Welcome to the second Spooktober story.
This one is a distant sequel to Haunted Henry.
Alex G - I tried putting that story here but it kept getting deleted. And I might make an AO3 account, just not sure yet.
Enjoy!
Starring
ThomasWoodenRailway as Henry
The Peel Godred Branch as Oliver
NWR1991 as Jack
and
Victor Tanzig and Alfie and Old Bailey
A long time ago, Henry the Green Engine had been tasked to take a freight train to the station by the lake, better known as Hawin Lake.
Edward had told him that a ghost was about when an owl hooted and the mist rolled in. Henry didn't believe him, but strange happenings on the line two nights in a row convinced Henry that the line was haunted.
But after an accident with a landslide, it was revealed that all those strange happenings were actually caused by a fogman named Old Bailey who was trying to warn Henry and his crew about the unsafe viaduct.
As thanks, Old Bailey was made stationmaster of the line. The station was repaired and the trees were replanted. Many people flocked to see the sights. While many engines and vehicles are always happy to come by, Henry is always the most happy given his experiences and knowing that the line wasn't haunted.
Henry pulled into the station with a passenger train.
"I must say Old Bailey, this station is always looking better every year." smiled Henry. "Compared to when I first came down this line, that is really saying something."
"I'm glad you think that Henry." Bailey smiled. "But I have some exciting news. Sir Topham Hatt is planning on turning this into a full-on branch line."
Henry was surprised. "A branch line? Are you serious?"
"Yes." Bailey replied. "Sir Topham Hatt is planning to build more lines and some sheds for the engines to sleep in. I believe the Sodor and Mainland and Wellsworth and Suddery engines will be running on it."
"Well I think it will be a great." Henry said. "When does construction start?"
"Tomorrow." Bailey replied. "Miss Jenny Packard and her construction vehicles will be doing the project."
"I can't wait to help out." said Henry.
The next day, Henry was tasked with taking Jack, Alfie, and Ned to the construction area.
Kelly, Byron, Oliver, Max, Monty, Isobella, Darcy, and Miss Jenny were already there.
"Hope you boys enjoyed the ride." Henry said as the vehicles were unloaded onto the ground.
"Very smooth Henry." said Jack.
"I'm so eager to start digging!" Alfie said enthusiastically.
"I may not be knocking stuff down, but I do enjoy helping out." Ned said humbly.
"You and knocking stuff down." Henry muttered.
"Alright everyone." said Miss Jenny. "You all know what your jobs are. So let's get started."
"Ready to work Miss Jenny." Kelly said with a smile.
And the Pack got to work, starting with the sheds. Jack and Oliver dug away any access dirt that Byron and Brenda pushed aside. Alice and Ned would load them into Max and Monty so they would take them to Whiff's Waste Dump. Kelly helped bring the wooden supports up for the outline of the sheds.
"So how many engines will be staying in the sheds?" asked Jack.
"Three." Oliver replied. "Just like the sheds at Tidmouth Station."
"Unlike Tidmouth Sheds themselves as they're about twenty berths in a full circle these days." said Kelly.
At that moment, a whistle sounded out.
"That must be the ballast for the tracks." said Byron.
Oliver the Great Western engine puffed in with a train of ballast cars filled to the top.
"The ballast has arrived!" he called.
"And we see you've already started construction." Toad commented.
"We're a cracking crew!" Alfie grinned.
Oliver placed the trucks down the line and then puffed up next to Henry.
"Does it ever feel strange to you to be back here?" he asked. "I was told about your, ahem, experiences here back in the day."
Henry chuckled. "Ah not really Oliver." he said to his fellow green engine. "I know there's no ghost. It was only Old Bailey looking out for me and my crew."
Henry looked down at the Pack working. "This line is a nice place with a good small town, a shiny lake, and freshly planted trees." he said fondly. "And now it'll be busier like all the other branchlines."
"The engines running this line will be happy to have it to themselves." Oliver said.
That night, Henry was resting at the sheds with the other engines. It was raining hard outside.
"Kinda hard to sleep with all this hard rainfall." Henry muttered.
"Don't worry Henry, my driver says it'll let up later tonight." Edward smiled. "So I hear construction at Hawin Lake is going well?"
"Very well." Henry replied. "It'll be a lovely branchline."
"Won't be as great as mine," Thomas said cheekily. "But it is a nice sight to see."
At that moment, Henry's crew arrived and started him up again.
