Molly's Midnight Train
Molly was waiting at Edward's station with her goods train for a banker to help her up Gordon's Hill. She looked up at the peaceful night sky with the full moon and the stars lighting it up. She pulled out of her thoughts by a friendly whistle.
"Evening Molly." Henry greeted as he pulled into the station with his passenger train. "Haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?"
"Evening Henry. I've been fine. Mostly doing quiet jobs. I currently heading to the new branch line to deliver some supplies."
Henry was about to reply when two familiar whistles cut him off.
"Evening Molly," Bill said with a cheeky grin.
"Evening Henry." Ben greeted.
"Oh no." The green engine growled rolling his eyes.
"I've heard that it's going to be foggy later," Bill said.
"You're not scared are you Henry?" Ben mocked.
Henry rolled his eyes at the ridiculous question.
"What about you Molly? Scared?" Bill asked.
"Of the fog?" She asked.
"Oh no. Do you know what line you're going down?"
"The refurbished branch line," she answered in confusion.
"I prefer to call the spooky branch line."
"Why is that?"
"Because it's haunted."
She gave a look of confusion and slight worry.
"You see." Ben began. "When that line was originally in service, it was run by a young engine. She was a cheerful character often looking on the bright side of life and giving friendly whistles to all her friends. She enjoyed working on her branch line, but as time went on the passager and good traffic began to decline, putting her future in jeopardy. The day came when the branch line was closed down due to poor service. After her last train, she began to head home. It was misty that night, not even the light from her headlamp was enough to cut through the thick fog. She was lost in thought, scared of what was going to happen to her. Suddenly she fell off the track and down as slop."
"The driver and fireman had managed to jump clear before she fell," Bill continued. "They looked down, but couldn't see her. Over the years many workmen have seen her ghosts seeking her revenge."
Molly gulped nervously.
"Pah," snorted Henry. "That's just an old wives' tale."
"Is it or is a real?"
"Guess you'll find out soon Molly." They chuckled.
"Bill, Ben." The twins gulped as Edward pulled alongside them. "What are you up to?"
"Nothing." They denied it in unison.
"They were trying to scare Molly with a ghost story," Henry said.
"Snitch," Ben mumbled.
"Alright, you two that's enough. Back to the quarry," Edward ordered. The twins scampered off while Henry's guard blew his whistle and the green engine left.
"Don't worry Molly. They may be troublemakers, but they mean no harm." Edward comforted.
Molly gave a small smile as the blue engine headed to the back of the train.
As the two chuffed up the hill, the fog began to roll in.
"Edward, that story Bill and Ben told it is real is it?" she asked nervously.
"What story did they tell?"
She explained the tale of the branch line ghost. He let a deep sigh before he spoke. "There is some truth to it. There was an engine that fell off the line down a slope, however, I haven't heard anyone mention seeing her ghost."
"So it's just a story they made up on the spot?"
"Most likely."
Once they reached the top she whistled a thank you and headed down the hill.
A few hours later she was puffing down the refurbished line. The mist had gotten heavier, even the bright light barely cut through the ghostly atmosphere. Every shadow gave an uneasy presence and the only sound was her own puffing. Molly felt her boiler run cold, the sooner she was done the better. Even the truck agreed that it would be better to be done with the task as soon as possible.
"It's just a story." she tried to convince herself but she couldn't.
It was midnight when she arrived at the station. Even though she was scared she had to admit that the workmen had done a superb job, making the old building and platform look new.
They quickly unloaded the equipment from vans and she was uncuppled from her train. Just then a foreman came up to them.
"The points to the turn table are jammed.
"Oh dear," she mumbled.
"Is there any other way back to the mainline?" her driver asked.
"The only other way is straight down this line. But be careful, some of the tracks are still under repair."
They thanked him and Molly set off down the line.
She looked around the foggy landscape, worried about what could be hiding in the woods nearby. Then she noticed that they had arrived at the slope. She stopped, her lips trembled. She didn't dare speak a word as she slowly inched towards the slope. She could feel the ground underneath was unstable and the wood beginning to rot. She was halfway across when.
"Ow."
