On The Empty Tracks Of Sodor (GOTP AU)

3. Grouping Up

Henry had had the exact same thought as Edward, but he had a lot further to walk. Waking up almost to Vicarstown Bridge rather than his cozy place at Tidmouth Sheds was quite the surprise, even more when he fell forward on his face and found he wasn't an engine anymore.

The first thing he'd done was try to find someone to ask for help, but Vicarstown was strangely empty, of both engines and people. Not to mention the bridge to the mainland was gone- up and vanished, with no sign it was ever there.

He had to get to Knapford Station. If anyone would know what was going on and where everyone else was, it was Sir Topham Hatt. And Knapford was a long trek from here- practically the complete other side of the island- so he started off immediately.

Walking was harder than the green engine had thought it would be. Sure, he'd seen little passengers toddling along the train station platform, holding onto their parents' hands for support, but surely it shouldn't involve this much stumbling and falling. Henry was pretty convinced he had eaten ballast at this point.

The silence of the island was deafening. Aside from the occasional chirp of a bird or chatter of a squirrel in the trees, there were no other signs of life. No whistles of engines passing by on nearby tracks, no soft clattering of automobiles making their way down the country roads, no laughter of passengers walking through the fields...

"Spooky..." Henry whispered to himself, but nothing as spooky as when he entered one of the towns. "Cinders and ashes...!"

The station's structure was in varying levels of decay. Wooden planks on benches were rotten away, leaving only the rusted, metal framing. The sign that hung over the ticket booth creaked and squeaked in the wind that was growing harsher and colder the further Henry went. Windows broken and drapes on the inside torn and blowing about with whipping motion.

"H-Hello!?" He called out, hoping somebody- anybody- would answer him. He needed a friend, he needed reassurance. An engine, a train master, anyone would do.

He called out a few times, but there was no response at the station, so he moved on. A short bit further down the way from the station was a small tunnel, cutting through the hills and turning midway so that as he approached, it looked like a big, hungry mouth, open and ready to swallow him into the dark.

Henry was honestly considering climbing over rather than going through- he could do that now, right? Arms and legs and all that? Perhaps if he still had his lights, he wouldn't find it so scary, but-

The green engine stiffened as he heard a sound. Something was rustling in the bushes just up the hills from him, and getting closer!

Henry wasn't the bravest engine on Sodor- he wished he was, but new things, especially potentially dangerous things, they made him quite nervous. He was worried enough about what had happened to him, and how quiet and empty the island was, and now something big was coming his way.

Henry whimpered, ducking into the tunnel and allowing the darkness to swallow him up. If he couldn't see anything in the tunnel, then it wouldn't be able to see him. Whatever it was, he wanted to see it before it saw him.

The rustling continued, and Henry peeked out silently. He had to wonder if it was a person, someone who had heard his calls from afar and come close to find him. He jumped as it sprung out of the bushes and out onto the old tracks- but then relaxed as he saw it wasn't some monster out to get him, but rather a deer. The two looked back at each other- apparently the deer could still see him- and then the deer bleated loudly.

Henry gave a sigh of relief, feeling a pounding vibration in his new chest, like a hammer being tapped in his cab. As he calmed down, it slowed, and he realized it must be some sort of heartbeat. He put a hand to his chest, feeling the vibrations pass through the metal and into his fingertips. This new body was full of surprises...