"What's going on?" Henry asked. "I don't take the Flying Kipper until morning."
"A shipment of materials for the Hawin branch line arrived early." said the driver. "Sir Topham Hatt asked if we could take it so the Pack could get a head start in the morning."
"What about the Flying Kipper?" Henry asked.
"Arthur's covering that." his fireman replied.
"Oh well that's good." Henry said, relieved.
"Beware the ghost Henry." Thomas teased.
"Oh stop being cheeky Thomas." Gordon retorted.
"He technically does have a point." said Edward. "Remember the story I told you."
"Oh I remember it." Henry said as he puffed onto the turntable. "And I remember what I once thought was a ghost was just Old Bailey trying to warn us."
"Still take care Henry." said Gordon. "There's supposed to be fog tonight."
"I'll be fine." Henry said. "After all, the rails do all the work."
"Yes but only so much." said Edward. "The same applies with our headlamps."
"Don't get your funnels in a twist, I will be alright." Henry smiled.
And the big green engine puffed away.
That night, Henry was taking the train of supplies down the line. Thankfully, the heavy rain had stopped.
But it wasn't long until the fog came down.
And around that time, Henry made it to the line that ran to Hawin Lake.
"Right on time." Henry smiled.
At that moment, Henry saw a familiar sight. It was a lantern in a tree.
Henry was puzzled. "An amber lamp?" he asked. "I'd better slow down."
Henry soon made it to the station. But then he saw something that made him screech to a stop.
"Why did you stop Henry?" his driver asked.
"There's a branch on the line!" Henry cried.
The crew got out and walked over to see that there was a tree branch on the line. A rather large one.
"That was close." said his driver. "How did this even happen?"
"I heard talk of termites lurking around." the fireman replied. "We'll have to call an exterminator in the morning."
"That must've been what the amber lamp was for." Henry said in realization. "To stop us from derailing."
"This tree branch… sure is heavy!" said the driver, struggling. "Guess Old Bailey couldn't move it."
"This is a… two man effort." the fireman added.
Eventually the crew managed to move the branch aside.
They then climbed back into Henry's cab and they made their way to the station.
Henry shunted his train into the siding. His crew uncoupled him and got him ready to take the brake van and guard back.
An owl hooted in the distance. Henry tried to find the bird when he spotted something in the distance.
"Hey driver, fireman, look!" he called.
There in the distance, was the silhouette of a person.
"Is that Old Bailey?" the driver asked.
"I dunno." the fireman replied.
The figure moved towards them revealing a man dressed in work overalls over a suit and a blue cap. He stared at the three with a neutral expression.
"That's not Old Bailey! Who is that?" Henry asked.
"Danger… foundation… unstable…" the man replied in a loud whisper.
"Uh sir, what are you saying?" asked Henry, confused. "What about the foundation?"
"Unstable…" the figure said before he walked backwards… and suddenly vanished into thin air!
Henry was shocked. So were his crew.
"What was that?!" Henry cried. "Where did he go?!"
"He-He-He just vanished!" cried the driver.
"But… how?!" the fireman asked.
Henry suddenly turned pale as Edward's words from all those years ago entered his memory.
"Whenever an owl hoots, a mist rolls in. There's a legend that when the mist's about, there's a ghost about too."
"G-G-G-GHOST!" Henry screamed. "EDWARD REALLY WAS RIGHT!"
"Then let's get outta here!" the driver cried.
The crew jumped into Henry's cab and Henry sped down the line with the brake van, desperate to get away from the station.
The next morning, Henry was shaken from what he had seen. His crew told Sir Topham Hatt what had happened the night before.
"We'll find out who's been lurking around the station in the middle of the night." Sir Topham Hatt told Henry. "And I understand you were spooked from the ordeal. But it's daytime and you'll be safer with the Pack and workmen."
"Can't someone else do it?" Henry pleaded.
"I'm sorry Henry but we need at least one big engine to handle the loads for the project." Sir Topham Hatt replied.
Henry sighed. "Yes sir."
When Henry arrived at the station, he was surprised to see that the wooden structure for the sheds had collapsed. The Pack was surrounding it.
"Bust my buffers! What happened to the wood work for the sheds?" asked Henry.
"The foundation was apparently unstable." Kelly replied. "The rain before the fog must've weakened it further."
"All our hard work ruined!" pouted Isobella.
"Please! You didn't build it." gruffed Max.
