Escape (ON HOLD)

Chapter Four

This couldn't be happening. I couldn't die. Not here, not now. Wait... I was breathing. Nothing was scratching at me and I could even move my fingers, though something had my hands and feet tied together. Once I figured that out I didn't dare move, afraid to suddenly get claustrophobic and let it overwhelm me. But I did open my eyes, not that I could really see anything.

"Doctor? Clara?"

I heard a grinding noise coming from behind me, but no reply from either Clara or the Doctor. I didn't think they were there, but I knew I wasn't alone.

The grinding noise grew louder and then suddenly stopped when it sounded like it was right behind me. I really didn't dare move then, especially when something hissed in my ear. I inhaled dust and pebbles fell onto my neck, leaving me to believe one of the creatures was hovering right over me. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to control the trembling that was a result of the overwhelming fear. I knew it was childish, but I still hadn't gotten over my fear of the dark. And there I was, in the dark with some creature or alien or whatever it was breathing down my neck. It was every child's worst nightmare.

"Please," I finally spoke up. "I-I don't know where I am or what's going on. I don't even know those other people apart from their names and to be quite honest, I'm terrified. Absolutely terrified. So please, just, just let me go."

The creature hissed in my ear again and something hard brushed up against my back, but it didn't do anything. So apparently it either couldn't understand me or I wasn't going to get out of there that easily. Or both.

Suddenly there was another grinding noise again but it was coming from the opposite direction of the last one. It got closer and closer before stopping and hissing like the first one. Then something sharp and rough grabbed onto whatever was binding my feet together and began to drag me off to who-knows-where. I tried to keep from freaking out, but it was rather hard given the situation.

The farther we went the more I could see, but I wasn't quite so sure I wanted to see anymore.

The creatures where everywhere, hiding in every crack and crevice in the tunnel I was being dragged through. Water was dripping down the sides of the walls along with... with... I wasn't sure I wanted to know what that was... Thankfully it was still dark enough that I couldn't really see what it truly was.

I was blinded once we got outside, the light being so bright. But then I realized it wasn't the sun that had been so bright. In fact, we weren't even really outside. That's when the wave of heat hit me and I saw that we were inside a volcano. And the Doctor and Clara were on the other side, but unbound and looking like they were there by choice.

I knew what they were going to do to me, especially once I remembered what the Doctor had said earlier about sacrifices and rituals. And about me being the bait. But the bait for what? And was he really going to let this happen? As much as he frowned and seemed unsociable, he didn't exactly seem the type to just stand by and watch people die. He seemed like he could be a... a good man.

They dragged me to the edge of the cliff and I nearly cried out once I saw down into it. The Doctor and Clara did nothing, as if it was of no consequence to them wether or not I died. They just stood there and watched on, though I could've sworn I saw Clara bite her lip and glance at the Doctor nervously once.

The creatures began shrieking again and again, over and over until one of them finally stepped forwards and placed its hands on me. With one move it rolled me over the edge.

Everything happened so slowly and yet so quickly. The cliff went farther and farther away and the lava grew closer and closer as the heat rose to an all new level. But what surprised me was the fact that being as close as I was to it, the heat didn't bother me. I closed my eyes again, not wanting to watch my own death. Then I felt something warm and wet on my feet, my legs, then my waist, and all the way until it covered me from head to toe. But I didn't dare open my eyes.