Molly froze her eyes widening. "Wh-wh-wh-what was tha-"
Suddenly the track below her front wheels gave in. She screamed as her first four wheels left the rails. She dangled over the edge with her buffers almost touching some nearby trees. Luckily her driver and fireman were able to get out.
"We'll go for help." He stated then he and he and the fireman walked back to the station.
Molly was left alone. Her anxiety grew with every second. There was a rustle in the leaves of the tree before a bird flew out.
"It's just your imagination." She tried to convince herself.
"Hello?" a voice called.
She looked around until her eyes fell upon a shape under the trees.
"Is anyone there?"
Molly squinted her eyes. She then saw that the shape was a small tank engine covered in rust.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"I'm Tara." she meekly replied.
"Are you the engine who used to run this branch line?"
"I was until it closed down. Then when I fell they said it was too expensive to get me back on the rails so I was left to rust away." Tears ran down Tara's cheeks.
Just then Edward arrived with the breakdown train.
"Don't worry Molly we'll have you back on the rails in a jiffy." He called.
"Thank you. But there's someone else who needs help."
The workmen looked down the slope.
"Well bless me." An old man cried. "It's Tara. The engine who originally ran this line."
"What's she doing down there?"
She explained everything to them as Molly was pulled back onto the rails. Then they began to help Tara. It took nearly two hours but soon she was free from her leafy prison.
Molly pulled her down the line. Tara looked smiled to herself.
"Thank you for rescuing me."
"That's quite alright," Molly said. "Just wished I could have been during the day."
"Why's that?"
Molly explained the twins had concocted about her."
"They made my accident into a ghost story?!" Tara exclaimed.
"I'm afraid so."
"How about we teach them a lesson."
The two ladies beamed as they came up with an idea. At a signal, Henry was waiting. Molly stopped next to him.
"Who's your friend?" He asked.
"Tara. She's the engine who originally ran the branch line."
"So Bill and Ben's story has truth to it then."
"Only a little but it will be enough to teach them to make up tales." Tara chuckled. They explained their plan to him.
A mischievous grin appeared on Henry's face.
"Is there any way I could be of some assistance?"
At Edwards station, the twins were bickering about who was the most scared when Henry pulled in with a worried look on his face.
"What's the matter, Henry?" Ben asked. "Was there an elephant on the line?"
"W…w…worse. I… I saw a g…gh…gh…ghost!" Henry stuttered.
"A ghost," Bill said. "If you're trying to get back at us…"
"I'm not. I actually saw the Branchline ghost. It's got Molly and it's heading this way."
"We'll believe…"
The twins froze as an unusual shape came into view.
"Help me." A voice cried.
"Molly?" They said timidly.
"Silent!" Boomed another voice. "You'll be coming with me to the smelter's yards and then I'll be coming for you, Bill and Ben!" The shape passed by at a speed that was much too fast for them to make out but they could have sworn it was the ghost pushing Molly to her doom. The twin's faces went pale and they reversed down the branchline as fast as a cheetah.
When they were out of ear range, Henry chuckled to himself.
The next morning The Fat Controller came to see Tara and Molly at the works.
"Tara once you are repaired you'll be helping Molly restore your branch line and then I'll have you be its main engine when it's reopened."
"Oh thank you, Sir." She beamed.
"However I don't want there to be any more ghost business. Is that clear?"
"Yes Sir." They said sheepishly.
A week later Tara was fully restored to her former glory with a love indigo livery. During the rest of the restoration, she and Molly became best friends and once the line reopened she was happily working taking passages up and down. The Fat Controller gave her three coaches named Sally, Fifi, and Tabatha. She often meets Molly at the junction and the two always tell each other the news of what's been going on.
A few days later Henry pulled into Edward's station. He and the blue tender engine chatted for a bit when Bill and Ben arrived with their signature troublemaking smiles.
"Hello, Henry." Ben greeted.
"Does it look like ra…"
Just then they saw Molly coming.
"Oh ah, n…never mind Henry, got to be off. Have to get some quarry out of the truck." The twins sped away.
"What was that about?" Edward asked as Molly puffed through.
"I'm not sure." Fibbed Henry. "It's almost as if they saw a ghost or something."
THE END