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.
“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...
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