Doctor Who – Series 4b

Gwen – Part 4

Gwen Cooper screamed out in pain. It was coming out. Finally, I was coming out! The pain she had suffered for so many hours was finally about to be over. Her husband Rhys could no longer look.

She screamed one last time. Rhys peeked through his hands.

*

After the doctors left the room, Rhys let all his grief and anxiety out.

"Blimey, it was like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Who would have thought something so innocent could come out in such a horrific way? I mean, blimey!"

Gwen couldn't say anything; she just stared at him, mouth slightly agape. Then she smiled and so did Rhys. Soon enough they were both screaming with laughter.

*

Two weeks later she still had no word from Jack. She knew now that he really was gone.

"Right." she smiled, getting up from the couch and pecking Rhys on the cheek. "Time to have some fun."

*

The beeping stopped as Gwen flicked the switch on her machine. She was standing in front of the manor, following a distress call sent out by some UNIT soldiers. She smiled as she smashed open the back door and began to look inside.

*

The Doctor and Martha treaded lightly on the loose floorboards of the grand reception room. Martha smiled as she savoured the taste of adventure.

Martha pointed towards the stairs.

"No. We should head down." The Doctor pointed towards a rusty metal door that looked like it led to the basement.

Martha nodded and turned the doorknob. Shaking it, she found it was locked.

"Sonic screwdriver?" she asked. A glow of blue illuminated the doorknob. The Doctor pulled on the door.

Then pushed. Then pulled again.

"Still locked, or it's jammed." he frowned. What would he do now?

"Well come on, let's look for another way in," she smiled. "How about over there?" She ran up to another door.

"Martha, no!" The Doctor grabbed her hand. She swung forward and found herself hanging over a large hole in the floor. "Be more careful, Martha." Martha scowled.

"Hang on, Doctor." she pointed behind him. "Where's the front door gone?" The Doctor span round to see the front door had indeed disappeared. Then he heard a creaking noise.

"Listen, Martha!" he stopped, bent over slightly, intent on listening to the noises coming from the basement door which had refused to open. All went quiet.

"Ok, Let's -" BANG! The door flew open. Peering through the darkness, Martha saw something emerging from the doorway. She grabbed the Doctor's hand and pulled him towards the door. The doorway was empty. They looked into the pitch-black opening. Turning away, Martha noticed another of the doors had disappeared, but before she could say something a hand grabbed her shoulder.

She leapt forward, screaming. The hand slid down her back and onto the floor with a dusty clunk. Turning around she saw a skeleton sprawled on the floor. Fresh meat hung loosely from the bones. It was in a UNIT uniform. The Doctor moved towards the door.

"Doctor, don't!" Martha squealed at him.

"I'm sorry, we've got no choice." The Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her into the darkness.

*

Gwen pushed open the heavy, rotting door into what looked like the entrance hall. It was large and creepy and a large hole was right in front of her. She walked round it and crept up the stairs.

The upper landing was carpeted with blue and gold trims around the edges. Pondering whether these edges were really gold she turned when she heard a vague tune off in the penultimate room of the corridor.

Curious, she walked towards it.

*

Martha and The Doctor blundered through the darkness. They seemed to be getting nowhere.

Hope jumped up to meet them.

"Doctor! A light!" The Doctor nodded and they ran towards it. Upon reaching the light, a horrific image hit their vision. Five UNIT soldiers were tied to the walls, presumably left to starve.

"We're too late!" Martha cried. The Doctor turned around and began to head back towards the door. A shiver ran down the Doctor's spine. A most dreadful cackling filled the room. The door behind them slammed shut.

*

Gwen opened the door. It creaked in response. The room was empty apart from a bed and a stuffed teddy. The wallpaper was peeling off the walls. In the middle of the room was a girl.

She smiled. Her eyes went red. Claws ripped through her skin. She cackled.

Gwen ran.

*

Martha banged on the cold, metal door. She frowned. No way out.

The Doctor ran his sonic screwdriver over the edges. Nothing happened.

"Argh, something's deflecting my sonic screwdriver! I can't use it." His mind clicked. "Of course! It must be the rift!"

"Huh?"

"That girl, she mentioned a rift! That's why things have been popping up out of nowhere and then disappearing!"

"But it was almost as if the rift was trying to seal us in here. It was making the other doors disappear. We would have had no choice eventually. You don't think that girl's controlling the rift, do you?"

"No, you can't control a rift. Right?"

*

Gwen screamed as the girl popped out in front of her. She dodged out of the way of the claws.

Coming to the stairs, she leapt on to the banister. It moaned under her weight. The girl was waiting for her at the bottom.

Gwen's eyes widened as she flew towards the girl.

The girl missed her head narrowly and ran a shallow cut down her arm. Gwen slid across the floor. She sprinted towards the nearest open door. It went to the basement.

She could hear it cackling as it followed her down the stairs. It was pitch black. Gwen couldn't see anything. She ran into a cold metal plate. A door?

She found a handle. Pulled it.

Two figures collapsed onto her.

"Gwen?" The Doctor was startled.

"Doctor?"