"Well neither did you!" Isobella retorted. "I delivered the materials accessible by road. You just took away the garbage!"
"Like pros!" Monty retorted.
"That's enough you lot." Miss Jenny said firmly. "The rain made the already unstable foundation weak."
"So what do we do now?" asked Ned.
"We get the wood structure upright again. And I'll have Patrick mix up concrete for us to use right away," said Miss Jenny. "That way when we re-assemble the sheds, the foundation won't be so weak."
As Miss Jenny talked, Alfie saw Henry looking nervously around the station. He rolled over to the big green engine.
"Something on your mind Henry?" the excavator asked.
"Well sort of…" Henry replied. "I… saw something strange last night."
"Really? What was it?" Alfie asked.
Henry explained.
"And then he disappeared as of he was… a ghost." Henry finished.
"A ghost?" Alfie asked in shock.
"What's this about a ghost?"
The two looked and saw Jack roll up.
"Henry thinks he saw a ghost last night." Alfie replied.
"Really?" Jack asked. "But I thought ghosts weren't real!"
"Because they aren't!"
They looked over and saw Oliver arrive with another train of ballast.
"Honestly, I don't know why you lot believe that ghosts are even real." Oliver huffed. "They're just excuses for things that go wrong. Maybe you saw Old Bailey last night."
Henry perked up. "Yes, maybe I did. He was probably wearing different clothes and his voice was hoarse. It was dark and misty out." he said. "I can ask him today."
"Uh Henry. You can't." said Jack. "Old Bailey's been taken ill since last night. There's an acting stationmaster today."
"Yes Miss Jenny told us." Alfie added. "He wasn't even out last night to do his fogman duties."
Henry was silent. "So if it wasn't him… then maybe it is a ghost!" he cried.
"Stuff and nonsense Henry." huffed Oliver. "You were probably just seeing things in the mist."
"I know what I saw Oliver!" Henry retorted.
Oliver just huffed as he puffed to the nearest water tower.
The Pack continued to work as they got the struckfre for the sheets up right once more and were soon back on schedule. Patrick posited in some cement to make sure the ground was stable so it wouldn't collapse from any heavy rainfall again.
The sheds were coming along nicely. Soon, the workman got started laying the ballast with the help of the Sodor Railway Repair. Henry was feeling better as he watched the Pack and the workman work, but he still felt uneasy thinking that there was still a ghost out there.
That evening, Oliver was dropping off passengers at Wellsworth.
"That Henry is probably reliving his experiences at Hawin Lake from all those years ago." Oliver huffed. "A ghost in the mist. There's no such thing!"
Boco was on a siding and heard the Great Western engine. "I dunno Oliver. Strange things have happened on the island before. And Henry has had a bad experience on that line as you said."
Oliver just rolled his eyes as he puffed away.
Later that night, Henry had just dropped off the Pack at the yards.
"Thanks for the lift Henry." said Byron as he went to the sheds.
"Of course." Henry smiled. He then sighed.
"Something else on your mind?" Jack asked.
"I know what I saw." Henry said. "If Old Bailey really wasn't out at the station last night, then whoever that was had to be a real ghost. People don't just fade into the most entirely like that."
"Well at least you won't have to worry about anything going bump in the night over there." soothed Jack.
"Yeah you are right." Henry smiled weakly.
"I don't think so." Alfie said as he rolled over. "I just overheard Miss Jenny on the phone. A shipment of rails finally came in. She and Sir Topham Hatt need it delivered so the workman can get started tomorrow and not have another delay… hopefully."
Henry paled. "Please tell me he didn't ask me to take it." he pleaded.
"No." Alfie replied. "Miss Jenny said the engine taking it is…"
Brendam Docks:
"There you go Oliver!" said Salty as he shunted the train of rails behind Oliver.
"Thanks Salty." said Oliver as he was coupled up.
"Say, where be your faithful brake van?" Salty asked.
"Toad's helping Douglas tonight." Oliver replied. "This was last minute. But I'm sure I'll be fine with a regular brake van."
"Argh, you just be careful tonight Oliver." Salty said. "The mist be rising tonight."
"Thanks for the warning." Oliver replied.
The guard blew his whistle and Oliver puffed away.
Oliver made his way down the line towards Hawin Lake. Henry's talk about a ghost person haunting it played on his mind.
"Ghosts." he muttered. "What rubbish."
Suddenly, Oliver ran over a set of detonators.
