//------------------------------//
// Ray and the Gremlins 
// Story: Thomas and Friends: Tales from the Mainland Volume 1 
// by The Blue EM2 
//------------------------------//

Hitch had decided to take an evening walk along the coast before turning in for the night. He walked along, calmly whistling to himself, as the strolled along the pathway which ran alongside the railway line. The last train of the day had departed a few minutes ago, and there wasn't any reason to think that anything interesting had happened.

As he made his way along, he moved past some bushes, and the sight he witnessed horrified him.

Misty was lying by the lineside, soaked in a rainbow coloured pool. Based on the bruising she had, she had presumably received a hit at high speed. "Misty! Misty, can you hear me?"

The reply was very quiet. "H- help... me... Opa... get... wa..."

"Don't worry, I'm gonna get help," Hitch said, and opened up his phone. He dialled 999.

"You have connected to dispatch. Please indicate which service you require."

"Air ambulance."

"Understood sir, transferring you now."

There was a few clicks until the officer spoke. "You have reached Cornish Air Ambulance. Please indicate position and emergency."

"I'm just outside Falmouth, Cornwall. Person is lying next to the railway line, looks to be severely injured."

"Dispatching a rescue team to your position now."

Hitch stayed with Misty until the helicopter arrived, at which point the paramedics took over. Hitch waited until the helicopter had left, then sent his friends a text.

Found Misty by lineside. Seriously hurt. Air ambulance taking her to hospital. Will keep you posted.

He only hoped she would be OK.





Understandably, the five had wanted to visit Misty in hospital, and a special train was organised for the next day. Unfortunately, things almost immediately began to go wrong. No matter what Zipp tried, Charles' engine wouldn't start.

"I don't understand!" Zipp exclaimed. "Just when we need something to work it breaks down!"

"Hit it with a hammer," Porter suggested. "That's Charles' solution to every problem."

"Except when the thing you are hitting with a hammer is yours truly," Charles replied. "I may be a hypocrite, but at least I'm an honest hypocrite."

"It must be gremlins," Lady Haven said, who had popped down. If her daughters were worried, so was she, and it was clear to her that Misty meant a lot to them.

"What are gremlins?" Rebecca asked.

"It's a film written by Chris Columbus," Charles replied. "Utter rubbish."

"You really have no taste, do you?" Sophie said.

"I heard the term from a tank engine stationed at an army base I worked nearby once," Salty chimed in. "They're little green men who interfere with things."

"It's a metaphor for things not working," Charles interrupted. "Cars built by British Leyland were often said to be full of them."

"You'd best be careful," Salty added. "Things are very supersticious. Writing's on the wall, so to speak."

Lady Haven had, in the meantime, gotten Ray up and running, as he had been allocated as a backup engine. "Perfect! Let's go and collect the coaches, then get off to Truro as soon as we can!"

Ray rolled out of the shed, steam flowing from his cylinder cocks. "Let's go! Nice and smooth, the proper way!"

"If a job's worth doing it's worth doing quickly!" Charles interjected.

"Well!"

"Quickly!"

"Well!"

This went on even as Ray rolled out of earshot.





Ray got to the yard, only to discover there were even more problems. "What's the delay now?" he asked.

"The points are stuck," said a workman. "And the mechanic hasn't arrived yet. He's not required to be on site at weekends and lives more than an hour away."

"That seems most silly," Lady Haven said. "Whilst we sit here and wait for him to turn up, that's less time for the hospital visit!"

Ray was equally annoyed. "If I wanted to deal with silliness like this I'd go and work in France!" he said.

After a ridiculously long wait, the points were fixed, and Ray was able to collect his coaches. He took them to the platform where Zipp and her friends were waiting.

"What took you so long?" Sunny asked.

"Broken points and idiotic employment policies," Ray replied. "I'll try and make up lost time on the way to Truro."

The girls climbed aboard as Ray awaited the all clear. He waited. And waited. And waited. But the signal stayed at red. "Now what?"

