3.17am, Part Three

PART THREE: THE GOLDEN ANGEL


Current time: One minute before 3.17am



The spaceship was smooth and sleek on the surface. It’s metal looked like it had been moulded and carved rather than bolted together by various smaller parts. It was shaped like a sunflower seed and there was no discernible windows or doors or even any engines.

The ship had broken out of hyperspace and was sailing past a small blue, white and green planet below.

As the ship began to pass the planet a small hole appeared on the underside of the ship and a bolt of energy shot out from the opening, streaming down towards the planet.

As it entered the atmosphere the clocks in a small English village turned 3.17am….

Current Time: 3.17am



Mary and Sadie had knocked on numerous doors in the area, but so far nobody had answered. They had even thrown a few stones up at some of the windows to get the attention of someone, anyone, but even that didn’t seem to rouse any occupants.

“It’s like the entire village is deserted,” said Mary.

“But where have they all gone?” said Sadie.

“It’s not the people that have gone I don’t think.” She sat down on the garden wall of a small bungalow. “I think it’s us, if I understand the Doctor correctly.”

“How do you mean?” asked Sadie, sitting down next to her.

She frowned, almost as if she was trying to work it out herself. “I think time has moved on for everyone else except for us. It’s like we’re frozen in this one moment whilst everyone else has continued to move through time.”

“Then why is it just myself and Jason, that little girl and that woman that didn’t move with time?”

“Now that I can’t answer,” said Mary, sighing. “I’m only just beginning to get used to this time travel business myself.”

“Yeah, the Doctor said you’re from another time. What the hell does that even mean?”

“I’m from 1949,” said Mary. She smiled at Sadie’s blank face. “And as odd a that is for you, it’s even odder for myself. Imagine finding yourself in the future!”

“I’d hardly call 2019 the future,” laughed Sadie.

“It is to me,” she said. “My brother used to read storybooks that showed depictions of the Earth fifty years from my time and it was all spaceships and silver robotic men. That’s not what it is though, is it?” She sighed. “I don’t even know if I’m still alive now.”

Sadie smiled sadly and then shook her head. “It hardly seems possible.”

“That’s what I would have said a little while ago. It’s all still the same though really, isn’t it? Your world. I mean some things are different – your brother has a husband!”

“I suppose that’s a bit modern for you, isn’t it?” said Sadie, smiling at her innocence. “Don’t you have any family that are missing you?”

Mary looked distant for a moment, her eyes glassy. “This village reminds me of my home a little bit. I suppose my mother has long gone now as well.” She shook her head. “I had a brother and a father who were both killed in the war.”

“I’m sorry,” said Sadie.

“They were stationed in Coventry. They had a night off when the bombs started falling. They were near the cathedral when…” she trailed off.

“It’s okay,” said Sadie. “I can’t imagine what it was like.”

“My mother must be missing me,” said Mary, getting up off the wall. “The Doctor says he can take me back to the moment I left, like she would never know I was gone, but I have gone, haven’t I? If I die tonight -”

“Don’t say that,” said Sadie.

“But if I do; if I do tonight then I will never get back to her in that moment.”

She continued to stare out into the distance when Sadie gasped and gripped her arm tightly. Standing a few metres away was a cloaked figure. It was that close that Mary could make out more this time. The cloak seemed to be shifting in and out of focus, and beneath the hood was a blurred, yellow face with two piercing blue eyes.

Mary and Sadie began to back away as the thing raised its arms.

“Run!” shouted Sadie as they leapt from the wall and bolted down the road.



The road that led to the church was on a gentle incline and standing at the top was a low-walled graveyard and a medieval church within. They had managed to keep sight of the little girl, but she had disappeared into the darkness.

“I cannot believe I’m creeping round this graveyard at this time of night,” said Jason. He wasn’t frightened easily, but graveyards were naturally scary in the dark.

“I’ve been in my fair share of graveyards and cemeteries,” said the Doctor, whipping out a strange, tubular device and whirring it around them as they pushed open the iron gate into the graveyard.

“Where they always this creepy?” asked Jason, keeping close to him.

“Actually…yes,” he said. He turned to look at Jason and then smiled, clapping him on the back. “We’ll be alright.”

“Normally I’d say it was just irrational fear, but we’re stuck in a frozen moment in time with cloaked figures chasing us. I’m not sure I can believe that we’ll be alright.”

There was a bang from up ahead and the Doctor pointed his device towards the church.

“Sounds like the church door,” said Jason.

“How did she get inside?” said the Doctor, frowning. “Does the verger usually leave it unlocked.”

“I wouldn’t have thought so,” said Jason. “Mind you I’m not a particularly religious person. I don’t attend church. Well, apart from christenings and weddings and stuff.”

“You Humans always fascinate me,” said the Doctor. “Surely the age and mystery of a building like this is enough to warrant interest out of people.”

“Nah,” said Jason. “They’re all too busy staring at their smart phones these days.”

They made there way past the mostly eroded gravestones until they reached the old wooden door. It was slightly ajar so the Doctor pushed it slightly. It creaked as it swung open giving way to darkness within.

