Sodor's New Worker (Semi-Hiatus Due to an AO3 rewrite)

Magic Beyond

   There wasn't a moment spared from James. Every free chance he had, he'd look around. On multiple occasions, Connor and his fireman had to go looking for him, because James would wander off to check every building, every box. 

"Oh, damn it! Where'd he go this time?!" Connor huffed. Today, it had been the third time James had left the tracks.

"He's not hard to spot, Connor," chuckled his fireman. "He's a gray humanoid man. He sticks out like a sore thumb.

"You know, Harry, it wouldn't be so bad if we weren't at the docks. He could literally be anywhere. JAMES!" he called out for his engine. "YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!"

   After waiting about thirty seconds, Connor heavily sighed, as no James had returned to where he was supposed to be.

"Connor! Where are you going!? You can't just leave!" the fireman gasped, chasing after Connor. "He'll come back!"

"He's checked the docks on multiple occasions and came up with nothing. It's getting annoying. I'm going on break. He's a big boy, he can find his way around."

   Exasperatingly rolling his eyes, James' fireman followed Connor, still thinking where his engine could be.

   It wouldn't be so bad if James didn't show up at the heart of the docks 20 minutes later, disgruntled and upset he didn't find anything.

"Empty again." he muttered to himself, now looking for his crew. 

   James only became more annoyed when he couldn't find a hint of his crew anywhere. He then looked up at Cranky, shouting at him.

"CRANKY! HAVE YOU SEEN MY CREW!?"

"No, James! All of them look the same from up here!" Cranky spat. "Don't you have somewhere to be!?" 

"NO!"

"Go away either way!" the giant crane huffed, turning away to pick up a container that was on a stationed boat.

   Frowning, James set off to...well, who knows where.

   Gliding around the tracks, James thought about the places he hadn't checked. He'd been all over the island, so there weren't many places he hadn't been. Day by day, James continuously got more and more upset, as each of those days were fruitless. Nothing had come up about his Honey Bee. James was beginning to lose hope this time. This time, she might really be gone, and there's nothing he could do about it. Feeling tears well up in his eyes, James stepped off from the track and to a nearby tree to just sit.

"Lady..this is hopeless.." he grumbled to himself, sitting at the trunk. "You can't go.."

   Leaning back against the tree, James closed his eyes to try and keep the tears at bay. However, he ended up falling asleep under the leaves of a mighty oak. 

   James'  dreamscape slowly formed around him. A peaceful sunrise at the coast. He was sitting on the beach, under an umbrella. He was watching a figment of  Maddy run along the coastline, occasionally picking up a seashell and bringing it over to him. She had a considerable pile built right next to him.

"What are you going to do with all these when we leave?" he asked. "You don't have any place to put all these!"

"I'll figure something out!" Maddy giggled, going back to collect more shells.