"A name is whispered along in the wind.
A name that no one else can bear the weight of.
A name that carries along with it, stories of countless generations.
A name with multiple meanings, a name that only one person can truly own.
Some may call him the warrior; some may call him the destroyer of worlds. Here, we call him the Doctor, defender of the Earth, and my personal hero."
I look across the classroom, expecting for faces of utter awe and amazement, but I was rudely responded with faces of absolute, extreme boredom. "Erm, Elliot sweetie," began Ms. Chandler "That was a really sweet story, but for the project you were supposed to focus on real heroes." She finished with her oh so lovely, I'm trying to be nice but really I think you're as intelligent as a potato, smile.
The other students began to snicker, however other students were not as subtle as them. One of the children, let's call him Chad. I haven't made any impression to get to know him really, he just presses my button too much. Anyways, Chad began his boisterous laugh, his mouth extending in all directions, his face pointed high towards the sky, and his hands clapping as if he was swatting flies all around him. If anything, Chad is the one who likes a potato for doing that, not me. I prefer to think that I look like a good strong vegetable, maybe something like an apple. "Oh what a brilliant story Elliot!" chuckled Chad, recovering from his recent outburst. "What a fun name, the 'Doctor'," he said, putting air quotes on Doctor. "What is he going to do, save us from the common cold?" Now the whole class was erupting, everyone was laughing at something that I genuinely believed to be real.
Even Ms. Chandler couldn't help but let a slight chuckle out of her 95% plastic body. I tried not to let them get the best of me, but in all honestly, it was getting to me. My hands slumped next to my sides, my fists clenched wrinkling the paper that I worked so hard on. I really believe that the doctor is real, I know he is. He is the only plausible explanation for this world existing in the state of relative peace that it is in today. I was sincere in that belief, but no one else would believe in me. If I dared to say that out aloud, then they would all make fun of me. I held my head down in shame, refusing to look up at the barrage of mean looks and insulting laughs my classmates were directing at me. "Aw, are you about to cry?" asked Chad. I looked up, change of heart? I wondered. "Maybe you should have the Doctor come in and remove your tear ducts."
That honestly was the end of it for me. I couldn't handle the daily abuse of Chad against me, but without anyone defending me at this point, then there was no use of me being here in the classroom. So like any other sensitive 16 year old at the glorious height of only 5 feet 1 inch, I did the only thing I know how to do. Run away and cry in the bathroom. I quickly excused myself from class, trying to make sure no one was able to catch my tears, although I do suppose they already knew what was about to happen. With my paper still in hands, I made my way towards the bathroom, which thankfully was down the hall. I say thankfully, because hopefully not many people would be able to see a short little person quickly run into the restroom with tears streaming down their face acting as if their whole world was destroyed in just one second.
I didn't want people to think that way of me, but that's how I really felt. Locking myself into the bathroom stall, I closed to toilet lit, and sat down on it. Burying my face into my knees, I just thought about literally every decision I've made. Why did I decide to go up to everyone and imply that I believe in someone as the Doctor. Someone who apparently doesn't exist to the general public. Why would I believe in such a silly thing? I asked myself. Usually my questions go without answers though. I continued to cry, letting all the tears out from my eyes, coating my face in an ugly mixture of tears and snot. Such a display of human emotions is quite an atrocious thing, yet it is one of our most vulnerable sides. I thought I was on my "vulnerable" side for the span of at least 2 minutes, but apparently not.
There was a knock on the restroom door, "Elliot?" Damn it its Ms. Chandler. "Elliot come on out, its already been 20 minutes." She said softly, acting as if she suddenly cared. I took my face out of my knees, there was a gigantic stain on my jeans. "Yeah Elliot, I'm sorry I made fun of your somehow strong belief in a fictional character that definitely does not exist." Chimed in Chad. My head perked up. Tears were still all over my face, but for some reason, I felt some sort of new found vitality to that statement. I laughed to myself, yes, he's probably right. There's no way such being the the Doctor could exist. I continued laughing at myself, chiding myself for believing the notion that the Doctor was in fact real.
I left the stall and went to the stink, staring at myself. Grinning ear to ear even though my face looks like a complete and utter train wreck. Letting the water hit my face, I laughed even more. Just considering the idea that the Doctor, a man who saved the earth countless of times, would just fly around in some sort of alien space ship, just seems absurd. Laughter just consumed my soul, now for some reason, the very existence of the Doctor just seems like some sort of comical absurdity to me, and yet, as the water washed my face, I still cried. I still felt sad, because I don't want to believe that. I don't want to think that the Doctor doesn't exist. To me the thought of such a being seems amazing, its something I genuinely don't want to give up in.
