Travellers' Hearts {The Wattys 2017}

Chapter 13

There it was - the devil itself. Over eight feet tall, covered in black blood with big horns on its head, it resembled a toll bull, roaring and tossing around. Under its two feet, shattered glass from the cage it had to have escaped. 'Come on, let's find the Master and then let's go!', Kate whispered as she ducked under the beast's breath. The three of them ran around the cave, looking for the Time Lord Kate had left there. Suddenly, there was a clangour. Rose had tripped over something long and hard. 'Guys, I believe he's...' The Doctor ran towards her, but stopped abruptly, not moving anymore. Kate could see them looking at something on the ground, but couldn't make out what it was. 'Did you find him?', she mouthed breathlessly. There was no response coming from the other end of the cave. Slowly, she attempted to reach them without making too much noise and drawing the beast's attention to her. Unfortunately, Rose seemed to have forgotten the danger they were in. 'He's dead', she said, her words echoing around the cave. All of a sudden, there was a loud roar. The beast made a big leap towards them, its bloody eyes rolling around freely in its eye sockets as it breathed a wave of hot, foetid air at them. 'It has noticed us.'

The Doctor sprang across the cave in three or four big leaps and tried to grasp anything with his hand - he happened to find an indentation he buried the fingers of one hand in, the other grabbed Kate's arm in reflex. Kate whirled around in shock and her gaze landed upon Rose who was standing, pressed against cold, naked stone, right in front of the beast. 'We need to unleash it so that we can trap it between space!', she shouted over its roars. 'Can't you take the chains with you?', the Doctor roared back, eyes fixated on Rose, who had sunk down to the floor and cowered under a rock. 'I can't!', Kate yelled, 'these aren't normal chains, I s'ppose I'll need your sonic screwdriver to cut them!' She turned to Rose in mild panic. 'Now, Rose, listen!', she shouted. 'At the count of three, come over to our side. Don't look back, just run. I'm afraid we'll have to teleport on it's back!' 'On it's back?!', Rose and the Doctor screamed back almost simultaneously. Kate did her best to ignore the look of sheer horror in Rose's widely opened eyes, and concentrate on what their task was.

'One, two, three!' Rose rushed to them at highest speed, and without any of them even realising what they were doing, Kate had grabbed her hand and taken them on the horrendous beast's neck. The three of them clang to the big iron chains as the devil tossed and turned, trying to throw them of, shaking its head and roaring in anger. 'Doctor, your sonic!', Kate shouted. The Doctor threw her his screwdriver, and hadn't they been in such a terribly displeasing situation, he would've honestly complimented her on catching it so well. But this hardly seemed like the right moment to discuss her talent to catch items in flight. Kate bent over to cut the second chain. 'When I say jump, do as I say! As soon as it's unleashed, I'll bring it to an empty planet and then come back. We'll discuss what to do with it later, do you understand? Now... JUMP!' Rose and the Doctor let themselves fall immediately, whilst Kate and the beast vanished just in front of them. They landed painfully on their backs after a fall of almost seven feet.

The Doctor jumped up on his feet straight away, and Rose followed suit, moaning and rubbing her back in pain. 'Kate! Kate!' All of a sudden, something like a hologram appeared right in front of them. It was Kate - the Doctor reached out for her, but only got hold of thin air. Kate shook her head in laughter. 'It's just an image', she said and rolled her eyes playfully. 'Where did you bring it?', the Doctor asked. 'Nowhere. I've trapped it here, with me, in between space itself.' She gave him a small wink, but her voice sounded sad and hollow. 'Have you still got my screwdriver?', the Doctor wanted to know. Kate held it up to show him she did. 'Okay, come back now, I need it', the Doctor told her, attempting to grab it. Naturally, he failed, as there was nothing to grab. Kate slowly shook her head, a sad expression suddenly appearing in her smile. 'I can't', she whispered. 'I need to keep it trapped here. When I took it with me, thing this size, it ripped a hole in the fabric of dimensions. Naturally, I closed it again, but part of the damage is irreparable. You see, if I come back, and leave it here, eventually, the hole will grow and grow, and some day in far future, maybe a thousand, or even a million years from now, it will be big enough for the devil to come back. And then, it will be free.' 'But that's a million years', Rose objected. 'It might even be dead 'till then!' To her surprise, Kate shook her head definitely. 'I can't risk that', she countered. 'I've got a task, and I will fulfill it. This thing will never be able to escape! Not until I'm there to guard it, and if I may remind you, I will be forever.' Her voice had gained a strength neither Rose nor the Doctor had expected. 'But I need my screwdriver back!', the Doctor pleaded. Rose turned her head and looked at him. Something in his eyes made her guess that that wasn't really what he was concerned about, but as long as it worked, she supposed she didn't mind. 'Hold on a second', she heard Kate say, and suddenly, she stretched her arm, well... through the wall of the dimension they were in, and pointed the screwdriver at the Doctor, who slowly stretched out his arm to take it. Suddenly, in a quick move, he grabbed Kate's arm, and with great force pulled her back through the 'border'.

Kate pushed him back forcefully; her eyes were glistening with anger. 'What did you do that for?', she shouted at him. The Doctor gave her a short glance. 'I hardly could leave you', he said harshly and turned his back. 'Now take us back to the Tardis, we need to see someone.' 'Whom?' The Doctor didn't answer Rose; he only took her hand and made Kate take his, but Rose struggled to free herself. 'Tell me Doctor - who do we need to see?' He gave her a long look and opened his mouth, but closed it again without having said a word. 'Let's go', he murmured and gulped, but Rose was struggling to make him let go of her hand. 'Doctor, you never say anything', she confronted him. 'And you know what? I'm done! I demand you tell me where we're going! You can't just always shut up and not tell us - that's not fair! If you don't want to tell me - fine! But I'm not coming with you, and neither is Kate!' Rose said that with such self assurance that Kate didn't even dare respond. Finally, the Doctor gave in. 'Alright', he said. 'I'm taking you to the Shadow Proclamation.'