Nothing but Me, Myself and the Mist

"Trudging East"

"November 29th, 1976"

"Hey. Hey, come on, wake up."

Darrell awoke to a sudden burst of pain in his back.

"Ow! Son of a-" Darrell looked up to see Jason standing over him. "You know kicking someone in the back isn't considered a very nice way to wake someone up. It's called just being an ass."

"Yeah well, you've been asleep for long enough. Now we've got to get going. It's a long trek to the Mainland."

"I hate to intrude on your little moment here but can you two hear that?" called James impatiently.

The two men listened carefully for several moments. The silence was almost deafening.

"Jason I'd hate to be that guy, but I think your engine is a little-"

"Shh. I hear it too."

Darrell listened intensively and that's when he heard it. The sound of something squeaking as it rolled down the line. That soon was joined by laughter. Horrid laughter that sounded like something from the darkest corners of the earth. Soon enough a long line of trucks rolled down the mainline. James waited eagerly for the engine that had pushed them, but they never came. The trucks seemed to roll on their own.

"W-Were those trucks..." stuttered James.

"Moving on their own. Yeah." Jason finished.

"Well let's not sit around and wait for more to come rolling along. I'd rather not be ambushed by the gremlins."

Jason agreed and set James into motion. Darrell couldn't get his mind off the trucks. The laughter was still fresh in his head. He just couldn't wrap his mind around it, none of it made sense. Trucks can't move on their own, not even the non-faceless ones. He had enough on his mind due to the loss of his family, now he had to deal with possible creatures and free-rolling trucks. This whole situation couldn't get worse.

The line was much quieter now. Not even the peaceful sounds of the chirping birds could be heard. James was worried about his fellow engines but held on hope that they would be alright.

"So, you've kept a relatively good composure." Darrell said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, well when you don't have anyone waiting for you back home you tend to only focus on certain things."

"What about your parents?"

"They were killed in a car accident when I was young."

"Siblings?"

"Only child."

As the two men looked around the cab awkwardly, they felt the sudden jerk of James applying his brakes.

"James? What's going on?" called Jason.

James didn't reply and Jason quickly realized what it was that put him in such a mood. They sat next to three red fast passenger coaches lying on their sides along the mountain side and in the front was a large orange engine.

"M-Murdoch? Are you alright? Where's the breakdown train? Shouldn't it have been here by now?" mumbled James.

They sat in the dead quiet waiting desperately for a reply for what felt like hours before Darrell finally cut in.

"I think it's time to go."

"But he might-"

"James. It's clearly too far gone. We must keep moving."

James gritted his teeth ready to tear Darrell a new one before Jason agreed and forced open the brakes, leaving Murdoch to his peace and quiet.

As they entered Crovan's Gate the faint sound of talking was heard.

"Sounds like it's coming for the works shed." said James.

They quietly crept toward the shed and came to a halt just outside. James was ecstatic to see Gordon standing guard with several heavily armed men.

"James," said Gordon sternly. "Good to see you're alright."

"Same to you, but what are you doing here? I thought you were heading to the mainland."

"I was. I arrived and found the military had taken control of the situation. I volunteered to help continue with the evacuation efforts."

"Mighty noble of you. I mean your handling this whole situation better than I am. Hell I thought I saw a line of trucks rolling by themselves-"

"You did and not too long ago those trucks raced through and derailed in the duel gauge tunnel and caused it to cave in on itself."

James paused for a moment to process the information.

"So...the tunnel...that leads to our only way off the island...is BLOCKED!"

"Yup. Now if you wouldn't mind could you head into the shed. The soldiers here want to talk with your crew. You can talk with the others."

James sighed and slowly puffed into the shed. The whole place was filled with people and a few engines. Those being damaged Emily and worrisome Peter Sam.

"Emily what happened to you!" exclaimed James.

"M-Monsters, from the woods, attacked me. Me bloody crew left me behind and ran for the hills. If it weren't for yon Gordon, I wouldn't be here right now."

James then looked over to Peter Sam.

"I was just getting some repairs when I heard the word. Grandpuff was here, but he took a train of people into the hills where the mist hadn't reached. He said he'd come back, but that was hours ago..."

James felt bad for the little engine but held hope. As James tried to speak of his encounters a soldier walked up towards him.

"Oi red engine. Where's your crew?"

Jason poked his head out from the cab.

"Right here."

"We have a job for you. As you know the tunnel is blocked and we can't get off the island. So we're going to send you out to find a crane. From what we've heard it's located at the main engine sheds."

"Tidmouth!" hollered James. "But that's on the other end of the island! And with what Emily said I'm not looking to be attacked by whatever is out there! Why don't you send Gordon?"

"Because he's needed here and you're the only other engine in operational condition that can get us there. Besides that, wasn't really a question. That was an order. Now you two park your engine and my colleague here will take you for debriefing."

Jason and Darrel looked at each other worryingly before climbing out of James' cab and following the soldier out of the works shed.