Chapter 118: Haunt From the Past

Duke lay in his bed late on night after a hard day's work. He tossed and turned, trapped in a nightmare.

"No... I'm sorry, please don't... No!"

He shot up straight, sweating profusely.

"He can't get me. He's gone..."

Even so, Duke couldn't get back to sleep, plagued by his nightmare.

The next morning, Duke could barely stand up.

"Duke, you need to get some sleep. I'll tell Mr. Percival you need some sleep."

"Nonsense, Rusty. That would never suit his grace. Besides, I'm in the pentacle of health."

WHUMP!

"Says the guy who just fell over."

"Shut up, Duncan. Come on, Duke, tell us what's wrong?"

Duke sighed as Sir Handel and Peter Sam helped him to his feet.

"I had a bad dream last night. It felt so real, and I couldn't bring myself to go back to sleep."

"Everyone has nightmares, Duke. They're nothing to be afraid of. They're not real, after all."

"Well this one sure did."

"What was it about."

Duke was silent for a moment, eyeing his audience.

"It was about an old workmate from The Mid Sodor Railway. One I fear may be out for revenge."

Sir Handel and Peter Sam eyed each other.

"Could you mean-"

"I do."

"Hey, mind including us in on the secret? Spill the beans, already!"

"I'm sure he was about to, Duncan."

"Stick a sock in it, Skarloey."

Duke took an impressive pause before beginning his sad tale.

"His name was Smudger, and he was a terror to work with. He drove roughly, and I've lost track of how many times I had to bring his engine back onto the rails. Everyone told him to be careful, but he just laughed us off. Eventually, The Manager had enough and turned his engine into a pumping engine and sent it to the mines, never to move again."

"What happened to him?"

Duke's face fell.

"Smudger was there the day the mine flooded and I got swept away. His engine broke down, causing the mine to flood. He would've been the first one hit...and its first victim."

Everyone stared in horrified awe. Duke just stared at the table.

"I was the one who suggested turning his engine into a pumping engine. If I hadn't, maybe if I had tried harder to help him...he might have made it out."

"Its not your fault, Duke. Smudger made his bed, now me must lay in it. You couldn't have known."

"I doubt Smudger sees it that way."

Later that night, Duke was once more lying in bed, when he heard a distant whistle. It was faint, but he could've sworn it sounded familiar. Too familiar.

"Smudger? No, that's impossible."

The whistle came again, louder and shriller, followed by the sounds of an engine puffing. Duke sat in horror as it grew closer. Then, it suddenly stopped, as if it were never there.

"I'm just imagining things. He's gone, he can't get me."

Duke soon found himself in a dreamless sleep.

The next day, Duke was at the slate mines when he heard a strange noise.

CH-CH-CH-AH-AH-AH

CH-CH-CH-AH-AH-AH

"What is that noise?"

The noise came again, coming from the mines. Duke, as if in a trance, followed it.

He found the source deep in the mines. The miners looked at him confused.

'What are you doing in here? This area is for miners only."

"I thought I heard a strange noise."

"Well, that's no reason to..."

CH-CH-CH-AH-AH-AH

CH-CH-CH-AH-AH-AH

"Did you hear that?"

"That's the noise I heard!"

Before their eyes, an engine appeared before them, ghostly white and partially see through. Stepping down from the running plate was a face that Duke knew all to well.

"Smudger."

The other workmen were scared out of their wits.

"G-Gh-Ghosts!"

They all scrambled away as quickly as they could, but Duke stayed behind. Smudger and him stood, face to face.

"We meet again, Smudger. You never could resist causing trouble."

Smudger said nothing. He just advanced on him.

"Do what you want, Smudger. I'm not scared of you. You can haunt me all you want, but I am not responsible for your fate."

Still Smudger said nothing, only advancing further.

"If you had listened for once in your life, you wouldn't be here. I don't know where you came from, but if you don't go back right now I-"

At last Smudger was upon him. He reached out his arm, grabbing Duke by the shoulder. Before Duke knew what was going on, he blacked out, the last thing he saw being Smudger's face. But it was not one of anger or satisfaction, but of solemn acceptance and sadness.

When Duke woke up, he was in a hospital, surrounded by his friends.

"Wh-What happened?"

"The miners found you outside the mine. You were severely dehydrated and delirious before passing out. Luckily, we got you here just in time."

Duke's eyes widened in shock.

'Smudger, he's still down there. He-"

Rusty pushed him down, trying to calm him.

"Duke, Smudger is gone, you said it yourself."

"And even if he was down there, there's nothing we can do for him. As soon as you they found you, the mine collapsed. Rotten support beams, we're just lucky everyone got out."

Duke just sat back in awe. Did he just imagine Smudger being there?

"Anyway, we need to get back to work. Get some rest, Duke."

With that, his friends left, leaving Duke to contemplate his encounter.

"Maybe my insomnia just got to me. There's no such things as ghosts. No such thing as-"

A piece of paper fell out of his coat pocket. He picked it up, reading it. It was a note that shook him to his very core.

Sorry I never listened to you. Maybe this will be enough to let me move on.

-Smudger

Duke never saw or heard Smudger again after that. To this day, he still isn't entirely sure what he saw in those mines. But wherever Smudger is now, he hopes that he has found peace.