Then I realized, that's the vitality I felt. I knew what I thought was right. It's something that I myself, and apparently only myself, believed in. Nothing was going to stop me from that, and I will like hell defend my beliefs until the very end. Turning off the sink and drying my face with a towel, I proudly turned and walked to the door. Taking a deep breath, I clasped the handle, and swung it open. There I saw the two awaiting faces of Chad and Ms. Chandler. "Oh there you are sweetie," Said Ms. Chandler, clasping her hands together and bending her neck at an awkward angle in an effort to appear like she was worried about me the entire time. "Yeah, we've been waiting the entire time dude." Said Chad, with an annoying smirk across his face. Look at them, acting as if they're some sort of perfect being, as if they did no wrong. It was time for me to show my true colors.
"Thanks Ms. Chandler," I started, "But I am sick and tired of this façade that you're always trying to keep up." Ms. Chandler's expression changed, her eyes widened in surprise, her mouth agap. "I refuse to deal with your fake self. Acting as if you've been caring for me this entire time, even though you let him," I said, pointing my finger accusingly at Chad. "Orchestrate the entire class into completely humiliating me like this! What are you?! You're supposed to be a teacher and yet you're just a bystander, a normal person acting as if they have no responsibilities, just joining the crowd and watching me burn!" I yelled at her. "And you!" I said turning to Chad. "What makes you think you can treat me like this? Do you have some sort of deep rooted desire to me, but since I don't talk with you, the only possible interaction you have is by making fun of me?"
Chad stood back a little, probably because he didn't expect for me to actually say something. "I have no idea who somehow bestowed you with this idea that you're the top of the world, but honestly, you're completely and utterly nothing. That's all you are! Just a simple person who can accomplish nothing but break the hopes and dreams of a teen who just wants to believe in something he thinks is right! Is that all you can say for yourself!" I yelled at Chad, whose face was in the same expression as Ms. Chandler. I was completely seething with rage, all my built-up emotions have finally let themselves out, and oh how sweet did it feel. Regaining my composure, I quickly pat my hands across my shirt, trying to undo some nonexistent wrinkles. "Now if you'll excuse me," I said with a smile on my face, "I'll take the liberty of bring myself to the principal, so you don't have to Ms. Chandler." I turned away, bee lining a path to the principal's office, but before I could, there was something I had to include. "Now you two, please close your mouths, you don't have to bring your bedroom activities here." Then I quickly left, not turning back and continuing completely forward.
"So Mr. Chambers, it appears that you have had quite the outburst," Said Mr. Haney, the school principal. The folds of fat under his chin vibrated with every noise that left his mouth. "We will not tolerate such disregard of human decency in this school." He said, staring straight at me. He tried to sound serious, but his eyes gave him away. He didn't care about what happened, frankly he seemed to be more concerned about what would be on the lunch menu today. I said nothing, continuing the silence between me and him. I studied his face, counting every wrinkle and every chin on his sorry self. "Look, I know you're a good kid Chambers, so I'll let you off with just a warning this time." I smiled, and exited the room. "You're a good kid Chambers." His words meant nothing to me though, I was already a good distance away from him as he said it. Everyone can put on a mask of sincerity, but I can see through it. They honestly don't care, and that's fine with me. No one believes in me, but I don't need them. I'll continue believing in the Doctor, and I'm alright with that.
"Now class before you all go to lunch, we have one more thing to discuss, and that is" said Ms. Chandler, eyeing each and every individual inside the classroom. "Overfishing!" She exclaimed, her unkempt shoulder length brown her moving around wildly. "Is this possible, is this actually a thing?" She asked the class with a smile, continuing to look at each and everyone one of us. "Well I'm here to tell you, that overfishing is completely a lie." Okay, I know for a fact that's completely wrong. "If you remember our lesson in biology, there's something called a keystone species, a species that if you were to eradicate, the whole food web would completely disintegrate!" Yes, I'm aware of that lady. I thought to myself. "So, in order to avoid that issue, we have discovered a new species of fish that we continue to feast upon today, and that is, as well know and love, the Corkien Fish! Named after our the lovely founder of our school William Corkien." Gracious, she is really in love with this fish. You catch one fish and you're suddenly the ruler of the world, well, at least in Ms. Chandler's eyes anyways. "This fish is absolutely unique, it appears to have now impact on the environment at all!" Her eyes were sparkling at this point. "And that was my rant about the fish, thank you all for listening, now go to lunch class!"
Everyone else began to leave, but I sat in my seat, dumb founded. Did she really go on a 1 minute lecture of how our fishing of one particular fish doesn't count as overfishing. I guess in some sort of way it makes sense, but to me it just doesn't. "Come now Elliot, go to lunch with your friends." Said Ms. Chandler. Wow, rude way to just take me out of my thoughts but okay, I guess that's alright. "Of course, I'll be on my way." I replied sweetly, trying my best smile.
