Welcome to chapter three of my Island of Sodor Remake. I'm very surprised at how fast I a putting out this story but it's one of the few that I can't stop writing and am extremely excited to be putting out. In this chapter it is the start of a three chapter arc storyline. I hope you enjoy it.
Island of Sodor Remake
Chapter 3-Ellkan's Bad Mood
Ellkan's job as the Knapford Yard shunter was going less than pleasantly. This was his second day on the job and he already was tired of it. The work was mundane, the trucks were especially annoying, and his, so called, friends didn't seem to care what he was going through. In the early afternoon he was pulling away Atul's coaches while he went from a rest in a nearby siding, till his next train. He was just about to organize some trucks in the station yard when Atul called for him. Looking over at a nearby siding he saw Atul looking at him sternly.
"Ellkan, all you are doing is shunting, not being forced to clean the trucks. If you stop looking like this is the worst thing on Earth to do maybe the trucks would stop making fun of you." He said to him helpfully but Ellkan didn't care. He hated being punished for being who he was. He didn't respond and pulled the cars out of the siding towards the large yard where they would be delivered to Tidmouth to be loaded up.
"Ellkan is in a bad mood. Be careful because you might get screwed." The trucks giggled, making fun of him.
"Be quiet." He said and sharply bumped the causing them to yelp." He shunted them into place and left them where they were.
The trucks had been especially awful throughout the 48 hours he had been working here. They seemed to understand just how unhappy he was and made it their mission to be even ruder to him with their singing, joking, and rhyming. He really just wanted this punishment over and done with.
He went back to the station yard and collected the coaches and put them in the station for Atul's train. He went around to beside the coaches while Atul coupled up in front of them.
"Remember what I said. If you let this be so awful for you it will only get worse for you. Try and remember that it is your attitude that got you into this situation and it's your attitude that can make it better."
"Easy for you to say." He grumbled. At that point the guard blew his whistle and Atul left the station without giving a reply. Ellkan then went back to his shunting duties.
He was good at shunting but by no means not anywhere close to being as good as Nadir in a yard. He was ordered to follow strict instructions by workmen and the yard manager as to where he should place the trucks and coaches and not to deviate from it. He was learning that it was hard work to soley do shunting in a yard but that was mostly due to the constant pushing and pulling trucks and coaches and having to deal with the trucks themselves. After fifteen minutes of shunting after Atul left, the yard manager approached him.
"I need you to bring those trucks you just shunted to Tidmouth. They are getting loaded up with machine parts then will be brought to the Wharf tomorrow. Then I need you to bring a load of coal trucks back to the yard." He said to him.
"I'm on it." He said with a bit of enthusiasm in his voice. The reason for that was the day before, his first day in the yard, he never actually left Knapford. It was nice to be allowed to leave the yard and station even if it was to the next town.
He quickly coupled up to the four empty trucks. The guard flagged him that he was ready to go and Ellkan pulled out. He was happy that he got to do actual goods related pulling instead of shunting.
"Maybe if you do well with this, Sir Topham Hatt will think about revoking your punishment sooner rather than later." His driver stated.
"I can only hope." Ellkan replied.
They were approaching Tidmouth Sheds, the brick, six berth shed with was smaller than Knapford Sheds but much nicer looking. There was also a small but extensive yard all around the sheds and turntable that was used as an addition to Knapford Yard when it started to get to full. Today, it only had one line of trucks that were being stored for no purpose.
"Ellkan's in a bad mood. Be careful of his attitude." The trucks started joking again which wasn't what Ellkan needed now.
"Stop that now." He said sharply as he swiftly bumped them, with the trucks letting out yelps and cries and not being too happy about it.
He quickly got past Tidmouth sheds and soon approached Tidmouth. He pulled into the yard and the yard manager pointed out where he had to put the trucks and then where the coal trucks were that he had to bring back. Ellkan put the trucks in their proper siding and then went two sidings over and coupled up to the coal trucks, who were also giggling and joking about.
"Ellkan's in a bad mood. He should be discountinued." The trucks he just brought sang out.
"I'm so tired of this." He said.
"You'll get through it. They do this all the time. Just ignore them." His driver said. His driver gave the go ahead and Ellkan pulled out of the yard with his coal trucks.
They were going nicely for a time and then the trucks started giggling again. He heard a bit of whispering and then the train became a lot harder to pull and heavier. He suddenly was struggling and they just passed Lower Tidmouth.
"They are holding me back." Ellkan struggled to say as he also tried to pull six coal trucks who were trying to pull him back as well.
"Ride it out Ellkan. They will eventually tire out. You are stronger than them." His driver said to him encouragingly.
Eventually they made it to Tidmouth Sheds that was just past Lower Tidmouth and the trucks let up enough that Ellkan wasn't struggling nearly as much as before. Soon he made it to Knapford Yard with the trucks laughing about what they put Ellkan through. He put them into the siding they belonged in and went to rest nearby.
"See that wasn't so hard. Before you know it you'll be able to control your attitude and then you'll be back to your regular work in no time." But before he could reply the trucks suddenly chimed in.
"Ellkan's in a bad mood. Ellkan's in a bad mood. Ellkan's in a bad mood." They sang out, which got the other trucks around them giggling.
"Yeah, easier said than done though." Ellkan sighed in frustration.
Thank you for reading. Please review and tell me what you thought about it. I am extremely excited for this arc and hope you all enjoy it. If you have any questions or just want to talk about this series or any of my other series feel free to message me.