Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who

Chapter 8

Sunlight poured into Maddie's room and she awoke with a gasp. In the blinding radiance, she could still see maniacal figures reaching toward her. Her sheets were tangled and there were pillows on the floor. Maddie felt glued to the bed and she felt sick in her heart. She rubbed her chest, sticking out her tongue in disgust.

With effort, Maddie pushed herself into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around her torso, rocking back and forth. The scarecrows would get her and she could do nothing to escape. Once her eyes became more accustomed to the brightness, however, her fears lessened. Scarecrows wouldn't come alive.

She experienced a need to relieve herself and crept out of bed to snatch her robe.

Geoffrey had returned in the wee morning hours and found no need to sleep any further. To rid himself of the residual sluggishness, he decided to take a stroll around the halls of the North Wing.

The nearest door to the left creaked open and Maddie stepped out. She did not look well. Her hair was twisted every which way and her eyes were red and puffy from sleep. She gasped when she saw Geoffrey, wrapping her robe closer around her slim frame. The sudden start brought a bright and rather attractive light to her irises.

"Pardon me, Miss Smith," Geoffrey stammered, pretending to be bashful, for Maddie's sake.

"Sorry," she stuttered at the same time.

Realizing the overlap of words, Geoffrey flashed a quick smile. Maddie's cheeks darkened.

"Well I've just forgotten what I came out here for," Maddie said quickly, and Geoffrey knew it was a lie. "Good morning, Mr. Market." She slipped back into her room and closed the door.

Maddie crawled out of bed for the second time that morning and glanced at herself in the mirror. She looked horrible. Her hair was tangled and her eyes were ringed by dark circles. For a minute, she wondered if she had startled Geoffrey. Ignoring her ghastly appearance, Maddie did up her own corset and donned a green gingham dress. She pulled on her white stockings and laced up her boots. Attacking her hair with a brush, Maddie was able to subdue it and pull it into pigtails. She could do nothing for the rings under her eyes and decided her appearance was decent enough.

Before leaving her room, Maddie opened her trunk and pulled from it her two dollies. Wait. Why was she calling them "dollies"? She hadn't called them that since she was eleven. Setting aside the contemplative thought, she sat down and played with them quietly.

"Hello, Doctor Maddie," She whispered in the scarecrow's raspy voice, holding the doll as if it was hot. "I'm still terribly afraid of little girls. They're coming to get me so they can make me human. Then, when I'm all grown up, they'll make me marry one of them."

Although it was a foolish scenario, it comforted Maddie. For some reason, thinking that the scarecrows were just as afraid of her made them less of a threat. Maddie dropped the dolls when someone knocked on the door. Stowing them on her shelf, behind a candle, she answered.

"Since miss is departing in the morning," said a stiff servant with a few wisps of white hair still clinging to his otherwise bald head, "would she like assistance in packing her luggage? Also, young Mr. Smith asks if you should like to join him this morning in an activity."

"No, thank you," Maddie replied. "I can pack my own bags. Tell Mr. Smith that I already have plans."

"Yes, Miss." The old man bowed and turned to leave, then stopped mid-step. "What should I tell Mr. Smith you are to be doing?"

"I'm going on a walk," Maddie said quickly, coming up with the idea on the spot. She had no desire to be with her brother. She still felt sour towards him. "A long walk. People shouldn't expect me back until lunch."

The servant left at last and Maddie shut the door and leaned against it. What was she going to do on such a walk anyway? She'd probably be all alone, so the scarecrows would have an easy… No. Those monsters were merely a figment of her imagination. Maddie refused to be frightened of them.

Maddie found a thick scarf and pulled on her coat before heading downstairs and out the door. She had not taken breakfast, but she did not want to be anywhere where her brother might try to persuade her not to leave. Maddie stepped into the cold October morning, not knowing where she would go.

Michael was floating. Maddie had filled his dreams last night and since Geoffrey had been gone, the young man's sour disposition had not ruined the atmosphere. He absently tossed the glass on his nightstand in the air. Trevor was gone. He left early that morning, without his marble set, which Tom had just expertly hidden on the bookshelf.

Tom returned from answering his door, face downcast. He dropped heavily onto his bed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What's wrong, old chap?" Michael asked airily.

"Maddie's avoiding me," Tom sighed. The name of the angel snapped Michael back to the present. "She's going on a walk."

"By herself?" Michael asked. He was somewhat shocked. Tom was very overprotective of Maddie and for him to give in like this was not in his character.

"No!" Tom dropped his hands and rounded on Michael. "You could go with her. Forget what I said earlier about her being off limits. You like her, and there's no person I'd trust more."

"You want me to go after her?" Michael inquired sharply. "What if she thinks you sent me?"

"Just go," Tom ordered. Michael dropped the glass on the bed and snatched a scarf. He knew better than to argue with that tone. It took him a minute of rummaging through his trunk to find a heavier coat to wear over his everyday jacket. Wrapping the scarf around his throat and pulling the coat over his arms, he charged down the stair and out the door to catch Maddie.

Gray clouds had blanketed the once vibrant sky and Maddie felt a sudden gloom at the loss of color. She missed the blinding radiance from that morning. Several drops of rain landed on her nose and a gentle drizzle misted the world around her. Her hands hurt from the cold and she wished she had brought gloves.

Maddie stopped at a fork in the road. She really had no idea where she was going. There were footsteps behind her, but she didn't turn around. It might just be a traveler.