I arrived in the lunchroom about 5 minutes later. Everyone was already sitting down enjoying the school lunch. Guess what it is. Can't tell? It's the Corkien fish. Fried to "perfection" adorned with amazing spices, making it a key meal and William Corkien's High School. Absolutely everyone loves the food here, I don't know why. Mind you I've never had it before, but the smell. That pungent smell that just smells like pure death, its cleverly hidden beneath the concoction of herbs and spices, but I can still smell it. I prefer just bringing my own lunch. I definitely know that my parents aren't trying to kill me, so I know for a fact that the lunch will be absolutely mediocre at best. They're not exactly the best cooks. I make do though, just sitting by myself at a lunch table. For some reason kids tend to leave me isolated, I guess they just sense me brooding and naturally want to leave me alone. Is it some sort of natural instinct? I'm not sure. The good thing however is that in my time of isolation I'm allowed to take proper observance over the cafeteria. All around me are filled up tables with kids, laughing, happily eating away their food. All of them consuming the same meal, acting as if nothing is wrong. Nothing suspicious is going on I suppose, so for now I just seem like a weird kid staring at everyone around him. Lunch goes as it does, no disturbances. Just like every other day, it all just seems normal.
However, it wasn't going to stay normal. Is was about 1:00 now, only an hour and thirty five minutes until the school day ends. For most of the kids here, this is where the "food coma" hits. Everyone suddenly gets tired and refuses to do any work, just slogging around and trying their best not to fall asleep. I on the other hand am not victim to such thing, so while everyone else is struggling to stay awake, I take this opportunity to properly observe my classmates. It appears all of them are lazy, groggy, as if they haven't slept in years. They appear to be simultaneously lulled to sleep. Even the teacher falls victim to this, Ms. Chandler can't help but pass a few yawns while she earnestly tries to teach the lesson to a handful of half awake kids. My friends, this is where I get suspicious.
Food comas are strange thing, I thought it could be attributed to the tryptophan found in some foods. I guess having a large amount of tryptophan could be detrimental to you, so your body chooses instead to fall asleep, or at least something along those lines. However, excess amounts would be in something like turkey during thanksgiving dinner. People tend to eat a large volume of turkey along with everyone else, thus, excess tryptophan. However, the food here, the Corkien fish "delight" is actually quite small. Nothing to go and boast about to all yo friends that you ate. It's a small fish, at least no more than 2 inches in length, and not exactly that fat.
I believe that's another reason why the fish is always covered in spices. One to make it more bearable, but also to give the students the ample amount of nutrients they require for proper body development. Wait a minute, that makes sense. Come with me here, imagine this. There is no way the corkien fish could properly exist. Every species every being ends up finding their own niche in their environment. If they cannot find a niche they either die or end up causing some sort of instability within the environment. Therefore, how could such a thing exist? There is no probable way that this fish was found. There has to be some sort of predator, some sort of animal that consumes this fish. The population is regulated somehow right? However, my suspicions fell on deaf ears, as it appears that all my classmates fall victim to the school's ruse, casually eating the lacking fish as if nothing is wrong.
Now that I think about it, I am actually much shorter than my other classmates. All of them appear to be in prime health, strapping healthy bodies with perfect healthy hair. They seem like the vision of teenage perfection. They also happen to be similar height, weight, and overall, physically they're all similar to each other. Meanwhile, I'm short. I appear to be not developing at the same rate at them, I appear to be behind. I mean it's okay that I'm behind, everyone's different. Wait a minute. Everyone's different, but not them. They're all developing the same at the same rate, they're all transforming into beings of ideal health. Why? Because they're all eating the same food. Except for me, I don't eat the school food, and thus my body progresses at a different rate. Now that I think about it, this situation sounds familiar. The students are being made into beings of perfection, bodies of ideal health. Bodies, that would be the best to work in. Almost like, vessels for possession, or even worse. The school is prepping these students to be meals.
I mean it makes sense to me. The school is making these kids healthy and strong, with lean meat that will taste amazing to eat. And I suppose humans must be the definition of prime meal, so they must be some sort of target, but can this be true? Can this school be conspiring to sell of the students like some sort of cattle, or is it worse, and the school isn't even aware of what it's doing. I look around, everyone is asleep, even Ms. Chandler. There is a mystery afoot, and I'm the only one who is aware of it. At any point, I have to be the one to save these kids from a fate that I hope does not exist. For the love of God I hope it doesn't exist, or else there is some serious trouble coming to school.
