Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends: Lost in Sodor

Chapter 7: Confronting Shadows, Seeking Truth

Stephanie continued following the ghost over Sodor, sometimes stumbling a little because of the wind and her new form, but she soon got the hang of it and continued flying through the air. She would sometimes land on wooden poles to take a break for a minute but sometimes fumble because of her lack of landing skills before taking off into the air to continue her adventure.

The ghost returned to the same house and transformed into his human self, as he was on the left side, watching Stephanie as she followed. Notches appeared from the bushes after running to the house and looking at the sky, calling, "Take it easy, Stephanie!"

"Okay," Stephanie said, wibbling a little through the air and flapping a few times. "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this, I-" She realized she was diving a little too fast and emitted a bird-like yelp, flapping her wings frantically as she moved her body downward, trying to land talons first.

"Slow down, slow down!" Notches exclaimed, his tone carrying a warning and worried tone as he watched Stephanie.

"Breaks, breaks, breaks, breaks!" Stephanie panicked, flapping her wings frantically to stop herself from crashing against the ground or breaking something.

But she skidded across the ground as her necklace snapped off, causing her to revert to her human self with the Zodiac Pocket Watch in her hand. Notches winced after Stephanie collided with the ground as the ghost winced with him.

"Ow!" Stephanie groaned as she pushed herself up, wincing slightly as her glasses were somewhat off and some of her hair was tangled. "That's going to leave a mark."

The ghost hovered in front of her with a silent 'Are you okay?' expression as Stephanie pushed herself up, adjusting her glasses and her clothes into place.

"Are you alright?" Notches asked, approaching her with a worried expression.

"I'm fine," Stephanie assured the two anxious adults. "I just need to practice with that landing maneuver."

She pocketed her Zodiac Pocket Watch into her blue jeans pocket and moved her hair away from her face, accidentally getting it entangled in her fingers as she slowly stood up to her feet, some parts of her body covered with dirt. As she stood up, however, her long hair got caught between her fingers and even got stuck underneath her knees or feet.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Stephanie winced as she carefully untangled her hair from her fingers and stepped away from her long hair. "I need a haircut."

The ghost hovered around Stephanie as she watched the ghost eye her, noticing his soft, sad expression as he mouthed, 'I'm sorry.' Stephanie smiled and reached up to the ghost, pausing after remembering they could not feel her attempts to assure the worried spirit, so she said, "It's okay. I'm fine."

The ghost softly smiled after Stephanie assured the poor ghost before waiting as Stephanie adjusted everything before glancing back at the ghost. The ghost hovered in front of the side of the house and looked around thoughtfully before phasing through the side of the house.

Suddenly, something clicked, and a secret door opened automatically, silently beckoning Stephanie and Notches to follow. Stephanie hesitated for a minute as she picked Notches up from the ground and held him close to her chest, approaching the door slowly.

"Be careful, Stephanie," Notches told her. "Some ghosts may look helpful, but they can play deadly tricks you will not know are coming towards you."

Stephanie nodded after Notches warned her as he climbed over her shoulder, got into her sweater's hood, and placed his head on Stephanie's shoulder. Once Notches was in his favorite spot, Stephanie slowly reached up to the door and hesitated for a minute before putting her hand on it. She slowly opened the door, revealing a different part of the house that she did not see but was dark inside.