A/N: Okay, I admit that I'm a terrible updater…but due to college work, Law exams, dates, McDonalds work (shudder) and numerous other appointments and events which suddenly appeared, I've not had a lot of time to write. Apologies for the lack of continuous updates and now, it's thank you time!

Hmmm….I'm sure there's something I've forgotten….oh yeah: COLLECTORMANIA ROCKED! I got Craig, Chris (who sadly weren't there), Danny and Bobby's autographs and got all giddy and hyperventilated! IT WAS AMAZING…

Thank you to: Reddwarfaddict, smegginitlarge, Zombie Kitty (cheers for writing a bit…well a lot of this, tis quite brilliant), Caz flibs, boogle, Feline Ranger.

I love you all!

Toodlepipski!

Sunny
XXXXX

They stood there for some time, just staring at the ceiling hoping and praying the noise would stop so they could pretend it had to stopped for good before legging it.

The noise didn't stop, instead it got more frantic.

"Maybe one of us should go up there…" suggested Lister in nothing more than a whisper. No one offered, and after a whole minute of total silence (save for the bumping and shuffling from above them) he spoke again "so it's just me being brave then" he said, taking a step towards the stairs.

He gripped the banisters, in an attempt to stop himself from running off and took a deep breath. His heart hammered inside his chest and a cold sweat dripped down his back, he paused to give a reassuring smile to the others before climbing the stairs one step at a time.

He was about half way up when Cat, being his usually tactless self asked "Buddy, if you die can I have your watch?"

Lister turned to glare at him "No, you can smeg off…" he was about to carry on but stopped to say to Toni "If I do die, kill him for that remark…and don't give him my watch, okay?"

"Okay…." said Toni, wondering what all the fuss was about. Whatever was upstairs couldn't be that dangerous, could it?

The walk up the last five steps only lasted a couple of seconds, but for Lister it felt like an eternity. The sound of his heartbeat pounded in his ears, his mouth had gone dry and with each new movement he was sure something was going to spring out at him. Toni didn't exactly help when she decided to follow him and tap him on the shoulder, resulting in Lister nearly falling down the stairs as he jumped in shock.

The pair slowly made their way onto the landing; their eyes open for any movement. They checked the room to their left, empty. The same with the room on the right. That just left the room at the end. By this time the others had joined them.

The air turned sour and stale tasting, it got stuck half was down Lister's throat as he took those final and perhaps fatal steps to the closed door. Time unwilling dragged itself forward as he pushed down on the door handle and slowly slid it open.

A figure stood in the corner of the room, swaying slightly, a haunting cry in a soft yet husky tone rose from deep within their vocal chords, but they didn't respond to the unexpected intrusion.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked as she stepped forward, only to be held back by Toni and Cat.

"Sir?...Madam? Do you need any assistance?" Kryten asked as he fumbled around to look for the Psi-scanner.

The figure ignored them, still swaying almost as if it was in tune to the low moans it made, moans that seemed to send shivers down the others spines.

Slowly the creature turned its upper body, its arm's hung limply as if only attached by a thin strand, it's head was lowered, face shielded from the Dwarfers curious gaze, eventually it began to shuffle towards them, seemingly unaware of other objects surrounding it.

"How much has this guy had to drink?" Lister asked as he rolled his eyes at the figure who continued shuffling towards them.

"I'm not sure it's drunk..." Toni said as she took a step back towards the door.

"Course it is!" Lister persisted "sober people don't walk like that…" the figure let out a long, drawn out rasping groan and stretched it's arms out towards them.

"Sorry mate, I aint got no kebabs," joked Lister

"Errrr….Lister..." Rimmer asked nervously as he too stepped back, opting to hide behind Kryten, who was still searching his bag.

"What now, coward?" Lister snapped but before he could find out, Toni screamed. He turned round, just as the thing lunged forward, its fingers reaching, grasping and clutching at his shirt. Lister was all for telling it to 'get the smeg off' when the creature raised it's head and looked him straight in the eye.

Where its face should have been full and healthy, it was sunken and shallow, the graying skin hanging from its bones like flaky paint, ravaged by time and weather. It's eyes a sickly white colour, which held no warmth or remorse, just pure, unbridled malice. The creature opened it's mouth and half moaning, half hissing threw it's self at Lister.

He raised his arms and attempted to push the thing off, but it clung to his shirt, a sick, twisted and hungry grin plastered on its decaying features.

"I could really use some help right about now!" shouted Lister, leaning backwards to put as much distance between himself and the advancing creature. Before any of them could act, Lister's legs gave way under the weight and he collapsed onto a dressing table, scattering jars and bottles of lotions and ointments onto the floor. The creature fell on top of him, pinning him down. Lister pushed as hard as he could, and managed to add a couple of inches to the hideously small gap between himself and the 'being'.

By this time Toni had managed to run forward and tug her boyfriend free of its grip, shuddering inwardly as the creature groaned and lunged again, scrabbling at shiny wood surface of the dressing table as if it was a dehydrated man lost in the desert... of course, it wasn't a man, it was a... well what ever the smeg it was they needed to get away from it, Toni was certain of that.

Using her initiative, Toni threw Lister out of the way, kicked the thing square in the chest and sent it stumbling backwards till it fell into the en-suite bathroom, where it lay moaning for a second or two. She quickly slammed the door and, with a little help from Cat and Charlie pushed the dressing table in front of the door.

A whole minute ticked by as everyone tried to convince themselves that did actually happen! The door rattled slightly, but there was no way the thing behind it could escape.

Rimmer broke the silence at long last "who's up for leaving?" Before votes could even be cast, the hologram was halfway down the stairs and in full-blown panic mode. The others quickly followed suite, and ran after him.

They stumbled out the front door, and instantly froze.

The once empty street was now, well…not empty. About 12 or 13 'creatures', not too different from the one currently locked in the bathroom, stood swaying on the road, moaning softly. One turned it's head, and stared at the Dwarfers (or if you want to be technical, the Starbuggers) with its dead eyes before shuffling it's way forward.

Again, it was Rimmer who broke the silence "Change of plan, back inside!".

No-body needed telling twice.