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hazel-of-sodor · 6 months

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Day 23-Greater than Yourself

Traintober 2023

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Day 23-Big World

Greater than Yourself

Samantha sprinted down the street, running desperately for Nicole's place. Behind her, she heard the jaguar-like growl of the thing behind her.

She risked looking and saw it leap out from behind the corner, its frames bending and arching like a jungle cat. It was a sports car...or had once been in the 30s. Now it was a twisted creature of hate and metal.

She swore and pushed herself faster, cursing that Nicole's apartment was so far from any rail lines.

She heard the animalistic growl of the car's engine grow louder as it approached, the streetlights flickering out as it raced down the street after her.

She saw Nicole glance out her window, drawn by the noise before racing to the door.

Samantha finally reached the stairs to the apartment, scrambling up them as she heard Nicole unlocking the door.

She slammed into the door, Nicole pulling from the other side...but it didn't move.

The car slowed, stalking forward, its engine revving in a harsh mockery of a laugh.

Nicole beat on the door, attempting to batter it down, but her attacks bounced off. The car reached the bottom of the stairs, waiting. Samantha could see Nicole's neighbors had been drawn by the noises, and all were struggling to open their doors, but like Nicole's their doors refused to move.

The car laughed again. Samantha closed her eyes, they were too far from any rail lines, she would never make it to the Ffarquhar sheds, but she had to try

"Nicole, I'm sorry"

Her firewoman stopped beating at her door to glare at her, "Samantha don't you dar..."

Samantha dove over the car, hitting the ground with a roll and coming up running.

She heard the car growl almost approvingly as it spun its tires, whirling around to pursue her. As she heard it approach she dove to the side, its bumper barely missing her as it swerved trying to hit her, frost spreading across her skin from the proximity. She rolled as the car turned towards her. She made the mistake of glancing towards Nicole, who was screaming as she beat at her door. The car took advantage of her distraction and lunged. Samantha rolled desperately...

SLAM! Crunch.

The street was suddenly bathed in golden light and the car yowled in pain.

Samantha looked up to see the impossible sight of her engine shaking the car like a dog with a rat, its rear fender caught in his jaws. She scrambled for the safety of Thomas's cab as the fender ripped free of the car with a screech, turning to golden dust between his teeth.

"Don't you dare touch my driver."

Caomhnóir's voice shook with rage. Gold light shone from his lamps with burning intensity.

The car flinched back from the light, its metal melting in its heat, before roaring in defiance, shaking the stones of the street loose.

Caomhnóir let out a screaming whistle in return. But it wasn't his whistle. This whistle was much higher and shriller. The car's roar had shaken the street, the whistle shook the sky.

The car was sent flying back from the force, tumbling fender over hood.

Across the island and beyond engines awoke, shaken from their sleep by Caomhnóir's battlecry.

Samantha couldn't prevent the shudder that ripped through her when she realized Thomas had called upon the Lady's whistle, and she had answered.

The creature was struggling back to its wheels when the tank engine spoke.

"I would run if I were you." He said, menace dripping from every word. "If I catch you, there won't be enough left of you to die."

The car locked its gaze with the golden eyes of the tank engine before giving a sharp nod, preparing to pounce.

Samantha felt Thomas tense beneath her, ready to meet the foe head-on. Golden light spilled from his cab, melting the frost from her shoulders.

The creature leaped...only to be caught.

The creature shrieked in surprise, twisting to see what had caught it.

From the ground, shadows stretched in long sinuous tendrils, cutting through Caomhnóir's golden light to wrap crushingly around the sports car's frame.

Slowly, but surely, the tendrils dragged the car towards where they reached, a puddle of shadow darker than the darkest night. The car twisted, shrieked, and bit at the tendrils, but to no avail.

Finally, as its rear wheels began to dip into the shadow as if it was liquid, it looked towards its foe.

Thomas glared, "Be grateful." He said, "They will be more merciful than I would have been."

The car was dragged under with one last screech of defiance.

***

Far away on the Uman and Din Railway

The car broke through the ground, spitting out shadows as the tendrils withdrew. It rose to its wheels growling, only to freeze at the sight before it.

A Great Western 47xx towered above it, shadow tendrils drifting in the air around it like a mane of shadowfire. While they would have been enough to make such a beast pause, the car could see the truth.

For once something could see the truth of the beast towering before them, towering with the mountains behind it, a thousand thousand tendrils whipping around it, some thin and sharp enough to cut paint from metal without scratching it, others larger around than the engines alongside it. More teeth than those of every creature to ever live grinned at the car in predatory hunger. Eyes, countless eyes watched their prey from every angle.

"Well little beast," the being uttered, "did you truly think Caomhnóir so powerless?"

Its voice rang from a thousand angles, threatening to rip the car from the ground on which it stood from the meer force of its voice alone.

"Did you think there were none greater than yourself that would answer his call?"

The car trembled under the presence of the being before it.

The titan leaned forward, grinning eagerly, "Know this little beast. I was not the only one to answer his call, merely the swiftest. Be grateful I was the one to reach you instead of the Lady."

The car whimpered under the onslaught of her attention.

The former 47xx's grin sharped, and she lunged.

***

Samantha was slow to leave the safety of Thomas's cab. Even when she heard Nicole nearly rip her door from its hinges in opening it when the creature's grip disappeared, she could only sit and try to control her panicked breathing. Nicole scrambled up into the cab, wrapping her arms around Samantha even before she stopped moving.

"Don't you dare do that again."

Samantha clung to her firewoman, "I told you that your apartment was too far from the tracks," she tried to joke weakly, but Nicole just nodded, "First thing this weekend I'm finding a place by the line. I can't go through that again."

"Agreed," Thomas chimed in.

Samatha's eyes widened as she realized no one had checked on him, she scrambled down from the cab and began examining him.

Thomas huffed fondly, "I'm fine driver, physically. It'll be a while before I can sleep though."

"You're telling me," Nicole grumbled, but her hand was rubbing Thomas's side as she said it.

As other people began coming out of their houses, Samantha remembered the elephant in the room, or rather, the tank engine on the street.

Thomas stood in the middle of the street, when she looked down she saw the stone pavers had been pushed aside, revealing worn rails underneath.

"How are you here?" Nicole asked from beside her.

"The tramway used to run through here to reach the quarries," Thomas said, glancing down at the street. "The line was closed in favor of the new route in the fifties."

Nicole gave him an unimpressed look, "I know that. I also know those rails were pulled up, and multiple buildings stand where the line used to go. How did you get here."

"The land remembers the line," Thomas said defensively, "I asked the Lady for her aid in reaching you."

Samatha was the first to realize what her engine wasn't saying.

"You have no idea how to get back do you?"

The tank engine sagged embarrassedly, "No...I didn't think about it till after I had reached you."

Taking pity on her engine, she kissed his cheek, "Thank you. I have no idea how we’ll get you out, but thanks for saving me."

"I'd happily do it again." He said softly.

***

The next morning on the Uman and Din...

Freda and Gwyn were having a pleasant morning until they came within earshot of the sheds. A horrendous screeching and crunching could be heard. Freda sighed and increased her pace, wondering what her engine had gotten into this time.

She walked around the corner to find Screech happily chewing on a mangled Mercedes. Causing it to squeal horribly. The car was pinned with her tendrils, leaving the eldritch engine free to peel off pieces of metal at her leisure.

Freda glanced over to Abbey, the star class watching with vindictive enjoyment.

"Just what did the car do?"

"It tried to attack Caomhnóir's driver." The express engine said grimly.

Freda turned to glare at the car. Screech politely pausing so the car could focus on the glare.

"You've missed the trunk," Freda said flatly.

