Lee's Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

Stories

Colin and the Comet

It was a starry night at the Wharf as a big shipment of work was being dealt with by Colin the crane. He'd been busy most of the day but enjoyed loading up boat after boat with some magnificent goods and produce of Sodor. When he came to a break, Colin just looked up into the sky and marvelled at the bright glowing stars.
"They're beautiful…" he said to himself.
"They won't be the only beautiful thing out in the sky tonight…" chuffed Duke as he steamed away with empty trucks.
"What do you mean?" Colin asked inquisitively.
"Oh, now that would be telling…" smiled Duke as he puffed out of view. Colin was confused. He knew that at night the sky was full of stars and the moon proudly standing among them, but he didn't think the night sky contained anything else. At times, new things make Colin nervous and if there was something new out there in the sky, he'd be incredibly nervous. So he just went back to work to take his mind off the matter even though the moon and the stars looked on brightly…

At his next break Colin was joined by his great friends Freddie and MightyMac. They were working through the night just like him but they looked incredibly happy unlike Colin who felt very tired by now.
"Duke said something's meant to be out in the sky tonight." Colin eventually said nervously.
"What? Like the moon?" joked Freddie.
"No…" said Colin. "He said there'd be something else out in the sky…"
"So the stars then?" laughed Mighty.
"No…" dismissed Colin. "So, what did he mean?"
"He means the comet…" Freddie eventually explained.
"A what-et?" Colin asked with a confused frown.
"A comet…" said Freddie once more. "It's a big fiery lump of rock out in the sky that's set to hurtle past Sodor tonight."
"We'll be able to see it from here with ease." added Mac. "The Wharf's the best position to see it apparently…"
"A lump of fiery rock?" said Colin. "That sounds dangerous…"
"It is…" said Mighty. "But the comet's many miles away in the skies. It will look close to us all, but it will be far, far away."
"I don't like the sound of it…" Colin creaked nervously. "I don't like fire and if that thing's on fire I just won't like it at all." he added in a firm tone. Freddie and MightyMac understood Colin's nerves but knew he'd love watching the comet as it hurtled through the night's sky. So as Colin returned to loading up boat after boat, the pair of them decided to hatch a plan to make him look forward to seeing the comet.
"This won't be very easy at all…" Freddie whispered to MightyMac.
"We know…" agreed MightyMac. "But that will add to the fun of it all…"

As the night grew darker, more and more lights began to illuminate the Wharf and the remaining lights around the docking area were lit up brightly too. The preparations around the comet's pass-by meant lamps were on standby in case the power suddenly went. Freddie and MightyMac saw this as an opportunity to help get Colin ready for the spectacle of the comet flying by in its bright light.
"Can you test the lamps now?" Freddie asked to the Wharf's night manager.
"Not just yet, Freddie….Colin's not ready." he replied.
"He is, sir…" pointed out Mac even though he knew Colin wasn't.
"He's eager to get himself ready for the comet." added Mighty. The night manager looked over to Colin and could see he was happily loading up cargo onto boats. He didn't look nervous at all and soon the night manager agreed to test out the lamps. Once he'd got everyone prepared, he set out the command.
"Testing lamps….now!" he called as lights went out all around. Colin and everyone else in the surrounding area were plunged into near-complete darkness.
"I'm not liking this…" said Colin nervously. "Put the lights back on please…" he then asked but the manager shook his head.
"Sorry Colin, I can't just yet. We have to sufficiently test our lamps…" he explained as lamps lit up the Wharf. The lamps were full of bright yellow, orange and red flames and Colin didn't like it at all. Flames reminded him of fire and Colin had had a terrible experience with fire when he was younger on the Mainland. A little child had been playing with matches and threw a lit match against him and it had set his wooden exterior body on fire. No-one else knew of this experience and Colin preferred it to be this way. He was glad when the lights were eventually brought back on.
"Thankyou…" he smiled to the night manager. "It means a lot…" he added as slowly he returned to his work. Freddie and MightyMac looked on from where they were and knew it would have to take a lot more than simply switching out the lights to make him appreciate the comet. It was definitely going to a lot harder than they had originally anticipated.

