"There you two are." The locomotive's fireman stepped out from the station office, holding out two small paper slips. He handed one to each of the boys. "One week pass for each of you,

Exer looked down at his.

~North Western Railway~

Week Pass - For One Passenger

Good for all train services on the railway; Cannot be used for service from Vicarstown to Barrow-In-Furness.

Present pass at Vicarstown for a discount on U.K. services out of Sodor

"Make sure you keep that in a safe place and don't lose it," the fireman said, already turning back toward Thomas's cab and climbing in.

Exer stared at the little card. "So... we just show this to someone and we can get on any train?"

"That's right," the fireman called down from the cab. "Hand it over to the ticket collector at whichever station you're at, tell him or her where you're headed, and they'll hand out the tickets for you."

Thomas smiled. "It'll be easy once you get the hang of it,"

Exer nodded. "Okay, I'll-,"

There was a sound of a whistle. Exer and David thought it was a coach's whistle. Something they always would hear in their P.E. classes back home.

"Sorry, sorry! Can't stay and chat!" Thomas's smiled. "I've got my run to get to — I'll catch you both later! Bye!" A great puff of steam shot out from his pistons and he was off, wheels turning, chugging steadily away down the track.

Exer blinked. He watched Thomas until he rounded the bend and disappeared.

He looked over at David. 

David gave a small shrug. "Guess... we could go somewhere?"

Exer turned back to the tracks. Just empty rails stretching off in both directions. He swallowed. "What if we get lost though? I mean..." He looked at David properly. "Did we just... lose our home?" His voice came out quieter than he meant it to. It had all moved so fast — one moment they were home, and now they were standing on a train platform in what might as well be a completely different world. A different dimension. The weight of their entire world being completely... shattered seemed to have kicked in. "Like is home gone?"

David let out a slow breath. "I know. But... it seems alright here, doesn't it? We should probably make the most of it." He held up his pass.

Exer stared at the ground for a second. "Yeah..." He glanced at the station wall. "At least it's a break from Elijah," he muttered under his breath.

David blinked, "What-?" he asked.

"N-Nothing,"

"Come on, babe — let's just take it easy for now—"

"Dude." Exer's face went hot. He clamped both hands over David's mouth. "Don't just say that out here! We have no idea how people are in this place, maybe—"

David laughed softly behind Exer's hands and gently pulled them away from his face. "Exer. Thomas mentioned he had someone, remember? And that someone was a boy too. Maybe this world's a bit more... relaxed about things?"

Exer hesitated. Then sighed. "Maybe." He gripped the pass a little tighter. "Okay. Ticket collector... whatever, right? We go find them?"

He looked toward the main building. It was a brick station with little shops built right into the wall — a bakery, a bookstore, a couple of others he couldn't quite read from the spot he was standing. And right in an opening that lead out of the station, on the right side, one large window with the word Tickets  were clearly above it.

"There," Exer said. "That's where we go to get the tickets, I guess."

"I wonder how big this place is? Thomas said it was an island, right?" David asked as he and Exer walked up to the ticket stand.

"Yeah," Exer said.

The man behind the counter was just finishing up with another passenger. "Here you are," he was saying cheerfully, sliding a slip of paper through the gap. "One ticket, Knapford to Maron." The passenger thanked him and moved off, and then it was their turn.

"Morning, lads," the man said, settling his elbows on the counter. "Where are you two off to today?"

Exer opened his mouth. Closed it. Looked at David.

David stepped slightly forward. "We're, uh... we're pretty new here, actually."

The man's face softened into a warm smile. "Not to worry at all. Want me to walk you through all the rail lines we have?"

The two boys nodded.

"Right then." He folded his hands. "You've got the Mainline — starts here, runs all the way up to Vicarstown. That's where you'd transfer if you were looking to get off the island entirely. Vicarstown's one of our bigger towns — zoo, a museum, worth a look if you're interested. Then there's the Ffarquhar Branch. Smaller towns along that one, very pretty, good walking if you like that sort of thing, and some excellent bakeries. The Brendam Branch, same story — quiet, not many tourists, mostly used by folk getting ocean liners at the docks. And then there's the Little Western." He leaned in just slightly. "That's the popular one for visitors. Takes you up along the coast to Haultraugh. Nice seaside up that way. The main beach at Norramby's shut today — track repairs — but Haultraugh's pretty lovely."

David and Exer looked at each other at almost exactly the same moment.

"Seaside," David blinked.

Exer shrugged. "That means beach, right?" He looked back at the Station Master. "Which train goes to the... seaside one? The one you said was open?"

"Track five," the man said. "Usually Percy or Duck on that run — engines Six and Eight. Is that the one for you two?"

