FanFic:How Tidmouth was Built, Part Four: Flames

Part Four: Flames

Next Part: Part Five

Previous Part: Part Three

Plot

A forest fire starts late at night. Abby and Zachariah barely escape, and all of them (except for City of Wellsworth, of course) are hard at work putting out the fire.

Script

(Cut to the sheds in night time)

Narator Edward: It was about two weeks before the scheduled grand opening when it happened. I was resting in the shed with Sammy. Abby and Zachariah were double-heading a passenger train, and City of Wellsworth was taking an express freight train. We had nearly fallen asleep when it started. Sirens.

(Sirens wail loudly through the yard)

Narrator Edward: We both raced out of the shed as fast as we could, and tried to find out what was going on. We met a workman running across the yard.

Sammy: What's going on?

Workman: Fire!

Edward: Where?

Workman: A fire's started in the forest that the lines run through! Quickly! Get the pump cars and help us!

Sammy: Yes, Sir! (to Edward, quietly) We have pump cars?

Edward: I think they're in the goods shed! Hurry! Abby and Zachariah are in the forest!

Narrator Edward: We collected the cars as fast as we could and headed off to the fire. Many men were there, trying to control the flames. I could tell they were relieved when we brought the pumps. We were both worried about Abby and Zachariah. Even if the fire didn't melt them, it could superheat their water, causing them to explode. We had been there about twenty minutes when we heard their whistles.

(Abby and Zachariah steam out of the forset)

Narrator Edward: They were covered with ash, but neither of them was hurt badly. Most of their passengers had made it out all right. We were there all night, rushing tankers full of water back and forth from the yards.

(Dramtic music plays, obscuring most of the sound, as Edward and Sammy steam in with tankers and the firefighters scream for more water. This goes on for about half a minute)

Narrator Edward: And when that ran out, they used the water from our tenders and boilers.

(Dawn breaks as the fire has shrunken noticeably)

Narrator Edward: When the fire had finally been shrunk to a manageable size, I felt more exhausted than I ever had in my life.

(Edward wheezes loudly as the four engines slowly puff home)

Narrator Edward: I'll never forget that fire, or the trouble it caused. Many people were injured, and a few died.

(Cut to old0fashioned ambulances taking away the wounded)

Narrator Edward: People were cross with the railway, because they blamed it for everything.

(Cut to the engins shunting trucks at Tidmouth)

Narrator Edward: We got no sleep that night, but, of course, City of Wellsworth was totally unsympathetic. It seemed almost as if he was working us even harder.

Sammy: Can't we have a break?

City of Wellsworth: (Sweetly) Awww, are the little engines tired? (Harshly) Well, when you start a fire, you gotta be ready to put it out.

Edward: We didn't start that fire!

City of Wellsworth: (Dripping sarcasm) Of course you didn't! Silly me. The little gnomes must have come and started the fire!

(Engines glower at City of Wellsworth)

Narrator Edward: Later that day, Abby and I were shunting trucks away from City of Wellsworth.

(Cut to the other side of the yard)

Abby: Edward, can I trust you with a secret?

Edward: Of course!

Abby: Well, last night, I think I saw another engine in the forest.

Edward: So?

Abby: What if that engine started the fire?

Edward: You may be on to something! I'll check it out later today.

Characters

'(In order of appearance)

• Edward
• Sammy
• Workman
• Abby
• Zachariah
• City of Wellsworth