Out of Time

Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER ELEVEN

 “Now look…I know you can understand me, you might not understand why you can understand me but it’s me you want. It’s okay, I’ll come quietly, just let my friend go.” The Doctor spoke with a calm authority, almost unsettling the creatures with his good will.

 There was a discharge of laser fire again, which the crowds of people could definitely see as they ran screaming from the scene, some young lads thinking they had stumbled onto a sci-fi film set. Though to most it looked like a mad woman was firing indiscriminately into thin air, it had succeeded in clearing the streets. Both Anna and the Doctor turned to see their assassin “guardian angel” two of the creatures whipped up their pointed tails and made their way angrily, claws scratching the paving slabs towards this woman who kept interfering. Ivana glanced at the Doctor; she scowled and beckoned angrily at the pair of them to run before vanishing out of sight with the aid of her vortex manipulator, narrowly missing one of the creature’s tails as it made a violent swipe at her. Anna led the Doctor as they began to head towards the bus station, running in a zigzag motion but they could sense the creatures above them, waiting for their opportunity. It could only be a matter of time. The Doctor stopped in his tracks, anticipation was in the air. The TARDIS was within touching distance.

 “I can hear the TARDIS engines though she’s having trouble breaking through. Another knock on effect from Raynor’s temporal experiments… Making travelling through the vortex difficult now.” The Doctor began to boost the signal on Anna’s mobile but he’d allowed himself to get too distracted…

 “Doctor!”  

 Anna yelled as she threw herself in front of the Doctor, taking the full impact of one of the creature’s blows, the needle end of its tail tearing through the fabric in her leggings and scratching the back of her left leg. The pain was instantaneous like fire through her veins, raging through her body. Anna knew she’d been struck down by the creature’s venom.

The Doctor cried out in distress but he channelled his anger and fought back. It was a wild moment of inspiration, a last ditch attempt as he held his screwdriver aloft and managed to find the correct ear splintering frequency that no other life form could hear but the sound was keeping the creatures at bay as they circled like vultures unable for the moment to get any closer. Anna collapsed to her knees, the Doctor supporting her in his arms.

 “I can’t move my legs, I can’t feel them. What’s happening to me?”

 Anna mumbled, shocked at how quickly the venom had taken hold. The Doctor struggled to lift her in his arms; his slight friend had become a dead weight. The Doctor carefully rolled up the material on her leg and examined Anna’s skin, he let out a tiny gasp of surprise but the Doctor knew what was happening. With the buzzing sonic screwdriver between his teeth and the sweat trickling down his brow, the Doctor continued to lift Anna in his arms and struggled on. Though the creatures were growing more immune by the second to the Doctor’s sonic defence.

 Anna stared down at her flesh and from first being consumed by fire she was now turning to ice as interlocking web like patterns started forming on her skin, the frost climbing up her foot and then her leg, she was freezing before her very eyes, like she was in a dark fairy tale turning to stone. Anna stared up at the creatures in the sky there was still no sign of the TARDIS…Then the Doctor’s friend made a decision.

 “Doctor, I’m slowing you down…There’s no sign of the TARDIS. You’re going to have to leave me, there’s no point those creatures getting you as well…” Anna smiled bravely; resigned to her fate. “That really wouldn’t do, not when you’ve got the Universe to save.” Then snapping more forcefully at the Doctor’s indecision. “You must go!”