"Whoa boy!" he exclaimed. "That made my axles tingle."
"Looks like Old Bailey's done his job." said his driver. "Fog must be ahead. We'd better slow down."
Oliver slowed down as he approached the station. No sooner did he pass, Oliver was able to make out a pattern in the distance and slammed on his brakes.
"Why did you stop Oliver?" asked the driver.
"Look ahead!" Oliver replied.
The crew peeked through the cab.
Down the line was a landslide blocking the line.
"How did this happen?" asked the driver.
"Must've been a disturbance or another delay from the heavy rainfall last night." the fireman guessed.
"Either way, those detonators must've been to warn us." Oliver surmised. "Let's get the train arranged and thank Old Bailey if we see him."
Oliver shunted his train into a siding near the construction site.
"That oughta do it." Oliver said with a smile.
Suddenly, an owl hooted in the distance.
"Stupid bird." Oliver grumbled, looking into the trees to spot the owl.
But he was unsuccessful. And as he turned his vision away from the trees, Oliver jumped to see a man standing beside him… the same one Henry saw the night before.
"Oh! Hello." Oliver greeted. "Do you work here? And if so, I'd the Old Bailey about?"
The man nodded and then shook his head.
"So he's not here but you're working here at night." Oliver said. "Well that's good to know." He paused. "Were you the one who set the detonators on the tracks?"
The man slowly nodded.
"Well then you must be a fogman like Old Bailey and Cyril." Oliver commented. "Thanks for warning us about the landslide."
The man only smiled slightly… and then completely disappeared!... right in front of Oliver.
Oliver was shocked.
"W-Wh-What?!" he exclaimed. "No! NO! It-It can't be!" he cried.
"Oliver? What's wrong?" his driver asked.
"IT'S THE GHOST!" Oliver screamed as he shot down the line.
Oliver raced down the tracks as fast as he could, not stopping until he reached the safety of the Little Western sheds.
The next morning, Sir Topham Hatt, Miss Jenny, Jack, and Kelly were examining the landslide while the Pack watched from near the construction site.
"Now how did this happen?" asked Jack.
"Looks like it was a delayed avalanche from the rain two nights ago." said Miss Jenny. "I'm just glad it missed the sheds."
"We can get this cleared up in no time." said Sir Topham Hatt. "Jack and Ned can load Max and Monty with this and the line will be clear."
With that said, the machines got to work.
Oliver stood in a siding, still shaken from what he had seen the night before. At that moment, Henry puffed up alongside.
"Henry?" Oliver immediately said. "I'm sorry."
Henry was taken aback. "For what?"
"I saw him." Oliver replied. "I saw the ghost."
Henry was surprised.
"I thought it was Old Bailey. And then he just disappeared right in front of me. I was so scared that I raced down the line to get away." Oliver said as he looked up at henry. "I'm sorry I doubted you Henry."
"It's alright Oliver." Henry said sympathetically. "If it were any other ghost in any other location, I wouldn't believe me either."
Alfie rolled up, having heard. "So Oliver saw this ghost person too?"
"I did." Oliver replied, shuddering.
"Who is this ghost anyway?" asked Henry. "Could it be the one Edward told me about?"
"Well he never specified if it was an engine, a person, or even an animal." Alfie pointed out.
"Speaking of animals, I heard an owl hoot before the ghost showed up." Henry said.
"As did I." said Oliver. "Maybe Edward can tell us the full story about the ghost that haunts this line. And if this person is that ghost, we can figure out why he haunts the line."
"That's not gonna work." Alfie said with a frown. "Bertie dropped off the workman and said that Edward is covering Boco's trains today as he's in for repairs. So we won't have a chance to talk with him."
"Bother." Henry grunted. "Then who can tell us the full story?"
At that moment, they saw Max and Monty speed by, the rocks from the landslide loaded in their dumpers. Jack had followed them so he could park near his green friends.
"I think I know someone who can." Jack said, shifting his eyes to the side.
Henry, Oliver, and Alfie looked over and saw a red car pull up. And out stepped Old Bailey. Sir Topham Hatt and Miss Jenny approached him.
"Ah Mr. Bailey!" Sir Topham Hatt greeted. "How are you?"
"Feeling much better sir." Old Bailey replied. "How is the project coming along?"
"A few mishaps but we're still on schedule." Miss Jenny replied.
Henry, Oliver, Jack, and Alfie traded glances.
