''Amy don't move,'' said the Doctor cautiously. He didn't want to provoke the beast dangling from the ceiling above Amy's quivering head.
''What is it?'' Amy whimpered.
''Amy don't move, it's imperative that you stand perfectly still and don't speak any louder.''
''Doctor what is it?''
''I'm not sure.''
''Then how do you know it won't attack me if I don't move.''
''I don't, but it seems to be working.''
Hanging from the ceiling, next to a roof panel that had swung silently off its hinges to reveal an air duct during the Doctor and Amy's discussion, was a creature clinging to the roof like an insect. Some kind of dog prowled around the area above the panic-stricken Amy.
Only it wasn't a dog. Hellhound suited it more. It was upside down but with its feet on the roof as if it were on the floor, poised and ready to lunge at any moment. Its pitch black fur matched its empty, soulless eyes that were transfixed on the prey of the monster's razor sharp, forked tongue protruding rapidly in and out of the curling jaw that caged a set of ravenous, rotten teeth. A tail, matching the creature's tongue, whipped around like it was fighting off an invisible enemy.
Opportunely, in the corner of his eye the Doctor spotted an escape. Deep in the corner of the room, which had now become an enclosure, a door sat quietly, once again blending with the surrounding wall like a chameleon. Circuiting the exit was a thin red line of light, the same that could be found on the elevators.
''Amy, on the count of three I want you to run, as fast as you can, towards that door over in the corner. Can you do that?'' implored the Doctor.
''I think so,'' she answered, growing more anxious by the second, ''I'll try.''
''You'll make it,'' the Doctor reassured her, ''I promise.''
''Okay,'' said Amy, placing her trust in him without hesitation. ''On three then.''
The Doctor had been gradually stepping closer to the light-lined door. The hellhound was now fixing its gaze upon each of them in turn, deciding which one of them was more of a threat.
''One,'' said the Doctor, his pacing getting faster. The creature began to pay more attention to the Doctor than to Amy, who remained obstinately still.
''Two,'' continued the Doctor, prompting another rise of swiftness in his step. The sonic screwdriver, residing in the Doctor's perfectly still left hand, was rising along with the Doctor's arm, aimed unswervingly at the door. He impulsively ignited the power of the sonic and the door flung open like it had been struck by a hurricane. With a flash, the beast above started to bark hellishly and relentlessly and raced across the ceiling, inversely charging towards the Doctor.
''THREE!'' roared the Doctor, and Amy surged forth with the speed of a gazelle. The hound was distracted, and didn't know which of them to prey on. It attempted to pirouette to attack Amy, but staggered and fell over onto the ceiling like gravity had multiple loyalties, before relinquishing its grip and diving to the ground. It landed the right way up on top of a control panel and stabbed its claws into the machine to hold on. Its fur stood on end and its tail climbed towards the roof like something was pulling it up
Amy had already made her way around the maze of machines and had pelted through the open door. The Doctor ran in after her and closed the door just as the beast leapt through the air. It collided with the now sealed exit and was sucked back up to the ceiling like a magnet. It whined and tore back into the hole it had entered through.
Amy sat breathlessly on the floor, slumped against the wall while the Doctor completely sealed the door with his screwdriver. The room they had escaped into was not dissimilar to the last one, albeit instead of computers it was filled with nothing but air. The only defining factor was eight identical doors, two on each wall, all outlined by the unnerving red light.
For a split second, almost impossible to catch with a human eye, the room became distorted. Another glitch.
Before either of them could make their next move, one of the doors shot open and a terrified young man pelted into the room and slammed the door behind him. Amy and the Doctor jumped in shock at this unexpected intrusion. The boy appeared beaten down and fatigued. He seemed no older than seventeen. His hair was a mess and his shirt was ripped in several places. Scuffed shoes and scruffy jeans were dragged along by his limp legs a few feet into the room before he realised he wasn't alone.
