A/N: This idea started just after Halloween I think but I got distracted by other Stories to do with Christmas (thanks for your reviews everyone, if you haven't noticed it has been extended due to popular demand!), messages and the like. So here is some of it, hopefully it'll make me finish it!!! lol
I own nothing except...a whole collection of ghost sotry books, a Doctor who action figure, a wereeolf action figure, a TARDIS mobile phone alerter (must remember to put on mute at night or I end up getting woken by that lovely sound. It's not so lovely at three in the morning!!!) a sonicscrewdriver (hey its a handy torch and pen combo!) oh and one or 7 dvd's. Oh and a David Tennant calendar too, thank you Nicky!!!!!!
Oh right you mean rights to Doctor who! Ok I own naff all, I wish i did for I would be bringing pleasure to millions across the globe and getting paid to have fun every day!!!!
Jumping Jack
"Come on Rose! It's getting late!"
"Alright, alright. God you're as bad as my mum!" She called as she walked down the corridor.
"Take that back!" He scolded as she entered the control room.
"What's the matter? Can't handle the truth?"
"Truth I can handle. Exaggeration is uncalled for." The corner of his lips twitched as he turned to exit the TARDIS.
The door slammed inwards, smacking him in the face and rain pelted through the open door.
Rose ran to help the Doctor close it against the onslaught. It felt like they were battling a hurricane, rain battered them and the wind made it almost impossible to stay upright.
They rammed themselves against the door and sagged against it as they finally won their battle.
"What the hell was that? I thought we were going home to see my mum."
"We did. It would appear London is in the grip of the storm." No sooner had he said it the TARDIS' control panel sparked and popped. "No, no, no, no, no." He jumped up and skidded his way across the floor.
"What? What is it?" Suddenly the TARDIS fell dark and eerily silent. "Doctor?"
"The control panel got wet. She's gone into back-up power until she dries out."
"How long will that take?"
"Don't know."
"So we're going to sit here in darkness until she dries out?" Rose asked incredulously.
"Give it a minute."
A familiar hum filled the air as the control room was lit by an eerie green glow.
"There we are. Emergency lighting." The Doctor grinned at her.
"Great, except now we look like the green goblin." She almost laughed at the Doctor's bemused look. "He's a villain in Spiderman comics."
"Oh, right. Of course."
"So what do we do now?"
"Well we can't go outside until this storm passes. And you need to get out of those wet clothes." He tried hard not to stare at the way the wet fabric clung to her.
"Then what?" Rose asked wrapping her arms around her as her body gave shiver.
"Dunno. Guess we'll have to talk or something." H contemplated this for a while before a grin spread across his face.
"What's that look for?" Rose asked, not sure whether to be nervous or intrigued.
"Well. It's a stormy night," thunder rumbled around them as if to punctuate his point, "thunder, lightning, the whole kit and caboodle. Lack of light."
"So?"
He grinned even wider, the green lighting making him look rather sinister.
XxXxX
"How can you not know any ghost stories?" The Doctor asked her, outraged. "You live in a country rife with myth and legends and some of the most famous ghosts in the world!"
Rose shrugged as she shifted on the sofa. She tucked her feet underneath her and snuggled down into her dressing gown. "Dunno. Never had anyone to tell them to me."
"You mean to tell me you've never heard of Bluebell Hill?" He turned on the sofa so he was facing her.
Rose shook her head.
"Spring Heeled Jack?"
Again Rose shook her head.
"The Jamaica inn?"
"Isn't that the name of a book?"
"Yes but it's based on true events. How about the Borley Rectory?"
"Nope. Don't even know what a rectory is."
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Miss Tyler, best grab hold of something to hide behind!" He chuckled at the pair of them. Rose was huddled up in a set of pyjamas with flying pigs on and a big thick dressing gown and now holding a cushion to her chest. He was sat in his own pyjamas thinking how cute she looked.
"Right then Lassie," He said, adopting a familiar Scottish accent that made Rose giggle. "Let me tell you of the ghosts of Leith Hall." Holding the sonic screwdriver at his chin, he let the light shine up his face causing some strange shadows and mixing with the green glow gave him a deathly look.
