WWII: A Railway Series Tale

Chapter VI - Too Close for Comfort

A few months had passed since news arrived of the United States' declaration of war against Japan, and the Island of Sodor was adjusting to wartime life. Most of the engines couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen to them, especially Edward. "I can't understand what this feeling means, but I know that it's not good news." he said one evening at Crovan's Gate to Skarloey.

"I understand you completely. Manager looks tensed up every morning nowadays. He's worried the War Department might take our railway, whoever they are." Skarloey shared. "That must be awful." Edward gasped.

"Worse still, I met one of the Mid-Sodor engines - er, I believe his name was The Duke- and he said that his railway has lost some of its traffic after one of the gold mines flooded." Skarloey finished. But before Edward could reply, the guard blew his whistle, and the K2 set off with his last train.

    It was an awfully wet evening. The clouds were beginning to set into a dark purple haze as the day ended. But that didn't change the pelting rain that trickled down Edward's boiler. Edward made his way through, but just before Maron, the old engine was shocked to find bullets ricocheting off his coaches. A Nazi biplane was attacking them!! "FASTER EDWARD! FASTER!" Edward's crew screamed at him.

    Behind him, Edward could hear glass shattering and the passengers screaming in terror. Edward made his decision. "I must take cover! I must hide!" he told himself. Edward shot up Gordon's Hill and down the other side, blazing through Wellsworth, his whistle shrieking like a banshee as the enemy fired behind him. "Take cover, take cover." turned into "Don't die, don't die! You've got to be there for the others!" as Edward charged forward. He winced as the searing pain of bullets pounding his cab, tender. One even hit his boiler. But he had to go on, he had to keep going.

    The rain poured harder as Edward traveled at mach speed. The old engine was desperately looking for shelter as his vision blurred. He focused on Henry's Tunnel, which lay ahead. "Almost there, almost there!" he seethed. He was tired, but his wheels continued to turn as he disappeared into the tunnel. Edward's fireman put out his fire so as not to cause steam to seep out of the tunnel. The guard went to every coach to check the damage. To his relief, no one was seriously hurt. Most of the coaches received broken windows, their glass shards causing a few cuts on the passengers. Edward stayed still. He didn't dare move. All was silent except for the pouring rain and his heavy breathing.

    He didn't hear anything, either. It was as if the world around him went away. He was alone in his mind, thoughts of derailing, or being blown up raced around his smokebox. He felt something wet drip down his face. "No, not yet. I'm not ready to go out. Not anymore. Please -" he mumbled. He thought he was rolling out of the tunnel and into the rain. "Edward, it's okay. We're safe. You saved the passengers. You're crying." his driver put a hand on his running board. But the tears wouldn't stop. They just kept coming down. Never in a million years was the old engine this scared. All he wanted was for everything to just-

s t o p .

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    It was hours before it was safe to continue. Edward felt numb as he trudged through the rain, which had slowed to a curtain-like drizzle. He rolled into the Big Station, where the Fat Controller and Mr. Watson waited nervously for him. The passengers thanked Edward and his crew for their heroism, and The Fat Controller walked to Edward. He sighed, and sat on his front bufferbeam. "Are you okay?" he asked after a moment of silence.

    "No, sir." Edward said softly. "I've never been so scared in my life. This war, sir. It's not like the first one, is it?"

    "I don't know, Edward."

    The truth was, nobody knew.

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    That night, Edward stayed in the works shed next to the other engines' shed. All of them were respectfully silent as he slept. The workmen worked into the night and through the following days until he was repaired. All the while, Edward recovered. He thought about that night and how brave everyone thought he was, which made him feel better to have done his best.

    When he was fully repaired, Edward requested that he be put strictly on shunting and piloting at the end of the line. Sir Topham Hatt respected his wishes and visited James at the shunting yards later that morning.

"James, I'd like you to take over Edwards duties. I think you've learned your lesson, and the workmen say that you've done wonderful work. Please continue to work with that mindset in the future." he told him.

James was pleased, and did Edwards work with a positive attitude, even if it involved trucks. He made sure to visit Edward in the yards as much as possible. He hoped that it would make him feel better. Edward loved seeing his friends, and was happy for James. "I think he's learned his lesson." Edward thought to himself. But thoughts of his experience with the Nazi plane roamed around his smokebox. That was too close for comfort.
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