In order to properly address this situation, I first have to analyze what's hand. There are some problems that I'm facing, what exactly is the Corkien fish, and I need to learn more about the oh so prized founder, William Corkien. First things first, time to figure out the corkien fish. Sneaking my way back into the cafeteria, I make a straight path for the lunch line. The cafeteria ladies are still there, hopefully no one will ask me anything. "Excuse me, what exactly are you doing here?" Asked a lady, her eyebrow raised in an arch. Dang it, I was hoping they wouldn't notice me. "Oh well, I missed lunch, I was too busy, with, erm, classroom business." I say politely, I really hope they don't catch me. "Well okay then, just grab your meal and run along." Replied the lunch lady.
Quickly I grabbed a plate of corkien fish, and made my way over to the restroom. The restroom, because that's the only place where I feel I find the slightest bit of privacy. Once inside the restroom, I locked myself into the stall. I guess I do that for any occasion now. Anyways, sitting down on the toilet, I stare at the plate in hand. It appears to be normal. The fish was fried to perfection, I can understand why someone would eat it, it appears to be a delicate meal. I pick up the fish with my hand, inspecting every morsel of it. It looks normal, it fact it looks like quite a delicacy. But there is one strange thing, the herbs and spices appear to be stuck on it. They're not shaking off, like someone legitimately glued it on there.
Strange, it shouldn't be like that. I wonder if it is possible for the herbs to come off. Some might call what I did disrespectful, but personally I call it the scientific method. Getting off from the toilet, I promptly dropped this fish into the toilet, and my theory was proven correct. The 'herbs' weren't washing off, it still remained attached to it. So maybe not an herb then, some sort of chemical, attaching itself to the fish keeping it there. Maybe some sort of hormone enhancer, increasing the estrogen and testosterone inside the children? I was thinking of all the options, thinking of the many things that could result in this, but my thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a noise. It sounded strange, but familiar. Familiar, because I've heard of it before. Familiar, because the noise, was that of a toilet flushing right in front of me. The strange part? I never flushed it. There was no one else in the restroom as well, so no other toilet could be flushing. Curious I peered into the toilet bowl, the fish was there, but the water, it was surging.
Swishing around moving as if it was some sort of vortex or vacuum, trying to consume the fish. It was churning back and forth, the water was rumbling, in fact the toilet began to vibrate, shake, as if something was coming. Then the real noise came. Something from the pipes, some sort of, thing. The walls were shaking, it seemed large, as if it was violently making its way through the pipes. A horde of rats, water backing up? There were so many reasons, but nothing would prepare me for what I saw. There was a calm, a silence, for one small moment everything seemed to be fine. Suddenly, there was a burst. The water was shooting out from the toilet, making a perfect spout and holding the fish high in the air.
Then, these large, things. I don't know the proper way to describe them. In my opinion it looked like large grotesque tentacles, pitch black, absorbing nearly all light that passed through it. At least 4 of them shot out of the toilet, encasing the fish in its grasp, and immediately bringing it back down. Then came the rumbling, a rumbling like no other. It was if there was a being responding, a laughter, a cry, some sort of yell to show emotion. It sounded as if it was finally able to eat after a fast, the noise you would make after finding food again after a long period of no food. It had no human words, just pure noise. A pure alien noise that made no sense to me. After just seconds of its cry, the noise stopped. It all ended abruptly. Acting as if nothing happened, the world pretending like I did not just witness what some would call an other worldly appearance. I'm not sure, but I may have witnessed an actual alien encounter.
Like most sane people, I immediately ran outside of the restroom, speeding my way back to class. When I entered the classroom, all the students and Ms. Chandler were just completely passed out. That's good, no one will ever notice I'm gone. I slowly walked around the classroom, inspecting each student. All of them were completely passed out, as if they entered some sort of deep sleep. I suppose if they're all asleep, then I will continue my investigation. Walking over to the school library, I tried to begin my research there. I searched up "William Corkien." Of course, the usual. Just some man who happened to find a new species of fish that he immediately thought it was a good idea to eat. However, this time I found something new. Instead, an article, dating back at least 30 years. It was an interview, apparently, a journalist had the same suspicions that I had, questioning Mr. Corkien about the very existence of his titular fish. Corkien cleverly dodged the journalist's questions, but there is one statement that stands out. To paraphrase, William Corkien appears to be some sort of activist. He proclaims that consuming this fish will end up saving so much more, that its potential will one day soon be discovered. This sends off red flags left and right, and the journalist agreed with me on the cryptic message. He immediately began asking what "potential" Mr. Corkien was talking about, but then that's where the interview stopped.
