The Chronicles of Widget (Phoenix Rising)

by Angela Timms

  The Vale of Rheidol Light Railway is very old. Not as old as us of course but it was authorised by an Act of Parliament on 6th August 1897. Back then it would have been modern. It is what is known as narrow gauge which is ideal for passing through difficult terrain.

  It was dark so I couldn’t see too much and we were rushing. We walked up and down the little carriages looking for some space as it was packed out. Cobwebs hung in the windows, black lace curtains concealed people and until we opened the doors it was difficult to see if there was room inside for us. There were lots of people, some dressed up, all excited about going on the train and what would happen next.

  It was nearly full but we knew there was room for us. We just had to find out where. Who were we going to be sitting with? The little door opened and we were carried inside. Now I was very scared. So many people in a small box. When the door closed that was our world. A box pulled by another metal box that would pull us through the mountains. Were they mountains? I don’t know if they are high enough to be counted as mountains.

  We were facing a couple who were on the train without any children. They were mildly amused by me but left me alone. I did have a look over Angel’s shoulder at the children in the carriage and they spotted me. It was a night of magic and creatures so they looked and spoke about me but not to me.

  It was dark outside on the platform and in the carriage. Then someone put on an iPad and it was no longer dark. That was good as I could see everyone but bad for a spooky atmosphere. That is the thing with the modern world I suppose, there are answers quickly now. If you don’t want to be scared of the dark you can put a light on. If you want to be scared then you keep the light off.

  That phone was bright. When it was lit up I could see quite a bit of the carriage. It was good really as the people organizing the trips had worked hard to decorate it with skeletons, masks, cobwebs and material. Not the gory realistic horror things I had seen on the internet but friendly family fun horror decorations that are available in most shops at Halloween I have been led to believe. I don’t get out to shops of course but I did have a good look on the internet and there are some amazing things on there.

  I had a good seat by the window. Sitting on Angel’s lap of course and looking around. Not that I could see much outside while we were in the station. I could feel nervous anticipation building up. What would happen? As there were those who didn’t believe in Frixians I had to suffer the indignity of being a floppy puppet. Angel tried to make this more bearable by moving me around like a real person. It isn’t the same, it never will be. I wanted to react as I would react and not being able to walk around the carriage was distressing. The light on was a big problem for me. I’d been ok until then, in the shadows of the dimly lit carriage as eyes weren’t on me I could be me. Now I was not so lucky.

  This is Halloween and I couldn’t help thinking that although people were sort of afraid of the trip they had no idea how dangerous it actually was out there. All manner of nasty creatures are wandering about and there are spooky ghosts as well. They can’t see them of course so why would they be worried. If they saw things out of the corner of their eyes their brains would explain the things away and they would ignore them. That is how they deal with the magical world I suppose. They might not be able to see what was there but I could see spirits around the station, standing at a distance and watching what was going on with amusement. An old station guard was standing at the end of the platform. It was clear that he was a ghost, he was translucent and as I looked at people’s faces I could see that none of these ghosts were visible to the people on the train. There were Victorians who walked up and down the dimly lit platform and a small boy was pulling along a wooden horse on wheels behind his parents as they walked along the platform trying to get onto the train. They couldn’t get on the train of course. There is no room in the land of the living for the dead. The train was bound by that, the ancient magic that kept those ghosts to their own space kept them on the platform. That was their destiny until someone or something sent them to their final resting place. These were not dangerous ghosts, they were just people who got left behind.

  As I couldn’t move for myself I spent the time thinking. I really dislike it when I can’t move, that is when I’m at my most vulnerable. We were in a box being pulled up into the hills and totally at the control of the train driver. If it stopped the monsters would get us as we would be outside the protective lights of the town. I know that. I have seen the monsters that are out there. Out in the darkness I could see them with my Frixian sight. Just shadows within the dark, moving but too far away for me to see what they were.

  It all looked so innocent. Smiling guards and then they locked us in. Was this a plot? We had happily got onto a train and on the window there was tape saying enter at your own risk. What about “Elf and Safety”. For the good of this Frixian (well almost and Elf) I don’t want to get eaten by something bigger or the Goblians. I know they are about tonight.

  Gishnak was around the smallholding the other night. I could smell him. He can’t come onto our land as we have protected it with our magic. He did make some awful noises though when he felt he couldn’t get across my protective boundary. I smelt him when we stopped the car. He must have followed us here and he and other could be around.

  I looked around the carriage. Anyone could be him if he could get on board. Unlike us, he can shapeshift and look like anyone or anything. The other revelers had brought along bags, lots of bags. He could be in any of the bags. Or one of the other Goblians might be hiding in a bag. This was a busy weekend for them. They could easily put on a mask and a costume and wander around and nobody would know they were there. They can look like ordinary people as well. That is the hard part and why it is unfair. We have to wait to come to this world and be bound to something. They just need a lot of people thinking dark thoughts and they then step into those thought shapes and get around using them.