“Hello?” whispered the Doctor. “Are you there, little girl?” Nothing but silence. “Come on, you don’t have to be scared. We’re friends.”

“I know you are,” came the little girls’ voice. She was standing right next to them, her hopeful face looking up at them.

“Jesus!” said Jason, nearly jumping out of his skin.

“Hello there,” said the Doctor, crouching down in front of her. “What’s your name then?”

“Penny,” said the girl.

“And where do you live in the village?” asked the Doctor.

“Down the road from your friends house,” said Penny, nodding towards Jason.

“Where are your parents then?” asked Jason.

She shook her head and bit her lip. “I don’t know. I woke up and they were gone. One of those nasty men was in my room, but I heard the angel.”

“The angel?” asked the Doctor.

“The golden angel. She says her name is Elita.”

The Doctor looked at Jason and then back to the little girl. “Did you say you heard the angel?”

“Yes. She’s over there.” Penny pointed into the blackness of the church.

The Doctor and Jason squinted into the darkness but couldn’t make anything out.

“I can’t see anything, Penny,” said the Doctor. “You say you woke in your bed?”

“Yeah.” Penny looked between the Doctor and Jason. “Don’t you believe me?”

“Believe her,” came a silky, female voice from somewhere in the darkness.

For the second time in five minutes Jason nearly leapt out of his skin. “What the hell?!”

“Is that Elita?” asked the Doctor, his voice calling into the dark.

As if to punctuate his question there was a flare up of light towards the front of the church. The stonework of the church was suddenly bathed in a golden light and the Doctor and Jason were momentarily blinded. When their eyes adjusted to the light they could see a female figure stood beside the alter.

The Doctor frowned as stepped into the aisle. The closer he got the more he could make out. Her skin was golden and she was wearing a white robe lined with gold and silver embroidery. Her hair was brown with flecks of silver and hung down in intricate ringlets around her shoulders. As the Doctor approached two huge wings unfurled from her back, each one spanning around two metres.

“Good morning, Madame,” said the Doctor, nodding his head.

“Welcome to my sanctum,” said Elita, smiling at them. Her eyes were a piercing blue colour.

“Your sanctum?” asked the Doctor.

“You mean the church?” asked Jason.

“I mean the minute.”

“The minute is your sanctum?” The Doctor nodded. “You created this frozen moment, didn’t you?”

Elita smiled and indicated to the pews in the front aisle. “Please, sit.”

“You’re not like the one in the cloak outside,” said the Doctor.

“The Dark Ones are not to be trusted. You must find your peace with me.”

The Doctor, Jason and Penny sat themselves down, the three of them still dazzled by her light.

“The Dark Ones are the ones in the cloaks, yes?” said the Doctor.

Elita nodded, but continued to smile. “They are monsters. Killers. They will kill you just as they have tried to kill me.”

“Wait, wait,” said the Doctor, holding his hand up. “Back up a bit. What exactly happened to you?”

“Have you ever heard of the Ash City, Doctor?”



“Where exactly are we running to?” asked Mary, completely out of breath now. She classed herself as being physically fit, but she had never run so much in her life.

“As far away as possible,” said Sadie. “Maybe this time warp thing is only affecting the village. If we can get out then maybe we’ll break free from it.”

Mary splashed through a muddy puddle and nearly slipped on the ground. “But what about the Doctor and your brother?”

“If we can find a way out then maybe we can come back and help them.”

Mary turned back. The cloaked figure was only a few metres behind them and gaining fast. It seemed to flicker and blur. Every now and then it looked like it would judder as if it wasn’t really there.

“There’s a bridge just down this road,” said Sadie. “It’s one way out of the village.”

The bridge crossed over a tiny railway station. Mary peered down over the edge of the bridge as they continued to run.

And then.

WACK!

Mary felt the pain in her forehead first and then fell back against the road going over the bridge. Sadie must have done the same because she was on the ground next to her with blood trickling from her nose.

“What happened?” asked Sadie.

Mary got to her feet and fell forwards until her hands reached something solid. Except there wasn’t anything visible in front of her. It was thin air.

“What is it?” asked Sadie, scrambling to her feet as she heard the cloaked figure coming up behind them.

“Oh no,” said Mary. “I’ve seen something like this before. It’s a barrier. It’s invisible and keeps people in.”

“You mean we can’t pass through it.”

“This must be where the edge of the frozen time is.”

“Well we have to try!” said Sadie as she began hammering on the invisible wall.

The two girls had forgotten all about the creature behind them. Mary glanced to her side just as the cloaked figures blurred, yellow hand grabbed her shoulder.

Sadie cried out in fear and spun around, falling against the invisible barrier.

Mary backed away as the figures cloak seemed to billow out into something that looked more like smoke. The smoke surrounded Mary until she vanished completely.

The figure turned to face Sadie and held out its hands towards her. Sadie frowned. There was nowhere to go.

Nowhere to go but down.

Stealing her nerve she climbed up onto the small wall at the side of the bridge, said a little prayer, and jumped off the bridge.



“The Ash City is my home,” said Elita, looking down at her audience. “It is on the planet of Pellax.”

“I’ve heard of Pellax,” said the Doctor. “It was ravaged by a great disaster millennia ago.”

