Life Is Strange: The Boy From Another Dimension

Chapter 17 Daniel's First Train

Daniel worked hard at arranging the trucks in the yard. A few other engines came to collect their trains. Percy was one of them. "Oh, hello Daniel!" Percy said once he saw Daniel. "Hi Percy!" Daniel said with a smile. Percy blew into his whistle happily, as he chugged away with his train. A few more engines came, until there was one last one for them time being.

Daniel waited, but they didn't come.

The workman was getting impatient. "Come on, where is that red engine?" They said. "Red engine?" Daniel asked. "Do you mean... that James guy?"

The workman nodded. "I'll go call Sir Topham Hatt." The workman left, walking over to the signal box. Daniel could see there was an old fashioned telephone on a pole next to the signal in the yard. Daniel could see the workman talking to someone, and it was for few seconds. He came back over to Daniel, to tell him the news.

"It seems James's firebox can't start. Seemed to be a bad issue with the engines these days. They sure don't make coal like how they used to" The workman said. "So... who's gonna carry this train?" Daniel asked.

The workman shook his head. "We don't have another engine. All the other engines are doing other important jobs, and they can't leave them to do this. I guess Cronk won't get their coal today"

Daniel looked at the cars, then back at the workman. "Cronk? I heard Thomas's mentioned that name before. It's a funny name to me" Daniel said. The workman chuckled. "British names."

"What... if I be the engine to take it there?"

"You? But you're new. Do you even know where Cronk is?" The workman asked.

Daniel shook his chassis left and right on the track slightly. "No- But... if you tell me where to go, I'll be able to find it" Daniel said. "I'm good at following directions" Daniel smiled. Everyone knew that was a lie.

"Ok.." The workman said. "Just keep to the main line out of Knapford. Keep on the middle track. All the engines are expecting a train to be coming down the main line, since James was supposed to bring this. Cronk is 4 stations away from here. First station after this, is  Crosby. Second, is Welsworth. Third is Maron. Then after that one, is Cronk" The workman explained. Daniel gently bobbed up and down, as of he was nodding. "Ok... got you"

"When you reach to Cronk, a workman there, will uncouple you from your cars. Then you can freely chugg back to Tidmoth Sheds and rest for the rest of the day. If you need coal and water, there's a coal tower and a water tower at Cronk" The workman explained more and more to Daniel, to make sure he was all set.

"But.... there's one more thing Daniel"

"Huh? What is it?" Daniel asked.

"The trucks... The trucks can be troublesome."

Just then, the workman got called to do something, and he had to go.

"Hey! What did you mean by the trucks are troublesome?" Daniel asked. "Just be careful!" The workman said.

"Troublesome? The heck he meant by that?" Daniel chugged forward. He had to get to the front of the train. "Points!" He yelled to the station master, and the tracks switched, and he puffed down the lines next to the cars.

But that's when he saw the cars from the front. They all had faces too. 'Woah! The trucks are sentient too?!'

They all looked innocent, as they waited to be pulled. 'Troublesome? They look so cute and innocent' Daniel said, as he was now on the same line as the trucks. He slowly puffed up behind them, and gently touched his back buffers to them.

"Where is James's?" One of the trucks asked. "We usually have James!" Another said.

"Uh- oh.. Uh... James's.... called in sick. I'll be your engine today-" Daniel said. He started to move forward once he was attached, but he couldn't move. He jerked forward, but it's like the trucks where locked. "What the? What's happening?" Daniel asked.