Lost In Time: A Doctor Who Fanfiction

Chapter 57 - Nightmare Hotel

"You know what, I have had a really long day today, and I really don't need to be dealing with this right now," Lyssa complained with a glare as she sprang to her feet and stumbled back from the chicken, which towered a good two feet over her even when she was standing. 

"And why is this a thing?" she shouted angrily, ducking under it and rolling away when it lunged for her, squawking angrily. She found the bed in the room when she smacked her forehead against one of its legs and rolled back with a groan, crawling between the chicken's legs with a grimace. 

Spotting a door against the far wall of pale pink floral wallpaper that looked like it might lead to escape, she darted towards it, only to get thumped on the head with one of the chicken's enlarged wings. The sheer weight of it sent her tumbling to the floor again, and she hit the floor with a groan, only just managing to avoid getting pecked with a beak that looked more like a knife. Crying out in protest, she rolled away desperately and felt something sharp slice along her bicep, leaving a hot, stinging trail in its wake.

Panicking, she flailed her arms about wildly and whacked one of her arms against a nightstand knocking a book off, which fell to the floor, just missing her head. Resisting the instinct to rub her wrist, she picked up the book and flung it at the bird's head, distracting it enough that she was able to pick herself up and run to the door, throw it open, dart through, and shut the door firmly behind her with a slam.

Spinning around to face the door, she watched it warily, not quite doubting the ability of the bird to gain the ability to open a doorknob - or simply peck its way through the door. When a minute had passed with no sign of the fowl, she relaxed minutely and slumped against the far wall, sliding down to the floor and catching her breath. Letting her face fall into her hands, she groaned. 

"What did I do to deserve this?" she whimpered, wincing when her fingers brushed against a tender spot on her forehead. Pulling her hand back to check for blood, she found an angry red mark developing on her wrist instead, and a small dribble of blood staining her left sleeve from a thin cut. "Of freaking course," she grumbled. "Who needs a day off when you can get assaulted by angry chickens that never stopped growing? Who GROWS chickens that never stop growing? Where even am I?" 

Stopping herself before she could grow too upset, she pushed herself back to her feet, noticing the carpet was red with gold patterns, and there was more of the pale pink wallpaper and bright wall lights along the hallway she was in, with low beams decorating the ceiling, scratch marks etched through them. It seemed to be a hotel of sorts, if a very retro one, with numbered doors lining both sides. 

She nodded grumpily. "Of course I jumped to a retro hotel room with a giant angry chicken. Why wouldn't I? Who doesn't keep giant angry chickens in their hotel rooms?" She threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "WHO KEEPS GIANT CHICKENS IN THEIR HOTEL ROOMS? WHY IS THAT A THING?"

As she expected, no one answered her, although her cry seemed to echo down the hallway until it abruptly... stopped.

"Okay, that was a bit creepy," she mumbled, unnerved. 

Picking a stray feather out of her hair and clutching her snowflake charm for comfort, she walked down the hallway, occasionally calling out to see if anyone was there.

No one ever answered her. It seemed that wherever she was, she was alone. Biting her lip nervously, she went up to one of the doors and rapped her knuckles against it three times. 

It knocked back.

She jumped. "Hello?" she called timidly. 

There was no answer. 

Wondering if she'd just been hearing things, she tapped on the door once more.

It knocked back again.