Elita nodded. “The planet orbits too close to the Medusa Cascade.”

“Hang on, this is getting a little bit out of my reach,” said Jason. “Medusa Cascade?”

“It’s a nebula close to a rift in space and time. I sealed it once, but the planets nearby were ravaged by the time winds.”

“We live underground in great cities. The surface of the planet is uninhabitable.” Elita looked sad. “Every now and again a child of the Pell is born, infected with this.” She held up her arms.

“You mean infected with time?” said the Doctor, looking sad.

Elita nodded. “It’s a freak occurrence. There are only a few of us born every few years, but when we are, we are transported off world to get us away from the planet. We are considered freaks because they do not believe we are in control of our powers.”

“I’m sorry,” said the Doctor. “But I can understand why they take you from the planet. Having time and space running through your veins is…well, it’s not the safest affliction to have on a heavily populated world.”

“But it does not excuse what they do to us.”

“Which is?” asked Jason.

“They take us as far away as possible from Pellax and then throw us into a black hole.”

“That’s abhorrent,” said the Doctor, disgusted.

“Yes,” said Elita, “but this time I was able to escape my prison ship. We were passing this planet when I broke free from my chains and fell to Earth.”

“Where you landed in this current moment in time?”

“Yes,” said Elita, “and sealed myself away so that they couldn’t find me.”

“Except they have found you,” said Jason, “and they’ve found us as well. We’re in the crossfire of it all.” He shook his head angrily.

“But that doesn’t explain where everyone else is in the village,” said the Doctor.

“It’s not an exact science, Time Lord,” said Elita, shaking her head. For the first time the Doctor and Jason noticed that she looked frustrated, that almost serene look on her face had faltered. “Most people in the time bubble continued beyond 3.17am and escaped, but there was always a chance some of you would remain trapped.”

“Like myself and my sister,” said Jason.

“And little Penny,” said the Doctor, giving her a smile.

The little girl frowned up at him.

“Exactly,” said Elita.

“So what now?” asked Jason.

“Now you must help me defeat the Dark Ones. The Pel will not relent until they have killed all of you and killed me.”


Current time: 7.15am



Mary opened her eyes. It was daylight and she was lying on the same bridge she had been standing on a moment ago. There was the faint hint of rain in the air and it was cold.

Standing in front of her was the cloaked figure, except now it looked clear and fully formed. The figure pulled down its hood to reveal a bald, yellow head, piercing blue eyes, pointed ears and angelic good looks.

Mary panicked for a moment before the newcomer held out her hand. “Please, don’t be frightened. My name is Vashta.” She was softly spoken.

“Don’t panic?! What on Earth is going on here?” Mary got to her feet and rubbed at her bruised arm. “You’ve been trying to kill us.”

“Do you look dead?” asked Vashta.

“Well, I suppose not,” said Mary. “Wait, it’s daylight. What time is it?”

“I believe it is 7.15am Earth time,” said Vashta. She smiled at her hopefully.

“You mean I escaped the time bubble?”

“Of course,” said Vashta. “Why do you think my partner and I have been chasing you?”

“To kill us?” said Mary.

“Not at all,” said Vashta. “We’ve anchored ourselves to the frozen moment in time and have been trying to rescue you and your friends.”

There was a flash of light and another cloaked figure appeared. This alien was a male with red tattoos on his face.

“You got the Mary woman I see,” said the male.

“Welcome back, Ulther,” said Vashta. “What’s going on in there?”

“We have some major problems,” said Ulther. “They’ve made contact with Elita.”

“Who’s Elita?” asked Mary, trying to remain levelheaded.

“She was the person we were transferring to the sanctuary planet,” said Vashta. “But if she’s made contact with your friends brother and the Doctor then they are very much in danger.”

“What kind of danger?” asked Mary. “Elita is a killer and she will use them. She will use them to kill all of us.”

To be concluded...

3.17am, Part Two

PART TWO: STUCK IN A MOMENT



Sadie and Jason stepped away from the window, Jason sitting on the end of his bed and Sadie leaning against the doorframe, her hands to her temples as she thought about what she had seen.

“Okay, okay, so that’s not normal.”

“Are you sure we didn’t imagine it?” asked Sadie.

“What, both of us at the same time?” laughed Jason. “Perhaps it’s a dream.”

“That sounds even more stupid.”

“We need to call the police,” said Jason.

“Finally! I’ve been saying that for the last few minutes!”

Jason went to his mobile that had been connected to the charger. His eye caught the clock on the side and he frowned. It still read 3.17am.

“What are you waiting for?” asked Sadie.

“I think my clock’s stopped working. It was 3.16am when I woke up and now it says it’s only 3.17am.”

“So?”

“So we’ve been awake for more than a minute, sis,” he hissed. He shook his head and went to unlock his phone. His face froze.

“Again, what are you waiting for?” said Sadie, growing more impatient. “That thing might still be out there.”

“It’s my phone. The time on it says 3.17am as well.”

Sadie shook her head. “I don’t get it.”

He unlocked his phone and called the emergency number, but there was no dial tone. “It’s dead.”