They nodded together.

"Cash, or do you have passes?"

Both boys slid their week passes through the gap. The man looked them over, nodded to himself, and wrote out two tickets in neat, quick strokes. He handed everything back — passes and fresh tickets both.

"Platform five," he said with a smile. "Enjoy the seaside, lads."

Exer nudged David's arm. "Come on."

"Wait — how do we get to platform five?" David asked before Exer could pull him away.

Exer glanced around and spotted two staircases near them, both going down below ground. "I think down there."

They took the steps, turned right at the bottom, passed one more staircase, walked to the end of the underpass, and came back up. The sign on the post said Platform 5.

The track was empty. Well — there were some coaches sitting on the track next to it, on Platform 4, but no engine attached. Platform five itself had nothing yet.

"Guess we wait," David said.

"Guess so." Exer said as he said in one of the station benches. 

David turned, studying the coaches on the neighbouring track. "Where do you think those go?"

"Who knows," Exer said. "Maybe far from here? They look pretty big, unlike the ones Thomas was hooked up too,"

They stood. And waited. It occurred to neither of them until well into the wait that they hadn't even thought to check the timetable. They had their tickets, they had the platform, and that was roughly where their planning had ended. They didn't check to see when the train would actually arrive. 

Eventually, the sound of chugging came in from down the line. A small green engine came into view, slowing steadily as it reached them. Smaller than Thomas, if anything.

"Hello there!" the engine called brightly, easing to a stop.

"H— hi?" Both boys answered at once, still not entirely used to being spoken to by a machine.

"Are you taking my train?" The doors down the coaches swung open as the engine asked, and a small handful of passengers stepped off onto the platform.

"We think so, yeah," Exer said. "You're going to the beach?"

"Haultraugh, yes!" The engine's face was cheerful. "I need to run around to the other end first, though." 

The fireman climbed down from the cab and walked back along the platform to uncouple the engine. He got back in, and with a hiss of steam, the little green engine moved forward away from the coaches. 

"Go ahead and find a seat!" the fireman called back to them as the engine trundled off. "We'll be back around in a bit."

"Right." Exer reached back and took David's wrist lightly. "Come on, Day. Where do you want to sit?"

David looked at the three small coaches. He tilted his head. "Last one? Front one? Middle one? Actually wait — which way is the engine going to be at when we leave?"

"The front one, I think. That's why they left— it'll come back on the other end."

"Uh... maybe the middle? Wait, nah the back one?" David suggested. "Look — it's got that window at the very end. Like a little panoramic thing."

Exer nodded. "Okay! Come on!" They walked into the coach, and sat in one of the seats. David sat next to him.

"This is completely insane," David finally said, quietly. "I don't even know where to start."

Exer smiled a little. "I know. But we've got a beach to look forward to, right? That's something. I mean, it's a beach."

"Hmm, I dunno, maybe the sand has faces,"

Exer let out a surprised laugh, loud enough that a lady across the coach glanced over. "David. Stop. That's ridiculous. I'm pretty sure it's just the machines here."

David grinned. "Yeah, probably. Maybe."

They waited, watching out the window. After a while, the small green engine came back into view on the other track, moving in the opposite direction now, slowing, reversing. There was a soft clunk as it connected to their coach, and the whole train jolted gently.

"Woah—" David gasped.

Exer giggled. "Geez, take it easy on the gas dude," he said softly, giggling.

"More like take it easy on the steam, haha," David smiled.

A few more people during that time, boarded into the train. How the seats were set up inside, were two seats facing each other. No hallway, which meant you couldn't walk up and down the couch. You had to stay in your small little part.

A man, who seemed like someone to check tickets, came to check there's. "Heading to Haultraugh?" He asked.

"Uh... Yeah I think so," Exer said.

"Two stops from here," The man handed them back the tickets. "Enjoy your ride," he smiled, then walked back out of the coach, after closing the door.

Softly, the train started to move. "Okay... here we go I guess," Exer nudged David.

David smiled. "This is insane. You know, I never road a train before,"

"Me neither," Exer giggled.

"I mean, we did ride Thomas when we first met him, but now we're in the actual, you know... passenger thingies," David shook his head.

"Yeah," Exer nodded. He looked out the window. "I also can't tell you when was the last time I've seen a beach. Where the beach is pretty far from Kingsmont,"

"I know. At least we can have some fun today right?" David said, trying to sound positive. They still weren't too sure what happened. But maybe Thomas could fix it, they knew Thomas knew about most of these worlds.. or universes... or dimensions, or whatever they're called. If they had to be torn off from their world even for a little while, and have to be stranded somewhere else, at least it was in a world that seemed harmless.