Nothing but Me, Myself and the Mist

"Moving Forward"

"September 4th, 1976"

Our story begins in the massive city of London. A man is loading several boxes in a truck with a child playing in the nearby yard with several model trains. This man is rather young, no more than 26, and incredibly smart.

"Darrell?" called a woman from inside the house. "Have you gotten all of the boxes in Tommy's room from upstairs?"

"Don't worry it's all cleared out." He replied. As he continued to load the truck he felt something tug at his shirt. Darrell turned about to see his son standing behind him.

"Daddy? Do we have to move?"

Darrell sighed, "Yes son. I have been offered a much better job on the Island of Sodor. I know you don't want to leave your friends here, but I promise you, you'll make even more there."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Darrell then patted Tommy's head. "Now go in the kitchen and tell your Mother we're ready to go."

Tommy walked into the house and after a few minutes exited with his mother in tow.

The family of three loaded into their car and just before leaving, Darrell took one final look at the house he had been raised in. With a smile Darrell turned the wheel and drove away. The drive was long and wasn't made any easier by the traffic. School had let out and the children were laughing and playing along the sidewalk. Tommy stared from the window at the children with an idolizing glare.

"Are we there yet?"

"No Tommy we aren't even a half an hour out yet."

The drive lasted several hours. The family passed through cities of gray and fields of green before finally arriving at Barrow-In-Furness.

"Alright gang we're here."

"Sodor!" Tommy said happily.

"No. Barrow. We have to take a train to get onto Sodor, then the car and our belongings will be delivered on another train. Now let's get going, we can't be late."

The small family exited the car and walked towards the station. The station wasn't too big. There were only a few platforms and several canopies filled with people. Darrell looked around through the crowd and soon found his way to platform one where an 08 shunter pulled several massive double bogie passenger coaches to the platform. After several minutes of waiting, with a blare of a horn, a massive blue diesel rolled into the station and buffered up to the coaches.

"Come on, get in quickly now!" the diesel yelled in a snobbish tone.

Just as quickly as the diesel had spoken, the coaches were all filled, and the guard blew his whistle. The diesel then departed from Barrow and began the journey to Sodor. Darrell and his family sat in the third coach staring out the window.

"You know Cheryl, I never thought it was real." Darrell Began.

"Thought what wasn't real?"

"The living engines, the stories, hell Sodor as a whole at times. I mean it just seemed to.... magical to be real."

"Anything is possible." Laughed Cheryl.

Darrell looked back out the window to see they were crossing the bridge connecting Sodor to the mainland. It was a bright red rolling bridge with yellow lining. As they entered Sodor soil they passed a massive orange steam engine hauling a long heavy goods train heading for the mainland. The engine let off a friendly whistle, but the diesel didn't reply; he just grumbled as he pulled into the big station.

As Darrell departed from the coach he heard a voice echo from the other side of the station.

"Well well well if it isn't Spamcam." Said the voice.

Darrell looked over to see the diesel talking to the North Western's number 3, Henry, who was sitting at another platform.

"That is not my name, and you know it!" Scowled the diesel.

"Well, that's what everyone calls you here and you know it." Laughed Henry.

The diesel just looked away and grumbled.

"So where do we go now?" Asked Cheryl.

"Well, we have to get onto a connecting train to Killdane and I believe that green engine is our train." Darrell replied.

"You believe? Here, let's ask that man over there, he seems important."

Darrell turned around to see a short, rather stout gentleman, wearing a large top hat staring impatiently at his pocket watch.

"Where is that engine? He's already late." grumbled the man.

"Excuse me?" Asked Darrell. "Is this the train that stops at Killdane?"

The man turned around and smiled.

"Yes of course. I should know I am the one who arranged the timetables after all. Now you should get to your carriage. This train will be leaving very shortly."

"Perfect thank you." Darrell replied before setting off with Tommy and Cheryl in hand.

They hopped into the far back coach and set down the few bags they had been carrying. They began to chat amongst each other when the stout gentleman got into the seat next to them.

"So, what brings you to Sodor?" Asked the man.

"Work." Replied Darrell.

"I am assuming you're going to work at that new research lab being built near Killdane?"

"How could you tell?"

"I just have a keen eye. I mean you must when you're the controller of a massive railway after all."

"Controller?"

"Oh yes where are my manners, my name is Sir Charles Topham Hatt."

"Well blow me down it's a pleasure to meet you Sir."

"Please, the pleasure is all mine. It's alway nice to meet new people coming to live on my railway."

They continued chatting for the remainder of the journey till they felt the train slowing down and soon pulled into a large station.

"Well, this is your stop. Hope you do well in your endeavors." Said Charles.

"Thank you, Sir and good luck, to you too."

Darrell and his family departed from the train and began walking out of the station. After a half an hour of walking they finally reached their new home.

"Well would you look at that." Began Darrell. "This really is a new beginning for us."

"You can say that again." Cheryl replied. "Now let's get inside, I want to start planning where everything's going to go."

Darrell laughed and the family walked into their new home as happy as could be.