“Let me try mine,” she said, hurrying out the room and returning with her own phone. She looked pale as she looked down at the screen.

“Let me guess – it says 3.17am as well?”

Sadie nodded slowly and turned the screen to face him.

“Well there’s gotta be a simple explanation for it. Maybe there was a power surge and it fried the electronics in the house.”

“Let’s try the landline.”

They made their way downstairs and Jason grabbed the receiver of the phone mounted to the kitchen wall, but there was nothing. It was completely dead as well.

Jason shook his head, his eyes wide with fear.

“Maybe it’s gone,” said Sadie, but she sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anything.

Jason turned to the front window and grabbed the thick, blackout curtains. He swallowed and then slowly pulled them open. To his relief there was nothing there.

“It’s gone,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“We need to go next door and see if their phone is working,” said Sadie.

“We can’t wake up Mr and Mrs Peppers.”

“Look, I don’t know what that thing was and I don’t know what it did to that poor woman, but you know there’s been some weird crap going on over the last twenty years or so all over the world. I reckon we might be in danger.”

“You’re right,” said Jason. “Let me get our coats.”

Jason headed through to the kitchen and the little utility room that led to the backdoor. He grabbed his and Sadie’s coats and was just putting his trainers on when something caught his eye.

Something right in front of him.

Jason looked up, and standing looking at him through the frosted glass was the bright blue eyes of the shadowy figure.

Jason staggered back and nearly collided with Sadie who had also come to grab her shoes.

“Oh shit!” she said.

“Run!” shouted Jason.


Current Time: Unknown



Mary woke up and, amazingly, felt refreshed. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep for, but more items had materialised in the room since she’d fallen asleep. She went to the wardrobe and found a plain, black dress with a white belt. It still didn’t completely suit her, but it would have to do for now.

She made her way back through the maze of corridors until she located the console room again. The Doctor was sat in an easy chair with his feet up on a small pouf. He was reading a leather bound book – Tales from the Ancient Days – and was nodding to himself.

“Good morning,” said Mary as she wandered into the console room.

“Oh, finally!” he said, slamming the book shut enthusiastically and popping it down on the top of the pouf. “I was wondering when you’d wake up.”

“How long was I asleep?”

“Hard to tell,” said the Doctor, rushing to the console. “Time is so difficult to track on board the TARDIS, but I’d say….hmmm…maybe three days.”

“Three days!” she said, aghast and plonking herself down on the easy chair.

“Yes, about that I think. I was beginning to think you’d never wake up. I’ve managed to film an episode of a game show with a previous version of myself, save a race composed entirely of grass and avert World War 22 in the time you’ve been asleep.”

“Goodness,” she said. “I must have needed it.”

“The TARDIS can do funny things to a person.”

“About that,” said Mary, “are you any closer to getting control of this ship? I mean you did promise me you’d take me home.”

“Mary, are you so desperate to return right now?”

“Well, eventually,” she said. She thought for a moment. “It’s just…well, my mother is alone. She’s been so lonely since my father and Peter died. She tries to smile her way through the days, but I know she’s not smiling when her back is turned or when she knows nobody is looking.”

The Doctor looked down at the console. “You have a strong bond with your mother, don’t you?”

“We’re all each other have left.”

The Doctor’s mouth curled into a sad smile. “I know how much family can mean. I’ve had family members I’ve lost and I’ve had friends as well. Friends that have become family to me. It’s always so hard to leave them behind.” His eyes narrowed as if he was remembering something. “And sometimes we can do the most desperate things to get family back…”

The TARDIS suddenly lurched backwards. The Doctor fell back towards the doors and he banged his head on the wall while Mary stumbled forward and fell against the console.

“What was that?!” she yelled, as the TARDIS lurched back again.

“I don’t know,” said the Doctor, getting to his feet and rubbing the back of his head.

He frowned at the digital clock readout on the time zone panel of the console. It’s numbers were randomly jumbling up and not settling on anything.

“Doctor, you might want to look at that,” said Mary, pointing towards an ornate clock, its hands spinning around and around.

“We seem to be caught in some kind of time anomaly,” said the Doctor as the TARDIS lurched again.

“Meaning what exactly?” said Mary, as she gripped the console again.

“I’ll explain later,” said the Doctor, looking from side to side and then making a decision. He raced around to the other side of the console and flicked a switch. The central column stopped its usual rise and fall and the TARDIS engines suddenly fell silent.

“What’s happening?” said Mary, casting her eyes towards the ceiling.

“We’re riding the anomaly down to its source.”


Current Time: 3.17am



The TARDIS materialised on the dark country lane relatively quietly, save for it’s usual wheezing and groaning. After a few moments the door opened and the Doctor stepped out followed by Mary, who had found herself a black, knee-length wrap-around jacket.

“Seems rather peaceful,” said the Doctor, looking up and down the lane, which was flanked by tall trees on one side and a hedge and dark field the other.

“I thought we were going to blow up for a moment.”

“Nonsense,” smiled the Doctor, patting his box, “she’s been through worse scrapes. Just recently in fact.”

“You said you’d explain the anomaly.”

“Yes,” said the Doctor, “although it’s hard to explain something when I don’t know where it’s originating from, or how.”

