Scene 3

Inside the TARDIS. TEN and DONNA stand in front of the console. TEN is holding a book.

TEN: People never stop reading them. Agatha Christie is the best selling novelist of all time.

DONNA: But she never knew.

TEN: Well, no one knows how they're going to be remembered. All we can do is hope for the best. Maybe that's what kept her writing. Same thing keeps me travelling. Onwards?

DONNA: Onwards.

TEN startles suddenly and pulls out his psychic paper.

TEN: (reading aloud to himself) The library, come as soon as you can. x. X? (he shrugs) Allons-y!

He flips a few switches on the TARDIS console. It makes its dematerializing noise. Lights fade.

Scene 4

Lights come up. RIVER SONG stands in the centre of the stage. MISS EVANGELISTA, ANITA, DAVE, and OTHER DAVE stand at various points around the stage.

RIVER: Where is he?

DAVE: Who?

River doesn't respond.

RIVER: (watching the shadows carefully)

The day is almost over, and the sunlight is going

And the people walk in shadows, completely unknowing

That there's something lethal in the air that they can't see

Now a Time Lord can save me just by turning on a light

Although I don't think that the Doctor's gonna show up tonight

So I'm trying to remember what the Library said to me…

Gotta focus on all the silhouettes that you can see

Cause if the number keeps on changing then you're no use to me.

TEN and DONNA run in from stage right.

RIVER: You're late!

TEN: What?

Count the shadows

Count the shadows

Cause they're edging toward you like a hungry moth to a flame.

MISS EVANGELISTA steps into a shadow at the edge of the stage. She immediately crumples to the ground.

TEN: (grabs Donna's arm as she tries to help)

So count the shadows

Count the shadows

Cause if you've got more than one then you're the victim that they will claim.

RIVER:

In the Library the darkness is waiting to attack

TEN:

And most of you explorers are never going back

Like Miss Evangelista-

RIVER:

Anita and two guys called Dave.

TEN:

And the shadows made four thousand other people disappear

And they've been hungry and waiting for a whole damn year

For some fresh meat that isn't gonna register as saved…

He points at the ground behind Dave. He has two shadows.

TEN:

Gotta focus on all the silhouettes that you can see-

RIVER:

Cause if the number keeps on changing then you're no use to me.

The light starts to focus on the centre of the stage, dimming the outskirts. Dave falls to the ground.

TEN:

So count the shadows

Count the shadows

Cause they're edging toward you like a hungry moth to a flame

So count the shadows

Count the shadows

Cause if you've got more than one then you're the victim that they will claim.

OTHER DAVE: Hey, who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?

DONNA:

An invisible, carnivorous, aggressive armada-

TEN:

And they go by the name of the Vashta Nerada.

A thousand thousand million piranhas in the air

And the tingle on your skin that you feel in the dark

May be the hungry ones who contemplate leaving a mark

So when you're reaching for your light switch make sure you're prepared.

RIVER:

Gotta focus on all the silhouettes that you can see

Cause if the number keeps on changing then you're no use to me.

Anita has two shadows and collapses. Other Dave staggers after Ten for a moment but finally collapses too. All other lights go off as a spotlight focuses on Ten, Donna, and River, standing in the middle.

ALL:

So count the shadows

Count the shadows

Cause they're edging toward you like a hungry moth to a flame

So count the shadows

Count the shadows

Cause if you've got more than one then you're the victim that they will claim-

River connects two wires. The lights come back and she dies.

TEN: No!

He bends down next to her and pulls out a sonic screwdriver.

DONNA: Why would you give her your sonic screwdriver?

TEN: (shrugging) I don't know. I… (He realises something) Oh!

He runs offstage. Donna follows. Fade to black.