A/N Her discovery of TTTE's quite different from mine, but her way of finding it involves something that wasn't possible when I was very young and she discovered it as a toddler, unlike me. I was at least 4 when I found the series through a Thomas video because that's when we got our VCR TV. We had a black and white TV before. The experience she has in this chapter's based on YouTube vidoes I saw of the Day Out With Thomas in PA and a video of a kid named Ryan's experience riding the train at ThomasLand amusement park and her memories are based on Thomas themed/used to be Thomas themed amusement park stuff I found out about and a Canadian girl who's autistic and loves Thomas. I played with both dolls and my train set as a kid, so that element's based on me at her age, along with the Thomas book since I got some as a kid and her reading when riding.
Today's the day, Autumn thought. The day of her Day Out With Thomas had come. She put on her pink T-shirt with a Thomas iron-on thing on the front, her blue capris, blue socks and her favorite shoes that would suit her activities. Then, she grabbed her Thomas hat before moving on to the next step while doing her morning routine. After breakfast, she played with her favorite doll and Bachmann Thomas train set until it was time to leave.
Before leaving, Autumn put on her hat and then picked up her toy Thomas, along with her favorite Thomas storybook . In case I want to read on the road, she thought. I can read simple books like this on my own now. She talked to her toy saying, "We're going on a train ride today," with a huge smile on her face and according to her, he smiled back. Next, she put the toy and book in her Thomas backpack. Then, she walked out to the car with her parents and they got on their way.
I like living in Pennsylvania, Autumn thought on the way to the event. Our Day Out With Thomas star really puffs. It's the only working "Thomas" in this country. Also, there's Thomas theme parks we can reach. Then, she read a Thomas story until they arrived at the event. She skipped to the actual doings. Her parents told to stay close to them and she just smiled, so happy to be there and sang Rules and Regulations, along with all the rest of her favorite songs.
Autumn's family was ready to ride the train. "I'm gonna take a ride with you, Thomas", she said, looking at the engine's face. They got in line and boarded. The passengers were told to give Thomas a round of applause because he was such a hardworking little engine to pull the coaches and Autumn said "Yeah, Thomas! You're a really useful engine!", while doing that. She then thought about how she found Thomas and all the rest of her Thomas memories. Her mind went to her family trip to England at 2, to visit her cousin there. They spent a day at Drayton Manor and when Autumn saw the models from her stroller "Choo-Choo", she said, charmed by Thomas' cute face. She was told the "cute choo-choo" had a name, Thomas and was a book/TV/movie character and she could have a Thomas train set. Her third birthday a few months later was Thomas themed, even the gifts from her parents, with other gifts left to friends and extended family. She went to Six Flags New England with the New England Express at age 3, Thomas Land in Massachusetts that same year and Thomas Town in PA at 4. At age 5, she went to A Day Out With Thomas, making this her second time. She thought of playing with her Thomas toys and all the time spent with Thomas media. Last year was actually when she learned the Thomas at the event was a real tank engine made to look like Thomas. Tank engine cosplay, she thought. On the way back, she read her book. Before getting off the train, she put her toy and book back in her backpack. Autumn and her parents went around to all the goings-on of the event and then went back home.
After Autumn's day ended, she had a dream about Thomas. I must be dreaming, she thought as she saw Thomas sad in his shed. She said "What's wrong, Thomas?"
His reply was "I'm worried I shall lose my branch line," and then Autumn asked why. His black eyes welled up as he said "I was delayed today and got in trouble for being late, so if I'm naughty anytime soon, it might be goodbye to my branch line." He then gave a sad whistle.
"Just let it go", Autumn said. "At least if you got enough water. I cry sometimes." She had seen episodes like the one in which Toby ran out of water and stopped, so she knew they needed water to work, though she was young to have any deep understanding of their workings. Then, as she heard him whimper, her dream came to an end.
A/N Not sure I had favorite songs until past my 8th birthday and she knows more TTTE songs than I did in childhood. I'm really beginning to wonder if she's seeming spectrum-y, but high functioning like me. However, whether she's typical or not's all up to you. I once met a girl who was 6 and could remember being a screaming baby, so I guess it's 7 when you forget stuff before you were 3-4 that didn't make a big impression on you. Once, I read a library book about a trip to Europe and a character had British relatives. "Thomas has a very cute face", a comment I saw comes into play. Her night dream's not like her daydreams, just like any other dream that's a lucid dream, which means you know you're dreaming. Her England family trip was in June, 3 months before her birthday month.