XxXxX
"Ok the scariest thing about that story was your accent." Rose giggled, earning a smack with a pillow from the Doctor. "Tell me about Spring Heeled Jack."
"Ah now that really is a tale to fear. It all began one night in October 1837. Young Polly Adams was returning home to Blackheath after a local fair. As she passed the gallows that stood on Shooter's Hill Road, a favourite haunt of Dick Turpin,"
"No pun intended right?" Rose smiled.
"As I was saying, as she passed the gallows she saw a large figure silhouetted against the sky, his cloak flapping around him. The figure ran down the hill toward her, leaping towards her in a way that seemed impossible for a human being.
When Polly was able to see his face she saw he had eyes that glowed like coal and a mouth that spat blue flames. She could feel the warmth of the fire on her face. His fingers felt like iron as they scratched her, drawing blood. He laughed out loud and his eyes bulged from their sockets as he reached toward her bodice and ripped it away, leaving deep scratches across her stomach and almost completely disrobing her. Stepping back he laughed again and fled into the night with unearthly leaps.
This was not the first tale of Spring Heeled Jack and it wasn't the last, just the most dramatic. A month earlier, residents of Barnes Common, on the outskirts of London, claimed there were a series of night-time attacks against people on the common. Of the four that were known of, three were against women, one was said to have had he clothes ripped from her. Word soon spread and stories began to appear in the paper.
The following February, 18 year-old Jane Alsop, heard insistent ringing of her door bell at 9pm. She looked through a crack in the door and saw a tall figure in what looked like a top hat and cloak. She asked the reason for the insistent ringing. 'I am a policeman' he told her. 'For God's sake bring me a light, we have caught Spring Heeled Jack in the lane!'"
Rose curled up tighter into the corner of the sofa.
"The young woman found a candle and handed it to the caller." The Doctor continued. "The instant she did so, he threw off his cloak, pushed the lighted candle against her breast and spat blue and white flames, his eyes glowing red like they were on fire." He jumped so he was crouched on the sofa, eyes glowing widely and his speech sped up as his excitement grew. "Without saying a word he grabbed her, placed her head under one of his arms and tore at her gown with his claws. The girl screamed and struggled to get free. She ran for her home but he followed and caught her in the steps. With more violence than she'd ever known, he tore at her neck and arms and ripped hair from her head. She was eventually rescued by one of her sisters.
The attacks continued for two years before they subsided. But in 1843 they began again. Reports of a caped man wearing a mask and breathing fire, jumping out at men, women and children soon came back into the public consciousness.
In 1845 Spring Heeled Jack was accused of murder. On Jacob's Island in London, interesting fact, Dickens used Jacob's Island as the setting for Fagin's hideout in Oliver Twist." The Doctor noted the look of annoyance on Rose's face. "Right, yes, sorry. On Jacob's Island, a 13 year-old prostitute named Maria Davis was crossing a bridge over one of the open sewers when Spring Heeled Jack approached her. He was leaping across the wooden walkways that linked the buildings in the slum." The Doctor moved slowly towards Rose along the sofa, as if to express his point further.
"She stood transfixed as Jack bounded up to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders, breathed fire into her face and threw her off the bridge. She cried out in terror as the mud swallowed her up."
Rose shifted again uncomfortably as the Doctor's manic grin crept closer and closer. Noticing her unease the Doctor gathered himself slightly and moved back to his end of the sofa perching on the arm.
"The ruling on her death was 'misadventure' despite the fact her neighbours had watched the entire thing from the safety of their own homes.
There was another break until 1877, almost the entire town of Caister in Norfolk saw a strange figure leap onto a roof and jump from rooftop to rooftop. He was last seen by them running along the town's Barrack walls.
Later that year at the barracks, Private Regan heard a noise. He looked around but saw nothing. Then he felt an icy hand on his cheek. He shouted for help and another sentry came running. They stood together watching when a huge figure leaped over their heads and landed in front of them further down the road, grinning malevolently.
They ordered the man to identify himself but got no response so Regan fired his weapon. The bullet passed right through the figure with no effect. He leaped again over their heads spitting fire and laughing his high-pitched peal at them.
