'But...' the young man began to protest, his nose was thick with frost and he gradually grew steadily more impatient as he was towered over by the man who held his fate in the palm of his hand.
'I'm sorry mate' said Dave in his rather fat covered McDonald's uniform as he passed out burgers to customers who, from the looks of sustained dissatisfaction on their face had been waiting far too long, of course Marcus had been clock watching and it had been a full ten minutes since he had walked in the restaurant. 'We've got nothing for you' Dave continued, 'I know its difficult given your...' he paused for a moment while he deliberated on the most sensitive word he could use. 'Problems' he said almost apologetically, Once you've sorted yourself out then maybe we can talk about a job then, yeah?
Marcus wasn't looking at him. 'I thought we we friends' he said.
'We are!' Dave said with mock enthusiasm and spread his arms out in a wide motion to demonstrate the fact. 'It's just well… This job is important to me, see? I'm two weeks of pay cheques away from being able to buy Michelle that ring I told her I would get, remember?
Marcus looked around the interior of a McDonald's restaurant. He saw the bright lime green coloured couches people sat on, the mountains of food that was stacked behind the counter and that the dazzling lights that, he was sure would too bright even for the most hawkish of humans. He observed children running around ignoring the rules of their parents and grew sorrowful. He wasn't interested in Dave's life story or his petty squabbles with his girlfriend who, by the accounts of everyone in the village was a bit of a whore he just wanted a job or failing that a meal of some kind to tide him over until the morning.
'Whatever' he turned his back to the counter and waved his hand to gesture he was leaving. He pushed open the door with the ferocity of somebody trying to escape a bank robbery though it wasn't intended and humour of the silent but neutral apology to the woman whose sake had nearly coming to brisk contact with the door. The cold hit him again and he flinched, he couldn't go on like this he had to be somewhere, anywhere will do just as long as it's not out in the British winter on New Year's Eve or with that monster of a family at number 22,
Walking through the lane Marcus caught a glimpse of himself in a puddle. Even for an orphan he had let himself go, his hair was slipped back with grease, he still had the mud marks from when kids from the local grammar school had caught him on the way back from lunch and thought it fit to push him into the farmer's field, his woollen cardigan decorated with green wool Christmas trees had already been ripped and tattered by the weather or, more frequently by people who just wanted a fight.
He made his home for the night the doorway of the French bakery. He resisted the urge to weep as he could smell the bread and cakes through the window, he instead chose to the street in front of him at the dazzling display of multicoloured Christmas lights decorating the town Christmas tree. He paid particular attention to the choir, some of whom he had known as children. A few made brief eye contact with him but soon returned to singing the Christmas Carol with wide, theatrical smiles in front of the crowd. Cursing under his breath Marcus opted to the only other pastime he had. He reached into his pocket and took out a copy of a worn, small purple leather book, he blew the dust that had accumulated from his pocket off of the book and took great pleasure in reading the title to himself
'The Jester's Almanac: A Consorted Compendium of Creatures, from Appalapachia to Zeophon 9.' Smiling in an almost childlike manner Marcus began flicking through the pages at a great pace trying to find the pictures of his favourite monsters. The Cybermen, humanoid like creatures with an actual working human brain, the Weeping Angels, stone angel statues that only move when you're not looking at them but if they catch you they will kill you in grotesque ways. But perhaps his favourite and those he imagined would be the most evil of all were the Daleks. Multicoloured circular shells with an eye stork protruding out of the top of the head, Marcus thought that these looked the best of the drawings but he couldn't help notice the markings below the drawings of the creatures he had looked at. Below the Angels and the metal men was the word 'WARNING' and a little red cross next to their picture, but oddest of all next to the picture of the Daleks with three words written in big, bold black ink underneath the picture. 'NEVER, EVER, AGAIN.'
As Marcus looked up at the snow drifting down onto the pavement, he wondered yet again what he seemed to wonder every night, 'Just what is this book' he muttered slowly to himself as he was comforted by the sound of the very same choir singing the very same version of Silent Night he had heard a few minutes before 'Those old fogies must really like that carol' he said to no one in particular. He always spoke to the sky when he was speaking to himself. It appeared to Marcus, perhaps more in delusional hope than anything else that someone was listening to him at least that's what he imagined the twinkling to be.
'If you can hear me, Sky People.' He began 'I don't normally do New Year's wishes but to be honest with you and getting pretty fed up of a living right about now. If you could see it in your infinite sky people wisdom to get me out of my little big mess I would be most grateful, and who knows maybe in a couple of months be able to get you a job at McDonald's.' He chuckled and his own remark, he wasn't even sure why he still called them sky people, he knew there was no such thing though he once believe there was. Mr and Mrs Gray soon put pay to that. Sure, Marcus enjoyed looking at the book but only in his prayers did he let his imagination stretch to the possibility that they could be real. Having exhausted all of the few leisure activities Marcus had to him he put his head on the concrete and began to close his eyes, or at least he would have done if the mobile phone he had carried around in his pocket didn't blare off a calypso soundtrack, he looked at the number and cursed.
'What?' Marcus muttered.
'Don't you dare 'what' me!' Came the shrill, haggard voice of Mrs Gray. Its scratch that Marcus ears like a nail on a blackboard. 'Where are you?' She moaned
'Out'
'What do you mean out? Trying to find a job no doubt, as if anyone is going to employ you'
Marcus felt blood in his ears 'I'm qualified'
'Oh! Look at me mister 'I went to school and got a noting piece of paper! Trying to rub it in?