Later, Old Bailey was at the station when Henry and Oliver puffed up. Jack and Alfie rolled up between the tracks and the lake as well.
"Oh hello you lot." Old Bailey smiled. "What brings you over to the station?"
"Mr. Bailey, we want to tell you something." Henry said.
And Henry and Oliver told Old Bailey about their experiences with the ghost. And Jack and Alfie added what had happened the next days.
Old Bailey was silent as he took in the information given to him. He looked out down the line past the lake and crossing.
"So the story about his ghost is true after all." Old Bailey murmured. "All these years taking care of the station I never saw him. I thought that part was just folklore. Now I know how wrong I was…"
"Mr. Bailey, what are you talking about?" asked Oliver.
"Yes, what is the story about the haunting of this line?" asked Jack.
Old Bailey faced the two engines and two road vehicles, his face serious.
"It was a long time ago, before I was even born." he said.
Hawin Lake, 1937:
A man dressed in the same attire as the man Henry and Oliver had seen was walking around the grounds of Hawin Lake station.
"Back when my grandfather was stationmaster and caretaker of the station, there was a man what was a frequent sight at Hawin Lake. He was a workman, but also part-time fogman around the area. His name was Richard Kanan. But they called him Richie if ever addressing him by his first name."
Neil puffed into the station with a passenger train.
"Hello Mr. Kanan." Neil greeted. "Lovely day today."
"It sure is Neil." Richie smiled. "Though there are chances of fog tonight."
"Ah well, as long as you're out on patrol, we'll all be in safe hands." Neil said optimistically.
"I try my best." Richie said.
"Richie was a very good fogman indeed. He made sure detonators were on the tracks whenever fog was about. And he kept a safe distance away from the line. He was a good friend to the engines whenever they visited the station because of it."
One day, Edward puffed into the station with a passenger train.
"Good day Mr. Kanan." Edward greeted as he saw the familiar workman.
"Ah there you are Edward." Richie said. "Stationmaster Bailey's gonna be happy, you're two minutes early."
"Two minutes?" Edward commented. "Well that's good. Tell me, how have things been over here?"
"Very nice." Richie replied. "The summer scenery is very lovely around here." He faced the lake. "And I really like how the sun reflects off the lake. Makes it very shiny."
"Oh yes indeed." Edward nodded.
"I always like this line." Richie said fondly. "I'd hate to see anything bad happen to it."
"It's a good thing we have you and the Bailey family to prevent that from happening." Edward smiled.
And then…
"Get that hunk of metal out of the station!"
Edward, Richie, and the passengers looked over and saw a group of people near the tress, holding various signs.
They were protesters. Railway protesters.
"Steam engines spoil our lives!" a man shouted.
"We don't want no stinking railway!" a woman added.
"Oh not these idiots again." groaned Richie. "Mr. Bailey!"
The stationmaster, who looked like Old Bailey but with a few different facial features, ran out.
"Not near my station." he growled as the two went towards the protesters.
Edward could only sigh irritably as Clive, the Wellsworth and Sudderey's Number 1, puffed up on another line with a small freight train.
"Oh dear are those protesters at it again?" he asked in annoyance.
"I'm afraid they are." Edward sighed. "This is the third time this week I've seen them be a nuisance near the rails."
"Honestly their protests are basically pointless." Clive huffed. "This railway has been functioning for 20 years and they still claim we're spoiling their image. They should've accepted that this railway has been around for that long and should just move on."
"Some people just can't move on Clive." Edward sighed. "It's the world we live in."
"No one wants these steam engines around here! They're spoiling our image!" a man said.
"We can travel just fine on the roads!" said a woman.
"You forget that this has been a functioning railway for over two decades now." Richie retorted. "No one gives a hoot about your pathetic protesting."
"HEY!" a male protester shouted angrily, making his way to the front. "You people will heed our words!"
"Down with the railway, you're toxic to the environment!" a female one added.
"We don't want you here!" another man shouted.
"And we don't want you lot here." snarled Stationmaster Bailey. "You're trespassing on railways property with your pathetic protesting."
"And you're running the visitors' day." scowled Richie. "Now get out of here before we get the police involved and have you arrested for trespassing."
"Our cries will not be ignored!" another woman shouted as the protesters reluctantly left.
"Whatever you say." scoffed Richie.
The two men walked back to the station.
"Absolutely despicable." muttered Clive. "When will they learn?"
"When karma gets to them I assume." said Richie. "But let's not let that spoil our day."