Just then, the signal switched to green. "Sorry for the delay!" the station master said. "Apparently a cow strayed onto the line, and they had to shoo it away!"

"Probably a good thing I did get this working," Ray replied. "Charles would simply have rammed it." And he FINALLY set off on his way.





Ray and Lady Haven were determined to make up the lost time, and sped up the line at speed. They had to go much faster, as although it would now be impossible to make the booked arrival time, they really could not be late. Soon the coaches were rocking, and swayed from side to side, with the interiors being rather like a Turkish bath as the steam heating was on the blink.

When they finally arrived at Truro, more than an hour late, the passengers were glad to be off. "That has to be one of the worst train trips I have ever taken," Pipp said. "It was like a sauna in there!"

"Is today the day Murphy decided to strike?" Izzy asked. "Because day feels rather, well, jinxy."

"Don't tempt fate," Zipp said, as they left the station. "Misty's being treated at Royal Cornwall, which isn't too far from here. Should be an easy walk."

Unfortunately, she was wrong. Two cars had collided up ahead, and this reduced foot traffic to a trickle. "Really?"





Misty lay in bed, exhausted. Most of her body ached, although at least she could move her limbs. The doctors had advised that she try to rest as much as possible.

Just then, she heard some familiar voices. "Can we see her?"

"You may," said a doctor. "Just be gentle. I appreciate you are worried, but she needs to rest."

Just then, she saw the five she had been spying on for weeks step in. "Hey guys," she said weakly. "I'll live, if that's what you're worried about."

"What happened?" Sunny asked.

"Well, Hitch found me after the fall. Turns out I hadn't broken anything. But the landing did a number on me anyway."

"That's what we can't explain," the doctor admitted. "Based on the description the air ambulance gave us, her injuries were consistent with a fall from an object moving at high speed. But none of her bones were broken. The worst we saw was severe bruising." He paused. "Misty, you are lucky to be alive."

"Can I speak to them in private?" Misty asked.

"Of course, but if anything happens one of you push the call button, understand?" The doctor said.

Misty nodded. She looked to her friends as the doctor left. "I didn't fall from the train. I was pushed."

"What?" Sunny asked. "By whom?"

Misty looked down, ashamed. "The truth is... I haven't been honest with any of you. I didn't happen to stumble across Falmouth. I was sent to spy on you."

Zipp looked annoyed. "So I was right about you," she said, crossing her arms. "But who sent you?"

"Her name is Opaline," Misty said. "She wants to rule Britain, and thinks that the power that creates sentient machines can let her do that. So she sent me to steal it. That was how your lantern went missing."

Sunny looked surprised. "You took it?"

"I didn't know any better!" Misty replied. "I trusted Opaline. She was the closest thing I have to a parent, and then... she turned on me." She looked down again. "I'm nothing but a naive idiot who has no idea who she is or where she comes from. Perhaps I should be alone. That way, nobody can be hurt by my stupidity."

"Misty, that's not true," Pipp said. "You're just a person who made some poor decisions. We've all been there, and we'll help you find who you really are. Do you know anything about your past?"

"No," Misty said. "I have no idea who my parents were, or even where I was born. I don't even know my own birthday!"

"We need to help her," Sunny said.

"Even after betraying our trust?" Zipp asked.

"We've all done stupid things we're not proud of," Sunny said. "Especially me. That business with the crown in Swanage, remember? But right now Misty is hurting and needs something that resembles a family."

Zipp sighed. "You're right, Sunny. Let's help her."

"Help who?" Misty asked.

"You," Hitch finished. "You're our friend Misty. We can get you back on your feet and maybe discover the truth."

"Thank you," Misty answered. "And in return, I want to help you. I have information that can help you against Opaline. If we bring her down, the world will be a better place."

As the others crowded round to give her a gentle hug, Misty felt something she had only previously felt when with them at the sleepover.

That she belonged.