“Try,” said Mary, as she squinted her eyes to see if she could see anything in the dark.

“The TARDIS travels through the space/time vortex – I suppose you could call it a shipping lane. We were sailing along quite nicely until we hit the anomaly – think of a whirlpool.”

“Whirlpools in time and space…” said Mary, mulling it over in her head.

“The TARDIS tried to escape but that just caused an opposite reaction to the whirlpool. The easiest solution was to ride the whirlpool down to the point of origin, which is here.”

“And where exactly is here?”

“I’m not sure,” said the Doctor. He checked his watch and frowned. The face was cracked and the hands were stuck on 3.17am. “But at least we know the time.” He showed it to Mary.

“So do we take off again?” said Mary, shivering in the night air.

“Unfortunately we won’t be able to until we can solve this little problem.”

“I see. So we have to wait until the whirlpool is gone,” said Mary. “So where do we start?”

As if to answer her question they heard a yell from down the lane complete with two sets of squelching feet running down the muddy lane.

“Who’s there?” asked the Doctor.

Two terrified people – a young man and woman – appeared from out of the darkness, their faces white with fear.

They looked just as surprised to see Mary and the Doctor and the male stopped dead, the woman nearly colliding with her partner.

“Calm yourself,” said the Doctor. “What are you running from?”

The man bent over and clutched as his side. “I’ve…I’ve got a stitch.”

“It’s back there. It’s coming,” said the woman, trying to get her breath and pointing towards the darkness.

The Doctor walked past them and peered into the night. And then he saw it. It was moving rapidly towards them. All he could make out was the ice-blue eyes.

“What are your names?” asked the Doctor.

“Jason and Sadie,” panted the man. “But we’ve gotta run.”

“I don’t run,” said the Doctor. “Well, sometimes I run. But today.” He went in his pocket and pulled out a small device that looked like a firework.

“What’s that?” said Mary. She was peering into the darkness to try and see what it was that was pursuing the two people.

“It’s a galactic glitter,” said the Doctor. He took out a lighter and lit the end. The fuse sparkled and spluttered with sparks. When the blue-eyed-something was almost on top of them he threw the glitter towards it.

It exploded with a little “crack” and the blue eyes closed. The creature and surrounding lane was illuminated just long enough for the four of them to see a black-cloaked figure running back the other way before fading into the darkness.

“That’ll frighten it off for a bit.” The Doctor smiled and turned to Jason and Sadie. “Good morning, my friends. I’m the Doctor, this is Mary and before you ask any more questions this is my time machine. And I’m here to help. All okay?”

Jason was about to respond when his eyes rolled back and he collapsed into the mud.



When Jason opened his eyes it was still dark, but his bedside lamp was switched on. He wondered if it had all been a horrible nightmare. He turned to look at his clock and he let out a pained groan. It was still 3.17am.

The strange man who had introduced himself as the Doctor was sat on a chair in the corner of the room. If he hadn’t already been freaked out by the blue-eyed creature today he would have been freaked out even more by the strange man sitting in his room.

“You’re awake,” said the Doctor. “That was most inconvenient of you.”

“What?” said Jason rubbing his forehead.

“I said that was most inconvenient of you.”

“What? What was?”

“Passing out in the middle of the lane.”

“How did I get back here?” he asked, realising that he was covered in nearly-dry mud.

“We carried you back. Myself, your sister and my friend, Mary, that is.”

“Sadie…is she?”

“She’s fine,” said the Doctor. “She’s downstairs with Mary.” He leaned forward. “She’s given me her account of what she saw. What I need to know is what you saw.”

“Exactly the same thing,” said Jason, sitting up and wincing in pain. “Exactly the same thing as Sadie.”

“A cloaked figure with blue eyes?”

“That’s the one.”

“Hmmm,” he said, tapping his chin. “That bit is fascinating in itself, but I’d like to know what else you saw. I’ve met cloaked beings before. I need to make sure they aren’t the same creatures. So, again, what did you see?”

“You mean the woman?”

“Your sister – Sadie, did you say her name was? – says the woman disappeared.”

“That’s right. The thing seemed to just…I don’t know…engulf her.”

The Doctor got up from the chair and rubbed his chin. He crossed over to the window and stared down at the orange, street-light-bathed street below. “Again I’ve met creatures in cloaks that engulf their victims before. A long time ago.”

“You have?” Jason threw his bed covers back and sat up. “What sort of creatures?”

“Oh, creatures that are long gone. Poor, unfortunate creatures. But these can’t be the same ones.”

Jason got out of bed, rubbed at his aching head and then walked over to the Doctor. “Really, Doc, I’m scared, okay? I don’t have the faintest clue of what’s going on here.”

“Then maybe we should head down to the kitchen and we can collate all the information we have.” He clapped Jason on the back and smiled. “Come on, old son.”



Sadie finished pouring the tea and sat down at the table opposite Mary. “Yes, poor Jason has been through a lot just recently. He’s going through a pretty difficult divorce. I’m not surprised he flaked out like that.”

“Then I’m assuming it’s your brothers wife that wants the divorce and not him?”