Intrigued I searched up the journalist's name. Lloyd Hemsgrove, an ace journalist who appeared to earnestly find the truth in every situation. However, that's where the records stop. There appears to be nothing else about his journalism career, but what's this? Another record. A death certificate, dating March 11, 1987. This date, no way. The coincidence is uncanny. Checking my calendar, today just happens to be March 11 as well. Quickly I looked over the interview again. Looking in the corner in very small print, was the date the interview was held. March 10, 1987. One day separate. Just one day after badgering him about the appearance of the Corkien fish, Lloyd Hemsgrove immediately passed away, suffering a fate the death certificate labeled as death to some marine life. His body was viciously consumed from the inside out, as if something entered him through his intestines and ate him from the insides. Horrified I backed away from the computer. There is no way, that the founder of this school, William Corkien, could have possibly orchestrated the murder of a journalist. But all the signs are there, he was merely taking the route of a cornered animal. With nothing else under his belt, he did the only thing he knew what to do, attack.
The pieces are all coming together now. William Corkien, discoverer of an impossible fish that he advocated for so much, has a mysterious past with a mysterious goal. In my honest opinion, it seems rather sinister. There is only one conclusion I can make from this. The killer of Lloyd must have been the being I saw in the toilet. The grotesque tentacles, that must be it. Entering in from the pipes of the toilet, it reaches out from inside the toilet bowl, and uses its tentacles to enter inside its victims, eating them inside and out via the intestines. But there's one last question, how? Checking the death certificate again, I looked for the stomach contents of Lloyd. Voila, my question was answered. Inside his stomach was trace contents of the Corkien fish. That must be the goal that William Corkien was trying to achieve this whole time, this must be the potential he was referring to. The Corkien fish do have a niche in this environment, there is a reason why they exist. They exist as bait, attracting out the killer beings from below the water's surface, something that has never been encountered by the public before. But why? Why would Mr. Corkien do this? I made no try to understanding why, all I know was that he had a murderous plot in mind, and now, everyone in the school is a possible victim of it.
Running from the library, I made my way to the main source of power in the school, the principal. I entered his office, his secretary was asleep. She must have eaten the fish too. I looked over to the door of Mr. Haney's office. Over the door was a sign "Gone to the restroom, will be right back!" Exclaimed the sign. Oh no. Mr. Haney might possibly be the first victim of Corkien's 30-year-old scheme in the making. I ran towards the nearest staff restroom, banging on the door, I asked "Mr. Haney, are you in there?" "Yes I am, is there a problem, that apparently cannot wait until I'm out of here?" He replied. A sigh of relief left me. It must be all in my imagination, there is no way something like that could ever happen. But then it happened, a loud rumbling. "If you'll excuse me, I appear to be having some stomach-" His statement was suddenly cut off by a loud burst. There was a snarl, a human scream, then silence. Panicking I fled back to the office, there I found a paperclip. Running back to the staff restroom, I quickly picked the lock to the restroom. Thank goodness I spend my time preparing for random situations like this, I thought. After seconds of tinkering with the lock, I was finally able to open it. The smell hit me. It smelled exactly how the fish smelled like, pungent, the smell of death lingered in the air. I crept my way over to the stall, slowly opening the door. Oh God, it was worse that I imagined.
When someone dies, at least a corpse is left. Here, a corpse was not left. Instead the remains of a body, the skin was just lying over the toilet. No eyes, no bones, just skin. Everything inside of it was completely sucked out. This was similar to the death of Lloyd, died from the inside out, leaving only a shell behind. I was completely mortified, I just witnessed the death of an actual living human. I fell down the floor, completely horrified by the atrocity I just witnessed. I felt a mix of emotions, mainly sadness and fear, but no tears came. Only noise from my mouth, only noises that did no justice to the pure horror that was going over my person at the time. I ran out of the restroom. I ran to every room inside the school, everyone was asleep. I had no idea how to address the situation, all I had in hand was my fear, and my belief in such a thing as the doctor. I ran over to the front office.
I looked outside the school entrance. I could run away from all of this, just run away and act like nothing happened. I can remove myself from this situation, and just be by myself. I really thought this was the only good option, until I looked over the front office desk. On it was a planner, and in big letters was this written, "Expansion of Corkien fish to food departments. Begin selling fish as actual product." This was it. This was the end game that William Corkien wanted all along. Making his fish spread across the country, so every human would consume it, and fall victim to the same fate as Lloyd and Mr. Haney.
I still don't know why someone would go and do such a thing, but now, there's one thing I know. By myself, I can't do anything about this.
