Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Into the Thigh-Verse

The Forest

Richard and Terry are the night runners of The Fat Controller's Railway. Often, they take the heavy goods trains during the middle of the night. Under the cover of darkness, the two engines have to run quickly, and quietly.
"It's not as relaxing as you'd think." They would often say. "You need to look out for many things. The night is unpredictable. Even for the most experienced engine."
One evening, there was trouble. Richard was away with a evening passenger train, and Terry was feeling ill. So, The Fat Controller had to find another engine. He chose Hamilton.
"I'm sorry, but you're the only engine available." He said.
"Oh! I don't mind!" Hamilton smiled! "It's sure to be a lovely trip!"
As he was about to puff away, Terry wheezed from the back of the shed.
"Be careful!" He called. "The night can be unpredictable! But please!"
He trailed off.
"Beware of Henry's forest."

Henry's Forest, is beloved by so many, it's hard to believe that it could ever be seen as a place of horror, and anxiety. However, whenever the mist comes down, it can be worrying for any engine. Hamilton grew nervous as he rattled down the line. The trucks clattered quietly behind him, and Hamilton was finding himself running well.
"Right on time." He murmured to himself. However, he wouldn't be for long. As he rounded the bend, he saw the signal was red. He had to stop. "What's the hold up?"
Hamilton asked.
"Not sure." His driver squeaked. "We should be the only engine on this part of the line tonight."
"Maybe there's been an accident?" Added Hamilton. "Possibly cleaning up the line."
"Maybe." His stoker said, resting her hands on her shovel. "Either way, we need to wait."
And, he did. The minutes passed, and Hamilton was beginning to feel stressed. While his headlamp was working just fine, it was what wasn't visible in the light that spooked him. The dead and twisted trees took on strange and scary shapes. Suddenly, the signal dropped, and Jeremey thundered through with an express train! Hamilton nearly jumped off the rails! The trucks noticed this.
"Oh look! Hamilton's spooked!" One said, and the other giggled in their silly way!"
"Be quiet!" Hamilton barked! "I'm not that scared!"
And he anxiously set off. As he puffed away, he thought he saw something in the shrubs!
"What's that!?" He gasped!
"What's what?" His driver asked.
"Over there! In the bushes!" Hamilton replied! However, when he and his crew looked back, it was gone. "But I saw something!"
Insisted Hamilton! "There was someone in the bushes!"
"Your mind must be playing tricks on you." His stoker joked! "I wouldn't worry about it."
"But... I thought..." Hamilton murmured.

The next morning, he told the other engines.
"How extraordinary!" Damian exclaimed!
"How odd!" Remarked Donald.
"It certainly felt it." Hamilton replied. "One moment, it was there, the next, it was gone."
"What do you think it was?" Bear asked. Hamilton pondered this for a moment.
"I'm honestly not sure." He eventually replied. "It looked too tall to be a man, but not transparent in any way."
"It could've been a shadow?" Donald reasoned. "Possibly even your imagination?"
"Or even Maranda?" Duncan joked. But his joke fell on deaf ears.
"Doubt it." Afton replied. "You of all engines should know Hamilton's track record. One of the smartest engines I've ever met."
"It's peculiar." Gordon said, nervously. "But, we mustn't let it affect our work. We have a railway to run."
"I suppose so.." Hamilton said. But he still wasn't sure.

Hamilton was still feeling just the same that night, as he backed his trucks into place. Sadly, Terry was still ill, and Richard had his own train to pull.
"You alright lad?" Donald asked, who was dropping off his own train.
"Never better." Hamilton replied. "Nothing some good night air can't solve."
But, truthfully, Hamilton felt very nervous. The thought of the creature unnerved the blue engine.
"I'd take care." Donald erged. "Fog's coming down, thick and fast. It might be tricky to see."
"Thank you for the warning!" And Hamilton puffed away into the night!

At first, the trip was going well, and Hamilton was beginning to feel better. However, this wasn't to last. As he neared the same section, he noticed the green signal. All of a sudden, the signal dropped to red!
"STOP! STOP! STOP!" Hamilton cried! His driver threw on the brakes! The trucks banged into each other with a harsh BANG! The guard came fussing over, clutching her head.
"What the hell was that about?" She exclaimed.
"No idea." Hamilton's driver replied, sticking her short stature from the cab.
"The signal just changed!" Hamilton exclaimed! "And I have no clue why!"
The guard sighed, before turning up the line.
"I'll give that bloody signalman a piece of my mind!" She snapped! She grabbed a radio from the cab, and stomped away into the mist. Minutes passed, before the guard finally picked up.
"The signalman says the signal should show green.." She said in a shaky voice. "We've got clearance to head further up the line."
Hamilton was puzzled!
"But...? Why would the signal show red then?" He asked.
"A malfunction maybe." Replied his stoker, and pulled the train forward. Hamilton and the train crept through the fog, before they reached the signal box. The signalman and guard stood on the side of the line.
"I had the signal switched to green!" Insisted the signalman! "I haven't touched that lever all night!"
"We aren't blaming you." The driver insisted. "I'm just saying, it's odd."
"Ahh well!" Laughed the guard, in a forceful manner. "All's well that ends well, we should get going!"
However, once she neared the halfway mark of the train, the guard made a shocking discovery!
"GUYS!" She cried! "Half of the train is gone!"
"WHAT!?" Hamilton spluttered! Sure enough, when the crew went to inspect, they found that they had lost some of their trucks!
"They must've come loose when we stopped down the line." Said the stoker. "We'll drop these trucks off at the next station, and head back for our train."
The signalman agreed, and halted all traffic in both directions, and Hamilton puffed away. He left his trucks, and continued down the line. At last, Hamilton neared the remaining portion of his goods train. The shape of the unmoving trucks almost seemed to be a glimmer of hope, however, his hopes were dashed. As he reached the train, Hamilton's heart fell.
"What on earth!?" Hamilton cried! "WH.. WH... WHAT HAPPENED!?"
The trucks were torn apart, ripped up. The cargo was scattered and each one of the trucks had their eyes removed. Hamilton was confused. His crew inspected the trucks.
"Something got to them." His driver said, on the verge of tears. "And it was something big!"
"What do you think it was?" Asked the guard. The driver shook her head.
"I'm not sure." A crack from the nearby bush caught them off guard! The crack echoed throughout the forest, and bounced off the trees!
"I think we've outstayed our welcome..." Hamilton murmured. The fireman coupled the engine to his train, and the cavalcade puffed for home.

The next morning, Hamilton returned home, to find a mostly empty shed. Aside from Terry. Who was looking much better. He eyed the blue engine carefully.
"Long night?"
"Cut the shit!" Hamilton rumbled, uncharacteristically! "What on earth is in that forest!?"
Terry faltered for a moment. He thought about what Hamilton had said.
"Nothing." Terry replied. "Nothing at all."
And Terry puffed away. Still, to this day, Hamilton thinks about what he and his crew had seen and heard. And yet, no matter what, only one conclusion ever comes to his mind. And it's one, that Hamilton dreads to think about.
"Inside Henry's Forest... Is a monster!"