I'm gonna try an original story that's not really a sequel.
Enjoy!
"Pride of the Cement Works"
Starring
Christopher Bouchard as Fergus
TheSodorSteamworks as Samson
and
Terrier55Stepney as Stepney
Far on the Kirk Ronan Branchline, is the Sodor Cement works. As the name implies, cement is often made there to be used to fill in foundations for solid grounds like sidewalks.
Fergus, a blue traction engine with large red wheels, is the main engine that works there. He shunts trucks full of materials to help make the cement. He is considered Pride of the Cement Works. He always follows the rules and makes sure his work is done quickly, safe, and right. He always tries to be really useful as he does his favorite job on the island.
Another common sight around the cement works is Patrick the Cement Mixer, a member of the Sodor Construction Company. He often comes to the cement works to get filled up with cement for any projects the Pack was a part of, or if he was needed for fixing certain areas around the island.
"Filling up your mixer for another construction project?" Fergus asked one day as he shunted some trucks in place.
"I sure am." Patrick beamed. "We're helping build a new playground. I'm filling in the new sidewalks."
"Just make sure you keep your importance of concrete at bay Patrick." Fergus said wisely. "We don't want you coated in it again. Do it right!"
Patrick rolled his eyes. He didn't like being reminded of the time he stirred up trouble with the Pack by claiming he was "the most important," which led to him, Max, and Monty getting in trouble… and him crashing into his concrete.
But recently, Fergus was getting tired. The summer season sparked more work for him.
Sir Topham Hatt came to see him.
"I know you work hard here Fergus, but it's clear you need help." he said. "So I will arrange for two more engines to come to help you."
"Is one of them Eric?" Fergus asked.
Eric was a large tank engine that ran the Branchline.
"No." said Sir Topham Hatt. "Eric has his own work to do. But Sheffield and Nia are helping him out. The engines will come tomorrow."
"Thank you Sir." Fergus said thankfully.
The next day, two engines were on their way to the cement works. It was Stepney and Samson, all away from their railways on the Mainland.
Eric was at Kellsthorpe station when he saw the two engines puff up.
"Hello Stepney, Samson. Fancy seeing you around here." the large tank engine commented.
"Nice to see you too Eric." Samson said. "We're here to help Fergus."
"It's the least we could do." Stepney said with a smile.
"Well you'll find the cement works down the line." Eric said.
"Thank you for the directions." said Stepney.
And the two tank engines puffed down the line.
Fergus was shunting some trucks together when the two tank engines arrived.
"Greetings Fergus!" Samson said boldly. "Samson here at your service."
"Yes yes hello Samson." Fergus said, rolling his eyes at the cabless engine's catchphrase. "And hello to you too Stepney."
"Hello Fergus." Stepney said politely. "Samson and I will be helping you until the work dies down."
Fergus beamed. "Well that's very nice to hear." he said. "Just follow my lead, do things right, and we'll get the work done perfectly."
"Lead the way Fergus." said Stepney.
Throughout the day, Samson and Stepney worked hard under Fergus and the manager's instructions.
Stepney shunted a train together in one of the sidings for Bear to take. Fergus puffed up.
"The loads on the flatbreads usually go first and then the loads in the rucks." said Fergus. "It's easier for the loads. Do it right."
"Thank you for telling me." Stepney said.
But Samson wasn't keen on Fergus' instructions… or at least the way he presented them to him.
The mainland tank engine was shunting a train together under the hopper when Fergus puffed up.
"Be sure not to bump the trucks like Diesel did. Otherwise the load will be useless. Do it right." Fergus advised.
Samson scowled. "I know how to shunt Fergus." he retorted.
"Not around here you don't." Fergus said back as he puffed away.
All day whenever Fergus wanted to make sure that Stepney and Samson were doing their jobs correctly, he would tell them to do it right.
Later that day, Samson was taking on water when he saw a photograph on the wall of one of the buildings. It was a black and white photo of Fergus and several workmen.
Fergus puffed up alongside.