I fell to the floor. It all began to hit me now, everyone that I ever met at this school will die a terrible, horrible death. Even Chad, who treated me horribly, would die a terrible death that he himself does not deserve. All the emotions started hitting me, the great weight of it all hanging down on my back. The tears were rushing out, and all I could think, was of the Doctor. I don't know who he or she is. I don't know if it'll appear. All I know was that in times of need, the Doctor would appear. And that's the most I believed in. I began cried with a loud voice, begging for someone to help. For as weak as I am, my loud voice was all I had. I yelled to the world, asking for someone, for anyone to come in. To protect everyone here from the terrible, no good event that is bound to occur. To save them from the fate that a complete mad man conjured up.
Amid my emotions, I heard a noise. A whirring noise, as if the very fabric of time and space was being completely distorted in a specific, precise location. Looking up from the ground, I looked outside of the school entrance. There it was. A blue police box. Shocked, all I could do was watch, as a man stepped out. About 5 foot 8, with a moderate build, clad in black dress pants and an unkempt white shirt, along with a thin, but long trench coat, with short orange hair. His face had an inquisitive look on it, eyeing the entire entrance of the school. Then he looked through the school entrance, his mouth opened into a slight smile, showing a row of clean white teeth. He waved his hand, and proceeded to make his way into the school. "Hello lad, I'm the Doctor," He started. I wanted to say something, but nothing came out. "And it appears as though school has been let out, absolutely no movement at all, but-" He took out his watch. "Only two o'clock then, seems to be at least 35 minutes before the school day normally ends. I do suppose you know what happened then?" He asked. "Yes sir, I do know what happened, but first, let me clean myself up." I replied. I went to the nearest restroom, leaving the Doctor standing there. I smiled to myself, the Doctor has been real this entire time, and now he might be able to help me save this school.
Returning back to the doctor, I found him holding up the planner that was on the front office desk. Sensing my presence, he turned his attention away from the planner and towards me. He moved over to me, grabbed me by my shoulders, and with a dark look in his eye, asked "What are the Corkien fish?" Surprised, I replied "They're fish that the school has been using as the main meal for as long as I can remember, but right now I think there is something worse at hand." I handed him my pocket journal from my back pocket. "Here are all my notes about what happened, this can explain it better than me right now." He grabbed the book from my hand, and sat down on one of the lounge chairs. I sat on one adjacent to it. His blue eyes quickly scanned through the book, fingers flipping the pages at an inhuman speed. After just seconds of reading the book, he exclaimed "Oh!" Dropping the journal, he quickly got up. He proceeded to move to the school cafeteria. "Wait, where are you going?" I asked, moving after him. He replied "Listen lad, if I'm right, I recognize this fish. And if I'm still right, then this fish could pose a major threat to you and I and everyone else who ever put this fish into their grubby little mouths."
I hurriedly went after him, trying my best to keep along with his pace. "But the strange thing is, this fish was never supposed to make contact with the human race. It was supposed to have one purpose, and one purpose only." "And what is that purpose." I asked." He stopped in his tracks, making me almost crash into him. He turned around, and looked me dead in the eye. "Their purpose, is to feed the Ozkazi." "The Ozkazi? What is that?" He turned around again and made his way to the cafeteria, I suppose he knew where it was purely because of smell. "The Ozkazi is a race of humanoid octopi, that live well underneath the surface of the water. For millions of years they lived there, undisturbed, feasting on the 'Corkien' fish. From what I gather, it appears that whoever found this fish began to overfish, taking away the Ozkazi prime food source. Since you humans took it away, it did what it had to do. Find the food source once again."
Finally we arrived in the cafeteria. "Where are the fish kept?" He asked. "Right over here sir." I said, pointing in the direction of the lunch line. We quickly through a door behind the lunch line, there we found a giant tank. The Doctor took out some sort of pen, or screwdriver. It made a sharp noise, and he quickly scanned the fish inside the tank. "Yup, grade A corkien fish, or as we of the other community call it, Ozkazi's fish." "Ozkazi's fish?" "Yes Ozkazi's fish, something that only the Ozkazi are meant to eat, something only they are supposed to consume. Now they you lot have begun to eat it, you are the Ozkazi's next meal." He said with a grave tone. "What do we do know?" I asked. "From your notes, good notes by the way, the Ozkazi hunted the victims through the toilets. Most likely you have some sort of pipes leaving from the school and going directly to some sort of Ozkazi nest.
So in order to prevent this, we must seal off all the entrances to the restrooms." "How can we do that?" He smiled, and waved his pen or screwdriver or whatever it was in front of me. "Sonic screwdriver, can deadlock and door that's not wood." We then made our way through the entire school, preventing access from the bathrooms. "But Doctor, we may have stopped the school, but they're planning to sell Corkien fish across the market." "That is another problem," He remarked. "But riddle me this, erm, what's your name?" "Elliot, Elliot Chambers sir." "Riddle me this Elliot, whoever controls the recipe, must know the ins and outs of his food right? So, if they know the ins and outs, they must know of the consequence of it, and they must surely have some sort of countermeasure. For every great scheme the schemers must have a countermeasure in place, just to make sure they do not fall victim to the same fate."