''Who are you?'' he erupted.
''Who are you?'' enquired the Doctor.
''What was that?'' exuded Amy, seemingly unperturbed by the current events.
''Who's she?!'' cried the newcomer.
''Who's he?'' shouted Amy.
''Yes, who are you?'' asked the Doctor.
''What are you doing down her?'' said the stranger.
''Are we just going to keep asking questions or is somebody going to explain what the hell's going on?'' groaned Amelia, stinging the air with an awkward silence, leaving the three of them to look to the other to shatter it.
''I'm the Doctor,'' said he, stretching out his hand.
''Doctor who?'' asked the boy.
''Just the Doctor. Now, who are you?''
''I'm Daniel, Daniel Raine. I'm the janitor. Well, one of them,'' said Daniel, one of the janitors. ''I was just in the storage room getting some equipment when this… this… thing, this dog thing attacked me.''
''So there are more,'' the Doctor thought out loud.
''You… you saw one too?'' asked Daniel. A loud clang sounded above them and vibrated through the ceiling. The three of them jerked their heads upwards, dreading the worst.
''We have to get out of here,'' stated the Doctor.
''How?'' asked Amy, still shaken from the monster attack.
''Look around, Amy!'' spoke the Doctor lustrously. ''There's plenty of room for escape.''
He looked expectantly at her but Amy was not amused. The Doctor's smile awkwardly dissipated and he turned back to Daniel.
''Which way out?''
...
To say it was called an air vent, there wasn't much air to go around, thought Amy as she crawled through the dank, constricting tunnel above the maintenance areas, angled so that it climbed upwards. They had blocked off the way behind them with a nifty wave of the sonic screwdriver that manipulated the electronic camouflage of the building. It could still be passed, but would hopefully fool any hellhounds that tried to follow them into thinking it was a dead end.
The claustrophobic escape route was the only way out, according to Daniel, whose knowledge of the area they trusted as they had no other choice. To go back the way they came would be to risk another dangerous encounter, and to pick another of the eight doors would only lead them through a labyrinth.
''I ran as fast as I could,'' Daniel was saying, speaking over his shoulder to his followers, ''and I only just made it into the room where I found you. This way,'' he added and turned into the right tunnel at a junction. They began to follow but were almost immediately directed back the other way.
''Sorry,'' said Daniel, ''I can't say I know my way around here as well. Not really part of my job description to crawl around in the ceiling.''
Amy and the Doctor came to a swift half as the air vent reached an opening. Looking down into the metallic pit of what they quickly realised was the elevator shaft, they fixed their eyes on the roof of a stationary lift.
''Men and directions,'' grumbled Amy, ''Daniel, I think you were right the first time!'' she yelled out of the corner of her mouth.
''No, I think we've ended up exactly where he wanted us,'' said the Doctor to a clenched fist that replied with a prompt smack. He was knocked back into Amy, taking her with him as he fell into the shaft and plunged a few metres, landing on the elevator with a thud and a crunch.
''You put your trust in people too easily!'' cried Daniel, appearing at the edge of the vent along with a couple of the devilish dogs, clasping the roof and the wall respectively. ''I've had enough of you snooping around my home. It's time for you to stop impeding my efforts and begin giving me a hand. It would be such a waste to simply throw you to the dogs.''
''Oh, you are so going down!'' yelled Amy, all of her attitude behind her voice.
''I think you'll find that it's you who will be going up,'' said Daniel nonchalantly. He reached out onto the wall of the shaft and slammed a button. The elevator whirred and geared up. It steadily began to rise.
''You've got yourself and your girlfriend into a fine mess this time, Doctor. Remedy it,'' spat Daniel, retreating with his pets back into the air vent. Amy and the Doctor jumped to their feet and scrutinized the situation, glaring fearfully at their monstrous, empty and impending doom. The elevator became faster.
''Right,'' uttered Amy, distraught. ''You heard the man.''