Stories Of Sodor:Spectre

Plot
While the recent slew of those strikes that fell on Sodor were a very unpleasant experience,they did highlight the fact that the infrastructure at Brendam Docks was insufficient to handle heavy periods of shipping.

To ensure that his engines were never again buried by so much work,Mr. Zorro organised for an upgrade of the harbour. On the western side of the docks,extra berths and sidings were added,as well as number of new warehouses.On the eastern side,a dedicated passenger terminal was built for visiting cruise-liners,which boasted it's own station.This was probably the most important component of the project,as much of the quay-side was now free to exclusively handle cargo ships,and the installation of extra cranes meant that goods could be loaded and unloaded at a much faster rate.

To their credit,the Midis did an excellent job in upgrading their home base.Their efforts dramatically increased the dock's overall efficiency,allowing them to handle their workload better.As an added bonus,we no longer were tasked to help them,which was something we all found very,VERY agreeable.

"So I arrived at Wellsworth to drop off my trucks.The second I shunt them,Thomas and Percy start laying into me!"

"What did they say?"

"Among other things,that we're a pack of lazy engines,who wouldn't know what hard work was,if it rolled up and bumped us in the bunker,kept up saying that if we were proper engines,we wouldn't have needed their help to begin with!"

"And what did you say?"

"I reminded them that the only reason we needed their help was because their boys at Knapford were the ones who went on strike.After that,they built right up!"

"He he he he he,he.Nice one! *scoff* I tell you what's great:we don't need their help around here anymore."

"I'm with you,Diesel.I almost choked on their snobbery that accompanied them.I was one happy lady,when they rolled out of here the last time."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that,Lily."

"Why?"

"I saw you chat to Gordon on more than a few occasions..."

"..And you were always smiling around him.I couldn't help but notice a few grins on his part,too."

"You lads wouldn't be jealous of that,would you?"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"Well,I'm going to pretend that you did,and that you are.I find that rigidly adorable! Or maybe just rigid.I don't know.Give it some thought,boys,and let me know how you truly feel.Ta-ta!"

"*scoff* Sounds like the Nor'easter's vanity rolled up on her.As if we'd be jealous of that galloping blue sausage!"

"I know.That'd mean we'd have to fancy her in the first place!"

"Exactly!"

"You don't,right?"

"Did you really just ask me that?"

"It was gonna drive me barmy if I didn't."

"You're barmy for asking in the first place!"

"I noticed you haven't answered yet."

"Fine! No,I don't! I regard Lily as a sister.Nothing more."

"Oh.That's a relief.I was worried for a second."

"Now it's my turn to ask."

"I'll save you the effort;my answer is the same as yours."

"Good,so we won't have a problem then."

"No chance.Fellas perform billys any day."

"Too right!"

(music)

"Oh.Hello,Lily.You look like you're in a good mood."

"I am,mostly because I just turned the tables on an attempted insult by Adam and Diesel."

"Do tell.I could use a laugh to lift my spirits."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"I just heard an emergency broadcast on the radio.There have been massive pogroms against Jews in Germany and Austria."

"Goodness! That's a bad sign.I knew the Nazis were always harsh towards Jews,but this is something else!"

"Agreed.If they're now resorting to violence,how much longer will it be before they lash out at the rest of the world? *scoff* Y' know what the biggest mistake of the last world war was? Not raising Berlin to the ground."

"Hard to argue with that. *sigh* As the days go by,it looks more and more like there'll be another war."

"Aye.I tell you what,if it doesn't happen,I'll paint myself blue.But enough doom and gloom,tell me about your little comeback."

"Well,you see---"

"Come on,Lily! Get a move on!"

"Oh,right! Sorry! I better dash.I'll tell you about it later."

"Alright,look forward to hearing about it.See you back at the sheds!"

"Bye!"

(music)

"Hi,Lily! How's your day been?"

"Fine,thank you Carldon! Yours?"

"Pretty good! I heard you got out of Adam and Diesel earlier."

"You did!? How? They didn't tell you,surely!"

"No! One of the workmen overheard your little chat,and he told me!*laughs* You got them real good!"

"They just make it so easy sometimes."

"Yes,they most certainly do!"

"Oh,hi Reg! How's it going?"

"Better than ever!"

"You could buy up the docks with that smile.Why you so happy,Reg?"

"Because,my wife is pregnant!"

"Really!? Now wonder you're over the moon! Congratulations!"

"This your first one?"

"Oh yes.We're already thinking up names,and I have the perfect one for a boy:Nigel."

"Nigel?"