Riiiipppppp

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smartseo4you · 4 years

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Nasdaq, vindecatA de COVID-19 / CIFRE DEALOGIC PENTRU 2020: Nasdaq a depăşit NYSE după valoarea IPO

New Post has been published on https://reporterliber.ro/nasdaq-vindecata-de-covid-19-cifre-dealogic-pentru-2020-nasdaq-a-depasit-nyse-dupa-valoarea-ipo/

Nasdaq, vindecatA de COVID-19 / CIFRE DEALOGIC PENTRU 2020: Nasdaq a depăşit NYSE după valoarea IPO

• Ofertele publice iniţiale lansate anul acesta la Nasdaq au însumat 12,2 miliarde de dolari, iar cele atrase de NYSE – 10,9 miliarde de dolari

• Nasdaq a trecut înaintea NYSE datorită listărilor recente ale Warner Music şi ZoomInfo Technologies

Operatorul bursier american Nasdaq a depăşit New York Stock Exchange (NYSE – Bursa de Valori din New York) în privinţa valorii ofertelor publice iniţiale găzduite anul acesta, în contextul pandemiei de coronavirus.

Conform datelor analizate de platforma pentru pieţe financiare Dealogic, preluate de Wall Street Journal, companiile care s-au listat anul acesta la Nasdaq au atras 12,2 miliarde de dolari, iar cele care au optat pentru NYSE – 10,9 miliarde de dolari.

Nasdaq a găzduit 44 de listări în 2020, faţă de 27, câte au avut loc la NYSE. În iunie, la NYSE a avut loc o singură listare, iar la Nasdaq – opt, conform cifrelor Dealogic.

Una dintre cele mai importante listări de la Nasdaq este cea a casei de discuri Warner Music Group Corp., care a atras, luna aceasta, 1,9 miliarde de dolari. De menţionat că IPO-ul Warner Music este cel mai mare din anul curent.

Tot în luna iunie, furnizorul de date ZoomInfo Technologies Inc. şi-a lansat oferta la Nasdaq, atrăgând peste 900 de milioane de dolari. Aceasta este a şaptea ofertă publică iniţială (ca valoare) lansată anul acesta.

Per ansamblu, lansările de IPO-uri de pe piaţa americană s-au redus puternic în luna martie, când pandemia de Covid-19 a generat restricţii majore, care au blocat activitatea economică în SUA. În contextul dat, unele companii şi-au amânat listările, printre acestea numărându-se producătorul de încălţăminte Cole Haan şi distribuitorul de îmbrăcăminte Madewell Inc.

La mijlocul lunii februarie, Cole Haan a anunţat că vrea să obţină 100 de milioane de dolari prin oferta publică iniţială, intenţionând să se listeze la Nasdaq sub simbolul „CLHN”. IPO-ul a fost amânat din cauza volatilităţii pieţei. Pe de altă parte, J.Crew Group a abandonat, la începutul lunii martie, IPO-ul Madewell, în timp ce această marcă pe care o deţine se află în proces de desprindere de compania sa mamă. În prospectul de listare, Madewell a precizat că IPO-ul va fi lansat la NYSE sau Nasdaq.

Mai mult, pe măsură ce criza generată de pandemia de Covid-19 s-a accentuat, platforma de tranzacţionare de la NYSE a fost închisă la jumătatea lunii martie, piaţa trecând la un sistem complet electronic. În noul context, debutul fizic al companiilor la NYSE, prin ceremoniile cunoscute, a fost oprit în perioada respectivă. NYSE s-a redeschis în urmă cu două săptămâni, activitatea pieţei desfăşurându-se cu noi măsuri de siguranţă.

În schimb, grupul Nasdaq, care operează propria piaţă de acţiuni şi oferă tehnologie către 120 de pieţe din întreaga lume, precum şi tehnologie de supraveghere a burselor către 160 de brokeri-dealeri şi 50 de pieţe globale, nu şi-a închis porţile pe perioada pandemiei. În aprilie, preşedintele-director executiv al Nasdaq, Adena Friedman, declara că operatorul bursier american este bine echipat ca să-şi susţină propriile operaţiuni, cât şi pe cele ale altor pieţe care folosesc tehnologia sa, în condiţiile în care bursele globale de acţiuni luptă ca să facă faţă impactului pandemiei de coronavirus.

Domnia sa a subliniat, atunci: „Costurile umane, de sănătate, societale şi economice ale pandemiei de Covid-19 au fost severe şi vor avea implicaţii de durată asupra comunităţii noastre globale. (…) Sunt mândră de modul în care echipa Nasdaq a lucrat în astfel de condiţii unice, ca să susţină accesul neîntrerupt la capital pentru emitenţi şi investitori, precum şi pentru a sprijini clienţii noştri pe partea de tehnologie”.

Adena Friedman şi-a exprimat mereu convingerea că pieţele nu trebuie închise pe perioada crizei generate de pandemie, mai ales că societăţile caută tot mai mult să acceseze capital pentru a face faţă nevoilor de lichiditate. În opinia sa, închiderea temporară a pieţelor ar fi afectat şi încrederea investitorilor care şi-au plasat economiile în piaţă şi care nu ar fi avut acces la aceasta într-un moment în care au mare nevoie de lichidităţi.

Bătălia dintre NYSE şi Nasdaq va continua. NYSE aşteaptă lansarea ofertei publice iniţiale a lanţului de magazine alimentare Albertsons Inc., iar Nasdaq – listarea dealer-ului auto Vroom Inc. şi a companiei farmaceutice Lantern Pharma Inc.

Potrivit Wall Street Journal, companiile listate la NYSE plătesc comisioane mult mai mari faţă de cele care aleg Nasdaq: până la 500.000 de dolari/an, faţă de 159.000, în funcţie de volumul de acţiuni emise.

În primul trimestru din 2020, Nasdaq a obţinut venituri nete din vânzări de 701 milioane de dolari, mai mari cu 11% faţă de cele de 634 de milioane de dolari realizate în primele trei luni din 2019. În acelaşi interval, profitul net al operatorului bursier a însumat 203 milioane de dolari, respectiv 1,22 dolari/acţiune, faţă de 247 milioane de dolari sau 1,48 dolari/acţiune în trimestrul întâi din 2019, conform standardelor de contabilitate GAAP. Scăderea a fost generată de anumite costuri cu refinanţarea unor obligaţiuni.

Veniturile din listările la Nasdaq, care reprezintă 11% din totalul veniturilor nete ale grupului, au atins 75 de milioane de dolari în primele trei luni din 2020, fiind mai mari cu 4 milioane de dolari faţă de primul trimestru din 2019. Evoluţia s-a datorat, în principal, creşterii numărului companiilor listate şi a taxelor anuale de reînnoire.

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), proprietarul NYSE, a obţinut, în primele trei luni din 2020, venituri nete consolidate de 1,6 miliarde de dolari, mai mari cu 23% faţă de acelaşi interval din 2019. Profitul net aferent perioadei menţionate a fost de 650 de milioane de dolari sau 1,17 dolari/acţiune, comparativ cu 484 milioane de dolari sau 0,85 dolari/titlu în trimestrul întâi din 2019. Veniturile din listările la NYSE au atins 112 milioane de dolari în intervalul ianuarie-martie 2020, faţă de 111 milioane de dolari în aceeaşi perioadă din 2019.

Amintim că o analiză realizată în luna mai de Bloomberg News plasa Bursa din Shanghai (China) drept lider pe piaţa listărilor, cu IPO-uri de circa 14 miliarde de dolari în anul curent. Această piaţă a atras o listare majoră în ianuarie 2020, a Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway Co., care a generat 4,3 miliarde de dolari.

În clasamentul respectiv, urmau, la acel moment, New York Stock Exchange, cu IPO-uri de aproximativ 11,6 miliarde de dolari, Nasdaq – cu oferte de 8,1 miliarde de dolari, Shenzhen Stock Exchange (China), cu IPO-uri de 3,4 miliarde de dolari, şi Hong Kong Stock Exchange – cu listări de 3,2 miliarde de dolari.