“His wife?” Sadie chuckled. “Oh, sweetheart, he’s never even taken a second look at a woman. Jason’s married to a man.”

Mary’s raised her eyebrows so high that Sadie thought they were about to drop off her forehead. “Oh…I mean…oh, how modern.”

“Modern? Where are you from, sweetheart, the 1940’s?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

“Mary is a child from another time,” said the Doctor as he entered the kitchen followed by a bewildered Jason.

“I beg your pardon?”

“That’s a story for another time, Sadie,” smiled the Doctor.

“How you doing, bro?” asked Sadie, as Jason sat himself down and took a sip of tea.

“Totally and utterly confused.”

“I’ve got to be honest. I feel the same,” said Mary. “Doctor, what on Earth is going on here?”

“Firstly we need to dispense with the usual questions,” said the Doctor. “If you can just accept that aliens and monsters and time travel exist then we can move on and deal with the situation at hand. I really don’t have time for it all.”

“To be fair,” said Jason, “time is essentially what we do have, especially if we’re stuck in this one single second.”

“And how long, Mr Harwood, do you expect us to live in this single second?”

“How do you mean, Doctor?” asked Mary.

“Well apart from that cloaked thing out there, we can’t stay here forever. We’re frozen in one moment in time. We can’t live here forever.”

“Then what do we do?” asked Sadie.

The Doctor frowned and held his finger up. He got up from the kitchen chair and ran through to the living room. The lights were all off so he peeked through the curtains. Sure enough there was the sound of running footsteps. Little footsteps.

The other three followed him through.

“What is it?” asked Mary, trying to peer over his shoulder.

“It’s a child,” said the Doctor, his voice almost a whisper.



Outside the little girl, wearing pink pyjamas adorned with fluffy white sheep, a blue dressing grown, red slippers and a grey bobble hat, ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. She was panting and out of breath. She stopped just outside the Harwood home and her brown eyes flicked up to the Doctor’s face, mostly concealed in shadow.

She seemed to frown at him and she brushed her wet, blonde hair out of her face.

The Doctor tapped on the window and beckoned her to come inside.

But before she could do anything another sound came. More footsteps. This time heavier on the rain-soaked tarmac of the road.

The little girl turned to look back, then back at the Doctor, shook her head and bolted up the road.

A few moments later the same, cloaked figure came running past the house. It slowed slightly and then looked at the Doctor, who took a step back, but this time the figure didn’t head towards the house. Instead it carried on its pursuit of the little girl.

“Where’s she going?” asked Sadie. “We’ve got to help her.”

“Agreed,” said the Doctor. He turned to Jason. “Will you come with me, Mr Harwood?”

“Out there?”

“Yes, out there,” said the Doctor, nodding. “What’s at the end of this road?”

“St. Joseph’s,” said Sadie.

The Doctor frowned.

“The church,” said Jason.

“Then that’s where we’re heading,” said the Doctor. “Go and wrap up warm. We have to help her.”

“What about us, Doctor?” said Mary, feeling a little helpless.

“You and Sadie go and take a look around the village. If that little girl is stuck with us then there may be more villagers. And be careful - I’m not yet sure what we’re dealing with, but these creatures can’t be allowed to take anymore innocent people.”

To be continued...

3.17am, Part One

PART 1: SEPARATIONS

Current Time: 9.43pm



“Oh, come on Sammy,” said Jason Harwood, slamming down his tepid cup of tea down on the kitchen side. “What is that even supposed to mean?”

He frowned as he listened to his soon-to-be ex husband continue to rant to him down the phone.

“I never said that I wouldn’t want to do it, I just didn’t see the need to do it now.”

His mouth opened wide and he shook his head.

“No, just not now. Look…look will you let me finish.”

He took the phone away from his ear, closed his eyes and breathed in. He had to remain calm. This was exactly what had gotten them both into this situation in the first place.

He put the phone back to his ear. “Listen, Sammy. Sam, will you just listen. There has to be another way of working this out in a civil manner.”

He closed his eyes again.

“Yes, and that’s why I fell in love with you as well. But we can get back on track. We can get back to that. No…no, just listen. Sammy? Sammy!”

But it was too late. Sammy had already hung up. Jason looked down at his phone and then threw it across the kitchen work service, cracking the upper corner of the screen.

“Bad time?” came a voice.

It was his sister, Sadie. She had been staying over to help support Jason through his divorce. She had taken two weeks off work and, after the particularly intense conversation with Sammy’s side of the family earlier on in the day, she had gone to bed early.

“I’m sorry,” said Jason, “did I wake you?”

“I’m stood here in my PJ’s, little brother,” said Sadie. She indicated her messy red hair. “I also have bed-hair. So, yeah, you woke me.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, resting his elbows on the work surface with his head in his hands. “I’m a mess.”

“Hey,” she said, walking over and laying her arm around his shoulders. “You’re my little brother. You can wake me up at any time.”

“How did this become such a mess?” he said, shaking his head.

“We all know the answer to that,” said Sadie. She looked at his half-emptied cup on the side. “Fancy another cuppa?”

“I’ve already got one.”

“And it’s cold,” said Sadie. “Come on. I can sleep later.”