"Yes.I'm naming him after Mr.Zorro,and so I should.He gave me this job when I was down on my luck,and I owe him everything."

"I'm sure he'll love that!"

"Alright,enough about this.Lily,I understand you'll be taking out the next train."

"I am.Are you my guard?"

"I am."

"I'm loving this run already!"

"You know,I've just thought of the perfect name if our child was a girl."

"Thank you,Reg!"

"I don't get it."

"Oh Carldon,really!?"

(music)

Lily soon departed from the harbour.I wonder what would happen if Lily had a different guard,or if Carldon would have took the train instead of Lily.But whatever happened next was very debatable,and saddening.

(wailing)

"What on earth is that!?"

(braking)

"Why is Reg braking?"

(snapping couplings)

"Right,that's it.I'm stopping!"

(music)

"*sigh* Goodness gracious! What's going on back there!?"

"Give us a tick,Lily,and we'll find out.Come on,Frank."

(music while driver and fireman examine the trucks)

"I don't believe it! Four sets of couplings completely destroyed! We won't be going any further tonight."

"*groan* Reg better have a good reason for throwing on the brakes like that."

"Come on,Ted.He always does.Where is he?"

"*sigh*I'll go look for him.Honestly,you want something done properly,never get a Welshman to--What!?"

(sees no brakevan)

"Oh,that's just tops!"

"What's wrong,Ted?"

"Our blooming' brakevan's gone! It must've broken loose somewhere down the line.Come on,we better go find it."

As someone who's lost part of a train before,I can imagine just how frustrated Lily was,as she backed down along the branch in search of her wayward brake-van. What I can't imagine is the confusion she felt when she didn't find it.Stopping at various signal-boxes and stations,the staff there swore up and down that they had seen her go past with the van still attached to her train.She even made it all the way back to Brendam without finding it,and after a thorough search was conducted,the mystery only deepened.

"But that's impossible!"

"I'm sorry,Lily,but I don't know what to tell ya! We've searched up and down the docks,and your brake-van isn't here!"

"How'd you just lose a brake-van?"

"I didn't lose it,Diesel.It went missing!"

"That's not much of a difference."

"Wait a moment!"

"What?"

"What was applying the brakes to your train when your van was gone?"

(everyone is shocked)

"I...I don't know."

"Ya didn't have any non-faceless trucks on your train,did you?"

"No,I didn't."

"Alright,that's a wee bit disconcerting."

"So is the fact that Reg is missing alongside the van!"

"Oh aye.I hope he's alright."

"Me too.*sigh* Where is he!?"

(Trevor puffing around the field)

"My,my! What a fantastic day we have here!"

(sees wreckage)

"What in blazes!? Maybe I spoke too soon! Good grief! What is this,and where did it come from!?"

"I don't know,but we'll have to tell the Vicar."

"He's not gonna like this."

(vicar and police discuss the situation)

"Goodness,who could have done this!?"

"Hoodlums with no respect and even less self-control."

"But to strike here? Children play in these fields!"

"If they had any sense of decency,Vicar,they wouldn't have thought once about doing this.Don't worry,we'll use all our resources to find these scoundrels and bring them to justice."

"Sarge,come here! Quick!"

(officer walks over)

"Oh no."

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry to say,Vicar,but we need your services."

(vicar sees skeleton)

"Good Lord!"

I'm sorry to say that the body found amidst the wreckage was that of the Midi's missing guard,Reg Peyton. Naturally,they were mortified and saddened when they heard about this,as were we and the rest of the island.I understand that there was little solace to be had at the poor man's funeral.It's no wonder why there were just too many questions surrounding his death.This mystery made it perfect fodder for the newspapers.The incident became a media sensation,it's grim details reported and talked about endlessly in every part of the country.

This coverage is undoubtedly the reason why Britian's top criminal-investigating minds were tasked for solving the matter,but despite their best efforts,they wouldn't.To this day,the case remains open.Another enduring aspect was that Reg's cause of death remains unknown.

(Percy stops next to Thomas and James)

"Did you lads hear the news? The coppers have called off the investigation."*

"Hardly surprising.What else is there to do when they're clueless?"

"Come on,James! That's not a fair thing to say!"

"I didn't mean that in a derogatory way,Thomas.I meant,what else can they do when they've exhausted every investigatory avenue. Blimey! Given the baffling nature of the entire crime,I doubt even Sherlock Holmes would've solved it."

"You do have a point,James.I mean,how does someone steal a brake-van,burn it,and dump it's remains in a field,alongside it's guard? All within the space of a single night,I might add."

"If you listen to some of the workmen,they've got a lot of theories on the matter,and none of them are good."

