Chapter 2

"I've got an extra bedroom upstairs," The woman began and looked at them strangely. "They two of you – are you married?"

"No!" The Doctor and Donna both said in unison. "We're cousins visiting family here in the city." The Doctor added. Donna then realized how strange it would seem in this time to have two single people traveling together alone.

"Well, family or not the couch will suit you just fine." The woman said pointing at the Doctor. "It's comfortable enough and close to the fire."

"Thank you." The Doctor said, though he did not seem very happy.

"And as for you," The woman turned to Donna now. The spare room is upstairs, second door on the right. The fire's out in there so you'll have to start it yourself if you want one." Donna nodded. "My name is Hazel Carter, by the way. I've lived in this city all my life. I'll help direct you to your relatives' in the morning."

Donna pulled her coat closer to her body. She shivered. It was so cold she felt as though she were frozen. She scratched absentmindedly at a spot on her right arm. The woman turned away from the both of them and busied herself with something at the stove. Donna exited to the living room and tried to warm herself by the tired fire to no avail.

"Are you absolutely sure you're alright?" The Doctor, who had apparently followed her asked.

"Yeah, just a bit cold is all."

"Well, warm yourself by the fire here, maybe get a warm cup of tea in you and then we'll head off." He looked distant, as though he were lost in thought.

"Are we not staying here until morning?" Donna felt disheartened. She had been excited about the idea of a nice, warm bed for the night.

"I wasn't planning on it. Why, did you want to?"

"I don't see why we shouldn't. We weren't getting anywhere with mystery-alleyway man and what are we going to do in the middle of the night in the dead of winter in London anyway?" The spot on her arm itched more intensely now and she had noticed her scratching though she was pretty sure the doctor had not.

"If you want, I suppose we can stay." The Doctor said with a slight shrug. "But I'm not done searching for our mystery-man. I'd like to take another look at that alley in the light, though that will have to wait until morning."

Donna ascended the stairs quickly. She could feel cold pouring through the coat sleeve on her right arm and she was beginning to worry. Usually, itching was paired with an almost burning sensation but she felt as cold as ice. She wanted to take her coat of and warm her arm closer to the fire.

She had forgotten to bring a candle with her so the hall was quite dark but even so she could make out the second door on the left, the spare room. She tried to turn the silver knob but it wouldn't budge. She grabbed it with both of her gloved hands but the thing was stuck in its place.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hazel's voice asked in a sharp whisper from behind Donna. The scare made Donna jump up a little and grab at her chest.

"The bedroom, it's locked. I was only trying…"

"I said second door on the right, not the left. That is my – closet."

"Why is it locked?" Donna realized that this was a silly question; she wasn't even sure why she had asked it. Something inside of her, some burning curiosity about what was behind this locked door had urged her to ask it.

"Because it's my home, that's why. I don't believe that is any concern of – Why are you scratching your arm?" A strange look crossed the old woman's face and she to one step away from Donna.

Having been all wrapped up in the conversation and her new curiosity about the locked door, she hadn't noticed that she had begun scratching again. She pulled her hand away from her arm.

"I'm not sure, I –" Donna began.

"Take off your coat." Hazel demanded.

"What?"

"Take your coat off now. I want to see your arm." Hazel pointed at Donna's right arm.

"What's going on up here?" The Doctor asked. Donna hadn't even notice him come up the stairs.

"You've brought one of them inside my home." Hazel stepped away from the both of them, her eyes wide. She pointed at them both accusingly. "You've brought one of the afflicted into my home."

"Afflicted?" Donna asked. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Donna is not afflicted with anything."

"Then have her take off her coat. Show us her arm!"

"Donna, take off your coat."

"I won't" Donna disliked being accused of anything, especially when she'd done nothing wrong. She wasn't one of these 'afflicted.' The old woman was clearly insane.

"Just take it off." He pleaded with a sigh. "Show Hazel that there is nothing wrong with your arm."

Donna rolled her eyes but decided that if it would get the old woman to shut up she might as well do it. She unbuttoned the velvet coat and slipped it off of her arms and down her back. She pulled up the sleeve on the right arm of her dress, ready to prove the old woman wrong when she was met with a nasty surprise.

First of all, her arm felt as cold and as hard as ice, despite the fact that she could move it just fine it felt like solid rock in her left hand. Dark, black swirls curved around her upper arm in some kind of strange design, originating from the spot where the stranger had touched her earlier that night, the spot that had been itching so much. Donna gasped and the Doctor was silent beside her.

"You see! The mark of the afflicted." Hazel said triumphantly.