Doctor Who and the Eternity Cage (The Future Doctor Chronicles Part One)

Chapter One

A thick mist drifted across the flickering lamplight obscuring what little illumination it gave off. Dr Munro lifted the collar of his heavy woollen coat against the biting cold January night and strode towards his destination, eager to be in front of a roaring fire.  

Stepping off the pavement onto the frozen cobbles he stopped suddenly, craning his neck to listen, unsure of what it was that had caused his uneasiness. Then in the distance he saw it, a bright flash and a rapid bolt of lightening that lit up the street ahead. The unnatural phenomenon was over before he could work out where it came from, the street once again being quiet and deserted. 

Dr Munro shook his head as if trying to tell himself that he'd imagined it, after all it had been a long and tiring day at work. He smiled to himself for being so stupid, until the sound of his own rapid heartbeat caused the smile to fade.  

A lone demented screech penetrated the near darkness and it was getting closer, whoever it was would be visible within seconds. Dr Monro held his breath not daring to make a sound for fear it might bring unnecessary attention upon him.  

Any attempt at anonymity was however in vain, the deranged creature that careened around the corner instantly alighted upon him standing by the dim light of the lamppost. He cursed his stupidity for standing so close to the only source of light on that side of the street, but Dr Munro of the Royal Bethlem Hospital shouldn't have been scared. Everyday he worked with lunatics and listened to their mad ravings and he viewed it as his responsibility to look after London's mad however mysterious their circumstances.  

Taking a deep breath he turned to face the hysterical woman, for the first time taking note of her age and appearance. Her short grey hair and age worn face placed her at around sixty years of age, the torn and seemingly scorched robe she wore gave nothing away. What caught his attention the most though was her piercing silvery grey eyes, in his experience they weren't the eyes of a mad woman. The mad tended to be lost in their own world, their eyes mostly vacant, unaware of their surroundings.  

"Madam, are you alright?" enquired Dr Munro, holding his arms out to catch her as she approached him. 

She grabbed his arm in a vice like grip and stared straight into his eyes.  

"I'm in the wrong time." she shook her head laughing to herself "he'll still have to face the Rassalox and the eternal cage though, there's really no other way." 

Dr Munro's eyes widened as she gripped his arm even tighter and leaned forward to whisper into his ear "do you understand, he has to face the beast, there's no other way." 

Upon termination of that last strange comment she collapsed at his feet. He shook himself out of his puzzlement, bent down, picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Dr Munro sighed, his plan for a quiet night beside a warm fire were looking increasingly unlikely.