*DISCONTINUED* Between Dimensions (A Doctor Who Fanfiction)

Chapter 19: Poisoned with Happiness

“I told you to stay away from the janitor’s closet!” the Doctor yelled.  He, Amy, Susan, and Adrian filed out of the closet and the Doctor slammed the door shut, pointing his sonic screwdriver at the lock.

“That’ll hold them for a while,” he said, breathing heavily.

Susan pulled a nearby fire alarm and dozens of students spilled out of the classrooms. “So, did you find anything?” she called over the noise.

“Yes, a little. They’re called the Bitumen, and basically they feed off of the negative energy of other species. I suppose you’ve already seen that black stuff that they’ve been drawing out of the students?” Susan nodded. “Well, they take students with the most negative energy, be it depression or anger, and they put them in a tank of stuff to decrease serotonin, dopamine, and practically any other neurotransmitter that is associated with pleasure and happiness. Then they siphon the energy out of their bodies and inject it into themselves.”

“And that is how they feed?” Adrian queried.

“Yes,” the Doctor replied. “But, they’ve gone and created a business selling the black stuff to other Bitumen, shipping it throughout the universe.”

A worried expression grew on Adrian’s face. “But do they harm the students?”

“We saw a couple of body bags in another room,” Amy said sadly.

“Then we have to stop them, before they do any more harm.” A loud pounding from the other side of the door startled the four of them. Suddenly the door flew open and six Bitumen walked out.

“Run!” the Doctor yelled. They ran, turning around the corner into another group of six Bitumen, and turned the other way. But they were blocked by more groups of creatures to the left, right, and front.  

“What do you want?” the Doctor demanded as the Bitumen closed in, forcing the four victims to crowd together in the middle with their backs facing in. The Bitumen didn’t seem to hear him, and they came closer and closer. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and amplified the sound of the fire alarm, but the creatures did not show any reaction. Susan felt her heart beating faster and faster. She started to shake with what could maybe be fear, or adrenaline. Something exciting yet dangerous was going to happen.

“What do you want?” he repeated. They only got closer, grabbing the arms of Susan, Amy, Adrian, and the Doctor. Susan felt a sharp pinch and looked over her shoulder to see a syringe being pulled out of her neck. “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” Susan’s knees buckled and her vision faded to black.

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Susan saw nothing but gray. Her eyes refused to open, and she demanded her body to move, but it did not. She was completely paralyzed, and it angered her, yet it deeply saddened her at the same time. There was the presence of a cool liquid surrounding her, and she felt a slight pain in her head. Susan realized that she was probably in one of the tubes, having her negative energy strengthened and drawn out of her body.

But how could she stop it; with positive energy? It was worth a shot. Susan concentrated on something that made her happy. The Doctor and River Song, Amy and Rory. She felt something in her chest; the “feels” of a fangirl. The cold liquid around her rose in temperature, which was probably not supposed to happen. She wondered where Adrian was. Was he in a container near her? Her feels strengthened; dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and other chemicals coursed through her body. She heard loud screeching somewhere in the distance, then the sound of shattering glass.

Susan tumbled to the floor, cutting herself on tiny shards of broken glass, and feeling a cool rush of air in her body. She took in a deep breath, reveling in the oxygen that made its way to her lungs. She scrambled to her feet. Her clothes clung to her body and she crossed her arms, shivering.

She spun around to take in her surroundings. The Doctor was sprawled out on the floor two rows away, also surrounded by glass and a puddle of clear liquid. He was beginning to stir.

“Doctor?” She made her way to him and helped him up.

“You thought positive thoughts as well?” he asked.

Susan nodded. “As cheesy as that sounds, yes, I thought positive thoughts.” She jumped as two more glass containers beside them shattered. Adrian and Amy. Susan and the Doctor helped the two of them onto their feet.

“What happened?” Amy asked, rubbing the back of her head.”

“Let’s find out.” The Doctor walked into another room as the others warily watched. He poked his head back out of the door way. “It’s fine. Sort of.”

In the room, there were about twenty puddles of black slime. Clear plastic tubes lay on the floor, leaking gray fluid.

“We poisoned them with happiness,” Adrian stated.

“That’s one way to put it,” Susan said, dryly.

They made their way back to the door of the janitor’s closet. Amy opened it slightly, and peered through the crack. She threw the door open.

“In here!” she shouted. A group of firemen ran into the room, muttering, and walking around.

“Well, now that all the other students are being taken care of, we can go, right?” Susan looked at the Doctor. He nodded.

 “Yeah.”

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Before they exited into the parking lot, Susan turned around and took one last look at the building, which was now swarming with firefighters. A bright sliver of light caught her eye from the front office. She entered the office and got closer to inspect it. The light was coming from a crack on the floor behind the front desk.

“Susan?” Adrian poked his head through the doorway. “You coming?”

 Susan tore her eyes away from the crack in the floor. “Yeah.”