Hey :) Go check out Aobh's main story, Into The Mist! Things are getting tense!
Enjoy!
Chapter 9. Fallen
My hand was sweaty, and I could feel the grip failing, greasy skin against greasy skin. The harder I gripped his hand, the faster it started to slip. My hearts were pounding in my chest, I couldn't take in enough air. The rough grit and rocks were scratching my legs, my tights already ripped and dusty. I felt him slip again, and scooted forward on my stomach, boots skittering over the loose dirt, as I attempted to adjust my grip around his wrist.
"Give me your other hand!" I shouted, and I could hear the panic in my voice. "Reach!"
The Doctor swung his tweed clad arm as far as possible, and I felt the finger tips of my left hand skim his. But it was enough. With another jerk, he slipped further out of my grip.
"Aobh this isn't going to work!" He told me, his voice deadly calm. "You're going to fall off after me,"
"I am not letting go!" I hissed through clenched teeth, feeling myself sliding forward, being pulled by his weight. "Amy and Rory are coming, just hold on!"
The cliff edge began to crumble again, just as it had done moments before when it had sent the Doctor plummeting over the edge. A large chunk broke off under my chest, and I felt myself fall suddenly forward, my skittering feet the only thing keeping me from falling over myself. I felt the Doctor's grip loosen, the only thing suspending him above the churning ocean below was my sweaty grip.
"What are you doing!? I can't hold you like that!"
I could hear footsteps in the distance now, running towards us, and shouting. Amy and Rory were presumably running up the hill behind us. But they were going to be too late. The Doctor's hand was quickly slipping now, my fingers grasping desperately. He took a good look below his feet, watching the wild water below, before looking up at me calmly. His ancient eyes were sad, but there was a small smile on his face, one I suppose was supposed to be reassuring.
"You know what to do," he told me quietly, and then my grip failed completely, and he slid out of my grasp, plummeting down towards the water below, which he hit with a thunderous splash.
"No. No this can't be happening," my hands were still grasping at thin air over the cliff face as I heard footsteps thudding behind me.
"Doctor!? Doctor?!" Amy's cry was urgent and scared as she appeared in my peripheral vision, peering over the edge. "Oh God no..."
Her hand went to her mouth, covering it on shock, before the cliff edge began to crumble once again, and Rory grabbed her, pulling her away from the edge. I scrambled back myself, just in time, as the whole cliff face disintegrated where I had been lying, falling into the water with a thunderous roar. I felt a hand on my shoulder, pulling me further back.
"I'm sorry Aobh, I'm sorry we didn't get here on time-" Rory told me sincerely, but I cut him off.
"He's not dead! He can't be!"
"But that fall, and the water-" Amy's voice was choked with emotion as she held back tears. My own tears would not come. There was no grief, no anger. I just felt dead inside.
"He's. Not. Dead," I stated quietly, brushing myself down, red dust and grit falling off me in clouds.
"What are we going to do?" Rory asked, one arm around his wife, looking grim.
"We're going to carry on. We're going to find out what's happening here and we're going to stop it. And we're going to find him. Because he's not dead," My jaw was set, I was determined. You know what to do.
"The sea is eating people. That's what the townsfolk said. You think it's done the same to the Doctor?" Amy asked.
"I think so, yes. Those cliffs shouldn't be eroding that quickly, it's the wrong type of rock. Somethings going on. Come on,"
We started to make our way along the cliff top, buffeted by the wind and the spray of the churning water. The castle sat tall and proud before us, an ever watchful guardian of the sea. It's walls were hard, dark and unforgiving, canons lined the battlements, and thin windows looked out of the thick rock towards the ocean. A lone guard stood watching us, helmet covering his face. After a few moments of staring, he disappeared below the battlements.
"What was that all about?" Amy muttered, frowning up at the walls. Rory shrugged, keeping his head down against the wind. I watched the walls for a few moments longer before doing the same.
It was just like every other time. That's what I was telling myself anyway. The Doctor had a habit of convincing himself and others that he was heading to his death, only to surprise them all at the last minute and pop up alive and well. And it would just be another one of those times. Still, it didn't stop the ball of gnawing panic that sat at the bottom of her stomach. What if he didn't come back this time? His near-death experiences (or should that be death experiences) always ended with a regeneration, and as difficult as that could be...at least he was alive. One of these days, something was going to happen, and the Doctor wasn't going to come out the other end in one piece. Oh please don't let it be this time.
"So what's the plan then?" Amy asked, clambering over the rocky path behind me.
"We need to get down to the water. I'm going to try and get some samples, see if the TARDIS can analyse them. And then work from there. Maybe see if we can check out the castle later,"
"Any idea what we're looking for?" Came Rory's question. I gave a sigh and stopped.
"I've got a bit of a confession to make," The Ponds stopped also, looking at me with interest. "I don't often...head up the investigation...as it were. And when I do, things don't often go to plan I-" I floundered, trying to find the words. "I mean the Doctor doesn't tell me all of his plans, he likes to surprise people and look clever, and he thinks on the spot a lot. I'm just- I'm kind of just grasping blindly at straws here. So bare with me,"
"Aobh really?" Rory crossed his arms "The Doctor does exactly the same! I guarantee, he has no idea what he's doing half of the time,"
"No idea," Amy leaned, smirking.
"And we're not going to just leave you to it. We'll help anyway we can,"
I gave a nervous smile of thanks, and then awkwardly motioned that we should keep going. The wind was getting stronger, and we were almost bent double. Amy and I's hair kept whipping in our faces and mouths, and there were fine grains of sand blasting at us. And then I spotted it, as the beach came into view, something washed up on the sand, a dark spot.
"Look!" I pointed excitedly. This was it, he was back! Everything was going to okay after all.
We hurried along the thin path as it wove through the long grass down the hill towards the beach. I hit the sand at a run, boots sinking into the soft texture, and stumbled, but kept going, running unevenly towards the shape. The determined grin on my face began to slip as we got closer. It's too small. It's not him. But...
I slowed, approaching the soaked tween blazer despondently. It was heavy with water, and there was sand covering it. With horror, I noticed the right shoulder was a dark red colour, blood soaked in. I crouched down, grabbing the coat with shaking fingers, and lifted it, water dripping down the sand below. I felt Amy's hand on my shoulder, comforting, but a deadly cold was spreading throughout my body. I refused to believe it.
Stiff upper lip. I would go on, and I would find him.
Just something a bit different, hope you liked it :)
Review!
Review?
