The Second Homecoming

Chapter Seventeen

SEVENTEEN

 The Doctor used a chair as a makeshift shield as the Galantie kept coming at him with increased ferocity, he threw his sonic screwdriver over to me.

 “Now Anna!” The Doctor yelled as I switched the sonic screwdriver on setting thirty four to release the creature in the vaults below. It’s frequency designed to guide the creature upstairs as soon as possible, a frightening prospect. 

 The rest of us meanwhile, retreated to a safer distance, within the confines of the little shop except for myself and Paul. In the corridor just before the round room gallery there was display of military swords.

 “Forgive me Jas…Got to do my job.” Paul shouted to Jasmine as he smashed the glass display with his truncheon and removed a samurai sword. The security guard went charging towards the towering Galantie but the Leader of the shadow army had sensed his attacker and with one, swift movement struck Paul with its sword, the young man crashed to the ground. Jasmine’s scream rang out across the round room gallery.

 “No!” The Doctor shouted back and with all his brute strength raised the chair and sent it crashing over the leader’s head, the chair broke up into pieces but the Galantie was still standing and unscathed. There wasn’t a moment to lose, I thrust the sonic screwdriver into mum’s hand for safe keeping and ran off to help Paul, his arm looked to be injured badly but he was trying to crawl away.

 “Anna what the hell are you doing?” Mum screamed, dad stared at mum and within split seconds he was hot on my trail.

 Meanwhile the Doctor resumed desperately defending himself against the Galantie with the samurai sword. We had reached Paul, we both helped him to his feet, once dad and Paul were making good progress. I turned and watched the Doctor, he was running out of space and time, the Galantie had manoeuvred him into a corner, with a flight of treacherous stairs beneath. I reached inside my jacket pocket and pulled out the disc and something I keep with me at all times, that came in very handy on one recent adventure. I threw the disc towards the Galantie, it struck him on the back of his head causing the Galantie to turn round. The enraged creature began to advance viciously towards me, I set my camera to flash, it was a wild gamble, a tiny hunch, based on everything I had learned about the race and something I had seen earlier…

 “Smile!” I shouted with forced jollity,  really hoping that wasn’t going to be my last word.

 I pressed the button on my trusty camera, the flash lit up the room and blinded the light sensitive Galantie, who let out a piercing shriek. The Doctor grabbed the Dimensional Stabilizer and my hand as we ran past the temporary blinded Leader, towards the rest of the group.

 “I’ll take that thank you.” The Doctor removed the sonic screwdriver from mum’s hand. There were a series of crashes and a bumps, the sound growing nearer, Smokey our secret weapon was on its way to the round room gallery.

 Jasmine moved to the back of the shop and kicked open a fire exit.

 “Everybody out!” she yelled as she helped dad with Paul, mum grabbed hold of Kyle and forgetting herself entirely she accidentally took hold of Mike Hilton’s hand and then quickly released it…I looked at mum and she stared back with wide eyes pleading for me to follow them but she also knew there was no point in saying anything to me. I was beyond relief to see my family and friends get away safely.

 “And that means you as well Anna.” TheDoctor turned to me. “It doesn’t need the two of us here.”

 “Leaving you unsupervised?…Under no circumstances.” I folded my arms stoically, completely unswayable. I most probably looked a little manic as I smiled.