Current Time: 10.05pm



Jason took another sip from his Earl Grey tea and closed his eyes as “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You?” by Michael Bolton began playing on the radio.

“Why are you listening to Smooth Radio?” asked Sadie, shaking her head.

“I just love all the old classics,” said Jason.

“All the old classics that are bound to get you caught up in your emotions.”

Jason downed the rest of his drink and put his mug down on the coffee table. “Fancy something stronger?”

“Oh no. You’re not touching a drop of that JD in the cupboard. Four or five glasses of that and you’ll be on the phone to him again apologising.”

“But that’s what I want to do. I want to apologise,” said Jason. “I still love him.”

“And he still loves you, but you’ve both been through this countless times. You both want two totally different lives.”

“When we moved out here it was supposed to be for the rest of our lives. Maybe I can change.”

“Yeah, and I get that,” said Sadie, “but you were never a city boy and Sammy was never a country bumpkin.”

“I’m not a bumpkin either!” said Jason, frowning at his sister.

“Oh, come off it! You were always playing in the fields when we used to visit Auntie Bella. You and Peter Hempstead.”

Jason looked uncomfortable at the mention of Peter Hempstead.

“I knew you were destined to move to a little cottage like this right from that moment.”

“Maybe Peter Hempstead is on Facebook.”

“Going in for the rebound isn’t going to help you either,” said Sadie, with a wry smile.

Jason shook his head and his shoulders slumped. “Why do divorces have to be like this?”

“What, full of heartbreak? Full of anger and hatred? It’s because neither of the parties want it, but they know it has to happen.”

“I’m not gonna fall for anyone again.”

“Oh, you will.” Sadie got up from the armchair and put a hand on his shoulder. “I know it’s a cliché, but believe me, time is the greatest healer. You’ll love again, little brother.” She finished the last of her tea. “You need to get some sleep. Round two is tomorrow, remember?”

“I know, I know.” He looked at the clock. It was nearly ten past ten and they had to be up to make the journey into Sheffield for the afternoon meeting. He got up from the chair and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He tried to convince himself that he’d meet someone again. He was handsome with his swept back dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes, but right now all he wanted was Sammy.

Sammy and some sleep.


Current Time: Unknown



Mary was lying in bed. She had no idea what the time was. She had no idea how long she’d been lying here. But no matter what she did she wasn’t able to fall asleep. It was a strange bed in a strange room in a strange place. And everything just felt…off.

She had been tired when they had returned to the TARDIS of course. She had been that sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open. And then it had hit her. She had gotten up that morning to meet the Doctor for her trip to the woods and hadn’t really slept since then. The Doctor had told her that people tended to lose time whilst they were on board this weird and wonderful craft and you just had to grab some rest wherever you could.

She had been to the crystal station, to Hallean, to a future graveyard and then to see that rather odd bunch of musicians called the Beatles, and in all that time she had barely slept.

After lying there for another few minutes she eventually gave up on sleep. She swung her legs out from under the bed covers and rubbed at her eyes. She frowned as she looked at the room bathed in dim orange light. There were items there that she was sure hadn’t been there when she had attempted to go to sleep.

Her discarded clothes she had folded and placed on a small wooden chair in the corner of the room, but there now seemed to be a large wardrobe and a chest of drawers beside the bed. She frowned as she noticed a picture sat on top of the chest of drawers. There were three people that she didn’t recognise; a pretty, dark-haired girl, a cute but grumpy looking blonde girl and a man with short, brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard beaming wildly between them.

She remembered that the Doctor had told her that this room used to belong to an old friend of hers. She also remembered – although she didn’t quite understand it – that items that used to belong to the time machine were beginning to return from the ether. She assumed that this is where the picture frame and furniture had come from. She didn’t really understand it herself. It all seemed like magic to her.

She got up and crossed over to the wardrobe. Inside was a collection of various items of clothing all lined up neatly and all of it looking a little too wild for her. Where were all the plain dresses?

She did note, however, that there was what looked like some form of stylised pyjama set hung up, albeit adorned with a large, white duck. She breathed a sigh of relief. She could hardly continue to sleep in her clothes and it seemed like she wasn’t heading home just yet.

She took out the pyjamas and put them on, examining herself in the full-length mirror. They more or less fit, even though she felt silly. It’d do for now. She wondered what year this Holly girl had come from and she wondered where she was now. Since arriving Mary hadn’t really had much time to ask the Doctor many questions. She wasn’t sure she was ready for the answers.

After going through some of the more sensible clothes she finally decided to try to sleep again.

This time she drifted off.



The Doctor was standing in the medi-bay, a look of concern on his face. The young, dark-haired girl called Kyla was standing in front of her stasis tube, her eyes closed and her arms hanging down limply at her sides.

“Kyla, how did this happen?” he asked.

She didn’t reply.

“Kyla, you’re not ready yet. You’re not fully healed.” He stepped towards her and her eyes snapped open. The Doctor took a half step backwards and frowned. “You’re restless, I know. I understand. You and my TARDIS are connected with each other now, but you need to rest. You need to sleep. It’s the only way you’re going to heal.”