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hazel-of-sodor · 4 months

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What's Lost is Found

Ch.19 Embrace

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Tendrils shot forward and the younger 47xx yelped as she was dragged clear off the rails and into her older sister's embrace, her crew diving to safety. The Uman crews just laughed as they helped them up.

"I thought you scrapped." Screech rumbled, tears of midnight black falling onto her runningboard with an acidic sizzle.

Tyto laughed unbelievingly, "You thought I was scrapped. We saw you scrapped!!"

"They didn't do a good enough job."

"Obviously." Tyto laughed, joyful tears were streaming down her face. "We thought you were gone forever."

Abbey was the first to catch on. "We?" She asked.

"Oh right!" Tyto smiled up at Screech. "Yes, Flying Scotsman rescued me and Eagle, along with several other Westerners from Cashmoore's, before taking us to Caomhnóir."

"Caomhnóir... Is real?" Enid asked, not quite daring to hope.

"Yep!" Tyto chirped, "he's good too. Scotsman was only able to give him a few hours notice but he had places for all of us."

Screech reluctantly set her back down onto the rails in front of her, although she didn't let go yet.

"Eagle and I are North Western engines now." She said proudly. "Our controller has already announced he doesn't plan to follow the modernization plan."

"The Other Railway can't be happy about that," Becca observed.

3219 snorted, "They really aren't, but the island has a history of home rule, and the Suddery council is backing Sir Topham Hatt."

"You are safe then?" Screech asked softly.

"As safe as we can be," Tyto said happily.

"Then I am content."

"Sir Topham Hatt is trying to get another of our siblings, but the Other Railway is being stubborn," Tyto explained.

"Same with us." Enid chimed in, "We've been trying to buy more engines for months, but we're blocked at every turn."

Tyto frowned, "We'll tell the others so they can pass it on to Caomhnóir, he may be able to help."

"Why not tell him yourself?" Blaidd asked curiously.

"I'm not sure which engine he is," Tyto admitted. "...or even if they are a he. Some of the others I've met said they were saved by a female engine. Honestly, it might be multiple engines."

"You didn't see them?" Enid said disappointedly.

"Only for a moment," Tyto explained, "and even then I'm not certain. I was barely awake when they directed Duck, a 57xx that's friends with Caomhnóir, to take me and Tyto to the works. Besides it's better if I don't know."

"You can't give away their identity if you don't know it." Una guessed.

"Exactly." Tyto nodded grimly, "the Other Railway is desperate to catch them. None of us that were put back into service know who they are at first. I think a few have since found out, but they feign ignorance either way."

3219 nodded, "One of the Other Railway's inspectors was almost killed last month. He tried to set a trap for them but almost got crushed. If Thomas had not been there..."

"Thomas?" Screech asked with a frown, the name was oddly familiar.

"Our No.1," Tyto explained, "Tiny little tank engine, like smaller than a 1400 small. He's got a little branchline running up into the hills. Cheeky to everyone, but a good sort with an almost Western work ethic."

"Ah," Screech said in realization, "My driver used to read some books about him to their daughter."

Tyto snorted, "Don't mention those to him. He had an accident a few years back when a cleaner fiddled with his controls. He ended up stuck in a house and needed his buffer beam and runningboard rebuilt. For some reason the author of those books wrote it like the whole thing was Thomas's fault."

"I take it he's not the author's biggest fan," Abbey said with a grin.

2319 laughed, "Apparently he wouldn't speak to him for a month after that. In any case, he barely snatched the inspector out of the way in time. The Fat Controller was furious."

"Fat Controller?" Miss Morgan asked.

"Sir Topham Hatt." Tyto clarified, "Apparently the engines called his dad that and it passed to him when he took over."

She frowned, "he really was angry at that incident. The North Western hasn't had a human death on the railway in decades and that was almost ruined by the inspector."

"You said human deaths," Screech noted.

"Trucks," Tyto and 2319 said in unison.

"Ah."

#ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #fanfic #U&D #U&DR #Uman and Din #Uman and Din Railway #eldritch #eldritch train #eldritch engine #engines that go bump in the night

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hazel-of-sodor · 5 months

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What's Lost is Found

Ch.15 Disappear

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The morning mist swirled around Screech as she watched the volunteers try to wrangle the team of horses. The animals were spooked by her mere presence and were pulling away from her. Enid was snickering at the handler's predicament.

Screech was considering allowing herself to doze off when one of the members of Team One returned.

"We found her." She said grimly, "But it does us no good."

"What do you mean?" Freda demanded.

"She on her side by the line. The rails gave way from under her and the whole train slid into the ditch." She said wiping her brow. "It's after the pass, so we have no way to get equipment up there to right her. We're repairing the rails so we can come back once we find a crane that runs on the tracks."

Screech shifted with a groaning growl.

"Where is she?"

The worker glanced over to her, “Just beyond the pass, but before the viaduct. There's room for equipment up there, but no way to get it up there except by the narrow gauge line.”

"Mali is there?"

"Yes. She was cleaning the poor engine last I saw."

"Freda, Gwyn in my cab. Everyone else off."

The workers scrambled off the flatbeds and Enid backed away from Screech.

"Close your eyes and hang on tight until I tell you it's safe," Screech warned. "This is not meant for the living to see."

Once they had done as she said, Screech rolled forward. For a second nothing happened, then her front disappeared as if she was entering an invisible tunnel. The workers cried out in alarm and shock as the air rippled around her as she passed through, their very breath feeling like static in their lungs. Soon her tender had passed through, the flatbeds following behind. In what felt like an hour, but was in reality less than a minute, the train disappeared from view, vanishing into thin air.

***

Mali was comforting the small engine, reassuring the 2-4-2 that she would not be left alone again, that Screech would not allow it, when the world ripped.

The work crew stared in shock as the air rippled outwards like a stone had dropped into a clear pond. Steam billowed out from the opening, and twin twisted rails slithered out as if the twin ribbons of steel were shadowy serpents.

Screech's distinctive whistle howled through the opening, her buffers soon following through, the great engine's form seeming to materialize from thin air as she pulled her train through.

"See I told you she wouldn't leave you behind."

The little engine nodded with wide eyes as Screech pulled the last flatbed through.

"We are through." Screech rumbled smugly.

Freda glanced back to the quivering flatbeds. "And just how long have you been able to do this?"

Screech gave a shrug, her tendrils waving with the motion, "Since I rewoke. It's how I reached the sheds without anyone noticing the first night."

"And you never thought to mention that you can cross the entire railway in seconds," Freda said in dry amusement.

Screech shrugged carelessly, "I can, but you cannot. It takes great focus to keep others intact through the trip. It is simpler, if not outright easier, to travel by rail when I am not alone."

"Fair enough," Gwyn said amicably.

Screech turned her attention the the narrow gauge engine. She lay on her side in the ditch next to the line. Her coaches derailed behind her.

"Hello, little one." Her tendrils reached out, lifting the engine and her tender back onto a flatbed. "How did you end up here?"

The engine winced at the memory, " the rails gave way. I came around the corner and it was too late to stop."

Forewoman Owen nodded grimly, "It may not have been an accident." She said. "We can't find any of the spikes for this section of rail."

"You think someone sabotaged the line."

"There's no reason for metal spikes to all disappear when the wooden sleepers all survived."

Mali looked at the rails in askance, "Why would they sabotage the rails? The quarry would close without the railway."

"Indeed." Freda said, "Which is why they did it. It allowed them to close the quarry without spending so much as a pence removing equipment or any warning to their employee."

"Would I be correct in assuming they have since left the area?"

Gwyn snorted as climbed into the flatbed to secure the engine, "They were the first out and haven't returned since."

"How fortune for them."

"You can daydream about hunting them later," Freda said amused, "after we've recovered the coaches."

Screech hummed in agreement and began lifting the coaches onto the flatbeds one by one.

"What are you called little one?" She asked the engine.

