Ten Cents Is Dead
October 23, 1932
It was late at night, and the three remaining Star Tugs had just got back from their jobs. It had been a slow day as usual, and now that all the Z-Stacks were gone, they didn't have any competition. Top Hat, Big Mac, and Ten Cents all went to their usual spots in the dock. The Star dock seemed empty and lonely without the other tugs. Ten Cents looked sadly at the spot where Sunshine used to sleep. He couldn't help but crying while doing so. What he wouldn't do to bring him back.
"TEN CENTS!!!"
Ten Cents turned his head to where the voice was coming from. It was Captain Star's. "STOP CRYING AND GET TO WORK YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE SWITCHER!!! YOU'VE GOT A BARGE TO DELIVER!"
"Yes sir" Ten Cents said weakly. Captain Star was never the same after the disappearances of the ships and vessels in the harbor. He was always screaming at everyone and was much harder on his fleet. Ten Cents left the dock trying to hold his tears so Captain Star wouldn't yell at him again.
As he went to get the barge, he looked over at the old Zero Dock. It was deserted, with its wood rotting, it's windows boarded up, and creaks and groans coming from inside. Ten Cents turned around. He didn't want to look at the terrible sight any longer. Then, some of the dockyard cranes caught his attention. They lay in the water with their metal all rusted, broken, twisted, and covered in seaweed.
He suddenly heard a familiar whistle. It was the good's engine, making his last journey of the day. It was amazing to Ten Cents how he could still even work! His axles were falling apart, his buffers were bent, and his funnel was gone. Ten Cents watched as he went out of sight. BUMP!
"Hey, watch where you goin-oh, the fuel barge!" Ten Cents had bumped right into it.
"There you are!" Said the Fuel Depot Manager.
"I've been waiting here for ages! Here, the barge is all ready for ya to take to Lillie!". Ten Cents tied up to the barge and took it away. He didn't even understand why they still kept Lillie out in Dem Der Rocks. No more ships or trampers came into Bigg City anyway; all too afraid to come in because of all the disappearances. But it was nice to go out to Lillie and talk to her.
She was really lonely out there, especially since Hercules was gone. Ten Cents then noticed that fog was starting to roll in.
"I hope it clears up soon." he said to himself.
"I'll never be able to find Lillie if it doesn't."
The fog got worse and worse every minute, until eventually it covered everything and Ten Cents lost all sense of direction.
"I'll never find Lillie now! Hey, what's that?" He suddenly say a bright light some distance away from him.
It seemed like it was beckoning to him, calling him to come closer to it. Ten Cents did so, falling under the spell of the mysterious glowing light. The closer and closer he got to it, the more he was enchanted by it. He soon forgot who he was, what he was doing, and how he got there. But all he knew was he had to get to that light. When he finally got to it, it spoke to him. It's voice echoed eerily in all directions.
"JOIN US, AND YOU WILL EXPERIENCE ETERNAL HAPPINESS!" There was a blinding flash, and Ten Cents was absorbed by the light...leaving only the fuel barge behind...
Credited to OldJones
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