This story is dedicated to tate310, who asked me to write this story.
No visitors came to Sodor anymore. Ever since the airport was unable to be finished, the engines were no longer useful without visitors. Now the engines were off the rails, transformed into permanent games at a carnival. James was now a clown on the lawn. He was positioned behind a stand-up clown body, which had a round hole where the face would have been. James's face was in this hole, becoming the clown's face. Children and their parents were lining up before the engine, each one of them knocking the coconuts off his funnel. Even Sir Topham Hatt had lined up to play the game, encouraging the humiliation and terror for the poor red engine.
Even though the airport had long been completed and visitors frequented Sodor, James still encountered this same nightmare every so often in his sleep. One particular night, the nightmare got to him in such a way that it scared him majorly to death. Maybe this dream will come true someday, James fearfully thought as he stared at the other engines sleeping around him in Tidmouth Sheds.
The next day, James tried to concentrate on his work in an attempt to forget his constantly reoccurring nightmare. But he failed.
James pulled up to a station to let his passengers off. As the passengers were getting off the coaches, Sir Topham Hatt walked up. "I want you to take these logs to the new building site," he ordered, gesturing to the flatbeds in front of James. "Log cabins are being built there."
"Yes, sir." Coupling up to the flatbeds, James pushed them out of the station. Soon he was going down a secluded line, which he had always found to be creepy at night. Fortunately, it was very much daylight.
When he reached the building site, he was confronted with the horrifying sight of Diesel 10 ahead, moving logs with his claw. Gulping, he tried to ignore the warship, forcing his gaze to the workers building the log cabins.
Diesel 10 sensed all was not well with the red puffball. Usually, James was rather moody whenever they crossed paths with each other. But James appeared to be distressed and afraid. "What's the matter, James?" he purred slyly. "You're not like yourself."
James glanced at the warship. "Why would you of all engines want to know?"
"Because there's the slightest chance that I might care," Diesel 10 lied. "You can confide in me."
James paused. How did he know the warship was not lying to him? But then he sighed. He had not run into any of his friends yet today, and Diesel 10 was the first engine available for him to talk to so far. James was feeling a bit desperate for help. "Fine. I'll tell you." He then unleashed the whole reason for his anxiety out to Diesel 10.
The warship paused, forcing back the urge to laugh. "Hmm." Taking a log with his claw, he lifted it off one of the flatbeds James had brought, bringing it down to the workmen. "Have you ever thought about just ending it all? I mean, you never know. There's probably a very strong possibility that you'll end up a permanent fixture at the carnival someday. If that's the case, then why bother sticking around for the horror to come to you? There's a nice cliff not too far away from here. Just….slid off it. End the pain and torture of this nightmare. Avoid your destiny. You'll be in a better, happier place when it's all over." As he spoke, the cruel diesel continued to lift James's logs until all the logs were delivered to the workmen.
If it had been any other time, James would have seen right through the diesel's diabolical trick. But his mind was so badly clouded by distress that he welcomed the diesel's evil idea like a breath of fresh air. "Okay….thanks." Starting forward, he moved past the warship and disappeared in the line of trees, unaware of the warship grinning and cackling maniacally at his awful deed.
As James was grimly on his way to his doom, he passed by Thomas and Edward chatting in the forest.
"Hello, James!" Thomas greeted.
"How are things, James?" Edward smiled at him in a fatherly manner, but then grew a little concerned as he saw James's miserable expression. "What's the matter?"
James sighed. "Remember when I told you about the nightmare I had? The one about me at the carnival?"
"Yes, I remember that well," Edward said. "Is it bothering you again?"
James sighed. "Yes. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to the cliff."
"The cliff?" Thomas was confused. "Why are you going to a cliff, James?"
"Because I'm going to end it all."
"What?!"
"James," Edward said sternly. "What is the meaning of this? Tell me."
James sighed and told them what Diesel 10 said.
"James, you know better than to listen to Diesel 10," Thomas exclaimed. "Diesel 10 does not give a rip about us. Don't you realize what he was trying to do? He was trying to get you to kill yourself. He wants you dead, James."
Edward felt rage build up in him towards Diesel 10, but he did not assault James with any of it. "Thomas is right, James." He spoke gently to the miserable red engine. "James, the airport is not coming down. Sir Topham Hatt wants visitors on Sodor just as much as we do. And no matter what happens, he will not put us in a carnival to make a mockery of us in any way. Sir Topham Hatt is not that kind of man. He loves his engines. James, don't let your fear or Diesel 10 cloud your rational thinking. Your nightmare means absolutely nothing, no matter how often it occurs. Just because you have a bad dream over and over again does not mean that it will come true. You will always be a really useful engine, and we are all your friends who love you."
James now felt very silly and embarrassed. Edward was right. How could he have been so silly to listen to Diesel 10 and take his nightmare too seriously? "Thank you, Edward and Thomas," he smiled.
The two engines smiled at their friend. "No problem."
Together, the three friends puffed back off to work. From then on, whenever James had the nightmare of himself at the carnival, he dismissed and laughed it off. Now he knew better.
THE END