As the night carried on, the work died down and soon it was just MightyMac taking trucks back to their hold. Just before he left, he insisted that Freddie spoke to Colin to make sure he was ready for the comet's pass-by.
"Now's your best opportunity…" Mighty said sternly.
"Talk to him…." added Mac. Freddie agreed and soon steamed over to Colin who was just watching the sea sway slowly in the night breeze. It was peaceful and quiet and Colin looked happy.
"Is everything alright, Colin?" Freddie then asked as he steamed up next to his friend.
"Of course it is." Colin smiled. "I just wish this comet would come and go though so I can get back on with being a hard-working crane."
"What's wrong with the comet exactly?" Freddie asked. "Is it the colours? Don't you like red, orange or yellow?"
"Not really…I just like things as they are." Colin replied simply.
"But you like fairy lights on Christmas trees, don't you?" Freddie wondered. "They have red, orange and yellow lights…so what's the difference?"
"Fairy lights are electrical…comets aren't….I like electrical things, not fiery lumps of rock." Colin retorted before apologising for his angry tone of voice.
"It won't harm anyone, Colin." said Freddie. "Just think of it as a big fairy light in the sky. A multi-coloured fairy light." he added. Colin just closed his eyes and thought fondly of fairy lights twinkling from Christmases of Sodor's past. They looked wonderful and reminded him fondly of great times at the Wharf surrounded by his friends. Soon MightyMac pulled up by Freddie with a wide smile.
"The night manager says the comet's coming any moment now…" Mighty said eagerly.
"I can't wait!" added Mac.
"I can…" muttered Colin as he just thought of fairy lights to take his mind off the comet.

As the comet began to come into view, people, vehicles and engines waited in wonder. Colin however wasn't waiting in wonder but he kept one eye slightly open just to see what the fuss was all about. Then, all of a sudden the comet came into view far in the sky. All fell quiet as lights around the Wharf were switched off to see the comet in the best conditions possible. The comet glowed wonderfully with a mixture of red, orange and yellow all surrounding the rock as it flew along in the sky. Freddie and MightyMac watched on in amazement and reactions all around the island were just as similar.
"Marvellous…" remarked Gordon as he pulled the midnight express.
"It's glorious…" commented Cordelia at the bus depot.
"Wonderful…" smiled the Fat Controller from his back garden.
"It's beautiful…" added Lady Hatt as she held her husband's arm in the wonder of the moment. Everyone everywhere was seemingly enjoyed the majestic marvel of the comet and even Colin was smiling. Freddie and MightyMac hadn't noticed though until Colin spoke in amazement.
"Wow…" he said simply. "It's amazing."
"What?" wondered Mac. "Did I just hear you right?"
"I think we all did…" said Freddie.
"You were right, guys…" Colin smiled. "It's just like a wonderful fairy light. A fiery fairy light of the Sodor night."
"How very poetic…" chuckled Mighty.
"It's good to know you finally agree with everyone else…" Freddie smiled.
"Does the comet have a name at all?" Colin then wondered.
"Technically it does…" began Mighty.
"But it has a different name depending on where you are on Sodor. Villages and towns all have different names for it. It's what makes it such a wonderful thing." added Mac.
"Do we Skarloey railway inhabitants have a name for it?" Colin then smiled.
"No…" said Freddie simply. "I think we've never been able to decide on one name, but after tonight I think it's safe to say we'll call the comet Colin."
"Colin the comet?" said Colin in amazement.
"Colin's comet…" corrected Freddie. "Sounds more professional that way…" he added as everyone smiled as the comet hurtled along and slowly out of view.

From now on, Colin looks on in wonder at things flying by in the night sky and whenever a comet, shooting star or even Jeremy the jet plane hurtle by, he looks on in astonishment.
"They're all just like fairy lights…." he muttered to himself. "Fairy lights of the sky…" he added as he carried on with his work with a wide smile.