Touch The Sky: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 3]

Turn Left and Watch It Fall Apart

Turn Left and Watch It Fall Apart

(Turn Left: Part 7)

A/N: Evil Jimmy has poked her head out again. Can I vanquish her? (No probs not) (Basically tear-jerker warning)

The next few days were quiet—quiet like a mouse trying not to be noticed by a falcon. The air grew thicker, but even now, in what should have been the midst of summer, it held little warmth. Going outside after dark still warranted at least a light jacket.

Matt tugged his tighter around him and snagged the already-full thermos in preparation for their evening stargaze. To his surprise, the first thing he noticed when he stepped outside was Mallory and Donna, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in deep conversation on the former's front steps.

"Hey," he said, pasting on a smile as he approached.

Both women glanced up at him in unison, their hushed conversation abruptly ending. "Hi," Mallory said quietly. An odd expression that he couldn't even begin to name crossed her face before she suddenly became very interested in a pebble.

"Listen," Donna interjected. "If you and Granddad want to head up, we'll meet you in a few minutes."

"Oh," Matt said. "All right." He glanced over his shoulder towards where Wilf stood. "I mean, we can wait for you if you want."

"No, go ahead," Donna said quickly. "We won't be long."

"Okay..." Matt said, drawing the word out a little before turning back to help Wilf. He shot one more glance over his shoulder when he was out of earshot and saw the two had resumed their whispering again.

Probably girl things, he thought to himself with a shrug as they started upwards.

While he was grateful for the milder weather, he couldn't help but curse the fact that sunset grew steadily later while curfew stayed fixed. It had been one thing for him and Mallory to slip back by themselves under cover of darkness, but it was something else entirely for four people to do the same whilst lugging a telescope. He found himself glaring at the last glow of sunlight on the western horizon.

It finally slipped away, leaving the world shrouded in darkness. Not a cloud marred the sky, stars twinkling without obstruction. It occurred to Matt that it had been over half an hour and neither Mallory nor Donna had appeared yet.

"Where do you suppose the girls are?" he asked Wilf, trying to ignore the quiet feeling of dread creeping over him. "They said they'd only be a few minutes."

"Oh, you know the womenfolk," Wilf said. "A few minutes can mean two hours."

Matt nodded to himself and shot a glance down the hill, but it still felt like his chest had a cold band around it that was growing ever tighter.

A few more quiet minutes passed. "You know, we'd get a bit of cash if we sold this thing," Wilf finally said, gesturing to the telescope.

"Don't you dare," Matt said immediately. Wilf peered through the lens as he spoke. "Donna would never let you, either, by the way." He looked down again and couldn't quite help the anxiety that came to his tone. "Where are they...?"

Wilf pulled back from the telescope, his tone puzzled. "Ah, it must be the alignment."

Matt looked back at him. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I don't know—I mean, it can't be the lens," Wilf said. "I was looking at Orion, the constellation of Orion." He moved from the stool in front of the telescope. "You take a look, and tell me, what can you see?"