“Where is my father?” came her croaky voice. Her hand went to her mouth and she frowned. She was hearing this voice for the first time. Her eyes remained closed.

“You regenerated, didn’t you?” asked the Doctor. “First time?”

She nodded slowly.

“You’re so young. You shouldn’t have even had regenerative powers.”

“My father did a deal with…with people who are in charge.” She frowned, touching her lips. “It’s…so strange.”

“And that’s why you need to rest,” said the Doctor. He walked over to her and guided her back towards the tube, taking her hand and helping her back into it. “Rest is the only way to make you feel better, my dear.”

“But….my father…” She was already starting to drift off again.

“We’ll get to the bottom of it all in time.”

“We were escaping from the War…”

“The Time War,” he nodded. “Yes. But Kyla, it was so long ago now. You don’t have to be frightened anymore.”

“Where is everyone else?”

He looked sad. “All in good time. For now you need to rest. You need to heel.”

He closed the front of the tube as she slipped back under. The Doctor exhaled and shook his head. “Sleep, Kyla.”

As he turned to leave he felt a searing pain through both of his temples and he collapsed to the floor. There was a niggling pain in his leg again and he rubbed at it. It was like an itch he couldn’t get to and it was burning.

He looked up and saw billowing white curtains again. There was sunlight and then the face of a dark-haired woman loomed into view.

“Just rest,” he heard her sat at the edge of his hearing. “Rest is the only way to make you feel better, Dr. Smith.”

And then he was aware of his own hand reaching up and grabbing the woman’s wrist. “Do not patronise me, woman!” he growled.

He felt such anger. Anger he had never felt before. Feelings he was sure weren’t his own.

The woman looked scared and then the sunlight blazed in, everything around him being washed out in bright light…and he was lying on the floor on the medi-bay, the soft humming of the TARDIS and the gentle breathing of Kyla the only things to be heard.


Current Time: 3.13am



Jason sat bolt upright in his bed. He was sweating and threw the bed covers off him without hesitation. He was breathing heavily and felt sick. He got up off the bed and staggered unsteadily across the landing to the bathroom where he threw up in the toilet.

He took a few moments to make sure he wasn’t sick again and then made himself a glass of water. No sooner had he been sick then he was feeling better again.

He frowned and went back to his bedroom. The digital clock beside his bed changed to 3.17am and the air in his room had gone cold. He checked that the window wasn’t open – it was closed. And then he checked the radiator. It wasn’t on. He cursed himself. He was sure he had left the heating on when he came to bed.

He then heard a sound from the bathroom. It was Sadie – and she was also throwing up.

He went back out of his bedroom and caught her coming back from the bathroom, looking pale.

“You okay?” he said.

“Just feeling a bit queasy,” she said.

“Yeah, me too,” said Jason. “It must have been that quiche you made us earlier.”

“My cooking is fine,” said Sadie, raising her eyebrows. “It’s your bloody home made trifle that’s done it.”

Jason smiled. “Feel better though?”

“Yeah, weirdly,” she said. “We best get back to sleep, yeah?”

He nodded. He was about to turn and go back to bed when there came a blood-curdling scream from somewhere outside. Sadie and Jason both shot each other a look and then ran to his bedroom and pulled back the curtains.

The little village of Chedwell sat in total darkness, save for a few orange streetlights, every single person in the village was fast asleep. All except for one woman in a white coat who appeared to be running down the road.

“What the hell?” said Sadie, clearing a patch of condensation away. “Who is she?”

“I don’t know everyone in the village, you know,” said Jason.

The woman had long blonde hair tied into a ponytail and she looked to be in some distress. She stopped and looked up at the two siblings looking down at her. It was a fatal mistake. Whatever was causing her to look so distressed was almost on top of her.

Jason and Sadie heard footsteps from back the way she had come. It was a dark figure, mostly keeping to the shadows and trying its best to avoid the streetlights. The woman backed away from the dark shadow.

“No, please, no,” she sobbed.

“Call the police!” said Sadie.

But it was too late. The shadowy figure seemed to throw it’s arms open and they noticed that it was actually wearing a hood and a cloak. The thing hovered over the woman and then closed in on her, it’s cloak enveloping her.

The woman screamed and then silence.
When the figure stood up the woman was gone.

“Shit!” said Sadie, pulling the curtains closed quickly.

“What the hell was that thing?” said Jason.

“I don’t know, but we still need to call the police.”

“Sod the police,” said Jason, his eyes wide with fear, “we need to call frigging Mulder and Scully.”

“Do you think it’s still there?” asked Sadie, trembling with her hands still holding the curtains together.

Jason looked towards the curtain and then nodded for Sadie to open them. The two of them nearly jumped out of their skin. The shadowy figure was still standing where the woman had fell, but it was now looking right up at them.

And the only thing they could make out amongst the mass of hooded shadows were two bright blue eyes staring up at them.

To be continued...

Preview: 3.17am

Current Time: 3.17am

A village.

A brother and sister.

A little girl.

A cloaked figure.

Two time travellers.

An angel...

It's 3.17am forever....

This is the sixth in a series of ongoing adventures for the Doctor (Sean Pertwee) and Mary Auckland (Antonia Clarke)