It was black, dark, cold sky, lit only by the light of the moon that hung over the scene like a ghost. In the distance, an owl howled, and creepy music played in the background as the scene unfolded before them. And in that moment, an object, coloured completely white, rolled across the bridge in the scene, whistling loudly.
"And every night on the date of the accident, it runs again, as a warning to others; plunging into the gap, shrieking like a lost soul!"
"Percy, what the Trevithick are you talking about?" Thomas asked his friend, as they sat there in the quarry. Work had run long, and some shipments still needed to be moved in order for them to be ready the next day. To pass the time, they had started telling scary stories, and Percy had contributed his entry.
"The ghost train, of course!" Percy replied. "Pinkie Pie says she saw it last night!"
"Where?" asked Thomas.
"And when?" added Toby
"She wouldn't say. Ooh, it makes my wheels wobble to think about it!"
Twilight sighed. "I wouldn't take all of what Pinkie says completely seriously. Besides, if there was a ghost train on the island I'm pretty certain I'd have come across it in my research of Sodor."
"And I think you're just silly!" said Thomas. "I wouldn't be scared of a potentially nonexisant ghost train." And he set off into the night.
Moments later, Pinkie arrived, random as ever.
"Thomas didn't believe in the ghost you told me about," Percy said to her.
Pinkie laughed. "Neither did I, silly! That ghost only exists on television!" Then her face went extra serious. "Though if there was a ghost train around here, I would know exactly what to do!"
"Namely?" Flash asked.
"Laugh at it, of course!"
Toby sighed. "Pinkie, you are so random."
That evening, Percy and Pinkie set off down Thomas' branch line back towards Knapford. Although it was dark, and the land was clouded in fog, Percy knew exactly where he was, having run this line many times during his working career on Sodor.
An old windmill suddenly loomed out of the distance. "Cole's Farm Crossing!" Pinkie called. "We're nearly home!"
Percy liked running at night. The rails hummed as he liked them, and the signal lights shone green in front of him as he passed them. There was no traffic coming the other way, so he could run through them without a care in the world. Unfortunately, a load of lime was spilled onto the track, on a cart that had fallen apart whilst it was being towed. The farmer had gone to get help, but the signalman had not been alerted, and Percy barelled straight into the cart, crushing it under his wheels. Lime flew upwards, up up and up into the air, and fell back down upon Percy, who was covered from smokebox to rear coupling in the stuff. He was, thankfully, undamaged, and ran quickly to the next signal box to alert the signalman to what had happened.
Toby was waiting there. "What happened?" Flash asked Pinkie.
"Well, this farmer for some reason towed a cart of lime at night that broke and he went off and abandoned it and didn't tell the signalman so we crashed into it and BOOM we got covered in the stuff and ran here to tell you now!"
"I wish I hadn't asked."
Meanwhile, the signalman came out to greet them. "I'll see to it the line is closed until the mess is cleared," he said, with a smile. But you'd better clean Percy, or else people will think he's a ghost!"
Percy smiled. "Let's make Thomas and Twilight think I'm a ghost! It'll teach Thomas for calling me silly, and it is Halloween after all."
"I'll help," said Toby. "Thomas is a bit big for his wheels at the moment." He and Flash set off for the shed at Knapford, where Thomas was being prepped by Twilight for the early morning run. Toby burst into the shed in a state of shock. "Thomas, Twilight, Pinkie and Perky- no, I mean Pinkie and Percy have had an accident!"
"Poor engine," said Thomas, not completely listening to what was being said. "Bother! I'll be late, then."
"They've cleared the line for you, but there's something worse!"
"I can back Toby up, I saw it too," Flash hastily added.
"Well?" Thomas asked. "Out with it. Twilight and I cannot wait all evening."
"I saw something. It looked like Percy's ghost! It said it was coming here to warn us!"
"Was there any sign of Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asked, concerned.
"Huh," Thomas sighed. "I don't believe in ghosts. Stay here Toby, and I'll protect you."
A few minutes later, a sound came that caused Twilight's blood to run cold.
A lonesome whistle echoed outside the shed.
"Peep, peep, peep. Peep, peep, pipeep! Let me in! Let me in!" said a spooky disembodied voice.
"Is it that Shadow guy again?" Flash asked. "Because I sincerely hope it isn't."
Pinkie suddenly teleported into the room, in a panic. "DON'T LET THE GHOST IN!"
Twilight jumped onto Thomas' footplate whilst Toby bravely spoke up. "No, you ghost. Not by the smoke of my chimney chin chin!"
The voice paused. "THEN I'LL CHUFF, AND I'LL PUFF, AND I'LL BREAK YOUR DOOR IN!"
Just then, the door began to creep open as something pushed against it. Pinkie stood in the door.
"Pinkie, what are you doing?" Twilight called, having gone white with fear and shaking. "RUN!"
"Good Heavens!" Thomas cried. "Look at the time, it's getting late. I must find Annie and Clarabel!" And he sped off without another word.
It was morning when they got back. Toby smiled. "Where have you been?"
"Ah, well," said Thomas, "I knew that you'd be sad about Percy and that you'd need some time to yourself, and on top of that I was working the first train of the day. So, I chose to sleep in the carriage shed so I could get coupled up very quickly indeed."
Suddenly, the ominous whistle sounded through the yard again.
"Aaaagh!" Twilight cried. "Not again!"
"Oh!" Thomas cried suddenly. "I can't stop, I must see a coach about a train!" And he suddenly sped off without another word.
Percy, to whom the ominous whistle belonged, smiled, as he was enjoying himself greatly. He had heard everything, and Pinkie was chortling on his footplate as he came to a stop.
"Well," said Percy. "What was that all about?
Toby smiled. "Anybody would think," he said, "that Thomas and Twilight had just seen a ghost!"
"Silly!" Pinkie smiled. "They should have just... 'giggled at the ghostie'!"
And the two engines and their drivers had a good laugh about it.