Doctor Who © the BBC
The Haunting of the TARDIS
Planet Ogetnom
Universal Century 54
Southern continent
--
A distinctive whirring noise fell upon the salty, sea air of Ogetnoms' coastal southern continent. Slowly, a blue box began to materialize out of the air. With a 'k-thunk' sound, the TARDIS was fully visible. In a dash, Cyphrin exited the time capsules door and spun around, feasting her eyes on her first alien world. The Doctor followed, locking the door behind him.
"Well, what do you think?" he gestured with both hands to the coast.
"Its bloody wicked!!" Cyphrin exclaimed. "Where are we?"
"The planet Ogetnom. Located in the third spiral of the Milky Way, galactic coordinates 7963/3401. Very popular tourist destination during its summer months, which is when we just happen to be. And right over there," he pointed with his walking stick. "Is the town of Calypso. Care to have a look?" he smiled, holding his hand out for her to take.
And they strolled to Calypso. Cyphrin almost tore the Doctors arm off, rushing about like a energetic puppy. Inside the town itself, she calmed down some what. Possible because of all the different species. The shock of looking upon non-human beings was starting to sink in.
"So... they're all aliens? Right, proper aliens?" the Doctor nodded.
"Yes, they are. Some have come a long way to enjoy the sun and surf. Like that group there." he gestured to a group of five or six purple skinned beings with bony, ridged heads. "The Buraj need warm climates in order to breed. So every summer they bring those who are of breeding age here to do... you know what." he finished with a wink and a nudge.
"Ack! I did not need to know that!!" she screamed with mock disgust. The Doctor laughed. On the time travelers walked, taking in the sights of the lovely coast line, the shops and the food. Cyphrin didn't dare eat this one dish that looked like hair and entrails. Though the Doctor seemed quite fond of it. He ate hers when she declined to eat it herself.
From the table where they sat, Cyphrin could hear from across the street. A barker was at the corner, waving brochures and saying something about a local haunted mansion. The idea of a haunted house on another planet was to good for her to resist. Excusing herself from the table, Cyphrin crossed the street over to the barker.
"Ah, hello to you young lady! Do you like mystery? Terror? The unknown?"
"Oh, you bet."
"Well then, you must go and pay a visit to the Dahlia Manor Plantation. Many a goods night sleep you'll lose after you leave it." he handed Cyphrin one of the brochures. Jogging back to the Doctor, she told him about the haunted house and her eagerness to see it.
"Oh, my dear. Its probably some cheaply made tourist trap. Besides, ghost? Don't tell me a smart girl like you believes in such a ridiculous idea?"
"Oh, so I'm stupid for believing in ghosts, is that it?" she gave him a cross look. "And what about you? Are you telling me a guy who goes time traveling hasn't seen at least one ghost in all that time?"
"Oh, yes I've seen ghosts. But that doesn't mean I have to believe in them." Cyphrin rolled her eyes and sulked in her chair. The Doctor sighed and looked visibly defeated.
"Oh, alright. We'll go to this haunted house. If only to stop you from looking like a kicked dog."
--
It was around sunset when the Doctor and Cyphrin met up with a group of people outside the gates of the Dahlia Hall Plantation. The Doctor checked his pocket watch, hoping that this silly little venture wasn't going to take all night. Looking to his left, he saw someone coming down the long, winding road that lead up the hill to the plantation. It was a woman, dressed in white and carrying a candle lit lantern.
"Good evening, guests." she said once she had reached the gates. The Doctor rolled his eyes at her cheesy, creepy voice. "I welcome you to Dahlia Hall Plantation." she opened the gates and allowed the group inside. The Doctor trudged along behind the group, being in no real hurry.
Without really knowing why, he felt very alert on this property. He cast glances to the left and right, feeling like he should be seeing something, but what. He wasn't sure. His palms started to sweat, his heart began to beat a little faster. Holding his breath, he dared to look behind himself. That was when he felt a hand grasp his arm from the front. He let out a yelp. Cyphrin yelped along with him, snatching her hand from his arm.
"Good grief, Cyphrin!" he gasped for breath, his respiratory bypass system seeming to fail him.
"I was just gonna ask what you were looking around for." The Doctor really didn't know what to say to that.
