The Boy Who Cried Ash

Chapter 1 – Seeking a Doctor

"Please Henry, give mummy a smile" Begged the poor woman with tears flooding in her eyes, "But Mother, how can I smile? For I am sad" She gazed in shock as her once happy boy sat quietly on a chair four times too big for a child his size. A single tear rolled down her cheek and she remembered how her son used to be so full of joy but now, he was full of despair.

She searched high and low for help but all the doctors said the same thing "I'm sorry ma'am, but your son is simply sad, there is no more to say". That was until she stumbled across a strange man…

"Hello Isabelle!" she stared blankly at this stranger, "Oh! That's right, we haven't met yet! Right you'll need this" he handed her a small piece of paper and before she had time to respond he was gone!

She returned home and decided to try and make her son feel better again, after all her attempts failed she remembered the note she was given earlier and proceeded to unfold it. Inside was a telephone number, she headed to her telephone and began to dial (as this was 1928, she literally dialled) there was something about telephones that Isabelle was always fascinated about, whether it be the simple design or the noise the dial make and it spins back to the clicker.

After dialling the number she waited about 40 seconds before someone answered "Hello?" asked this strangely familiar voice, "Oh yes, erm good-day, my name is Isabelle Wayland and I was mysteriously given your number." "Right ok, is there anything you require?" asked the voice "Well in all honesty, I require a Doctor"

The phone hung-up, Isabelle assumed she must've sounded like a mad woman and attempted to continue her daily routine, when suddenly she heard a loud noise like wind on a stormy night, and if by magic, a tall blue police-box materialised inside her living room. The door open and the head of the man she met before popped out "You said you needed a Doctor?"

Isabelle was baffled, "You're a Doctor?" she asked "Oh give me some credit Isabelle, I'm THE Doctor!" She couldn't help but giggle "You can't possibly be a Doctor, you're simply too young!" "Young?!" he replied "Madame I'll have you know I am 910!" she backed away in shock and slowly began to pick up the telephone "What you doing that for?" asked the Doctor, "Hello Constable?" the Doctor was shocked that she'd actually called the police, so he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and destroyed the phone, "Well, let's be honest Isabelle, the phone was rubbish anyway, VERY crackly!" he then left the living-room heading into the kitchen "Oi! I'll have you know that is a Magpies Electronics' EXCLUSIVE!" The Doctor then turned around to look at her "Magpie? Seriously wouldn't trust that one, now come on, I'm HUNGRY!"

She quickly prepared a spread of sandwiches, tea and biscuits and attempted to call her son down, she got no response. "So, are you no longer hungry?" asked Isabelle "Oh yeah, The Doctor, is feasting!" She just looked at him in utter confusion. "So, what seems to be the problem?" "Well" she said taking a deep breath "It's my son, Henry, he's…sad" The Doctor's face dropped, "What do you mean, sad?"

She went upstairs to fetch him so the Doctor could get a better understanding, every question the Doctor asked he simply responded with, "I'm sad, please help me" The Doctor couldn't make heads or tails of it but he was sure that something wasn't right, he returned to the TARDIS to run some advanced scans and to check for any recent alien signals in the area.

The next day the Doctor returned with bad news, something alien was in the area and it was something new, something big and he knew that if not contained, everyone would be in trouble!

"Isabelle, a word please" Isabelle slowly approached the Doctor "Isabelle, do you, believe in aliens?" he asked "Aliens? What nonsense!" she replied, grinning a little. The Doctors face remained serious "Well an alien has infected your son! If we don't do something soon, it can and will spread!" Henry could hear this and approached the TARDIS, he gave it a simple touch, covering one corner in an ash like substance, causing it to retreat to the time vortex leaving the Doctor and taking Clara.

Meanwhile in the TARDIS Clara was enjoying a dip in the pool when she felt vicious movement! The console was no longer that beautiful shade of blue; it was a weird shade of black, the entire console room in fact. Clara looked down and could see it spreading so she began to run through the endless corridors.

The Doctor wanted to speak to Henry, he and Isabelle could tell something was wrong instead of simply saying "I'm sad" he responded with "You're spaceship is infected, the girl will die soon, and then so will you, and then so will everyone!" The Doctor then ran into the living room to see that the TARDIS was gone! He then began to aim his sonic screwdriver at Henry and as he began to apply force Henry began to cry, but the tears were not water, they were ash!

Isabelle began to tear up and begged the Doctor to stop hurting her son but he didn't, he continued to apply force until Henry's body turned into pure ash.