Everyone agreed.
"Yes railway protesters were a common problem on the railway. Everyone, people, engines, and rolling stock did their best to ignore them. And they would always be turned away by railway staff and threatened with arrest. Things changed in the fall of 1938… and not in a good way."
Richie was out patrolling the line near the station. Fog covered the line.
"It was a cold September night. Fog was all around the line of Hawin Lake. Richie was patrolling the line, putting down detonators for any late trains coming by."
After placing down the detonators, Richie made his way to the viaduct.
"He walked to the viaduct just to make sure everything else was in order. As he was about to make his way back, an Owl hooted. And then…"
BOOOOM!
Richie stumbled around in alarm before falling on his side.
"An explosion shook the line. As Richie got back up, he tried to see where that explosion came from, he suddenly noticed that some rocks began to fall near the mountain side, right by where you had your accident Henry."
Richie saw that the avalanche began to increase as more rocks fell.
"He tried to run from it, but his panic combined with the fog obscuring his vision caused him to not watch where he was going."
Richie tried to run… but he fell over the cliffside. He screamed as he fell down before his voice faded as the rocks fell on top of him.
"The next day, the stationmaster called for a work crew. Eagle came with the workman, as well as Jerome and Judy. When they couldn't find Mr. Kanan, they checked around the area. And their worst fears were confirmed when they found Richie's body under the rubble."
Present:
Henry, Oliver, Jack, and Alfie stared at Old Bailey in horror.
"You mean he died falling over the viaduct?!" asked Jack.
"Even if he had survived the fall somehow, with the amount of rocks in the avalanche, he would've been crushed to death." Old Bailey said sadly.
"But wait, who caused the explosion?" asked Henry.
Flashback:
"An investigation was in full effect. When word got out that a workman had been killed in a landslide at Hawin, people tried to help anyway they could. And their help led the police to the ones responsible."
…
…
…
"And they were the railway protesters. They were furious that their words weren't being heard. So they decided to send a subtle message by coating it as a railway being unsafe for the island. Two members broke into the quarry and stole dynamite. They stupidly thought an avalance or more would send a message. They didn't intend to kill, but they didn't know Mr. Kanan was there. They escaped in their car after the explosion."
The transport police were now arresting the protesters.
"Some tourists at Knapford overheard them talking on the platform far away from the staff and other passengers. They quickly reported it. The police interviewed them and the two saboteurs cracked. The protesters were arrested and would spend the rest of their lives in prison."
"Good riddance." said Gordon as the protesters were taken away.
"They learned alright." muttered Clive.
"But at the cost of an innocent man's life." Edward said sadly.
"Richard Kanan was buried at the church. After an investigation, things returned to normal. But over time, less passengers came to Hawin Lake, not just because of the avalanche. They knew it was sabotage. But witnesses had said that every time an owl hooted or a mist rolled in, a figure of a man was lurking around the line. Soon, the line closed due to the lack of people. And people that lived in the town moved out. And it remained that way until Sir Stephen Topham Hatt reopened the line."
Present:
"Legend has it that whenever that owl hoots, the mist rolls in. And when it does, the ghost of Richard Kanan lurks about the line of Hawin Lake." Old Bailey finished. "My grandfather told me the story long before he passed. Not once did I believe the story's part about the ghost as I never saw Richie Kanan lurking around the line." He sighed heavily. "But it looks as though you two did."
Henry and Oliver just stared at Old Bailey in shock, as did Jack and Alfie.
"Bust my buffers…" Henry said. "So that's the full story…"
"Poor Richie Kanan," Alfie said sympathetically. "He didn't deserve to get killed like that!"
"Those bloody protesters!" snarled Oliver. "They caused enough trouble when trying to get rid of the railway. But blow up a mountainside to make it look like it was unsafe just so their 'message' could be heard?! How bloody stupid!"
"They were a problem for us all," murmured Henry. He grew serious. "But that's not the point. The point is, we have a ghost haunting the line, and we now know it's Richard Kanan. And if this keeps up, the construction to make this a fully running branchline may fall to the point this town may be abandoned again."
"I'm not sure about that Henry." said Jack. Everyone looked at the front-and-loader in surprise. "I've been thinking about what you and Oliver said. Henry, your encounter with the ghost, he put up that lamp so you would slow down and not hit that branch so you wouldn't derail."
