A/N: I updated sooner than I thought… Yes… I am a sad loser who spends all day on the computer… But I want to get this story over and done with. It's been bugging me since July…
Chapter 9
The Doctor was taken to a huge building sitting in the heart of the forest. I was gigantic, but seemed to be built so as not to be taller than the surrounding trees. He was escorted by the Krykayle, through the sliding doors, and was taken to the highest point of the building.
"We leave you here," one of the Krykayle said, as they stopped outside the door. "Our master waits for you," and with that, he pressed a button, sliding open the door.
"Come in, come in." boomed a voice.
The Doctor boldly walked through, the door sliding shut behind him with a barely audible hiss. His eyes widened. He seemed to be looking at an exceptionally large slug… he was about a head taller than the Doctor, who tried not to stare.
"I am Goar." The slug motioned for the Doctor to sight down, but the offer was politely declined.
Goar continued, "so… you're here to find your apprentice."
The Doctor nodded, "Yes I am. And I would quite like to find her alive… if it's all the same to you."
Goar sighed dramatically, "I'm afraid that won't be possible. She's currently being held in the Room Of Terror." His voice was almost apologetic.
"Which is…?" The Doctor breathed.
"Well." Goar began in an informative voice, "It is widely believed that flesh and meat is much more delicate and tastes better when it has been, to put it right, 'scared to death.'"
"What?" The Doctor trembled. "And… Rose?"
"Your apprentice?" he chuckled. "She'll receive the same treatment. We've scanned her brain waves, and, guess what her fear – her worst nightmare – is?"
The Doctor already knew.
"Drowning," Goar crooned.
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" He yelled.
"On the contrary," Goar's voice took on a deadly hiss, "I can. She strayed onto my land without permission, and must now pay the price. You will be spared – you were brought here under my jurisdiction. You will be escorted to the perimeter of the forest."
The Doctor just gaped. That was it… Rose was going to die. They were going to kill his Rose. All because of him. That single thought kept crashing down on him as he struggled to contain his fury.
"I'll make my own way out," he snarled. Though he had no intention of doing so – not without Rose.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Goar replied in a clipped voice.
"TOUGH!" the Doctor roared, "I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE. FINDING ROSE. AND THEN WE'RE LEAVING!"
The slug looked at him calmly. "And how will you do that? We are in a windowless room, the only door is locked from the outside, and neither of us is armed."
The Doctor brandished his sonic screwdriver, "Where's the room of terror?"
"Why would I tell you that?"
"Because," the Doctor growled, "I can be very dangerous when I'm angry – and right now, I'm beyond anger."
Goar laughed, "Well, you're escorts are about 5 seconds away – if you're going to do your worst, you'd better hurry up." He scoffed.
The Doctor had no time to do Goar any bodily harm, as much as he wished to, and he pointed the sonic screwdriver at the door, blasting it open. Unfortunately, the escorts had just reached the door at that point, and had got hit as it flew across the hall, slamming them all against the wall.
Rose surveyed the room, looking for a way out. It was a simple room – square shaped, about five metres by five, and three metres high. It had a sink, a stained, cracked mirror, and, bizarrely, instead of a fourth wall, there was just a sheet of glass. Rose could see clearly into the hallway outside. It seemed to be deserted.
She sighed. If there was any way to get out of this room, the glass would probably be the easiest.
She banged on it. It barely rattled. She pushed on it as hard as she could. Nothing. She kicked it with all the strength she could muster, and groaned as pain seared up her leg. She didn't even crack it.
She cursed herself, knowing that she'd have to get out of here unaided – the Doctor wasn't coming for her. Oh she'd been such an idiot. He'd warned her that this would happen.
She sat on the floor, contemplating how she was supposed to get out, and just how stupid she'd been.
Then she heard it.
The kind of noise water makes as it gushes.
She looked behind her at the tap. It was off.
