The Impossible Hunter

Chapter Twenty

"EVERYONE OUT OF THE SHADOWS!" The Doctor yelled. Everyone just stared at him.

"OUT OF THE SHADOWS NOW IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!" He ordered. Sam had to drag a weeping Nicole by the arm, but they all stepped into the light.

"Everyone check to see how many shadows they have. If you have more than one, you have to tell me right now," the Doctor said. They all glanced at the ground, each finding only one shadow at their feet.

"Alright," the Doctor said, his Scottish accent demanding attention, "These woods are not safe. There are... monsters lurking in the shadows. You all need to follow me. Stay out of darkness as much as possible. Don't even let your shadow touch another shadow. We'll go back to the Tardis. I have supplies there to create a beacon that may be able to eradicate them. Follow me, only go in shadows if you have to, and do not wander off. Understand?"

Everyone nodded obediently, eyes wide with terror.

"Good. Stay close. If at any point you realize you have more than one shadow, freeze immediately. You'll last slightly longer," and with that the Doctor turned back the way they came and broke into a run.

They weaved through the forest, hopping to narrowly dodge sinister-looking shadows and making mad dashes through some when unavoidable. In the lead was the Doctor, artfully sidestepping almost every shadow in his full sprint without missing a beat.

A few yards behind him were Dean and Oswin, not quite in a full sprint, but still moving quickly, weaving frantically to avoid most of the darkness with their honed hunting reflexes.

At their heels were Castiel and Clara, teleporting in hops across the forest. Cas would teleport to a bright spot, take a second for Clara to catch her breath and to accurately calculate his next move, then teleport again. It wasn't fast, but with Castiel's precision they never touched a single shadow.

Behind them were Sam and Nicole, in an inconsistent pattern of sprints and jogs. Sam had to keep yanking Nicole from the shadows when her teary hysteria caused her to stumble into them.

Dean and Oswin increased their speed as the Tardis came into view up ahead. Suddenly the Doctor jumped into their path, blocking them. The two hunters stumbled forward as they screeched to a halt.

"You idiots!" The Doctor shouted, "Look at it!"

The Tardis had at least seven shadows visible from just their perspective.

"You said there were monsters in the shadows," Oswin panted, "But what exactly are they?"

Just then Cas and Clara teleported next to them, causing the Doctor's eyes to widen and Dean and Oswin to jump.

Clara immediately threw her arms around the Doctor. He stuck his arms out awkwardly, obviously confused by the gesture.

Suddenly she pushed him away, "NEVER LEAVE ME ALONE IN A DARK FOREST AGAIN! I GOT KIDNAPPED BY A CREEPY MAN IN A LONG COAT!"

"I once again apologize," Castiel said, "You must understand, your appearance made you suspicious."

Clara let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed her temples with her thumb and forefinger, "I'm sorry, Castiel, just a bit cross with him at the moment," she nodded at the Doctor. Her gaze then shifted to Oswin and her eyes went huge.

"Doctor? Who is that?" Clara asked anxiously.

"You," the Doctor said casually.

Clara looked terrified. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted as Sam and Nicole came crashing into the clearing.