"My builders called me Seren," she said quietly.

"A pleasure to meet you, Seren," Gwyn called as he began securing the first coach. "Do you know if any other engines are hidden on the line?"

Mali had climbed up onto Seren's flatbed and was working to clean the side she had fallen onto. Seren winced as she scrubbed at a dent. "No. By the end, everyone else had been sold away besides 590. There might be some wagons or coaches at the top station, but that would be it."Screech nodded at that, lowering the last coach onto a flatbed. "Then we are free to return to Argol as soon as you're secured."

#ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #fanfic #Uman and Din #Uman and Din Railway #U&D #U&DR #eldritch #eldritch train #eldritch engine

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hazel-of-sodor · 4 months

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What's Lost is Found

Ch.20 Content

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Screech thundered down the viaduct behind Tyto, the two behemoths almost seeming to soar down the rails. Their train stretched far behind them, but it felt effortless to race down the line with their combined might. They shot through the tunnel and burst through the other side into the dying sunlight, startling a flock of birds into flight. Tyto's laughter echoed off the mountains as they raced onwards, the vans and trucks behind them cackling and hollering with glee at their speed as they charged up the hill and down the other side.

Henaint blew past in a blur, Screech's whistle to Becca in the sidings howled through the air, causing the town's dogs to join her cry.

Finally, they plunged down towards the coastal run, the cold sea spray churning into mist with the strength of their passing. Finally, the home signal shone green in the distance and the sisters reluctantly slowed the train as they passed the station where Una sat as her last passengers of the day exited her coaches.

Once in the yard Screech and Tyto were uncoupled from the wagons.

Enid and Blaidd began shunting away the train as the two giants joined Avon at the shed. Tyto was soon asleep, snoring under the tendrils Screech had laid over her. Slowly the other engines trickled in one by one, quietly greeting Screech. Finally, Abbey rolled in, practically glowing in the night from her express run.

They chatted for a while as the night guard began making his rounds, but one by one the engines fell asleep. Until Screech was left to quietly watch over her fellow engines. Silent, but for a prayer of thanks to the Lady she settled in for the night, content.

AN: And thats a Wrap for What's Lost is Found! At 20 chapters at is my longest fic, beating A Screech in the Night by 6 chapters. Is this the end of the Uman and Din Fics? Not unless something crazy happens. I'm writing the next installment already. When will it come out? ....I have no idea. To be completely honest I'm a little worn out. I wrote A Screech in the Night, Whats Lost is Found, Traintober 2023, and Five Minutes to Midnight back to back. Thats 66 chapters straight. That and the fact What's Lost is Found was possibly my least popular fic...I'm tired. I'm still writing, but only when the fancy hits me, so I have no idea when the third installment will be ready. Thank you to every one who ready this, and all my other fics.

Love Y'all!

Hazel of Sodor

#ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #fanfic #U&D #U&DR #Uman and Din Railway #eldritch #eldritch train #eldritch engine #engines that go bump in the night

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hazel-of-sodor · 4 months

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Ch.18 Found

Miss Morgan did in fact believe the idea had merit, once spare engines had arrived.

"Are we any closer to that happening?" Gwyn asked as he checked one of Screech's oil reservoirs.

"I believe so." Miss Morgan nodded, "I contacted Sir Charles Hatt, the controller of the North Western Region, directly. He has agreed to loan us two engines until we can find a permanent solution."

"Will they be Western engines?" Avon asked curiously from the other platform.

Miss Morgan shot her an amused look, "he hoped to send great western engines, but could not promise."

She turned back to Mali, "but once they arrive I would like to look further into your idea. We purchased the rights to the old line after we found 590, so we have the legal right to reopen it."

***

A few weeks later the first snow had fallen and all the engines were being fit with snowplows as they awaited the loaned engines' arrival, much to Screech's disdain.

"I hardly need such things," she grumbled, flicking snow off her running board and onto Gwyn with a tendril. "I can melt the snow from before me without all this fuss."

Abbey snorted, her breath billowing into steam in the cold air, "We're well aware dear, but rules are rules. If I have to wear one, so do you."

Enid snickered, only to fall silently as Screech tapped the top of her berth threateningly.

Becca, fresh from her overhaul, was all but bouncing. "I can't believe she's coming!"

Miss Morgan laughed, "Easy girl, your sister will be here soon enough."

Sure enough, a Great Western whistle echoed in the distance, almost identical to Becca's own, a deep whistle shortly following.

Screech looked up, frowning.

"They are both Great Western, that's the same whistle type used on my class."

Enid glanced over curiously, "So that's what you sounded like before."

"Almost exactly."

3219 rolled around the corner with a happy whistle, quickly joined by Becca's, the younger sliding to a stop, pressing their buffers together.

"You're actually here!" Becca cried.

"Of course! I wasn't gonna let any of the others take my spot." 19 replied happily.

"Who did you bring with you?" Becca asked.

Before she could respond the other engine's whistle sounded again as she rolled into the yard, which fell silent at the sight of her.

A massive type 7 boiler sat above eight 5'8" drivers, with a smaller leading truck in front. On her cab sides, the brass number 4708 gleamed proudly.

The second smiled cheerfully, "Hello everyone, sorry I'm....late"

The engine trailed off as everyone watched as the two giant 2-8-0s locked eyes.

"Screech?"

"Tyto?!"

#ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #fanfic #U&D #U&DR #Uman and Din #Uman and Din Railway #eldritch #eldritch train #eldritch engine #surprise!#*cackles*

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hazel-of-sodor · 5 months

Text

What's Lost is Found

Ch.16 Bring Them Home

Other Stories

Other Chapters

With the last of the Argol engines recovered, life on the Uman and Din returned to normal. Well, what passed for normal on a railway with an Eldritch goods engine anyway.

There was an incident about a week after they returned, which saw a group of teenage boys thrown through an old wooden shed when they attempted to bother Mali. When asked to explain Screech was unrepentant. Miss Morgan and the group's parents were no more impressed with the teen's behavior than Screech had been and they had given her permission to do as she saw fit if she caught them again as long as the boys received no permanent harm.

Summer passed into Autumn and the workload lessened as the tourist traffic fell away with the temperatures. Becca went in for overhaul, Screech picking up her trains now that Avon no longer needed her help. The restoration of the line to Glain had begun, with Screech on track clearing duty every other weekend. She enjoyed the task, as simple and quiet as it was, as it gave her a chance to rip and tear without worrying about damage.

Work had also begun on repairing 590, Seren, and the rest of the recovered rolling stock. All of this had given Mali an idea.

Screech had been relaxing in the yard before her next train, enjoying basking in the sunlight while she still could as Gwyn worked to refill her tender with coal. She had offered to help, but he had said that he needed the exercise at his age.

She lazily watched the teen approach.

"Little Thief."

"Hey, Miss Screech." Mali hopped up onto the corner of the coal bunker. "I wanted to run an idea past you."

The eldritch giant eyed her curiously, "And what idea would that be."

"How to restore Argol."

Screech raised an eyebrow, "oh?"

Mali nodded, "My parents took me to visit the Talyllyn a few weeks ago. A preserved narrow gauge railway, run entirely by volunteers. People come from all over to see it. What if we did that with the old Argol line? We already have two engines and their coaches to run the line, and the only way to reach Argol would be by the Uman and Din, so it would help our railway as well."

Screech considered the idea. "I have no idea what would be required for such a venture, or if it is even doable."

Mali's face fell.

Screech thought a moment longer..."You have finished your duties for the day?

"Yes?" Mali said, confused.

"Then you will ride on my next train to Din. Miss Morgan will know if the idea has merit."

#ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #fanfic #U&D #U&DR #Uman and Din #Uman and Din Railway #eldritch #eldritch train #eldritch engine

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hazel-of-sodor · 7 months

Text

What's Lost is Found

Ch.12 Left Behind

Other Chapters

The former sheds of the narrow gauge line were a sorry sight, the roof having collapsed years prior. The trackbed was lost in the grass, marked only by what stood around it. A line of slate wagons stood crumbling on a siding, a few had collapsed under their abandoned loads. A small pile of coal stood next to the sheds, which Gwyn began shoveling into an abandoned wheelbarrow, Screech emptying it into her tender.

A rickety water tower stood between the two lines, Mali helped Freda swing the hose over to Screech.

Screech thrummed contentedly, a deep pulsing rumble that shook dust and soot from the nearby roof.

Soon the station team joined them, walking up the road.

Miss Morgan glanced at the slumbering lorry on the flatbed. "I see we have a new fleet member." She said as she walked up to face Screech.

Screech opened an eye, "I wasn't about to leave her. I'm a monster, not the other railway."

Miss Morgan snorted, "If you know any more 'monsters' let me know. I could use more sensible, hardworking, well-behaved employees" She patted a surprised Screech's running board and walked to inspect what remained of the narrow gauge sheds.

Screech was about to doze off when she thought she heard a faint noise.

She tilted her head, trying to listen, again the almost noise came, barely registering even to her.

"Stop." She didn't shout, but nonetheless, the others froze at the barked command.

She unfurled as much as she dared with the crews so close, straining to listen.

She had almost dismissed it as a figment of her imagination when she heard it.

"Please..."

More than a few crew shrieked in surprise or fear as her tendrils lashed out, but they were not her target.

Tendrils wrapped around the remains of the fallen roof with an iron grip and heaved with all her might.

The once seemingly immovable roof flew through the air, pieces tearing off from the force of the air racing against them before it slammed into the side of the mountain with a thunderous crash.

Even Gwyn and Freda were staring wide-eyed at the disintegrated remains of the rood as Screech's tendril probed back into the shed.

She felt around carefully, before gently wrapping around something large. It had been rusted to the rails, so her tendrils burned through the rails around it and pulled the severed rails out with her prize.

She brought the object to herself and gently set it between the rails in front of her.

As her tendrils withdrew it, or rather she, was revealed. A small tank engine rested between the rails. Her funnel was bent and her cab squashed from the collapse of the roof. Her once black paint was worn and chipped, where it was visible at all. Her motion had been removed at some point, along with her tanks and whistle.

The Baldwin 10-12-D stared at Screech wide-eyed.

'Oh, good another stray.' The whisper muttered, Screech ignored it.

"Hello, Little One."

"Hello." The narrow gauge engine rasped back, her voice stolen by years without water. Screech placed a tendril lightly over the tank engine's mouth.

"No more speaking little one. I would not have you damage your voice any further."

Screech reached out and grabbed a bucket that a workman was holding.

He yelped as he was lifted with the bucket up onto her tender. Freda took the bucket and workmen from her and began filling it from the hose. Gwyn began inspecting the little engine, checking her over for further damage.

Mali took the filled bucket and stepped carefully onto the waiting tendril, allowing it to swing her around to Screech's front. One of the workers helps her hold the bucket up to the battered engine so she can drink.

It takes five buckets before the engine can speak without it hurting, ten more before she can manage more than a whisper.

Her voice is quiet, and likely will be until her steam is raised again.

As water flowed through her once again, tears had begun to flow.

"How long was I in there?" She asked.

"Over ten years." Miss Davies said quietly.

"They said they'd come back." The little engine said. "That they just needed to unload the lorry to make room for me."

Mali had gently wiped away the engine's tears with her rag. "We're here. We came back, and we're not leaving you here."

One of the abandoned trucks chittered with coughing laughter, "There's no room on your flatbeds, you'll have to leave her behind."

One of Screech's larger tendrils smashed through the truck's rotten frames with enough force to bury itself several feet in the ground.

"We are NOT leaving her behind."

The other remaining trucks, rather than upset, were cheering and catcalling at Screech’s display.

The lead workmen hesitated, "Miss Gwyllgi, the Flatbeds are full. we could leave some workers with her so she's not alone, but we currently don't have a way to take her back this trip."

Screech glared.

"She will not be left behind at all."

Tendrils wrapped gently around the smaller engine's frames and lifted her.

"I will carry her if I must, but we are not leaving her behind"

Miss Morgan approached and looked at Screech searchingly, "You are sure? It's miles back to Llogeran, then even further to Uman."

"I am certain."

Miss Morgan nodded then turned to the work crews, "Check over the buildings for anything we missed then report back. I want us back at Uman before dark."

As the workmen scattered, Miss Morgan and Freda joined the efforts to clean the tank engine as best they could.

"What is your name, little one?"

"I never had a name," she said, wincing as Freda scrubbed a particularly rough section. "I was called by my old number 590."

"What would you like to be called?" Maki asked from where she had squeezed into the remnants of the cab.

The engine blinked, "I am 590." She said self-consciously.

"Well, that will never do," Gywn had taken advantage of Screech lifting 590 to clean the undercarriage. The whisper was attempting to convince Screech to fake dropping her to scare him.

The little engine looked hurt at his statement.

Screech rolled her eyes, "They believe all engines deserve a 'proper name' little one. They will call you by 590 if that's what you wish, but good luck convincing them to not give you a formal name."

"Really?" The engine nervously asked.

"Really," Freda said as she popped Gwyn with a rag, causing him to yelp. She pointed at Screech. "Screech is officially named Gwyllgi, but everyone still calls her Screech."

"What's going to happen to me when we get to Uman?" 590 asked nervously.

"You're being taken to our works for restoration," Miss Morgan said, "if you know where any of your missing parts are, it would speed up your restoration."

The engine blinked, "my tanks were left beside the workmens’ shed."

"Then the crews will find them." Miss Morgan reassured her.

Soon the workmen returned, some carrying newly found tools, others carrying 590’s tanks between them, and the lead foremen's team carried boxes of documents from the main station.

Miss Morgan did a head count, and upon confirmation that none were missing, they set off back down the line.

#ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #fanfic #Uman and Din #Uman and Din Railway #U&D #U&DR #Eldritch #eldritch engine #eldritch train #engines that go bump in the night

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hazel-of-sodor · 9 months

Text

What's Lost is Found

Ch.7 Into the Past

Other Chapters

Screech backed down onto the way crew train in the Uman yard as the first signs of light were peaking over the distant mountains. Normally all consists in the yard faced south, but her train faced north towards the sheds and the abandoned lines beyond.

As Gwyn coupled Screech to the flatbeds, Miss Morgan was directing the crews loading tools onto the wagons and flatbeds, often glancing towards the forest behind the sheds.

Guinevere whistled as she shunted past, headed for the docks to collect the Morning Pike, Screech's answering call causing the workers to shudder.

Finally, everything was loaded and Screech rolled slowly forward towards the waiting forest. The grass here grew high enough to brush and wither against her valve gear, her very touch clearing the vegetation.

As she approached the line she stretched out her tendrils, some felt the rails in front of her, ensuring they were stable and correctly spaced, others grabbed limbs and debris from the line, tossing them to the side.

They moved slowly, workmen walking alongside the flatbed as Screech cautiously probed forward, collecting any useful lumber Screech cleared and loading it on the empty flatbeds. Soon they had lost sight of Uman as they moved further into the forest. Several times Screech found sections where the rails had been unseated from the trackbed, and they had to stop as the men moved and secured the rails back into position. Other times they would find trees fallen across the line, Screech's tendrils slicing through the oaks like they were made of paper and lifting the pieces onto the cars behind her like otherworldly cranes.

Even as the sun finally broke over the mountains to the east, it remained shaded in the forest. Only the twin ribbons of rail showed humans had once regularly traversed this path, the light that made its way through the treetops casting the trackbed in an otherworldly light.

Mali rode on Screech's buffer beam, scanning the path for things objects too small for Screech to notice. Even with the advantages of her eldritch form, Screech like almost all locomotives tended towards far-sightedness. Her eyes were meant for reading distant signals and signage at speed, and engines rarely needed to see anything smaller than a wagon.