Apart from a few fleeting sighting's in the following days, Jack disappeared. That was until 1904, 67 years after his first attack, this time in Liverpool. Neighbours in William Henry Street all claimed to have seen Jack bounding down the street.
He terrorised two sets of girls later that week by jumping out at them, laughing then leaping away.
That was the last time anyone claimed to seeing Spring Heeled Jack. There were only a few variations on how he dressed. Some say he wore a top hat, others say he wore a metal helmet. But most say the same about his clothes. He wore a light coloured oil-skin suit with an elaborate crest embroidered on the chest with a 'W' in the centre. There were theories he was the Marquis of Waterford, but when he died the attacks continued."
"So who was he?" Rose's voice shook slightly as a shudder crept down her back.
"That is a question that to this day has yet to be answered."
"You could have just said 'I don't know'."
"Ah but it's not just me. No one knows. That question always throws up more questions than answers. Some say he's the devil, others say he's connected to Jack the Ripper."
"Was he?"
"Doubt it. Spring Heeled Jack's legend started in 1837. Jack the Ripper had another 50 years to wait before striking an even more violent fear into the hearts of Londoners."
Suddenly Rose shrieked and looked behind her.
"What?" The Doctor jumped from beside her.
"I thought someone touched me." She shuddered again as she caught her breath.
"A little on edge?" He smirked.
"A bit."
"It's only a story. I mean people really claimed these things happened but ultimately they're just stories." He soothed, concern creasing his brow.
"I know." Rose's voice was still shaky and he hand trembled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"There's something else." He said looking at her intently. He knew his Rose, she wasn't the type to get this scared over stories.
"It's nothing, tell me another."
The Doctor shook his head, his eyes never leaving his face. "Rose, we don't tell each other porkies, do we? So come on, spill it."
"It's probably just my imagination but…." She took a deep breath and gave him a self-depreciating smile, "I though I heard a high-pitched cackle earlier, while you were talking about him."
"Oh sweetheart." The Doctor chuckled pulling her in for a hug. "That really is just your imagination running away with you. We'll stop telling ghost stories."
"No! Just can it not be about something as creepy."
"I don't think there is such a thing."
"Ok how bout one without such a creepy sounding character."
"Right, normal non-creepy ghosts it is." He rolled his eyes as untangled his arms from her. "How 'bout Borley Rectory?"
"Ok but first, what's a rectory?"
"It's often a vicarage but sometimes it's just a large residence. Like a country house."
"Gotcha."
"Borley Rectory is a big house in Essex and has been named the most haunted house in England."
"Ooo scary!" Rose joked, feeling a little less jumpy.
"Last time you mocked my scariness you ended up jumping out of your skin." The Doctor raised his eyebrow at her.
"Point taken." Rose offered a small smile cuddling her cushion closer.
XxXxX
"….Keys would be replaced in the locks only for them to be found a little while later lying on the floor."
There was a muffled clang from the corridor which caused both of them to freeze.
"Was that the TARDIS?" Rose asked the tremble back in her voice.
"Maybe." The Doctor shrugged. "Service bells rang from rooms that were empty. Thuds and knocks were heard constantly, some loud enough to wake you, at the same time all over the house. Doors locked themselves.."
Suddenly the door slammed shut.
"Ok if that's the TARDIS it's not funny." Rose told him.
"Agreed." The Doctor stood and cautiously moved over to the doorway.
"Don't leave me here!" Rose hissed.
He held out his hand and started at the chill of Rose's touch. He could feel her trembling at his side as she huddled as close to him as she could.
"What do we do?"
"What else? Go and investigate!" The Doctor grinned and pulled at the door. "It's locked! The cheek of it, right then." He held the screwdriver to the door until it popped open. Peering out into the hallway he pulled Rose along after him using his sonic screwdriver as a torch.
XxXxX
A/N: little bit of a history lesson for ya there folks. England is great for ghostly tales, especially ones that people claim are true! So what do we think? Any one want to read any more? Reviews always welcomed and printed and put in a folder. Wait did I say that out loud?
"Catch ya on the Flip Flop"