The Rust - ThomasNATION Fanstory
October 31, 2023
It was a rough night on the Island of Sodor. The autumn had just dawned over the world and that means tons and tons of leaves on the tracks. Ah well, at least it wasn't raining over Tidmouth Sheds...oh, wait, it was. As a result, everyone was having trouble falling asleep.
āWhen is this going to end?" groaned James.
"The rain?" asked Emily.
"No, the fall!" James kept complaining. "I only just got polished today! I can't keep being covered in leaves."
"Well, look on the bright side, James," said Percy, optimistically, "it's only a few weeks until Christmas!"
"How's that the first place your mind always goes?" laughed Thomas. āAnyway, itās just a little spot of rain. I doubt itās gonna cause that much trouble.ā
Just as he said that, a gust of wind knocked over part of the shedsā roof. There was now a hole over Thomasā berth.
āNot gonna cause that much trouble, he says.ā chuckled James.
Thomas rolled his eyes. āOh, behave,ā he chuckled, āitās just one little gap in the roof. What could happen?ā
āYou know every time someone says āwhat could happenā, something bad always happens?ā laughed Gordon.
āSurely not,ā replied Thomas. āitās just a bit of rain.ā
And with that, one by one, the engines slowly drifted off to sleep, unaware of what was about to unfold.
The next morning, the morning sun rose over Tidmouth Sheds. The rain had cleared up and the engines had just woke up.
āGood morning, everybody!ā chirped Nia.
āI donāt think I slept that poorly in years.ā yawned James.
āI donāt know, James,ā smiled Thomas, āI slept rather well, I feel great!ā
It was then that Percy noticed something extremely concerning about Thomasā dome. āUhā¦Thomas? Your, umā¦your dome.ā
Thomas initially didnāt know what Percy was talking about, until he looked at his dome. He had noticed something extremely concerning. Something he hoped heād never see in his lifetime. Thomasā dome had developed a speck of rust.
āWhat theā¦ā Thomas cried. āHowād that happen?ā
āThomas, you need to get that replaced,ā suggested Emily, ābefore it spreads. Trust me, I know.ā
Thomas took Emilyās advice to heart and headed straight to the Steamworks. Victor took a good, long look at the dome.
āSo what happened?ā asked Victor.
āI donāt know,ā shuddered Thomas. āI just remember going to sleep last night, and then I woke up andā¦well, you know.ā
āAnd you say there was a hole in your shed?ā
āYep.ā
āI see what happened now.ā said Victor. āThe rain mustāve seeped into your paint and the rust developed. Nothing to be concerned about.ā
āAre you sure?ā whimpered Thomas. āWhat if this means Iām getting too old to be really useful? And what if Iām one step closer to being scrapped?ā
āDonāt be silly, my friend!ā laughed Victor. āIt was just a spot of rain. This could happen at any age - all we need to do is replace the dome and itāll be like it never happened.ā
Thomas still wasnāt sure, but he decided to at least try to believe Victor. After all, it was just one speck of rust, right?
Soon enough, Thomas had his dome replaced and he was back at work on his branch line. However, he still had those fears of his mortality eating away at him. He was still panicking about his age and how long he had left until he would be scrapped. He couldnāt shake the feeling that soon enough, his time would be up and he would be too old and rusty to be useful. This was something even Annie and Clarabel noticed.
āEverything okay, Thomas?ā asked Annie.
āYouāve been quiet all day.ā added Clarabel.
āI know,ā said Thomas, ābut my dome was all rusty this morning and it got me thinking about how much time Iāve got left.ā
āSurely youāll be fine.ā chuckled Annie. āItās just a spot of rust - youāve had it replaced, youāll be fine!ā
āI donāt know,ā sighed Thomas, āI keep panicking about whether or not Iām one step closer to being scrapped!ā
āI have an idea,ā suggested Clarabel, āwhy not talk to Stephen and Glynn? They were almost scrapped before the earl saved them.ā
āHmm, maybe youāre right,ā pondered Thomas as he sped off to Ulfstead Castle.
Eventually, Thomas made it to the castle, desperate to find Stephen and Glynn.
āThomas?ā asked Stephen. āWhatās the matter?ā
āStephen! Am I glad to see you!ā panted Thomas. āIāve got a situation.ā
āWhatās wrong?ā
āMy dome got all rusty this morning,ā Thomas explained, āand all day Iāve been panicking over how long Iāve got left to live.ā
āOh.ā said Stephen. āWell, I assure you itās nothing to worry about.ā
āEveryone keeps saying that,ā Thomas worried, ābut I keep having these thoughts that my time will inevitably run out sooner than I expect.ā
āI guarantee you that nothing will happen to you.ā added Glynn. āBesides, it doesnāt matter how long you have left. Either way, I guarantee you that thatās a long way away. What matters is how useful you are now. You shouldnāt worry about how long you have left or how much youāve done with your life, what matters is how you choose to be now.ā
Glynnās words managed to get Thomas thinking. Maybe he was being silly over his dome, and maybe what truly mattered was how he lived now.
āYeah, I think youāre right,ā thought Thomas. āThanks, Glynn.ā
āAnytime, Thomas,ā smiled Glynn.
Soon, Thomas was back to work as usual. He no longer panicked over how long he had left or how rusty he would get.
āYou alright now, Thomas?ā asked Percy. āHowās your dome?ā
āNot too bad, Percy,ā replied Thomas. āPlus, I reckon Iām gonna be on this island a little longer than I thought.ā
āThatās the spirit, Thomas!ā laughed Percy.
And with that, Thomas got on with his work, having nothing to worry about for the rest of his days.
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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