The Burning
"Come," a voice said gruffly as a large hand clenched painfully around my arm.
The guard dragged me through the door way, not bothering to check whether I ducked or not. (I did.) I followed limply behind him, my arm throbbing where his meaty hand still gripped me. My long blonde hair, now streaked through with muck and blood, fell into my eyes and face, blocking what little view my swollen eyes afforded. If my mother could see me now…
As I was forcefully pulled into the open, I heard a cry rend the air. It was the sound of a small girl screaming out in pain, begging for her mother. I could hear the horror of her suffering and smell the blood on the wind. I shuddered to think that would be me in only a few moments. Tears began slipping down my cheeks, stinging as the salt rubbed into the cuts on my face. My whole body screamed in agony and I found myself eagerly awaiting my coming fate. Death would be preferable to this endless torture.
Yet somewhere deep within my heart, a voice cried out in protest. I didn't want to die, not now not ever. I had to live for him, for the Doctor. If I died, what would happen to him? Who would be there to hold his hand when I was gone? My head caught onto this line of thought, holding on for dear life. The Doctor. I sighed with relief despite the pain enveloping me. If I thought about the Doctor, things seemed just a little brighter. I may have been more frightened than ever before, my death only minutes away, and in the worst pain I'd ever felt, but inside my spirit glowed. I wouldn't give up, not without a fight, because he wouldn't want me to. He would want me to struggle against them with everything I had left, to evade death for as long as possible. And maybe if I fought hard, I would live long enough for him to find me. Maybe… probably not. But then again, he liked impossible… and so did I.
Luckily for me, the girl I heard was slow to die, giving me plenty of time to wriggle free of the ropes around my wrists. The guard had dropped my arm, but I knew he was near from the sound of breathing just slightly to my left. I wished very much that I could see, as that would make evading my captors so much easier. Still, if I was careful, I could hold them off for maybe five minutes. It wasn't much, but with death staring me straight in the face, it was better than nothing.
I waited until I felt the guard latch onto my arm again before I burst into action. I spun as much as I could with him gripping me so tightly, but it was enough. Using my free hand, I smashed the heel of my palm in what I hoped was the general area of his nose. The crunch of breaking bone sounded in my ears, confirming I had reached my target. In addition to that, I slammed my foot down on his, and jabbed my elbow into his gut. My efforts were rewarded as he released his iron grip. I put some distance between us as the crowd roared their disapproval.
I wielded the rope that once bound me, swinging it menacingly in the guard's direction. His breath came in short gasps and I could hear it catch in his throat. Now we were equals, well, at least we both had injuries. Mine were still much more severe. The odds were against me even with the hurt he must have felt. I assured myself it didn't matter. The goal was not to win, but to stall. Surely I could do that.
"What are you thinking, little human?" a new guard said scornfully from my left. "You cannot actually believe you'll escape. You suffer from many injuries, as well as starvation, and you can't even see. How could you possibly over power us?"
I shifted my position just slightly so I could face my new threat without turning my back on the other. I strained my ears for any sign of movement besides that of the two guards. I could just catch the shuffle of feet between the two. Three against one, then. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to quell the rising panic in the pit of my stomach. I just had to play it smart, keep them talking, and listen closely to their movements. As long as I paid attention, I could avoid them easily at this distance. If they all three closed in… I tried not to think about it.
"I am not as weak as you seem to think," I answered, swinging my rope around for emphasis. "I'm not just a human. I've seen things you could never imagine, done things that would make your insides squirm."
"We are the Gorilu. We are not afraid. Certainly not of you," said the third guard. He laughed menacingly, practically shattering my ear drums with the harsh sound. I could just see glass breaking at the sound.
"I return the sentiment," I replied fiercely.
The stadium erupted in howls of outrage and gasps of shock. Even the three guards were silent for a moment, stunned into silence. Of course. They had probably never dreamed their prisoners would stand strong before them. Thinking of myself only moments ago, it wasn't surprising at all. I had the courage though, thanks to my Doctor wherever he was. Far away though he might have been, he was still saving my life.
"You never even considered that did you?" I asked, screaming out to the crowds, in spite of the aching pain that hit my lungs and throat. "I am not afraid! Doesn't that make you just the slightest bit uneasy? What will happen to your beloved sport when your prisoners refuse to tremble before you?"
I heard the shift of the guard, just before he rushed towards me. I danced away, stumbling as I went, but still I managed to whack to the rope across what might have been his back as I went. He yowled more in loss of pride than pain, but I still felt a touch of satisfaction. Still, my gut churned nervously. It was easy enough to avoid one, but sooner or later all three would think to advance at once. I could only hope and pray the Doctor would arrive by that time.
"Some day your world will crumble and fall," I said. "They all do. But I can promise you one thing. Kill me now, and your world will end long before it's time. Somewhere out there is a man unlike any other, a man who burns with pain, loss, but also love. Kill me, and he will withhold nothing when he strikes."