"I say Fergus, when was that photo taken?" Samson asked.
"Photo?" Fergus asked before looking in Samson's direction. "Oh that photo. Yes, that's me and the workman one year after I arrived here."
"It must've been quite a time for you." Samson commented. "Are any of those workman still around?"
Fergus' face fell. "Unfortunately no." he said. "All the workman in that photograph are long gone. Such fine men they were."
Fergus then looked away. Samson thought he had longing look on his face. But the closer he looked, it felt like Fergus was hiding something else.
"Everything alright Fergus?" Samson asked.
Fergus snapped out of his thoughts. "What? Oh yes! I-I'm fine." he said. "Just get that train for Rebecca arranged please. Do it right."
Samson huffed but agreed as he puffed away.
Samson later talked to Stepney about how Fergus looked when he was talking about the old photo.
"That's not usually like Fergus." Stepney murmured.
"Perhaps something happened to the workman in that photo." Samson suggested.
"Well you said that Fergus mentioned that they had passed a while back." Stepney pointed out.
"Yes but from the way Fergus looked, it's almost like something else happened." Samson said.
"Maybe something did, maybe something didn't." Stepney said. "But maybe it's not any of our business. Now come on, let's get back to work."
And Stepney puffed away.
That night, Stepney and Samson were asleep with Fergus. There was only one shed so they had to sleep in the sidings. Thankfully, it wasn't a cold night.
But as they slept, Samson couldn't help but hear something nearby. He opened a sleeping eye and saw Fergus, awake and mumbling as he looked around the cement works.
"What's he looking for?" Samson asked.
Fergus suddenly puffed out of the sheds down the line.
"Now where is he going?" Samson asked in confusion. He looked over to his fellow thank engine. "Pst. Stepney! Wake up!"
Stepney yawned and mumbled, "…bluebells forever yes that's right…" He opened a sleepy eye. "What is it Samson?"
"Fergus is going down the line." the Mainland tank engine replied.
Stepney yawned again. "Samson you're probably just seeing things…"
Samson was annoyed. "I am not seeing anything Stepney." he said. "Check the sheds if you don't believe me.
Stepney looked to the side and was immediately awake when he saw that Fergus was gone.
"That's odd." said Stepney. He turned to Samson. "Where was he heading?"
"Just down the line." Samson told him.
Running crewless, Samson and Stepney carefully made their way down the track.
Fergus was in the middle of the cement works. He looked around cautiously at his surroundings.
Then, his eyes fell upon what appeared to be a group of workmen that suddenly appeared in front of him. Their expressions were neutral and almost emotionless.
But Fergus wasn't scared. He was silent as he looked at them with stoic but saddened expressions.
"Hey guys…" Fergus said quietly. "How's it going…"
Fergus didn't know it, but Samson and Stepney had puffed up right behind him.
"There he is." whispered Samson. He paused as he listened in. "Who is he talking to?"
"I don't know." said Stepney. "But I don't see anyone."
And he was right. From their perspective, it looked as though Fergus was talking to thin air.
Then they could hear Fergus sigh heavily.
"I hope my work is pleasing you… as it did all those years ago." Fergus said.
From Fergus' perspective, the workman nodded… and then suddenly vanished from his view.
Fergus sighed heavily.
"I just wish I could've saved you…" he said sadly.
Stepney and Samson were surprised. What did Fergus mean by that?
Not wanting the blue engine to see them, the two Mainland tank engines quickly usher back to the sheds.
The next morning, things were pretty normal for the most part. The three tank engines did their jobs shunting and hauling trucks around the cement works. But Stepney and Samson still couldn't stop thinking about what happened the night before.
Stepney shunted a train for Eric to take.
"Thank you Stepney!" the green tank engine whistled as he puffed away.
"Anytime!" Stepney whistled back.
Fergus spotted Samson arranging a line of trucks together once more.
"You're doing it right." Fergus commented. "Very good Samson."
"I am an experienced shunting Fergus." Samson boasted.