She sat there, puzzled for a moment. Then she felt water seeping through her jeans. She sprang up. Water was spurting out of the cracks in-between the walls and the floor!
She stood there frozen. Just what the hell was happening? Then it clicked –
YOUR FEAR, RIGHT HERE
And she realised what her fate was to be. She began to scream, rushing to the glass and pounding on it desperately. The water had just passed over her ankles, and was rising quickly.
The Doctor hurtled down deserted corridors, desperately looking for anything to point him to the Room Of Terror. He noticed a sign to his right, reading 'Surveillance Room,' and he peered through the glass door.
A small blue creature was studying the video screens. It looked like live camera feed from all over the building. One was labeled 'Room Of Terror,' and he gazed at the screen. Rose was in the room… With water up to her knees. Her mouth was wide open, and the Doctor knew, had there been any sound, he would've heard her screams. She was kicking and pounding on what seemed to be a glass wall. He slid open the door, and pressed his sonic screwdriver to the blue creature's head before it could react.
He knew that his screwdriver wouldn't hurt it in any way; but the creature didn't know that. The Doctor felt it tremble beneath him, and felt disgusted with himself.
"Where's the Room Of Terror?" he spat.
"P-p-please don't hurt me… I'm just d-doing my job…"
"I won't hurt you! Just tell me where it is!!!"
The creature thought to himself – he could lose his job for this… But it was either his job or his life. He chose the former.
"B-basement. Level… umm"
The Doctor jabbed the sonic screwdriver harder into him.
"Level 3… f-f-far right-t."
"And what floor is this?" he snapped.
"Uh.. Thirteenth."
It gasped in relief as the Doctor dropped his hand and ran out of the room.
By now, the water was up to her neck, and she could barely stand on the floor. "Oh what have I done?" she cried to herself. The Doctor was miles away. He could even be on another planet by now – now that she'd told him to leave her alone.
Panic swirled through her. Black and overpowering as it clenched at her heart.
She fought it – if she stayed calm, then she may have a better chance.
No use. It overcame her, filling her with sheer terror. She went insane, beating at the walls, thrashing against the glass. Her feet were lifted off the ground as she floated in the water.
She tried to remember her lessons with the Doctor, and desperately pushed her feet up to float on her back; her brain desperately trying to come up with any means of escape.
She wondered if there was a weak spot where the water was coming through to the room. It was risky, but she was willing to give anything a try.
She took a deep breath, and dove under the water.
She was not a strong swimmer, having had only a few weeks of lessons. And she struggled down to the bottom – wasting most of her breath on the way. She reached the small gap, and pushed; bubbles exploding from her mouth. She kicked it in desperation. Nothing happened.
Her lungs screamed for air, and she shot to the surface, gasping.
The water was inches away from the ceiling now, and Rose had to press her head sideways to reach the precious oxygen.
She was totally helpless, and this time, the Doctor wasn't coming to save her. She'd thrown his concern for her right back in his face – abolishing any feelings he may've still harboured for her… If he'd even had any feelings for her at all after kissing Lyrin.
The sheer knowledge that the Doctor no longer loved her took all the fight out of her. What was the point in trying to survive, when the one man she would've died for, the one man who gave her the essence of life, no longer loved her?
She let out a long desolate cry of anguish and longing.
She accepted her fate silently. She didn't scream, she didn't cry out, she didn't thrash her arms and legs. She didn't even take a breath before she was pinned under the water – extra air would just prolong death, and cause her more pain.
She hoped, in death, she wouldn't feel misery… She would accept death gratefully.
Oh Doctor, she thought to herself as she began to sink, Why did it come to this? A single bubble slipped out of her mouth.. There were none left. I love you, my Doctor.
She sank into blackness.
Her captors would not get their wish. Rose would not die from drowning; her worst fear.. Her worst nightmare.
She would die from her broken shattered heart.
Her eyes closed, and, with all the air in her lungs gone, she sank to the bottom…
The single tear she shed, lost in the water.