"Well, I... umm. Oh, never mind! We're losing the group. Come on." he went off in a jaunty run to catch the group, and Cyphrin followed.
Arriving at the mansion, even the Doctor had to be impressed at its design. Reminiscent of the old manor houses of the American south in the 1800s, it stood proud atop the sea viewing cliff. The guide stopped at the large, imposing black wood doors.
"I warn you, once you step through these doors, I am not responsible for what may happen to you. So if you feel that you cannot handle it, you are free to remain outside in the gardens. All others, please follow me." no one left. All together, they stepped into the mansion.
Inside, the atmosphere was less than eerie. In fact, it was down right pleasant. Cyphrin was visibly disappointed at the lack of cobwebs and decay. The Doctor was trying his hardest to not give her an 'I told you so' look. Their guide led them up the stairs from the foyer to the first floor. Up to a large potrait the went, and the guide stopped them there.
"This is a portrait of the Lady Lisabeta Lira, better known as the Red Witch of Dahlia Hall. Over a century ago, she ruled this plantation with an iron fist. Skilled in the dark arts, Lisabeta used her numerous slaves in rituals to increase her power. She was even rumored to have used her husband after she tired of him." that sent a shudder through the crowds collective spines.
"It was only after she sacrificed a child from the town that the people rose up against her. They stormed the mansion and drug her out into the gardens, where they bound her to the largest tree and burnt her alive."
The guide led the group down the hall, but Cyphrin stayed and gazed at the portrait. She felt mesmerized by the deep, dark eyes of Lisabeta. Her fiery, red hair seemed to fall around her shoulders like coiled snakes. Her lips curled at the corners of her mouth, like she was eternally plotting.
Cyphrin felt fear rising in her stomach. She wanted to run, to rejoin the Doctor. But she was frozen in place. It was just like in nightmares, when you wanted to run but you couldn't. It was made worse by the fact that she could have sworn that the portrait was changing. Lisabetas' face twisted into a grin of pure evil, her eyes became like a predatory cats.
"Run..." Cyphrin screamed in her mind. 'Just run away!' Lisabetas' image seemed to lung out at her, and Cyphrin stumbles back into the Doctors arms.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Th-- the painting!" Cyphrin gestured manically to the portrait, only to find that it hadn't changed at all.
"C'mon, love. We're losing the group." the Doctor took Cyphrins' hand and they went off to find where the tour had gone off to.
She looked over her shoulder as they walked, just to make sure Elisabeta was still on the wall as she was.
--
Later, back at the TARDIS; the Doctor stretched his body and yawned loudly.
"My God, that was a long night. And what did I tell you? Sheer nonsense. K-9?"
"Yes, Master?"
"Put the kettle on. I need some tea before I settle in for the night. How about you, Cyphrin?" she just stood staring at nothing. The Doctor gave her a poke to bring her back to herself.
"Wha?! Um, no thanks. I'll just toddle off, Doctor. Good night." the Doctor bid her good night, and she went off to her room.
Inside her room, Cyphrin went about her ritual of gathering her clothes and bathing accessories. Going to one of the numerous lavatories on the TARDIS, she soaked away any anxiety she had about the night. After her bath, she brushed her teeth at the sink. Feeling ever so much more calm, she took her time getting every angle of her mouth.
Heading back for her room, Cyphrin almost skipped, trying to keep her spirits high. But that was soon to change, when she heard a strange noise coming from down the hall. It was like a moaning, but more like it came from the back of the throat.
"Doctor?" she called out. "Doctor, if that's you it isn't funny!" The lights in the hallway began to fizzle and blink. Cyphrin ran the other way, the lights going out as she ran.
In her rush, she tripped over her own feet. With a thud, Cyphrin smacked against the hard floor. She looked up, seeing that the lights at stopped going out right to the point where she lay. From the direction she was running to, the lights had also blinked out. And so she lay in the only sliver of light that remained.
Curling up, Cyphrin dare not move from that spot. For she could tell that in the darkness, something was waiting for her to let her guard down. And indeed, from out of the darkness, she could see something coming her way. White as a sheet, she stared at the thing, her eyes locked in complete fear...