"I am aware." Fergus said. "It just expect any engine that works here to do it right like I do. That way the jobs are done and everyone will be happy."
Samson looked at Fergus, thinking of what to say to him next. "Yes, that makes sense. Say Fergus? While I was asleep, I thought I heard puffing noises last night."
Fergus looked back at Samson, trying to hide a small amount of nervousness in him.
"You were probably dreaming." Fergus said. "Or a train was passing by."
Samson wasn't convinced. "You see I was thinking that too. But I decided to open my eyes and look for myself." He paused and narrowed his eyes. "And you weren't in your shed."
Fergus froze.
"So Stepney and I decided to do some investigating and saw you nearby that photo of you from back in the day." Samson said. "Something you wanna share? After all, if Stepney and I are gonna be helping you, we gotta be sure you're not trying to do anything… wrong…" Samson said in a low tone.
Fergus was nervous. Samson and Stepney saw him leave his shed last night? He fearfully wondered if they saw him talk to the workman.
"Well… ok yes I was out last night." Fergus admitted. "But I was just looking at the photograph." He added quickly.
A lie.
Something Samson noticed.
"And why is that?" Samson asks. "Does it bring back memories of when you first started here?"
"Yes…" Fergus hesitated. "But it's… well… it's complicated…" Fergus looked from side to side. "Let's just say… Something happened a long time ago… I have to go."
And Fergus sped away.
"And continue doing it right!" he called as he steamed down the line.
Samson was puzzled.
"What is that traction engine up to?" he asked aloud.
"Are you talking about Fergus?"
Samson looked and saw Patrick parked near the fueling station.
"Oh Patrick! I didn't see you there." Samson said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Miss Jenny needs more concrete for our project and I need more diesel." Patrick replied. "Anyway, what were you talking about?"
"Well…" Samson replied. "I saw Fergus puff out of the shed last night and found him in the middle of the yards. Stepney and I saw him talking to himself… or that photo… whichever. But it looked like he was talking to someone. But Stepney and I saw no one there. Do you know anything about this?"
Patrick was surprised as he thought it over.
"Sorry Samson but I don't know anything." he said. He paused. "Although now that you mentioned it, I have overheard some of the workman mention some of the stuff you've said. The night crew have often said they've seen Fergus talk to someone around the cement works, but never see anyone. But other than that, I don't know much else."
"Well it's much much but I'll take it." said Samson. "Thank you for your service Patrick."
"Uh, you're welcome." Patrick said.
Later, Samson found Stepney taking on water.
"Fergus is hiding something." he said. "I told him what we saw last night… minus him talking to himself… and all he could say was that it's complicated."
"Maybe it's none of our concern." Stepney said firmly. "If it's about Fergus' past, then we should stay out of it."
"Perhaps." said Samson. "But Patrick told me he overheard some workman say that what Fergus did last night has happened before. If something from a long time ago is bothering him, maybe we should help."
"I don't know Samson." Stepney frowned. "I don't like butting into other engines' lives."
"We'll if we're gonna be working here for a while I don't want to have to deal with Fergus being so secretive with us." Samson huffed. "And if he starts sneaking out everything during our time here I might go mad not being able to understand."
Samson's expression softened.
"Besides, don't you wanna help him if something is troubling him?"
Stepney thought it over. He was a pretty helpful engine. And he was worried for Fergus too.
"Ok. I'm in." Stepney relented. "But how can we figure this out? Fergus won't tell us willingly."
"True." conceded Samson. "But there are other engines on this island that have been here around longer than us. We'll have to ask them next time we see any of them."
And by luck, the two tank engines would have their chance. Later in the day, it wasn't as busy at the cement works. So Fergus was able to handle the work alone. Samson and Stepney volunteered to take a goods train from Kirk Ronan to Knapford as Eric was busy with his passengers.
The two tank engines later arrived at Knapford station as Stanley took their train away to the sidings for the workman to unload.
They then puffed towards the station and arrived in the two-berth sheds and saw several of the engines.
