All of the World (ARCHIVED & LESS BAD)

Part Two

When Frances woke up that morning, Duck was still asleep. It was still very early, so he didn't bother waking up the sleeping engine, instead deciding to get the little bit of work he had done.

About 30 minutes later, he arrived at Knapford station, surprised to see that Sir Topham Hatt was already on the platform, speaking with the Stationmaster. When he saw Frances approaching, he hurried over, in a seemingly good mood.

"Just the engine I wanted to see! Frances, I'd like you to take a couple cars of parts to the Dieselworks for me," He said, gesturing to three cars filled with spare parts. "But sir-" Frances began, worrying about his other tasks. "Don't worry about taking the coal to Brendam, I've got Mavis doing that." Hatt reassured him, patting his cab door.

When he arrived at the Dieselworks, not a soul could be seen. He was just about to enter the main shed when he heard a loud crash coming from one of the smaller sheds. Intrigued, he left his trucks and shifted forms, sneaking towards the shed.

It was a very strange shed indeed. It seemed very fortified, as if it was meant to keep engines out. Or perhaps, to keep something in.

The crashing stopped abruptly, and Frances listened closely. "Your sneaking really needs work. I could hear you coming from a mile away." A loud voice said from inside the shed, startling him. Frances, who was rather confident in his stealth skills, began inspecting the shed, approaching the door cautiously.

A small part of the door, perhaps four inches tall, was able to slide open, presumably to provide water and food to whoever was trapped inside. It slid open with bang, making Frances jump. A hand retreated from the slot, replaced with two dark, golden eyes.

"You're quite jumpy, aren't you?" They asked, staring at him. Frances shuffled uncomfortably, looking at the ground. "Maybe a little bit." He admitted, not entirely sure what was happening. The person (?) inside laughed a little, and the hand reappeared, this time fully emerging from the shadows. Frances marvelled at the web of scars and nicks on their skin.

"Impressed? That's cute. Got any cigars?" They said, beckoning with one finger. Frances shook his head, and a loud groan sounded from inside the metal shed. "I guess it was worth a shot. I haven't ever had one before, but once I can walk into a store without being asked for an I.D, I'll buy their entire stock. You know, to look cool and shit." Frances was taken aback. "What? You mean you're not-" He began but was cut off by another laugh.

"You really think they'd lock up a good, submissive worker in here? A complacent old geezer that's lived here for 40 years, takes orders perfectly and never has a thought of their own? Nah, I'm the only one who sees the truth in this place. So yeah, I'm seventeen. Trust me, I'm more efficient than anyone else you'll meet here." They ranted, genuine anger and passion in their voice.

"Wow, that's... pretty cool." Frances said lamely, unsure how to respond. His instincts told him that whoever was inside that shed definitely didn't deserve to be there, and even though his instincts were wrong 95% of the time, he was certain that he hadn't misjudged them.

Well, almost certain.

He glanced up at the sky, horrified to see the sun high in the sky. Just how long had he been there? He glanced back at the door, and into the eyes that looked back at him.

"Gotta' get going? Well, come back anytime, it's nice to have someone to talk to." They said, and the opening slammed shut. Frances hurried back to the track, pressing the pendant with urgency. The journey back to Knapford took much longer than before, with each second that passed sparking a new worry in Frances' head.

When he arrived, Sir Topham was nowhere to be seen, thankfully. The same couldn't be said for Henry, however, who upon seeing Frances, set upon him with a worried look on his face. Frances, deciding that his chances were better if he met his surrogate father face-to-face, reshaped into his human form, heart in his throat as Henry appeared.

"Where have you been? Everyone's been so worried!" He exclaimed, checking Frances for injuries. From that, Frances gathered that this was more of a 'we were worried that you wouldn't be able to work' rather then a 'we were worried for your safety because we care about you as a person'.

"Sorry, I just got really tired all of a sudden, so I just sat down for a bit. I guess I took a little longer than I thought." He explained, surprised that he had made up such a convincing lie so quickly. Henry just frowned and sent him to the quarry to help Mavis.

Mavis was one of Frances' favourite engines on the island, especially since she was also on the younger side. They had become very close over the five years that he had been there, and he considered her one of his best friends.

"So, what were you really doing?" Mavis asked, leaning back against a coal car expectantly. "Sneaking around." Frances responded, and Mavis nodded, unsurprised. "See anything good?" He nodded eagerly, and she looked at him excitedly.

"There's someone locked up in the back shed!" Frances declared, and for a split second, Mavis' face showed an ounce of worry. But it was gone even quicker, and Frances decided that he had imagined it. The rest of the day passed, and by night, Frances had forgotten all about her uneasiness.