Can't Love You {Sequel to "Not Sherlock Holmes"}

Chapter Nineteen

Benedict's POV

I try not to read too much into Veronica's holding my hand. It's a friendly gesture, I know; but I still enjoy the feel of her small fingers in squeezing my big ones.

She let's go too soon, and she apologetically explains that she must make rounds again. I incline my head.

"Of course. Do what you must." Even though my hand still feels a little tingly.

The sky is beginning to darken, bringing a bitter cold with it. I shiver and wrap my arms around myself.

"Blanket?" I turn and am suddenly peering into the eyes of a young girl; the first girl I saw upon waking up 10 years too late.

"Yes, thank you." I accept the blanket and wrap it around myself as I walk, and she continues to walk with me. "You are Maggie, correct?" The girl nods.

"Yeah, and I'm younger than I look." I smile.

"Is that so? How old are you then?" She raises her eyebrows.

"How old do you think I am?"

"Oh, you're really putting me on the spot, aren't you?" Maggie continues to look at me expectantly. I sigh. "My first instinct was 14."

"Ha! See, I'm actually 12." I nod, impressed.

"Very nice. And quite trigger-happy for a 12 year old." She frowns, confused. I explain. "Well, you almost shot me when you found me in the woods." Maggie rolls her eyes.

"I wasn't going to shoot you. I was saying that to scare you."

"It worked!" I laugh, and she grins.

"I wanted to come see you for myself, because I've been hearing weird rumors."

"Weird rumors, huh?"

"Yeah, about you. People are saying you're from the past." I nod. "It's true?"

"Course it is. Why would I lie?" Maggie gapes at me.

"They're right, you are crazy." I shrug at this. I'm used to it by now. Even Martin thinks I'm crazy, even though the evidence is right under his nose.

"I suppose," is all I say. She shrugs, too.

"I don't mind though. I'm crazy, and you're crazy, so we'll get along."

"Except I'm not trigger-happy."

"Neither am I!" she insists, but we're both laughing. "Oh, darn. My sister said I wasn't allowed to talk to you. I was just gonna come offer you the blanket and leave. Gotta go!" And Maggie runs off...

Right before The Soldiers come crashing toward us.

It happens so fast that it's hard to focus on any one thing: the sound their boots make, almost like metal. The insanity behind their battle cries. The screams of humans.

We have no way of defending ourselves. No weapons. No nothing. All we can do is run.

So we do.

There seem to be about 70 of them, and only about 30 of us. We're running, but they are faster and catch us easily.

They are dressed in a strange, foreign armor that I've never seen before. It's almost... unworldly. My eyes widen.

What had that crazy Doctor said.....

A Soldier grabs the nearest human and he easily tears the person in half. The sickening sound of bone breaking and popping ensues, and anyone close has blood raining down upon them.

I can't stop and stare, though, or else I will be torn or eaten as well.

Whatever these Soldiers are, they are definitely not human.

As I run, I hear a child scream from behind me. I turn, and to my horror, little Maggie is being picked up by a Soldier.

"No!" I scream. I ignore the pain in my leg and my shoulder as I grab for the nearest weapon: a thick stick lying just off the path. I run at the Soldier and begin beating him repeatedly with the stick. He drops Maggie, then wheels on me, and my eyes widen, as do his.

"Marsh?" I whisper, horrified. He stares at me, forgetting that we are in the middle of a battle.

"I killed you..." he mutters, staring at me, looking over every inch of me. I stand stock still. Marsh's wrath builds. "I KILLED YOU!" He grabs me and holds me as close to his face as possible, and I smell and feel his breath on my face, and I gag.

"Please..." I say, struggling against his grasp.

"HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?" He shakes me, and my head whips around on my neck. "HOW?" followed by a vaguely familiar wheezing sound. Marsh's face turns white. "It can't be..."

I struggle to turn my head, and I'm surprised to see a blue telephone box appearing close by.

"IT CAN'T BE!" His wrath turns into outright rage. "MEN, RETREAT. EVERYONE OUT. WE MUST GATHER REINFORCEMENTS." He drops me and smiles evilly. "I will enjoy killing you and that Doctor when I return. Oh the war that we'll wage. Oh the blood that we'll spill." His eyes look greedy. "You just wait, man. I might not have been able to kill you then, but I'll kill you soon, along with everyone you love." With that Marsh retreats along with the rest of his men, all covered in blood, all howling in victory.

The rest of us, the ones who have survived, all look to that strange blue box.

"Did he say... Doctor?" I mutter, just as the door creaks open.