Hiro was at platform 1 with the express as Gordon was ill, James was at platform 2 with the local, Bear was at platform 3 with a stopping train, and Alice was taking a freight train from platform 4.
"Hello you two." James greeted. "Fancy seeing you around here. I thought you were helping out at the cement works."
"We volunteered to deliver a train." Stepney replied.
"How kind of you." Hiro smiled.
Samson then decided to ask the question. "Say, we wanted to ask you something about Fergus." he said.
"What about Fergus?" Bear asked.
"Recently he's been acting strange at the cement works." said Stepney. "Tell us, did something happen to him years ago that would haunt him?"
The engines traded surprised glances.
"Well there was that time he was caught in a rockslide saving Bill and Ben." said Bear. "But that was his brave action to do and he survived… even if he needed a new flywheel."
"There was that time Diesel sent him to work at the smelters' and he got scared and ran away." said Stanley as he shunted a train at platform 5. "But Sir Topham Hatt has tamed him, 'Arry, and Bert pretty well, especially after their experiences with scrap."
"Other than those stories, nothing really comes to mind." said Alice. "Most of us hardly see Fergus if he's not at the cement works."
"Bother." groaned Samson.
"But then again…" James suddenly said.
All eyes went on the red engine.
"Something did happen a long time ago." James said, trying to remember. "There was an… incident at the cement works."
The engines were surprised.
"Incident?" asked Stepney. "What kind of incident?"
"I don't remember it all too well, but I think it was a dangerous kind of accident." said James.
"Did anyone… perish?" Samson asked carefully.
James frowned. "I think so." he said quietly.
"I think I've heard of that story too." said Hiro as he thought it over. "I heard it from Patrick when I was taking several of Miss Jenny Packard's machines to a building site. He mentioned that there was a terrible accident at the cement works."
"What was the accident?" asked Samson.
"Something about an boiler failure or something." said James. "Went out of control and it caused a fire or explosion or something."
"You really don't remember the details that well about an explosion?" Bear asked.
"It was a long time ago!" James huffed. "Besides, we're rarely down at the cement works unless Fergus needed our help with work."
"I guess the story must've faded over time." said Alice. "But if Fergus was at the cement works when it happened then he definitely would've remembered it."
"Well now that we have more information we can ask him about it." said Stepney.
"Wouldn't that be meddling in his life?" asked Stanley.
"If something's bothering Fergus and it makes him puff out of the sheds in the middle of the night and talk to no one in particular, then we should try to help." said Stepney. "Maybe that accident haunts him."
"You are right Stepney." said Hiro. "But don't try to force Fergus to tell you his story. It will only push him away."
"Hiro's right." said Bear. "Get him to open up to you."
"Thanks for the advice." said Samson. "Well, Stepney and I need to head off. Good day engines."
And with that, the two tank engines puffed away.
"I hope Fergus is ok." said Alice, concerned.
"Well if those two can help him, then I'm sure he will be." smiled Bear.
"It's an odd duo to do so." commented James. "Stepney I understand, but Samson?"
"Samson has a heart, James." said Stanley. "Anyways, Henry should be here soon for his freight train. I'd better get going."
And Stanley puffed away.
Stepney and Samson arrived back at the cement works. They wanted to talk to Fergus, but a long more shunting and pulling needed to be done. So they had to work for the rest of the day and never got the chance to talk to Fergus.
That was until the evening as the work began to die down. Fergus was taking on water when the two tank engines pulled up.
"Good work today you two." Fergus said proudly. "You really have done it right. Work has never been better."
"Why thank you Fergus." Samson smirked. "It's how we engines roll after all."
Stepney rolled his eyes in amusement before his expression softened. "Fergus, we want to know the truth."
Fergus was confused. "What truth?"
"About why you snuck out last night and were talking to yourself." Stepney replied.
Fergus paled. "I, uh, I don't know what you're talking about!" he said quickly.
"Fergus, the other engines told us about an incident that happened here." said Samson. "Mainly James."