He said. "But the only one who knows the 'ins and outs' would be Mr. Corkien, but he's dead." I said. "He's a clever man Elliot, he has a plan he set in motion years before you, he doesn't simply 'die'." He replied. "Does this school happen to have some sort of dedication to him, a statue, a grave maybe." "Yes we do, behind the school, with a view of the ocean behind us." "Right-o then!" He said, "Let's make our way over there then! Come on, chop-chop!"
We made our way over to the statue outside of the school. "Ah Elliot! Can you feel that fresh ocean breeze? But answer me this, why do your think your school happens to be on a cliff right next to the ocean." "I don't know sir." "Come on, you should've pieced it together by now at least. Come, look at the dedication of this statue." I moved over to the brass plate in front of the William Corkien statue. Inscribed was a message that I have never put any attention towards. It reads, "Oh what a tragedy has befallen such a good man. Zealous with many aspirations in mind. Killing any demons that he had in his path as he made his way towards any goal. An aura that only he could obtain, a personality that only he could have. Zealots would praise him. I adore him, praise to the man named William Corkien."
"Now," started the doctor, "Pay attention to the first letter of each sentence." It read Ozkazi, like the thing alien that the Doctor just mentioned. He moved over to the inscription. He pressed the first letter of each sentence, and then, there was a noise. A mechanical whirring, as if something has just been woken from its slumber. Then, the statue opened. There was a capsule inside, large enough to find a man. "Come on in, it'll be a tight squeeze so make yourself comfortable." Said the Doctor. Hesitant I climbed into the capsule after the doctor, indeed it was quite a tight squeeze. "Now, you might want to prepare yourself for this-" Suddenly the capsule dropped.
It was all darkness for a while, until lights started poking out from all around us. Red orange yellow blue violet, all the colors of the rainbow were around us. "Quite down Elliot, we're almost there." Quiet down? Quiet down? Oh. I had been screaming this entire time, I guess I didn't notice. Then we came to a stop. I regained my breath, my heart was beating out of my chest but I was excited. Ready to see what will happen next. The capsule opened, and we entered into a laboratory. It was…underwater. "An underwater laboratory! Absolutely brilliant." The doctor began to move around in amazement. "Now he can keep a careful watch on the-" "Ozkazi." Said a voice coming from the shadows. I turned around, an old man, at least in his 70's appeared, his face withered with age and hardship. "The Ozkazi, my pride and joy, my beautiful creatures." Continued the man. He was dressed in a lab coat, his tag had William Corkien on it. "Wonderful to meet you!" Said the Doctor, quickly moving over to shake Corkien's hand. "So nice to meet a man of science! Doing so much work in the same of the scientific method." The Doctor exclaimed. "But," Suddenly the doctor's tone turned dark as he released Corkien's hand. "It must not come at the stake of the lives of the humans on this planet." "Oh? Really? That is quite a shame then, you happen to be too late, my pretties will soon feast." Replied Mr. Corkien. "I won't let you do that, as long as I'm around, no harm shall come to the people on this earth." Said the Doctor, with conviction in his voice.
"And who are you to stop me." Asked Corkien. "I'm the Doctor." Corkien gasped. He voice began to waver as he uttered "My pretties warned me of you, of a man who goes by no name yet a title, one who could ruin us." "That's me, the Doctor at your service." Replied the Doctor with a smile. "Even you, Doctor, can not stop me. The fish will begin to spread soon everyone will be marked as prey by the Ozkazi!" Laughed Mr. Corkien. "That's a mighty fine dream, but sadly that won't come to fruition." Said the Doctor. "Elliot, tell me, the herbs wouldn't wash off yes?" "Yes," I replied surprised that he would ask me that. "Now, what would happen if I told you that the Ozkazi don't exactly have the strongest scent of smell, in fact the only reason that they're able to hunt the Corkien fish is by the certain pheromone only those fish produce. Now, that pheromone, happens to be completely disgusting towards humans, however the 'herbs' that are placed on it, is a chemical agent. Hiding the scent from many individuals and causing them to enter a slumber, allowing the body to completely digest and activate the pheromones within the Corkien fish. And when we head to the toilet, the Ozkazi smell the pheromones from excrement, and travel through the pipes and into the toilet, looking for their next meal." Said the Doctor.