  This is not going to go smoothly. I just know that. I have a feeling but also the situation is just perfect for the Goblians out there. The machine is old and relies on the Driver and Guard. If the Goblians get into the engine then we are all stuck. I could feel as it started pulling up the hill that the train was struggling. That would slow it down, then the Goblians could get on board. Of course if they get on board or hold onto the train that makes it heavier and I would guess slower. So whatever calculations they have made to keep the train moving easily won’t really apply.

  If I could look out of the window I could try and see them but I was stuck. Unable to move all I could see was the people in the carriage and thankfully no Goblians. Out there, who knows.

  Gadget realized it as well. She was sitting with Sarah and she looked over at me with a worried look. She was very stuck as Sarah wasn’t moving her much. There is no telepathic link there as Sarah isn’t her linked human, Niall is, so she wasn’t able to tell Sarah what she wanted. She could still see the carriage though and she could still smell the Goblians.

  The whistle blew and we were on our way. The man opposite in his white coat splattered with blood opened the window. It was wet out there and the platform shone as the lights from the train and town sparkled in the puddles. As we pulled away the damp world sparkled as well. Smoke wafted into the distance after wafting around the carriage. The wind blew it away like ethereal ghosts on their way to the spirit world. Six minutes past six, was that an omen? That was the time we set off.

  We were on our way and as we were in a closed carriage and locked in there was nothing we could do to warn the others that there were Goblians about. Why would we anyway. As long as we were in the carriage and all together there was little the Goblians could do. They are cowards at heart and they prefer to catch people on their own. Unlike the big trains these were small carriages and there was no way of walking between them or going anywhere.

  6 The train rumbled along the tracks. I couldn’t help thinking that the rhythmical sound and the gentle swaying of the carriage was lull
ing us into a false sense of security. It was actually quite serene. The children chatted excitedly. The adults talked to them, telling and teaching them things. It was a perfect scene and I was really enjoying it.

  The smell of the smoke was so different to anything I had smelt before and the excited chatter of the children and their parents all added to the atmosphere. The darkness, proximity to people and the anticipation was fabulous. The carriage was old and that added to the atmosphere. I really wanted to see what was outside the window too. The scenery is quite breathtaking I am lead to believe but in the dark we couldn’t see a thing. Trundle, trundle, train and wonder as we go. Along the track, clickety clack. We are going, will we come back?

  The train pulled out of Aberystwyth and sparkling lights from the streets, houses and businesses passed the train window. It rattled along the track, the sound rhythmical until we stopped for a while and waited to cross the road. The train went right across it and the cars had to wait for us. It was odd as I hadn’t thought about the train going across the road until I saw the cars stopped. The cars probably crossed the railway all the time, just not now. It was also good to see people and to know that there were still people out there, they weren’t all gone. Car headlights and other lights shone on the rain soaked road. A bright interlude before the train rumbled on and was thrown into darkness as it left the town and headed off into the wild country on its way to Devil’s Bridge.

  Now that sounds ominous in itself. It had said dare we take the ride to Devil’s Bridge. We dared but was it wise? Could something more sinister be behind this seemingly innocent ride on the railway from Aberystwyth? I am sure there is an amazing story as to why it is called Devil’s Bridge. I will look it up sometime.

  A few sparkling lights in the darkness later and as we passed the riding school there were buildings and I think I saw live horses, I can’t remember. A headless horseman was trying to encourage a spiritual horse to let him climb on board. The horse wasn’t too impressed and his rider certainly wasn’t going to let the ghost onto her ghostly mount. The horseman then gave up and hunted around, finding his own horse and leaping aboard before galloping off. The other rider rode off into the darkness.

  Whatever I thought or felt it was too late to worry about that now. We were in a box being delivered to where we were going. I couldn’t help feeling a bit like a snack in a box being driven past monsters. Out there in the dark things lurked. Behind every tree a monster was waiting to eat us. In the carriage we were warm and dry. There was an air of expectation mixed with excitement and fun. The perfect Halloween feeling and I was so glad I was here on Halloween night.

  The veils were thin, the ghosties and ghoulies and long legged beasties trying to avoid the things that go bump in the night were all around. It was war out there. The ghosts didn’t like the ghouls. Their dirty cadaverous bodies were inelegant memories of the bodies the ghosts once had. The long legged beasties were lurking in dark corners just hopeful that someone would be incautious. The things that go bump in the night were starting their night of mayhem. They were trying to avoid each other but when they bumped into each other, there were fights. I could see one or two. They were able to be seen in the darkness with my Frixian sight. I couldn’t see the terrain around them but I could see them. I could see shadows of trees and some hid there, unwilling to get involved in the fights. And here we were in this lovely old carriage, creeping slowly into the night past dark hollows and ancient trees. Of course not all spirits were dark and nasty. It was the eve of All Hallows and out there were beautiful spirits too. Loving spirits who had come back to see their loved ones was what the day had originally been all about. It was also a night where the fey folk were about. Then they can be as or even more dangerous than the darkest creature. A wicked sprite intent on mischief was most likely going to succeed due to their age and experience.