Fergus was getting nervous, but did his best to hide it.
"Look that's none of your concern!" he said crossly. "There is nothing weird going on with me!"
"Patrick says otherwise." said Samson. "He said that according to some of the workman, you've been doing this for a while now. Puffing out at night into the middle of the cement works and talking to someone when there's no one."
Fergus now looked like he had seen a ghost.
"Fergus, we want to help you." Stepney said gently. "Tell us what happened."
Fergus looked down at his buffers sadly.
"You wouldn't understand." he said.
"Try us." said Samson.
Fergus looked at his friends. Their expressions were soft, gentle, and sincere. Even Samson never looked so willing to understand… or alt least from what he had seen whenever he encountered the cabless Mainland tank engine.
Fergus took a deep breath and sighed.
"It was a long time ago." Fergus said softly. "The year was 1970."
Flashback, 1970:
Fergus was doing his regular work shunting around the cement works, arranging trains to be taken and then putting the freight cars brought back into the sidings.
"The cement works had been open for 10 years. And I was considered the Pride of the Cement Works due to my hard work and dedication to the rules, always getting the job done."
Fergus shunted a train together as some of the workmen came up. These workman were some of the first ones that had started working at the works when it was first opened and were in the black and white picture with Fergus.
"Good day Fergus." one said. "How are you doing?"
"Very well thank you." the traction engine smiled. "I have a train to arrange for Henry to take later. So I'd better get on that."
Fergus puffed away as another workman chuckled fondly.
"That Fergus, always working hard."
"Around this time, plenty of new faces had arrived to work at the cement works. The senior workers had been training them so they could learn the ropes."
As Fergus arranged Henry's train, he saw some of the senior workman helping out some of the inexperienced ones properly make the cement.
"How does it look?" one new workman asked.
"I say it looks like proper cement." one of the older workman replied with a smile.
"Keep up the good work!" Fergus called. "Foundations and sidewalks are relying on us. Do it right!"
"We will Fergus!" another new workman called back.
Fergus puffed away.
"Does Fergus know how to make cement?" a younger workman asked.
An older workman chuckled. "He knows the method, but he's no mixer." he said. "But Fergus follows the rules and helps make sure everything is right as rain so we can function properly."
"That's why he's considered the Pride of the Cement works here." another said.
"I was always flattered by the title. And I would always try to be a humble engine while still following the rules. *sigh* But one day… it happened."
Fergus was shunting a train together for James to take. He arranged it in the sidings.
"Alright, now I need the brake van and James will be ready to go." Fergus said.
As Fergus coupled up to a brake van in the sidings, he suddenly heard a workman shout,
"THE BOILER! IT'S GONNA BLOW! EVACUATE THE CEMENT WORKS!"
"The boiler that helped function some of the machinery was overheating badly. It was so bad that black smoke billowed out of the windows from the building. And it was spreading around the works."
"We need to evacuate the workers!" said Fergus' driver.
"But the smoke is getting bigger and thicker!" cried Fergus. "They won't see where they're going!"
One of the older workmen had an idea.
"Get in the brake van!" he shouted.
As the smoke began to cloud around the cement works, the older workman helped the panicking younger ones get into the brake van, cramped with the guard and only a few senior workers.
"What about you guys?" Fergus asked the older workman.
"There's no room!" shouted a workman.
"Just go!" said the one who shouted the warning.
"Let's get out of here!" shouted Fergus' driver.
Having no choice, Fergus rushed out of the cement works as fast as his wheels would let him. He closed his eyes and held his breath as he plowed through the smoke.
Fergus soon emerged from the smoke and charged down the line. He braked hard as soon as he was far from the works.
The manager and his assistant were there, the former holding a clipboard to make sure everyone was safe.
"I called 999, the fire department is on its way." the assistant said.
"We're missing half the staff!" the manager shouted.
"I'll go back for them!" Fergus said determedly.
"Are you crazy?!" the assistant shouted.