"But why are you telling me this? That's still not a way to stop them." I said. "You're just not getting it Elliot!" He exclaimed. "The Ozkazi, like any other natural predator, will hunt the easiest target, the prey that is closest to them. Now imagine what they would do if they could smell the Corkien fish right inside here." Mr. Corkien's eyes widened realizing what the Doctor would do. "If you haven't noticed Elliot, I happened to pick off a piece of the Corkien fish, a small amount but some without any herbs blocking off the smell, meaning that the pheromones are out and about. Now look around, do you see something?" Asked the Doctor. I looked around the laboratory, glass showing the dark and murky water, but oh, pipes! There were pipes all around the laboratory leading to the water. "Is it the pipes?" I asked. "Yes! The pipes! A pathway from the home of the Ozkazi directly into here. Now," Said the doctor, as he began moving back to the capsule. "I hope you've lived a good life Mr. Corkien, because your pretties are coming." He tossed the fish to Mr. Corkien. Then using his sonic screwdriver, pointed it to every pipe in the laboratory. Water began to slowly come in, and then there it was again. The rumbling, the shaking of the pipes. There it was, the tentacles, all shooting out from each respective pipes.
The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the capsule door, ensuring out safe exit. As we began to move out, I saw them, the Ozkazi. Humanoid octopi, with tentacles all around their necks. Black ooze seeping out of their skin, they all began to gather around Mr. Corkien, who had a look of pure terror on his face. The capsule quickly brought us back to the surface, with the terrible scream of Mr. Corkien following us. Once back onto the surface, I panicked again. "Doctor, did you just kill someone?" I asked. "Elliot, that man. I didn't kill him, he was dead a long time ago." The Doctor said. "What? How?" I continued asking. "Its too complicated to explain now, maybe later you may understand." My mind was muddled over this, until the realization hit me, the fish will still be distributed. "Doctor, what about the fish that would be sold across the market." "Elliot, how could it be sold if all the people are still sleeping from fish?" A wave of relief passed over me. There's still a chance.
Once everyone began waking up, the Doctor immediately went over to the drivers who had the fish for sale. Holding up a piece of paper he said "I'm with the department of Health and Safety, we have to confiscate all of your products immediately." The drivers paid no second thought, they did as what they were told. Turning to me, he said "That's the great things about humans, just show them any form of I.D and they'll do anything you say." Chuckling, I asked "Doctor, what is that paper though?" "Psychic paper, looks blank to you and me, but it shows whoever I want whatever I want. And according to them, I look like the president of the department of health and safety." He said, pointing to the drivers. He continued the same farce the secretary, the technically next in line to become school principal. Like the drivers, she completely believed him, and recalled the Corkien fish from the school campus.
That's when I realized, this was the countermeasure. Getting all the victims to sleep after they eat the fish. With the whole country fast asleep, Corkien was free to do whatever he wanted. Free to allow himself to escape the country while the Ozkazi were supposed to make their invasion over the surface land. The corkien fish were literally a sedative, allowing William Corkien enough time to properly escape the land without detection. Yet, I feel its slightly morbid than that. He wanted them asleep, maybe, because he didn't want them to feel the agony of death when they were awake. I remember in the article, he proclaimed himself to be an activist. He wasn't violent, just wanted his words to be heard. I don't think I'll ever understand his why, or why the Doctor mentioned he had a countermeasure. I don't know what it is, and I don't think I'll ever know. All I have are questions, questions maybe the Doctor can answer.
"Well Elliot, it was certainly nice meeting you." Said the Doctor. We were outside the school campus right next to the Tardis. "Doctor," I began. "I believed in you for the longest time, and now I get to meet you, is this really the last time I'll see you?" "Depends on how you answer the next question, how do you feel about traveling with girls?" He asked. The Tardis door opened, and out walked a girl with long brown hair reaching down the middle of her back. She looked absolutely stunning, and with a sweet voice asked, "My name is Jen Adams, current companion of the Doctor. And you are?" Her delicate hands were extended towards me. The Doctor looked at me in anticipation, wondering what I would say next. "I… I'm Elliot Chambers, now the Doctor's assistant." I replied with a smile across my face. "Right-o then!" Exclaimed the Doctor. "A companion and an assistant, an unstoppable force!" The Doctor entered in the Tardis along with Jen. He turned around, asking "Well then, come along Assistant, we don't have all day!" This is the day I've been waiting for, the day I finally met the doctor, and now, I'm his assistant.
My name is Elliot Chambers. On the day of March 11 2017, my whole world was changed. I met the doctor, and now I go around as his self-proclaimed assistant. There's so much of the universe I want to explore, all the while as the assistant towards the Doctor, the hero that only I believed in.