  It wasn’t long before I spotted an Ent tree. It was an elderly oak. A tree spirit which waved his branches at the train to try to warn the children within that they were in danger. He tried to reach out but he was far too far away. His Dryad stuck her head out and looked. She was looking at the children and smiled though she probably knew they couldn’t see her. I saw her only fleetingly. I could just about make out her long pale green hair which was made black in the darkness until the lights of the train illuminated her. In the light it reflected all the colours of the wilds. Her diaphanous gown was concealed by the darkness. She watched and blew a kiss, her blessing of hope that we would survive. I waved back and whispered a silent “thank you”.

  The train trundled on and I saw a white misty light amongst the electrical glow coming from buildings we passed. A White Lady was wandering along the tracks. That is never a good sign. She was a portent of trouble to come. Her tall elven features were unable to be seen in the dark but I knew she was there.

  The train rumbled on and stopped, seemingly for no reason. This was terrible. We were stopped in the darkness. Anything could happen, Goblians were out there. Goblians were possibly in here too. I could smell one but I couldn’t see it. It could be anywhere just waiting to take a bite into the leg of one of the children. If they made too much noise or moved too much that Goblian would bite. Their eyesight is not fantastic so they react to movement. As they hide in dark places and are made of rubbish they often are nearly blind creatures which sense people by their noise and their movement. On a Ghost Train there was going to be noise and excitement. This was very dangerous. Not safe at all.

  Thankfully the train moved off again and rumbled along the track. The wheels turned rhythmically as the engine pulled the train on and on into the darkness. Then it stopped again, this time in a station and a loud explosion rang out. Not just one explosion, another and another. There were monsters out there, we were all going to die!

  Die or be eaten or part eaten. I didn’t want to be eaten and I wasn’t happy about being locked in a box. Faces appeared in the window. We were being attacked by monsters. Hold on, they weren’t monsters, they were children in masks. There were children out there where there were monsters and Goblians! I was then more afraid for them than us. No doubt they were there helping out, being the scary monsters that were making people all along the carriages scream. The screams were like a wave moving along the train as the intrepid bunch of scary children moved along.

  A ghoulish hand came through the open window and tried to grab me. Its fingers reaching towards me, I moved. Its fingers closed on empty air where I had just been. The strong arms that would have dragged me out into the darkness to certain death pulled back and for a moment it was quiet. The child that had reached in had seen me and saw I was a puppet, especially when Angel moved me so it looked as though I was going to bite back. Screams rang out as the passengers were attacked again. I was reassured that it was just the children having fun but then again that was what the sound of death sounds like. People screaming and dying but at least they weren’t dying, just playing scared. We couldn’t see them though, they could all be dead. The child monsters could have been replaced by real ones. What about the driver? He was in an open carriage. There wasn’t even a wooden wall and window to protect him. He could be dead. If he was dead we wouldn’t be able to go anywhere and we’d have to wait here, locked in the carriage and waiting to die. I tried to keep that out of my mind.

  The children screamed but they were very brave. Rather than running away from the window and hiding they were up at the window and discussing what superpowers they could have to defend from the monsters. As the train moved on to the next platform and through the darkness the children were very excited. They wanted to attack the monsters back and they were planning how. I was so proud of them but a little concerned for the children who were out there in the rain in costumes amusing us in the train. They were amusing though and very keen to defend themselves. They chose their powers. One wanted punching. As they laughed and screamed they were having a wonderful time. Then they expected to be attacked, it was a Ghost Train after all. But they
had no idea of the danger they were really in. They were indeed attacked. More explosions and the children doing the attacking must have been on the train, being given a lift to the next station. They tried to attack the children in the train and got grabbed and attacked back. That is the way of children these days, they have changed. No longer hapless victims who await their fate with screams and wails they were ready to defend themselves.

  I could smell Goblians. They were everywhere. What could easily have been children and people paid by the railway to scare us could also be Goblians. Under those masks the green, long nosed creatures could be waiting to snatch a child or climb in through the window. I was so glad the children were fighting back and if there was one out there and he tried I wondered if he would actually get more than he bargained for to use an Earth term.

  The explosions went on for a while and I looked out of the window helplessly. Was everyone dead? No, while they were screaming they were still alive. That was reassuring as from where we were sitting we couldn’t see what was happening in the rest of the train.

  Then it went spookily silent and the train moved on. I didn’t like silent, silent was bad. The Goblians were out there and then my fears were realized as a Goblian head appeared at the window while the train was moving. There was no doubt, the children monsters would not be able to do that.

  Now we had a problem and we had to do something. But what? Being stuck in the puppet bodies was useless. What we could do was leave our bodies and become ethereal. We wouldn’t be able to touch anything in this world, just the Goblians. So we could end up in a fight with them. It was simple magic which didn’t involve words or much at all. We slipped out of our bodies and there we were in our ethereal state.

  It is odd to see Gadget without her puppet body. I had got so used to her just being the puppet as we had stayed that way for so long. She was much taller of course, nearly six feet tall and very thin. She had an amazing figure and her long silver hair tumbled down her silver back. Her features were pointed and very fine. We were almost twins and it was lovely to see her and know I looked like that. My hair was gold and my skin gold too. She dressed in silver, I always chose gold. Not that they were real clothes, they were magical clothes.