before Hours

Olivia always arrived early.

The station liked it that way. The halls hadn’t fully settled yet. The lights were still choosing their warmth. The mail cart was just starting to growl into awareness.

She sipped her tea. Logged the sunrise. Fed the mail cart a single sugar cube.

Then—

A knock.

Soft.

Rhythmic.

From the front door.

She looked up.

No deliveries were scheduled. The paper schedule hadn’t changed. Nothing buzzed, glowed, or rattled.

Just a knock.

She approached the door slowly.

Looked through the glass.

And blinked once.

There—standing perfectly still—was a child.

Small frame. Victorian clothing. Buttoned coat. Laced boots. Little white gloves.

And a spider’s head.

Not a mask.

Not a costume.

A spider’s head.

Large black eyes. Delicate fangs. Twitching.

It looked up at her without fear.

Without urgency.

Just waiting.

Olivia leaned out the door, her tone calm. Professional. Kind.

“The station isn’t open to visitors until 9 a.m.”

The child nodded once.

Turned.

And walked away.

Without a word.

The front door closed behind her.

Olivia returned to her desk.

Wrote a quick note in the logbook:

7:42 a.m. — One minor anomaly. Possibly polite. No follow-up required unless repeated.

She turned the page.

And the day began.