Part 9 (2/2)

'Time Lord!' The voice boomed around the island. The Doctor stared incredulously at it. 'Impossible.'

'Doctor, look!'

Bronwyn tugged at his sleeve. Silhouetted against the sky, two large figures lumbered into view, pot-bellied and thick-legged, their huge clawed arms steadying them on the uneven surface. Jet-black eyes fixed on the Doctor and Bronwyn, and the things giggled horribly, like huge babies.

From somewhere in the dark there was a harsh grating cry: 'Seek!

Locate! Exterminate!'

The Doctor turned and bundled Bronwyn towards the boat.

'Get it started! Now!'

Fl.u.s.tered, Bronwyn scrambled across the weed-slick rocks, hauling herself into the boat and fumbling with the starter cord of the engine. The Doctor unwound the rope from where it was tied, tossing it to Bronwyn and then hopping onboard himself.

The engine coughed and spluttered. For a moment the Doctor thought it was going to die, but then with a roar it caught, billowing bluish smoke around them. Bronwyn swung the handle of the outboard hard about and the motorboat swung in a tight circle. The prow lined up with the entrance to the cove and the boat surged forward, waves splas.h.i.+ng across its prow. The Doctor looked back at the island, eyes flicking from rock to rock desperately, hoping that they'd not left their escape too late. His eyes narrowed. A small figure stood on a craggy promontory watching them. Not a monster, but a small child. A boy clutching a ragged cloth toy.

As he watched, the child gave them a wave, then turned and vanished from view. The Doctor's mind raced. Up to now the creatures that had stalked the woods and the island had been impossible imaginary creatures, their shapes and sizes drawn directly from the over-active imagina94 tions of frightened children. The last few apparitions they had seen, however, had been quite different. The Nestene Consciousness, the Slitheen and the Daleks were all creatures that no earthbound child could possibly know about. They were creatures with their basis in fact, and here and now there was only one common denominator other than himself.

Rose.

95.

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Ali watched from her hiding place in a cupboard under the stairs as Rose was half-led, half-carried from the ward by two nurses. She ducked back out of sight, closing the cupboard door to a crack as they manoeuvred Rose across the hall and dragged her up the stairs. Their heavy footsteps sent trickles of dust down on where Ali had tucked herself between old Hoovers and boxes full of empty wine bottles. She covered her nose, determined not to sneeze.

Following Rose and her captors through the dark of the old rectory had been the most terrifying thing that Ali had ever done in her life. Every corner she rounded was a step into the unknown, every shadow was thick with menace. She had hurried up the stairs from the cellar, desperate not to lose sight of Rose, padding along darkened corridors, following the sound of footsteps echoing through the dusty old house. She had nearly been caught as she made her way into the wide hallway. A door had opened behind her and she had run forward blindly, expecting to be seen at any moment. But she had been lucky the nurses in the hallway had their backs to her. She had spotted a cupboard under the stairs and dived into it, holding her breath as two more nurses rounded the corner, making their way across the hall and 97 vanis.h.i.+ng through two big double doors.

Ali had waited in the cool dark of the cupboard, watching as Rose was marched across the hall and pushed through those double doors by the woman with the gun. That had been ages ago. Ali had been wondering how long she would have to wait before trying to make her escape from the house when the doors had opened again and Rose had been dragged out.

Ali waited as short a time as she dared, then eased the cupboard door open again. The hallway was empty, all the doors closed. She could hear m.u.f.fled voices from inside the old dining room. Keeping one eye on the doors, she made her way carefully up the stairs, making as little sound as possible on the polished wood. She crept to the first landing, peering through the banisters to see where the nurses were taking Rose.

At the end of the corridor she could see one of them fumbling with a key in the lock of a big wooden door; the other one had Rose in his arms, keeping her upright. Ali scampered up the last few stairs, tucking herself behind a large wooden chest that stood on the landing. The nurse swung the door open and helped his colleague carry Rose inside, then they both emerged, locking the door and heading back towards the stairs.