In the distance Abbey's whistle blew as she departed with the Morning Pike, echoing through the forest. The path wound up through the hills like the great serpents of days past, rising through the forest higher and higher. Seagulls flew just over the tips, squawking in alarm whenever they caught sight of the eldritch beast below.

Finally, as the sun was halfway between the mountains and its zenith, they reached Lloergan. The forest opened into a small clearing, worn buildings surrounded a station platform. Screech's whistle howled across the village as she rolled slowly to a stop at the platform. The few people on the worn streets stared in confusion at the metallic beast standing at the platform, wincing as the sound echoed around their skulls.

Miss Morgan strode up to Screech's cab, pulling off her work gloves. "We're taking a break while I talk with the Mayor," she called, nodding toward an approaching man. "While we talk, you can grab brunch in that cafe," she pointed towards one of the better-kept buildings," they're expecting you."

#Uman and Din #Uman and Din Railway #U&D #U&DR #fanfic #ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #eldritch engine #eldritch train #engines that go bump in the night

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hazel-of-sodor · 11 months

Text

A Screech in the Night

Ch.14 Home

Other Chapters

Abbey lounged in the fading light. At the platform, Enid was arranging the final trains of the day, all heading home to Uman. Screech rolled forward from the coaling tower to stop in front of the express engine. Geyn and Freda climbed down to grab tea in the nearby crew huts with Abbey's crew.

A creak came from the Star's frame as she shifted, stretching as much as her nature would allow.

"I missed this." She sighed contentedly. The 4-6-0 had set a new record with the first run of the express after the storm, and hardly seemed to be slowing down any time soon.

Screech snorted, "were you not saying you enjoyed the break from pulling the express just last week?"

The Express huffed a small laugh as she finished her stretch, "True... it can be a bit much when you're doing it every day for years on end." She smiled ruefully, "but I found myself missing it quicker than I thought I would."

"Indeed," Screech said quietly.

Abbey sighed, "Out with it."

"...I do not know what you're referring to."

The Star gave her an unimpressed look, "You've been more dramatic and anguished lately, which either means you haven't got to terrorise anyone lately, or something bothering you."

Screech opened her mouth to respond, only for Abbey to interrupt, "and I know it's not the first, Mali told me about the boys."

Screech sniffed derisively. "They are lucky I only scared them. They served far more for insinuating that to her."

"You threatened to castrate them and then force-feed them what was left."

"Well, I could hardly properly threaten them with children on the platform."

"You're not the least bit sorry are you"

"Miss Morgan gave me a biscuit for it."

Guinevere sighed with exasperated fondness, "In front of them, I presume?"

"Of course."

She shook her head with a snort, "Of course she did." She looked up to pin Screech with a look, "Now out with it. I'd rather know the problem before you resort to eating whoever is bothering you."

Screech gave a small puff of amusement before falling silent in thought. Abbey was about to prompt her again when she finally spoke. "Enid said something after the storm that bothered me...or more rather my reaction to it did."

"What did she say?"

"That she couldn't imagine what you all would do when I left."

"Aww, you're worried about us?" Abbey said teasingly.

Screech didn't react, staring at the sleeper between them.

Screech could practically feel the whisper roll its eyes, 'Just tell her you utter disaster of an engine.'

"I realised...I didn't wanna leave."

"Then don't."

Screech looked up to see Abbey fighting a smile.

"You would want me to stay?"

Abbey rolled her eyes and rolled forward, and bumped Screech's buffers affectionately.

"We had no plans of letting you leave, you silly thing." Guinevere smirked, "We all have breakdowns rigged in case you went to leave."

"What!?"

Screech stared as the whisper cackled.

"My valve gear, Enid's tanks, Avon's springs. You've been ours for a while now. It was just a question of how long you took to realise it."

Screech spluttered.

"Your name plates were finished weeks ago by the way."

Screech wheeshed in resignation. "They had better impress me," she said sulkily.

Guinevere laughed.

***

In Welsh mythology, the Gwyllgi is a bull-sized wolf with blazing red eyes and baleful breath that appears as an omen of death. On the Uman and Din, Gwyllgi is their 7th locomotive and night watch-engine. A terrifying creature not meant to remain in this world, and a really useful engine.

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AN: Hey everyone! Thank you for reading this passion project of mine. Screech and her fleetmates will return in ‘What’s Lost is Found’. Currently I think that will drop two weeks from today. It might be next week if I get alot of writing done, but I can’t promise that so two weeks. Love y’all, Dry rails and Smooth running.

#Uman and Din #Uman and Din Railway #U&DR #U&D #ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #eldritch train #eldritch engine #engines that go bump in the night

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hazel-of-sodor · 5 months

Text

What's Lost is Found

Ch.14 Return Again

Other Stories

Other Chapters

It was several days before Screech saw Mali again. It was Wednesday morning, and Screech was waiting for the Morning Pike to be unloaded. Mali was helping Gwyn and Freda wash Screech down.

Technically Screech didn't need it, she was more than capable of disintegrating any dirt or grime that landed on her, but like all engines, she appreciated the attention.

Mali was chatting with Freda as they worked.

"Maxwell is almost repaired, they're waiting on her new driveshaft, once that's installed she'll be as good as new."

Freda was scrubbing Screech's nose with a sponge, as rags had proven to disintegrate too quickly when used on her face. "Did they ever decide where to place her?" She asked, scrubbing a particularly stubborn spot of soot, causing Screech to wrinkle her nose.

Mali shrugged from where she was cleaning a cylinder. "From what I've heard she's gonna be used wherever she is needed most."

"And 590?"

"She's gonna take longer, other than the break, Maxwell was mechanically sound. 590...well it sounds like the little engines were run until they broke. 590 had broken down a few months before Argol fell, and they'd been pulling parts from her to keep the others running."

She paused thoughtfully, "No one seems to know exactly what happened the last day, but it seems from the few who were there that something happened on the little railway. Something they couldn't fix."

Mali clambered up onto the running board.

"Apparently those who were left loaded their belongings on the lorries waiting for slate and left."

Gwyn frowned as he brought Freda a bucket of clean water, "what happened to the engine?"

Mali hesitated, "That's the thing. I asked Miss Morgan and the records said they were all scrapped...including 590."

Screech stilled, her glowing gaze slowly swinging to Mali.

"You believe they lied."

Mali shrugged helplessly, "the train apparently failed in the middle of the line. Given what we know of the last day..."

"What are the chances they went through the trouble of scrapping it," Freda said grimly.

Gwyn shook his head, "there's no chance they would have dragged the equipment up the line."

"I had hoped I was wrong," Mali chewed her bottom lip nervously, "but there's another engine up there."

Screech shifted impatiently, "it seems then, that you will get the chance to return to Argol sooner than expected Little Thief."

***

That night, the engines and crews of the Uman and Din Railway gathered around the sheds in the dying light.

"It is our belief there is another engine stranded on the old Argol Railway, left abandoned when it failed with the final train." Miss Morgan surveyed her engines and crews from atop a truck, a map of the old Argol railway held aloft by Screech behind her. "Ideally another engine would be used to pull the train, but 590 will take months to be restored, and we all agree that is too long to wait."

She allowed the muttered agreements to die down before continuing.

"Saturday morning Screech will set off towards Argol with a line of flatbeds. Enid will follow with four teams of volunteers and a team of horses. I need volunteers for each team. Team one, which forewoman Owen has volunteered to lead, will scale the old trackbed to locate the train and prepare it for team two's arrival. Once team two has the train, they will continue along the line, searching for any more rolling stock or equipment left behind.

Team Two, led by fireman Dylan will ready the horses and follow Team One to the train.. Once the train is found, team two will use the horses to pull the train to where Screech can load it onto flatbeds.