"Like what?"

"How about you lads wait till I'm gone,before you can discuss that."

"Gone? Where are you going?"

"I have to deliver some coal to Brendam,if you can believe it."

"No,I don't.Why you?"

"I volunteered for the job.Mr.Starr said it was a request from Mr.Zorro,a gesture to help the Midi's,given their recent loss.For once,I don't mind in doing them a favor."

"Good on ya,mate!"

"Yeah,good on you,James! Make sure you don't get your bootlaces for the job! *laughs*"

"What!? *growls* Y'know,Thomas? Sometimes,I really hate you."

"I know.*laughs once more*"

"*groan* I get no rest and no respect on this island!"

(music while James puffs along the line)

James was just passing a level crossing,when it happened.

(wailing)

"What in fizzling fireboxes!?"

(braking and snapping couplings,as well as groaning metal and breaking wood)

(James stops)

"Now how did that happen!?"

"Take it easy,James,or you'll blow a piston!"

"Well excuse me for being a little put out,after Charlie threw on the brakes like that!"

"He would've had a good reason for doing so.We'll go check and...Um,are you seeing what I'm seeing,Andy?"

"I don't know....are we seeing...nothing?"

"Y--yes."

"What are you two bang on about?"

"The-the brake-van's gone."

"G-gone? You mean like---"

(puffing noises)

"Oh no,someone's coming!"

That someone was Peter,hauling behind him a very heavy goods train.From experience,I know just how fast the Midi's number 15 could move.As he came lying around the bend,I'm sorry to say he didn't see the obstruction in his path,until it was too late.Though he braked with all his might,it wasn't enough to avoid a catastrophe.

(crashes)

"Oh no! Peter!? Peter,are you alright!?

(silence)

"Bust my buffers,he's hurt bad.His crew can't be any better!"

"We need to call for help,and fast! Let's rush down the branch and---James,look!"

"What?"

(sees Donnick)

"*gasp*"

"Donnick!?"

"It was him! It was his ghost!"

"B-b-b-but...how!?"

"I don't know,but he was responsible for what happened to my train,I'm sure of it."

"What exactly happened,James?"

"There was this..horrific wailing,then the sound of breaking wood,groaning metal,and the snapping of couplings.And now,my brake-van is missing alongside it's guard."

"Just like what happened to me.Where ever your guard's gone,I hope he makes it back."

"So do I.He's getting buried next month."

I am pleased to say that James' guard,Charlie Green,would be found alive,but 'broken'.Just like what happened to Lily,the charred remains of James' brake-van were discovered in a field.Charlie himself was found roaming the grounds of the church across the street,where he had smashed out a few of it's windows.Charlie was out of his mind,his sanity utterly destroyed by the ordeal he had undergone,the specifics of which would never be known,as Charlie would spend the rest of his life as a gibbering wreck in a mental institution.

Peter also suffered harshly because of Donnick's presence,and had to be sent to Crewe for repairs.Miraculously,his driver and fireman survived,or be it with serious injuries.After Mickey helped clear the line,James quickly returned to Knapford and told us of his encounter.Given our past experience,we all believed him,as did much of the island.Amazingly,even the police believed our number 5,when he provided a statement of the crash.Unfortunately,there wasn't anything they could do,because to quote the chief inspector,"How can we arrest a ghost?".A fair question,it was nonetheless frustrating,as it meant that once again,we would have to devise a solution to this super-natural problem.

"Alright,Toby.Your advice helped us get rid of the last ghost,so what have you got?"

"I think we first need to find out why Donnick has only started to appear now."

"Maybe it's the anniversary of his death,or something."

"I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"It can't be a coincidence that he's showing up after my little accident on the hill."

"You mean Duck and the brake-van?"

"Aye,that's the one."

"Oh nice! It come to Sodor to help out,and instead disturbs the spirit of a spiteful brake-van.I'll be sure to thank the Great Western Goose for that,next time I see him."

"Don't start throwing blame,Diesel.It's not going to help.But you do raise a point about Donnick.Since he's actually lashed out at us,he's clearly more dangerous than Arthur was.All he did was give us a good scare when you think about it."

"We're still left with the question of how to get rid of him!"

"Maybe we can try reasoning with him,in a way it did work last time."

"Reason with the ghost that's been attacking our trains!? And what? Hope he doesn't turn us into flaming wrecks too!?"

"Do you have a better idea,Diesel?"

"No."

"Then we may as well try it.Tonight,we'll head out in pairs,and see if we can Donnick.If you do,be as persuasive and as calm as you can be."

"You don't need to tell us that,Toby."

''' STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION! '''