"I have to!" Fergus cried. "They could-"
"I was cut off when the building exploded. I could only freeze in horror alongside the others as we dreaded a horrible thought."
Present:
Fergus sighed as Samson and Stepney stared in horror.
"Bust my boiler! That's awful!" Stepney said, shocked.
"Indeed…" whispered Samson. "So an boiler that powered this place caused that explosion James mentioned?"
Fergus nodded.
"It was an old boiler and was in need of replacing," he explained. "But the new one was delayed on arrival and work orders were piling up."
"And you never thought to tell them that?" asked Samson.
"Times were different back then." said Fergus. "And it was that incident that would teach us the lesson that if a certain piece of machinery was malfunctioning to the point where it could put everyone in danger, we would temporarily shut down so it could be replaced."
Flashback:
"The fire service put the fire out… but the damage was done… and they found the bodies of the eight workmen that had died in the impact."
We see a series of events as several engines and members of the Pack were helping rebuild the damaged building.
"We were able to fix the building and eventually hire more workers. And those that put in the recent work orders helped pay for the repairs as they felt guilty."
We then see Fergus sitting in his shed with a saddened expression on his face.
"But no one felt more guilt than me. I felt like if I had more rolling stock or had done something those workman could've survived. I didn't feel like Pride of the Cement works then."
Now Fergus had puffed up to a new photo of the one-year anniversary since the cement works opened.
"About one year later, I was working late. As I shunted the wagons into the sidings, I thought I heard footsteps… and a few giant voices. Voices I hand heard for 12 months."
"Hello? Is someone there?" Fergus called.
"I grew curious and puffed down the line. But no one was around. I thought that it made sense since there want a night crew. I decided to look at that photograph on the wall, find but now sad memories coming back to me. And as I moved my eyes… I saw them. The eight workman that had died in the explosion."
Fergus went pale as he saw the eight workman staring at him. Their expressions were bland and neutral.
"Y-Y-You?!" Fergus stuttered. "N-No! It can't be!"
They then disappeared.
Fergus was now all alone. He didn't know what he had just seen. He glanced at the photo one last time before he puffed back to the shed.
As Fergus tried to fall asleep, guilt seeped into his heart… and he silently cried.
Present:
"Ever since then, whenever I think of that incident, I sometimes see those workman late at night." Fergus said sadly. "I dunno if they're ghosts or figments of my imagination. But I do know this; it feels like they're a cruel reminder of me being unable to save them. I'm supposed to be Pride of the Cement Works. But how can I be if I couldn't save less than 10 good men or just see them wherever I go around this area in the middle of the nigh?!"
Fergus looked up at the engines. "This is one of the reasons why I try to make sure everyone does things right, especially around here. That way they won't end up in a horrible accident… or worse." he explained. "But I still feel guilt for the whole thing. And it haunts me to this day. I never told anyone else about this as I didn't want to push my problems onto them."
Fergus sighed heavily as he finished his story.
Samson and Stepney had listened carefully and were silent as they took everything in.
"Fergus…" Stepney finally said. "We're so sorry you had to go through all of that."
"Indeed." said Samson. "We can't imagine what you're going through."
Stepney puffed closer. "But you must understand that the deaths of those workers weren't your fault." he said gently.
"He's right." said Samson. "It was that boiler overheating and all the smoke coming from it that caused the destruction."
"Well yes but I still could've saved them." Fergus sighed.
"Or you could've gotten blown up too." Samson pointed out. "And if I recall from the story, they made you rush out of here when the brake van was already full of people."
"They wanted you to save their fellow workers, especially the younger ones from the impending explosion," said Stepney. "It is natural for you to feel guilty, Fergus. But you shouldn't let that cloud your mind. If anything, you still helped save many lives just like those workmen. And you were willing to go back in there to save them shows what a kind and brave engine you are, just like with Bill and Ben."
"From what I've learned from my brake van Bradford, we shouldn't let guilt on what we could've done cloud our judgement. Those workmen would've wanted you to save the others and not them because they carde, just like you." Samson went on. "As for what you're seeing at night, well, I'm not entirely sure on that part."