I will lead Team Three at the old yard. Our task will be to recover any surviving rolling stock or equipment left in the yards, as well as reseal the old buildings to slow their deterioration.

Team four will be led by Mrs.Davies, they will explore the old town to ensure no other vehicles have been left abandoned.

We have two days to prepare. Let's make the most of it."

A/N: And We're Back! Updates will be posted every Tuesday, life permiting.

#ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #fanfic #Uman and Din #Uman and Din Railway #U&D #U&DR #eldritch #eldritch train #eldritch engine

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hazel-of-sodor · 9 months

Text

What’s Lost is Found

Ch.4 Memories

Other Chapters

That night at the sheds, Screech asked the Avon what to expect along the old line.

"It was beautiful," Avon said wistfully. "After you leave the yard it climbs up the winding hills to the north. The trees are old, and you couldn't see anything but the forest. You pass the junction to Argol at Lloergan." She paused, closing her eyes to savor the memory.

"Lloergan...Moonlight. It was more a village than a town, blending in with the forest. It was so easy to forget it was a only few miles from Uman. In the night all you could see was light from the moon and the light from the homes among the trees. I loved to see 2920 shoot past with the evening express, a blur of sound, smoke, and light...The line kept climbing from Lloergan, and just as you began to wonder if the forest would ever end, you burst through to the tops of the Aurchel Cliffs. You could see out across the water for miles. We loved to whistle to the Liners headed to, and from Uman."

Avon fell quiet, lost in memories.

"2920 was my predecessor?" Guinevere asked gently.

"Saint David." Avon confirmed, "Named for the Patron Saint of Wales, he worked until the line to Glain was closed. With half the line closed the other railway considered our express services unnecessary and transferred 2920 elsewhere." She groaned as she shifted.

"You're not overdoing it are you?" Guinevere's eyes locked in the 2-4-0 like a hawk.

Avon sighed in exasperation, "No more than anyone else Abbey. I'm just not used to the summer season yet "

The star almost looked convinced until Screech spoke up, " Of course, it's certainly not the fact you're covering two engines' trains during our heaviest season."

Avon shot Screech a betrayed look as Abbey narrowed her eyes at the smaller tender engine.

"I could hel..." Enid began only to be interrupted by Avon.

"No! The railway needs those beach trains and you know it. If anything you two need help handling the crowds."

"And who delivers those crowds to them?" Guinevere asked ominously.

Avon glared at the smug Eldritch giant.

"I do but..."

"And Miss Morgan says this is our heaviest season yet?"

"Yes., but..."

"Then you need help." Blaidd piped up from her corner.

The 2-4-0's betrayed expression shot the other direction.

"There is no one to help." She wheeshed anxiously. "Screech is the only one of us who isn't struggling with her loads as is."

"Then that settles it," Guinevere said, steaming curling around her with satisfaction.

The whisper happily cackled as the trap sprung.

"Settles what?!?"

"Screech will assist your trains when her schedule permits."

Avon's jaw dropped, "what? No, but..."

Screech raised an eyebrow, "Do you think assisting you beyond me little one?" She allowed her voice to echo, distorting the air around them as it rang from a thousand angles.

"but, but...you hate pulling pass...."

Avon trailed off as Screech gently pressed her nose with a tendril.

"I prefer dealing with the nuisances to seeing you damage yourself when I am perfectly capable of scaring passengers into compliance."

Avon's eyes darted around, looking for backup, finding none, she sighed in defeat. "You lot are arranging this with Miss Morgan."

"How fortunate that she has already been informed and reorganized my schedule to fit."

Avon seemed to deflate, "I hate all of you."

"Of course you do," Guinevere said mock soothingly.

#Uman and Din #Uman and Din Railway #U&DR #U&D #ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #fanfic #eldritch train #eldritch engine

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hazel-of-sodor · 1 year

Text

A Screech in the Night

Ch.8 Shatter

Warning:This Chapter contains an Eldritch Horrror doing Eldritch Horror Things. The Events are not cruicial to latter chapters, so you can skip it if need be.

Other Chapters

The following days saw Screech settle into a routine. Early in the morning, Geyn would steam her, Freda joining him shortly thereafter. Her dawns were spent racing along with the Morning Pike. After the morning run, she brought the previous day's fish vans back to Uman. Then she would make the quarry pickups along the line. After Gwyn and Freda ate lunch, her days varied based on what was needed that particular day.

Nearly a week after her arrival, she was sent up a branchline near Coedwig to collect a mixed goods for the harbour. The Branchline was named the Blaidd line after the engine that ran it. A small 2-4-0 metro tank of Cambrian design, she was nearly as old as the railway itself.

When Screech arrived, Blaidd was attaching the last vans to the train. The little engine ran back alongside the eldritch giant.

"Mind yourself with this lot lass. They're proper devils today," the tank engine spat. The trucks and vans giggled.

"It can't be as bad as October," Gywn called as he walked to the switch to let Screech through.

"Worse," the 2-4-0 groused, "they've heard of the big lass from the other yards, and are determined to show her up." She glanced up. "They'll fight you all the way to Dyfnder if you let them. You need to put them in place now or there will be uffern to pay on the hills.

Before Screech could respond, an empty truck from the sidings called out. "Oi boys, look what crawled out of the scrap heap!" The trucks and vans in her train cackled.

"Show him his place," hissed the whisper.

"Oh look, a talking matchbox." Screech drawled, "did they run out of toothpicks when building you? Or did they know you weren't worth the wood?"

Her train roared with laughter.

The truck seethed, "A sight better than you monster. Not even fit for scrap metal." He smirked, "unlike your sisters. I heard they made soup cans out of them."

Screech went very still. All sound seemed to vanish, the wagons in her train daring not to breathe. Even the whisper fell silent within her mind.

"Blaidd?" Screech asked quietly, the sound echoing back in the silence from a thousand angles. "Are you in any way attached to this beast?"

Blaidd shook her head nervously.

"Good."

The sky darkened as Screech stretched her tendrils towards the truck. The temperature dropped drastically, the water dripping from the shed roof freezing in place mid-air.

Despite the unnatural silence, a ringing seemed to fill everyone's ears. In the dark, Screech's eyes glowed, and the trucks looked away as quickly as they could, instinctively knowing that to look within them would shred their minds like paper in a gale. The air around Screech distorted and refracted her image, but the lone truck somehow knew the terrible glimpses he saw through the shards were closer to the true Eldritch form of the 47xx.

Even before the tendrils touched him, the truck rose into the air, vibrating from some unseen energy. He cried out as the sound of splintering wood and straining metal was heard. Everyone in the yard shied back as the shriek of metal overwhelmed his cries. The tendrils surrounded the truck like serpents made of shadow. It had only been seconds, but it had felt like hours when his eyes finally met Screech's.

As he felt his mind tear from the strain of glimpsing her true self, a tendril finally, almost tenderly poked a corner of his chassis.

The silence was ended by the shattering of wood and metal into thousands of infinitesimal pieces. One second the truck was there, the next, nearly imperceptible pieces of metal and wood rained down on the forest and yard.

Screech closed her eyes and took a deep steadying breath. When they opened again, they were a burning ice blue.

"I expect," she said shortly, "that we will have no problems on our journey?"

Everyone in the yard, freight car and human, nodded frantically.

"Wonderful." Her tone remained clipped, hinting at her still simmering anger.

"Uh… Screech..."

The ice blue eyes swung to Blaidd, only to find the small tank engine off the rails. The track next to Screech had warped from mere proximity to her rage. Blaidd had been left tilting on the edge of the ballast.

"Apologies"

Screech slapped the rails with a tendril, and the rails snapped back into place. She then reached out with several tendrils and gripped the tank engine's frames, lifting gently.

She brought Blaidd in front of her to inspect her for damage, and finding none, gently set her back on her own rails.

"Thank you." Blaidd watched the tendrils curiously as they retracted.