The cries rose up loader than before. Their protests were overpowering, deafening in volume and pitch. I swung my rope faster. If the guards chose to attack at that moment, I would have not warning. The trouble with great instincts is that I was almost always right. All three guards, crashed down on me, in the single moment I could not evade them. The rope struck one, but the remaining two caught me in their grasps. I felt my bones snap under their grip, and I screamed in agony. Pain washed through my body, nearly drowning out the loud voice ringing through the stands.
"I tire of the human's words," a mighty voice rang out, shrill but as deep as a rumbling avalanche. I was left to assume he was the Emperor I had heard whispers of. I wished I still possessed my sight to see the gruesome leader, the man responsible for my inevitable death. "Kill her."
His words, cut straight through me. I would have been frozen stiff even without the guards holding me in place. I knew with perfect certainty, I would die. There was no doubt in his voice, nor in my heart. No hesitation meant no mercy. I was going to be burned at the stake. My only consolation was that they were forgoing the further torture in favor of killing me immediately. Still at least I had fought, put up a stand. The Doctor would have been proud. I could die without some amount of happiness.
As they lashed me to the post, I filled myself up with all the good times, all the happy moments. I thought of the times the Doctor took my hand in his. I remembered how it felt to laugh with him, to kiss him. Tears flowed down my cheeks at what could have been. How I loved him so.
They lit the fire, and the smoke began assaulting my senses. If I was lucky, I would pass out from smoke inhalation before the flames began to lick at my skin. I was not lucky. Screams forced their way out of my throat, and I wriggled desperately in a hopeless attempt to escape the hungry tongues of fire. The few rags of clothing still left on my body, left only a moment of protection, before my skin felt the heat. I was burning, burning burning. Conscious thought slipped away, before consciousness faded altogether. Just before I blacked out I had one last thought of my precious, precious Doctor. In my head I could hear him scream out my name, just as he used to. I smiled even as I died.
Darkness. Fear. Pain so much pain. Fire. Burning. Oh how it burns. Somewhere, in my lost state, I knew I was whimpering like a small puppy. Blood. Death. The smell of charred flesh. Burning. It still burned. I thought death was supposed to be easy. Confusion. Lonely. Hurt. It hurt. The burning hurt so terribly. Why was I still feeling? Grief. Lost. I am lost. I am burning. Always burning. Through my haze, I started hallucinating again. I could hear his voice, so far away.
Rose. Rose. Wake up. It's over. The burning is over. No it wasn't, the burning was still there worse than before. It was getting stronger every moment. Good girl. Keep fighting. He was still there. I thought hallucinations left after awhile. Doctor. – That's right, Rose. I'm right here.-
I think I started crying at that point. Death was mean to torment me so. Fingers. Gentle like a breeze. Love. Tenderness. The pain was getting worse, but the warmth of his imagined touch lingered as well. The tears were gone. Where did they go? They returned. I was so confused. Shh, Don't cry Rose. Open your eyes. It's okay. I wanted to believe him, more than anything, but... I was dead right?
Warmth. Hands Clasping. Shared tears. Shared Pain. Shared Burning. Somehow my mind began piecing things together. Was it possible? Could it be? Had the Doctor come in the nick of time? Rose! Screaming, crying, burning. Rose! His voice. She had heard his voice just as she lost it. Was it him was it truly him? Doctor?- Yes. You can wake up now. The burning is gone.-
More tears trailed down my cheeks as I forced my heavy eyelids open. I sobbed with relief to see his face before me. I threw my arms around him, ignoring the pain shooting through my body. I trembled against him, utterly amazed that he was there, really, tangibly there. His shoulders shook, and his breath came out raggedly. It took me a minute to realize he was crying too. His tears fell into my hair, or what was left of the singed mess. I soaked his shirt, but he didn't seem to mind. We held each other tightly, so afraid to let go.
"I'm sorry," he whispered through tightened throat.
"It's not your fault," I assured him, running a hand through his hair. "You saved me. I was dying, and you saved me."
"I saved myself," the Doctor murmured, shaking his head. "You think I could have lived with the knowledge you died in front of me?"
I smiled, not even wincing when my fresh skin around my mouth surged with pain. He must have given me skin grafts while I was asleep. Always looking after me.
He pressed a kiss to my head, his arms tightening around me. I snuggled into his shoulder, feeling my eyelids begin to drop again. I was falling asleep again. I knew the nightmares would come, but I also knew he would be right there with me all night long. My beautiful, wonderful Doctor.
Someday, I would tell him. Whisper of how much he meant to me, how much I loved him. But for now, it was enough to be with him again, safe in his embrace. I let myself slip slowly into sleep, and in the refuge of his arms the burning finally stopped.
A/N So what did you think of that? A little different than my usual, but I'm quite proud of it. Apologies to my wonderful readers of 100 Moments. I decided to finish this (I started it months ago) instead of doing a chapter tonight. Tomorrow, I will have another one. On my word of honor. :-) Anyway, drop a review, and send me a piece of happiness. I do love them so much.