"But I do know something." said Stepney, offering a kind smile. "Whether they're ghosts only you can see or even in your mind, if you try talking to them, you just might be able to get through this."
"But what if I can't?" Fergus asked.
"You never know until you tried." said Stepney.
Fergus thought over Samson and Stepney's words. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that they did have a point. The workmen that perished had him get the rest out of there from the impending explosion. And he still saved lives that day. And if he could talk it out with said workmen, whether they were ghosts, images from his mind, or something else, he might be able to move past this.
"Alright." Fergus said determinedly. "I'll do it tonight."
"That's the spirit!" smiled Samson.
That night, all the workmen had gone home. Fergus had waited until his driver had left for the night.
"Alright." he said to himself. "The guilt ends tonight."
Fergus puffed out of his shed and went down the line to the center of the cement works.
Stepney and Samson watched him go.
"Do you think this will work?" Samson asked.
"As long as Fergus tries." the Bluebell tank engine replied.
Fergus soon arrived at the spot where he could see the black and white photograph of himself and the workmen.
He looked around the yards. He was all alone. It was eerily quiet save for a slight breeze that blew through Fergus' large red wheels.
About two minutes later, Fergus looked down at the track he was on… and saw the eight workmen, the same ones that had died in the explosion decades ago. They stared at him.
Fergus took a deep breath and looked directly back at them.
"Good evening you guys." Fergus said calmly. "Lovely night isn't it?"
They didn't respond.
"Right." Fergus said. "Look, I don't know what you want with me. I don't know if you're haunting me as ghosts or just figments in my head, but I'm putting an end to this now. I am facing the realization that your deaths weren't my fault. You told me to get the other workmen out of here before the boiler exploded. You wanted to save us even though you knew you would die. Didn't you?"
The eight figures said nothing before smiling ever so slightly before nodding.
"I see." Fergus murmured. "Stepney and Samson are right. I shouldn't have to live with this guilt anymore. Thank you for being honest with me."
Fergus grew firm. "I don't know if you're ghosts or all in my head, but I don't want to see you anymore. You were good men who did your jobs well. And you helped save many lives that fateful day. But it's time to move on. I don't want to have to deal with the guilt clouding my judgment anymore."
The workmen only nodded. And then, all together, they slowly vanished into thin air.
Fergus was silent as he stared at the spot where they vanished. He then puffed back to his shed.
Samson and Stepney were waiting for him.
"Well? Did it work?" Samson asked.
"You know? I think I'm gonna be alright in the future." Fergus smiled. "Thanks to you two."
"Happy to help." Stepney smiled.
"We sure did do it right." Samson smirked.
Stepney and even Fergus couldn't help but chuckle.
Now Fergus is no longer haunted by the workmen that died in the explosion at the cement works. He was no longer wandering out at night in guilt. Fergus would eventually tell the other engines about what had happened, but only if he was comfortable doing so.
After work died down at the cement works, Samson and Stepney returned to their respective railways, but still visited Sodor as it was their second home. Fergus had become closer friends to them since they helped him.
Fergus still tells others to do it right as he is that sort of engine. But he knows that those working with him will be able to do their jobs well… as long as they are done safely and properly.
As for those workmen, it is unknown if they were ghosts or just in Fergus' head. But we can all agree that in the end, that some things are best left unexplained.
CAST
(In order of appearance)
Fergus - Christopher Bouchard
Patrick the Cement Mixer - 22Tesla
Sir Topham Hatt - GreatNate8345
Eric - Victor Tanzig
Samson - TheSodorSteamworks
Stepney - Terrier55Stepney
James - Andrew Homer
Hiro - EpicLafiteau
Bear - MrAthehedgehog
Stanley - Victor Tanzig
Alice - LizProductions5784
Other voices by me.
Eric and Alice created by WildNorWester
Hope you all enjoyed this story and I'll see you in the next one! And it was hard creating an original idea, just like "The Specter of the Express".