"Normally anything they touch turns to rust, how do you control that?"

"Who says I do?"

"The fact you picked me up without turning me to scrap."

Screech barked a dry, but genuine laugh. "Through pain. I'm not meant to be in this world, so it damages anything that touches me. If I desire, I can protect the object..."

"By taking the damage yourself."

"Indeed."

Blaidd was quiet for a long moment, "You didn't have to help you know. We have a breakdown train that could have picked me up."

Screech flicked a tendril carelessly as if shrugging. "It was my fury that put you there when you had done nothing deserving my rage. Putting you back was only correct."

Blaise frowned, "but it hurt you."

Screech snorted dryly, "hardly any more than existing."

Blaise looked at her sharply, "You're in pain just from being here?"

"Such is the price of my existence."

Blaidd looked searching then sighed, "there's nothing we can do to help, is there?"

"Unless you can reverse death? No. I would not ask even if you were capable of such a feat. This is what I am now. To change that would change me."

The tank engine nodded slowly, "I think I understand. I wouldn't ask to become a diesel even if it kept me up to date."

"Exactly."

The Tank engine glanced over at the trembling trucks in Screech's train and smirked, "Any chance I can convince you to come down every once and awhile to keep this lot in line?"

"It would be my pleasure." 4702 purred while the whisper cackled.

The trucks gulped audibly.

#U&D #U&DR #Uman and Din #Uman and Din Railway #ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #eldritch train #eldritch engine #engines that go bump in the night #Hazel is evil #Hazel murders rolling stock

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hazel-of-sodor · 9 months

Text

What’s Lost is Found

Ch.5: The Hound

Other Chapters

Screech thundered down the line, coal cars from the Henaint mines stretched behind her, and Avon's mid-day train in front of her. The strain of constantly starting the long train was hard work even for an engine of her size...

Screech loved it. The feeling of hard work stretching her cylinders and motion, of actually being challenged as she took the weight of both trains. Avon had initially tried to pull her share of the weight until she saw Screech happily panting after the first run. She had rolled her eyes and grumbled something about crazy mainline engines that Screech didn't quite catch. The next run Avon had just pulled enough to keep her weight off the train and let Screech do the work.

The climb to Din failed to slow the train. Screech whistled in gleeful challenge, the passengers shuddering at the feeling of the sound twisting around their minds.

The sound startled the birds from the vibrant green treetops around them, and the sky was filled with fowl and smoke.

They plunged into the tunnel, Avon's answering whistle echoing along its length even as they burst through onto the viaduct. Hikers in the valley below stopped to take in the sight of the two engines racing atop the stone arches.

They reached Din early, stopping at the points to uncouple Screech and her train, allowing Avon to continue to the station while Screech shunted the coal trucks into their sidings.

Once their trains had been sorted the two were parked at the shed while their crews took their lunch break in the crew hut.

For a moment all was quiet. Avon sighed happily in the shade of the shed. Screech took the chance to unfurl herself without risking her human crew, the shadows and light twisting around her in a nauseating kaleidoscope of angled and colors, tendrils sprouted and lay on the ground around her like Medusa's mane, and her eyes glowed as brightly as the sun above them. The two, engine and beast, had almost dozed off before a commotion erupted behind the shed.

Mali came skidding around the corner, clutching something to her chest, snarling and yapping coming from behind her.

Before either engine could react she had leaped onto Screech's running-board and pressed herself against the eldritch engine.

Her pursuer rounded the corner, only to come face to face with Screech. The mongrel stared down the eldritch behemoth before it, matted fur standing in end at the sight as countless tendrils rose into the air, ready to strike.

"I would suggest you hunt elsewhere," Gwyllgi suggested mildly, the ground shaking under the restrained power of her voice.

Unfortunately, the mutt had less sense than grooming and chose to growl at the shadow before it.

Screech's eyebrow twitched before she stretched a tendril toward"s the mongrel.

Flick

***

Bowrooooooooo...

The town of Din looked up to see a mangy hound flying north towards the sea as if thrown by a giant.

***

Far away on the Cronk and Harwick Narrow-gauge Railway...

"And how would you care for a dog?" Sapphire asked amusedly. The quarry Hunslet was basking in the sun before her next train.

"Our crews could feed and water it." The 2-6-4 across from her bounced excitedly as she shunted the wagons of hay together.

Jenning stirred lazily next to Sapphire, "It's not your crew's job to care for your pet."

"Further," Sapphire continued before Leek could answer, "where would you even find a dog?"

The large tank engine pouted, "I'm sure I could find one."

Sapphire snorted, "I'll make you a deal Leeks," the 2-6-4 perked up. "If a stray dog finds its way to the sheds, we'll ask our crews if you can keep it."

"Deal!"

Jennings rolled her eyes, "here we go again."

Sapphire smirked and whispered to Jennings, "Unless one falls from the sky, there's no way a stray dog makes it to the shed without a child claiming it."

The 0-4-0 considered a moment before nodding in agreement, "Fair enough."

Leeks tilted her head, "what's that noise."

The engines all listened.

A sound could barely be heard in the distance, growing louder quickly.

"AaarrrrrrooooooooooooooOOOOO!"

Crash!

A black shape hurtled from the heavens, smashing into the line of hay wagons. Hay and wood flew everywhere as the object plowed through the wagons, finally slamming to a stop against the back wall of the last truck before Leeks.

Silence reigned in the yard for a long moment. Leeks had flinched back from the impact, closing her eyes against the rain of hay and splinters. She slowly opened her eyes, peering cautiously at the back form in the wagon before her. The shape groaned, raising a matted head drunkenly.

"Aroo?"

"A dog!" She exclaimed, her safety valves lifting in excitement. "The Lady sent me a dog!"

"Are we even sure that's a dig and not a bloody gremlin!" Screech swore.

"Gremlin. Yes, that's their name! Who's a good gremlin!"

The mongrel managed to tiredly wag its tail under the hay.

Sapphire flinched back from the glare from Jennings's direction.

***

Screech collapsed herself back into hiding, grimacing at the nosebleed Mali had already developed.

Mali slowly uncurled from her position on Screech's footplate, her hand clasped around something.

Freda and Gwyn came around the corner followed by Avon's crew, drawn by the commotion.

"Mali dear are you alright?" Freda asked, pulling out a rag to wipe at the nosebleed.

"Yes Miss Freda," Mali said, wincing as the blood was scrubbed away. "I lept onto Screech's running board to get away from a dog and she was unfurled..."

"Be grateful that was all that happened Little Thief." Screech warned, "Had you looked too closely you could have been driven mad."

"Well, I had to save her!"

'Who is this her,' the whisper sighed.

When Screech repeated the question, Mali opened her hands.

Mew?

A small soot-covered kitten pressed itself into the girl's hands, staring at Screech apprehensively.

"A kitten!" Avon exclaimed delightedly.

"I saw the dog chasing her," Mali explained, "I just grabbed her and ran."

The kitten stared at the eldritch behemoth unblinking.

The giant snorted. "It has far too much attitude for something its size," she said, tapping the kitten's nose with a tendril.

The kitten hissed and swatted at the tendril.

Screech chuckled, the sound rumbling through the ground beneath them.

"It's certainly unafraid of you." Freda laughed. She began rubbing the kitten under its chin, causing it to pur, struggling to maintain its starring contest with

Screech.

Screech gave the engine equivalent of a shrug, "Animals seem to see more of me than humans. Their simpler minds are better at accepting my existence without crumbling. She most likely already has a far better idea of what I truly look like than you do."

"One would think that would make her more afraid of you," Gwyn observed.

"It's a cat," Screech stated dryly. "The only thing they hold in awe is food."

#Uman and Dim #Uman and Din Railway #ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #fanfic release #eldritch train #eldritch engine #U&D #U&DR #engines that go bump in the night #no animals were harmed in the making of this fic #Cronk and Harwick #Cronk and Harwick Railway

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