"That's right." Henry replied. "And… he also mentioned that the foundation was unstable from the rain earlier that night… and then the next day, the shed structure was ruined."
"And Oliver, you said he nodded when you asked if he put the detonators on the tracks to warn you about the landslide." Jack added.
"That's correct." Oliver nodded.
"Wait Jack, are you saying that Richie's ghost… is a friendly one?" asked Alfie.
"I think so…" said Jack. "I mean, those acts don't sound like the ones of a person trying to sabotage the line."
"Maybe he's been trying to help us." Henry said in realization.
"Richie always enjoyed being here when he was alive." said Old Bailey. "And it seems he still does even as a spirit. From what Jack has said, he still tries to keep us safe. And since I was ill at home, he decided to do just that so Henry and Oliver wouldn't get into an accident."
"That changes a lot of things." said Oliver, blinking. "So what do we do now?"
"I'll see myself if Richie is truly back and not a threat." Old Bailey said with a determined look. "And I have a plan in mind."
The engines and vehicles listened in.
Later that night, Henry was at Brendam Docks, taking another train of supplies to the site. Old Bailey was on board.
"Are you sure your plan is gonna work?" Henry asked.
"If I'm not at the station tonight, he's sure to make an appearance just like the last two nights." Old Bailey replied.
"I just hope he is a friendly ghost like Jack theroized." Henry said.
At that moment, Oliver puffed up.
"Oliver? What are you doing here?" asked Henry.
"They're out of brake vans." Oliver replied. "So I'll be your back engine for the journey."
"What about Toad?" Henry asked.
"Douglas has him again today for his freight train." Oliver replied.
"Well then get coupled up." said Henry.
Oliver did so as he puffed to the back of Henry's train. He blew his whistle to signal Henry that he was ready.
And with that, they set off into the night.
Down by the station, Jack and Alfie had volunteered to stay and keep an eye on the construction site… and also watch out for Richie's ghost.
"Do you really think he's gonna come?" asked Jack.
"Old Bailey isn't here like the last two nights." said Alfie. "So we'll have to see… even though I am dreadfully nervous."
"Me too." murmured Jack.
At that moment, an owl hooted as the fog rolled in.
"This looks and sounds right." Jack gulped.
Suddenly, a tree close to the line toppled over.
"Flatten my fender, what happened?!" cried Alfie.
The two vehicles drove over to the fallen tree.
"The tree's blocking the line!" cried Jack. "Henry will be coming any minute! And this tree's too big to move!"
"But we can't warn him! Our drivers went home for the night." said Alfie. "And it's too foggy out. We can't see the road!"
"We'll have to risk it!" said Jack.
"No… leave it to me…" came a voice.
Jack and Alfie looked over by the lake and gasped.
Meanwhile, Henry and Oliver were carefully puffing down the line.
"How's it looking up there Henry?" asked Oliver.
"Misty but nothing bad." Henry replied.
"Look ahead!" Old Bailey shouted.
Henry looked and saw an amber lamp in the tree again.
"Another maber lamp? Did you put that there" he asked.
"No." Old Bailey replied, his eyes narrowing.
Suddenly, Henry felt tiny explosions under his wheels.
"Fog detonators!" Henry exclaimed. "Those made my axles tingle."
"Slow down Henry." said his driver.
Henry began to slow down. Seeing that they were going slower, Oliver did likewise.
The two engines came to a stop when they saw the fall tree. Jack and Alfie were nearby.
"Oh thank goodness you two stopped!" Jack said in relief.
"It's a good thing we did." said Henry, "What happened?"
Jack and Alfie explained.
Old Bailey inspected the tree.
"Just as I suspected." he said. "The exterminator got the termites but this tree was ready to fall any day."
"We'd better chop it up so we can get it out of the way." suggested Henry's driver.
Thankfully, the workman had left their tools in the station per Old Bailey's request. Henry and Oliver's crews came out with giggles on their faces saws and chainsaws in their grasp. They got to work and sawed the tree to pieces and moved them beside the line, using Henry's lamp as a light guide.
"They'll make nice kindling for campfires." said Oliver's driver.
"Come on, lets get the supplies shunted." said Olvier's fireman.
And that's what they did. Oliver rearranged the train in the sidings.
"By the way, who put up the lamp and the detonators?" asked Henry.
Jack and Alfie traded glances.
"It was as you suspected Old Bailey." Jack replied.
Alfie then gasped. "And there he is!"
Everyone looked in Alfie's direction and gasped as well.