Ali crouched down behind the chest, making herself as small as possible. She screwed her eyes up, listening as the footsteps came closer and closer. With a sigh of relief she heard them carryon past her, clunking down the stairs and echoing across the empty hallway. She peered out from behind the chest. The hallway seemed deserted. Rain was streaming down the panes of a tall window at the end of the landing, sending flickering, writhing patterns over the walls and floor. Ali scampered across to the room where they had put Rose, keeping as close to the wall as possible. The big heavy key was still in the lock.

Ali reached out and turned it. The lock opened with a loud clunk. Terrified of being locked in once she was inside, she pulled the key out of the keyhole and slipped it into the pocket of her jeans. Checking that no one was coming down the corridor behind her, she then turned 98 the big bra.s.s k.n.o.b and heaved against the door.

It creaked alarmingly. Ali opened it just enough for her to slip through, then carefully closed it again. The room was dark and smelt musty. Heavy curtains covered the windows and huge ancient-looking wardrobes loomed over her. On the far side of the room she could see a bed with an unconscious figure draped across it awkwardly. It looked as though the nurses had just dumped Rose and left her. Ali scurried over to her side.

Rose looked dreadful. Her skin was pale and waxy and her hair tangled and matted. Her eyes were flickering left and right under her lids.

Ali grasped hold of her arm and shook it gently. 'Rose!' she hissed.

'Wake up!'

Rose's eyes cracked open, rolling unpleasantly as she made a great effort to focus. She tried to speak, but managed only a croaking gasp. Ali glanced around the room. There was a sink against one wall, one of those tiny old-fas.h.i.+oned types like her gran used to have in her upstairs bedroom. Ali crossed to it. A cracked gla.s.s sat on a little shelf below a grimy mirror. She stretched up and lifted it down, then grimaced. It was a bit grubby, full of dust and a dead spider. She reached in her pocket for a tissue. That was a bit grubby too, but it was all she had.

She shook the spider from the gla.s.s, wiped off as much of the dust as she could and turned on the cold tap. Pipes squealed and banged in protest at years of disuse, sounding impossibly loud in the dark room. Ali jumped. Then, with a coughing splutter, a trickle of cold water splashed into the basin. She rinsed the gla.s.s, filled it to the brim and soaked the tissue, then hurried back to Rose.

Hauling her upright, Ali pressed the cold tissue to Rose's forehead, brus.h.i.+ng her hair back and wiping some of the sweat away.

'Here, I brought you some water.'

With unsteady hands, Rose took the gla.s.s and began swallowing down greedy gulps. Water splashed over her chin and on to the bed and she started to cough.

Ali s.n.a.t.c.hed the gla.s.s from her. 'Slowly, or you're going to choke, 99 stupid!'

Rose nodded weakly. 'Thanks,' she croaked. 'Great bedside manner.'

Ali gave her the gla.s.s back and Rose sipped at it more slowly.

'What are you doing here, Ali? I thought I told you to wait for me.'

'I was scared.' Ali looked at her feet guiltily. 'It started to get dark and they come out when it gets dark. The monsters.'

'So you followed me in here?'

Ali nodded. 'But the monsters are in here too. I saw them, when they took their faces off.' Ali could feel tears starting to well in her eyes, but she brushed them away angrily. 'Why are they here? Why did the monsters have to pick on our village?'

'Hey, it's OK.' Rose caught her by the hand, sitting her down on the edge of the bed and putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.

'You remember that friend of mine, the Doctor?'

Ali nodded.

'Well, he's an expert on monsters. Sorts 'em out all the time.'

'Really?'

'Really. He gives them them nightmares.' nightmares.'

Ali managed a weak smile at the idea.

Rose eased herself cautiously to her feet, steadying herself on Ali's shoulder. Colour was slowly starting to come back to her face. She looked round the darkened room.

'Where are we?'

'They locked you in one of the bedrooms.' Ali held the key out proudly. 'But I got the key!' She looked at Rose quizzically. 'What were they doing to you? I saw them attach those wires and things to your head, but then they shut the door and I couldn't see any more.'

'I'm not sure. At first I thought they just wanted to find out who I was, but now I think maybe they were looking for something.'

'In your head?' Ali's eyes were wide. 'What did they want from inside your head?'

'I don't know.' Rose shook her head. 'I just don't know.'

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