'No'
'Come home now or we'll come to get you'
'No'
The phone equipped and Mrs Gray's voice went silent. Marcus again tried to rest his head but was woken up by a loud horn. 'They couldn't have got here that fast' he said groggily, but before he could utter another word Mrs Gray was standing in front of him.
'I told you to come home' she growled. 'And what have I told you about that book?'
'How did you…'
Give it to me!
Marcus did his best to push her away but found that her body was suddenly rock solid.
'Give me the book! Mrs Gray crossed her hand round Marcus neck, as she did so he could see her skin fizz away to reveal a bumpy rock like surface and glowing yellow eyes that had so much malice within them Marcus felt like crying, or at least he would have done if the blasted mobile phone he had in his hand didn't blare out that same calypso tune that irritated him so, he looked at the number.
'0000000000' he thought to himself as he could feel his face turning blue and the area being drained from him, must drink whatever energy he had left he brought the phone to his ear and pressed the green button.
'H-H-Hello' Marcus choked
'Oh Good!' Said a young, bright cheerful voice. 'I've got you!… Be there in a tick' the voice chirped before giving a loud clown like giggle.
'What?' Marcus breathed, just about managing to converse without collapsing in a heap.
'Die!' roared to the now Gollum Mrs Gray
'I see you have a problem there' the voice on the phone said, now slightly more serious than before. I'll be there soon... Yes, yes got a lock on you now. Oh! I'm The Jester by the way… And you have my book.'
Marcus slowly pushed the red button on the phone and as soon as he did so something quite miraculous began to happen. Right behind the giant rock creature they began to materialise an object. At first Marcus couldn't make out what it was but slowly and surely, in a golden brilliance of light the object revealed itself. This caused Mrs Gray to drop Marcus and cover her eyes, blinded by the energy it omitted. Marcus scrambled back up the wall holding his neck as the colour slowly began to return to his face. The object opened and out stepped a man who, because of the brightness of the light which still radiated around the object, neither the object nor the man were quite yet visible to Marcus. What he did see however was the man with a weapon, a guns of some kind and that the rock creature in the chest. It flew backwards, which Marcus thought was odd for its size and hit the wall with a thud and a crack.
That's a...a...a tent? Marcus finally said confused as the man stepped out of the tent and approached the Gollum
He was the oddest dressed man Marcus had ever seen. He wore a turquoise shirt with a pearl necklace adorned about his neck, a red, yellow and turquoise patchwork jacket and a pair of brown suit trousers with blue leather shoes. His hair was white and his eyes ice blue. Marcus couldn't work out if he was old or young but right now that didn't bother him after all, his foster mother had turned into a rock creature that tried to kill him which, do you think would be the worst problem?
'You' the man began talking to the Gollum in a tone a mother might reserve for a child. 'Have been very bad, just look at all the damages caused and this poor boy' he turned to Marcus 'Scared him half to death...literally. He pulled out a juggling ball from his pocket and threw it at Mrs Gray. As the ball travelled through the air it sped up and began to shine with the same brilliant energy the tent did. When it hit the monster it gave a ferocious painful yell.
'Regeneration Energy Balls' the Jester said to Marcus,'Useful things.'
'You live in a tent?' Marcus replied
'Bloody Humans!' The Jester said in a statement of genuine surprise, 'I show you a fantastic piece of kit and all you seem to be worried about is my fixed address!' He continued to throw the regeneration energy balls and the monster and it continued to scream and yell and fight the onslaught until, with a loud crack and a sprinkle of dust the Gollum vanished.
Marcus fell to his knees and crossed himself, the Jester eyed him curiously. 'You're a Christian? He asked.
'Don't be alarmed' Marcus said, 'I ain't no God botherer.'
The Jester gave a hearty laugh. 'Wouldn't bother me if you were' said the Jester smiling 'I like Christians, with the gold and the incense and-
'I'm Anglican' Marcus interrupted.
'Oh, how plain.' He clapped his hands almost like a seal. 'Now then' he said 'The book.'
'Hang on!' Marcus stamped his foot. 'Before we do anything you're going to answer a few of my questions'
'Here we go' muttered the Jester rolling his eyes.
'Who are you?
'I'm the Jester, I'm a Time Lord'
Marcus blinked. 'Like the ones in the book?'
'MY book.' Corrected the Jester, wagging his finger. 'I can travel through time and space in my TARDIS or 'Time and relative dimension in space, or as you like to call it 'The Tent'
Marcus enquired further 'And what about those shiny balls'
The Jester gave a schoolboy giggle before clearing his throat to correct himself. 'Marvellous things these, marvellous! Regeneration energy balls, invented them myself good tools, only they drain my life force when I use them but at present they are the only weapon I have.
'And what is the book for?' Marcus said growing more excited like a child at Christmas.
'That my good man' the Jester said opening the door 'you'll have to find out.
'How?'
'To quote someone I knew once 'I don't know how, I only know who' he pulled out a key from his pocket and handed it to Marcus.
'I get to go with you? He said with a mixture of childlike enthusiasm and an adult sense of danger.
You do! The Jester clapped his hands again 'I need to find a certain man and I need your help'
'Mine?' Marcus said standing in front of the open TARDIS door.
'Yep!' Said the Jester, laughing and dancing wildly as he shoved Marcus into the TARDIS. 'I know all about you Marcus Gabriel Garret, and we're going an adventure!'
Before Marcus had time to question how the Jester knew his name for what the hell was going on, the Time Lord barged past him and pulled the big red lever, and with a whirl and a swirl and a gurgle, the TARDIS dematerialised.
Thank you so much for reading, won't pressure for reveiws just happy you took the time to read, any comments welcome, if liked will do more! thanks!