There, on the sation platform, was a man… but he was faded.
Henry and Oliver stared as Jack and Alfie stood silent.
Old Bailey, however, stood silent as he looked at the man.
"I recognize him. Straight from the pictures my grandfather had." he said. He gestured to the ghost to come near them.
The ghost, confused, walked over to the group.
"Hello Richard." Old Bailey smiled. "Or do you still go by Richie in the afterlife?"
Richie smiled a bit.
"I see that you are still doing your job as a workman and fogman even in the afterlife." Old Bailey mused. "You really do care about this line."
Richie nodded.
Henry found his voice. "T-Thank you for keeping me and Oliver safe from an accident. Twice in fact!" he said, managing a smile.
"Y-Yes that was nice of you." Oliver said with a small smile.
"And thanks for trying to warn us about the foundation being unstable when we had the structure for the sheds up." said Jack.
"You really do care about Hawin Lake and any engines, vehicles, and people on it." Alfie said with a smile.
Richie could only smile.
"My grandfather told me about you. And I can see why everyone was fond of you before your untimely death." Old Bailey said with a smile. "Thank you for keeping this line safe whenever I wasn't around. You're not a ghost haunting this line. You're a ghost protecting this line when you have to."
"Just make sure when you do that in the future… you don't make creepy appearances if you can." Henry said with an awkward smile.
Richie shrugged but smiled. And then he disappeared before the five's eyes.
"Where did he go?!" exclaimed Alfie.
"Probably to the afterlife." Oliver guessed.
"No matter." said Old Bailey. "Now we can get some rest."
Everyone agreed. Henry and Oliver carefully made their way back to their sheds as Jack and Alfie parked back by the construction sight. Old Bailey made his way back to his home.
Months later, the Hawin Branchline was finally finished. A shed built for three was built a ways away from the town. And varosu tracks led to additional sightings and around other areas around the station.
Henry, Oliver, Neil, Clive, Matthew, and Toad were on the tracks, and Jack, Alfie, Oliver, Ned, Byron, Max, Monty, Kelly, Patrick, Isobella, and Brenda stood by. Sir Topham Hatt, Miss Jenny, and Old Bailey stood on the platform.
"I know declare that Hawin Lake is now a new branch line to the North Western Railway." Sir Topham Hatt announced.
Everyone cheered.
"An our own former Sodor & Mainland engines shall run the line, Clive, Neil, and Matthew,." Sir Topham Hatt added.
"We're honored to have the line sir." smiled Matthew. "It'll be just like the old days."
"We promise to run this line very well." said Clive.
"But if you ever need us for any other jobs outside of Hawin, we'd be happy to help." said Neil.
"I know you will." smiled Sir Topham Hatt.
As he went on with his speech, Henry thought he saw a familiar man standing by the tree near the lake. It was Richie Kanan. He smiled at Henry before vanishing.
Henry could only smile.
Nowadays, Hawin Lake truly is a functioning branchline. Clive, Neil, and Matthew run it very well.
But no one ever knew about the existence of Richie Kanan's ghost. Henry, Oliver, Jack, Alfie, Old Bailey, and eventually, even Edward knew about the full story and the fact that Richie still roamed the line. They decided they would tell the boxcab engines if they ever had an encounter themselves.
Until then, the six knew that whenever an owl hooted and the mist rolled in, Richie's ghost would walk around the line. But they knew he wouldn't cause any trouble.
He was keeping the line safe. Just as he did when he was alive.
CAST
(In order of appearance)
Henry - ThomasWoodenRailway
Old Bailey - Victor Tanzig
Jack - NWR1991
Alfie - Victor Tanzig
Ned - Kanefan701
Miss Jenny - LizProductions5784
Kelly - David Boyle
Oilver the Excavator - Luke Ryan
Byron - Geebmachine
Oliver - The Peel Godred Branch
Toad - Donald9andDouglas10
Thomas - JakerBraker123
Gordon - Thomas1Edward2Henry3
Edward - EnterprisingEngine93
Richie Kanan - Kanefan701
Sir Topham Hatt - GreatNate8345
Isobella - Mika Michelina
Max and Monty - TheBlueE2
Boco - Victor Tanzig
Salty - Thomas1Edward2Henry3
Neil - Thomas1Edward2Henry3
Clive - Kanefan701
Matthew - Victor Tanzig
Other voices by me.
And done!
Hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you in the next story!