"One moment, Miss Smith." Maddie spun around to see Michael. Her heart fluttered irregularly and she couldn't help a smile. Tom probably put him up to this, but his sheepish grin gave away that he probably wanted to be there, with or without Tom's urging.

"Did my brother send you?"

"Yes…" Michael stopped ten feet away and scratched the back of his head. His neck was wrapped in a thick wool scarf and he wore a long tan coat over his jacket. "But I wanted to come anyway. Are you still planning on a walk?" His breath fogged the air, even in the rain, and his cheeks and nose were red from the chill.

"I actually don't know what I'm doing, now," Maddie replied. "The weather is against my going on a walk, though." As if to add affirmation to her words, the rain intensified and the wind picked up.

"Would you like to go into town to get ice cream?" Michael asked, cheeks turning redder, though not with the cold.

"Sure," Maddie replied reluctantly. This could prove to be awkward. "Why not?"

Michael offered his arm and Maddie took it. They turned down the left fork and strolled leisurely in the rain. As the rain got harder, Michael stopped them and ran back to the school house, which was still in sight and came back with an umbrella above his head. He held it over both of them and they continued.

A movement caught Maddie's eye through the rain and she swung her head around to see a limp scarecrow hanging on a post in the middle of a nearby field. Her heart stopped when she thought she saw it twitch, but she dismissed it as a trick of the wind.

It was subtle, but Michael had seen Maddie flinch at something behind him. He glanced behind as soon as they had passed ad saw nothing but fields and a scarecrow. Maybe it had been the cold.

Their feet squelched on the muddy road and Maddie nearly slipped a number of times. Michael had to catch her to prevent her from landing in the muck.

Eventually, Maddie and Michael reached town and Michael led Maddie to a small ice cream parlor near the edge of the city. As they stepped beneath the overhang on the porch of the shop, the rain slowed and the clouds parted to reveal the clear blue sky. Maddie sniggered.

"That there is excellent timing," Michael laughed sarcastically, shaking out the umbrella.

Nodding her agreement, Maddie let Michael lead her to a table in the corner. As he bought the ice cream at the counter, Maddie took a good look at him. His dark hair was wet and misplaced, but it gave him a gent appearance. Maddie felt more and more attracted to him by the minute. What was happening to her?

"You have been such a gentleman this whole time," Maddie stated as Michael sat down with the two ice cream sodas. "Thank you."

"I have something to confess," Michael sighed, frowning. "I know you're mad at Tom for something, but I'm really no better. I've been working on it, but I'm usually just as mean, arrogant, and stubborn." Maddie widened her eyes. Why would he be telling her this?

"Personally, I think," Maddie said, sipping her soda, "that if you're working on changing, it makes up for the past bad you've done. Just apologize to those you need to apologize to, and keep trying to be better. Now, once you've mastered it, you can go give Tom the evil eye."

Michael laughed, and over the next hour, Maddie dropped her awkward pretences, as did Michael. She could tell Michael was surprised at his own change. They chatted amiably and Maddie grinned a lot. As each minute passed, they became better friends and the magnetism between them intensified.

After lunch, the two of them decided they ought to head home. It was with reluctance they left the ice cream parlor and strolled arm in arm, more willingly now, down the street. The roads were still slippery, but the sun glared down at them, reflecting off the puddles and making the landscape around them a sort of wonderland. Michael swung the closed umbrella like a sword as they walked, talking animatedly about getting lost on a school trip.

The scarecrow before the fork in the road looked so obnoxious and ratty that Maddie laughed at her fears: really laughed. She had been so silly and childish.

They reached Sandwethers and Michael accompanied Maddie to her room before leaving. Once alone, Maddie opened her trunk and dumped its contents on the floor so she could repack it. She locked the door to her room and began folding the clothes that had been in her trunk. There were so many that were so unnecessary for a trip that had been under a week long. She shrugged and continued.

"Doctor. The numbers: they're dropping," Donna exclaimed, watching the bar on the screen shrink. "What does that mean?"

"It means that that girl is genuinely losing that fear!" the Doctor said with a big grin, slapping the console. "That'll buy us some time."

Geoffrey felt Maddie's fear melt and knew he had to act fast in order to keep the scarecrows strong.

Tom paced in the dining room. He had a headache and he was upset at Maddie. Someone stepped in and Tom looked up to glare and snap at them. His insult caught in his throat when he saw it was the new servant. He had heard somewhere that her name was Christine.

Recalling Maddie's reproaches, he decided he might as well be civil for his sister's sake.

"God day, Christine, is it?" he asked, becoming fonder of the girl's appearance as the seconds ticked by.

"Yes, sir. Good day." Christine did not look up from her work, but Geoffrey saw her cheeks redden.

"I'm afraid I have to apologize for my previous incivility," Tom continued. Christine looked up at last, and she flashed a smile at him. By heaven, she was pretty. "We really started off on the wrong foot," Tom persisted, hoping to get Christine to look at him longer. "Perhaps we could pretend to be meeting for the first time?"

"Well then," Christine set down her bucket and stood up, brushing the dust from her hands onto her apron. She curtsied. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Smith." Tom was shocked to not hear any sarcasm or impatience in her tone. She grinned ear to ear and extended a hand.

It had been at least three hours since Maddie had emptied her luggage in order to put everything away in its proper place inside her trunk. She was done and the lid of the box was closed. Reaching behind the books on the shelf, Maddie retrieved her dolls. Rather than play with them she sat down to admire them.

The scarecrow, although homely, looked almost cute in Maddie's current mindset. The leering face no longer appeared frightening. It wasn't as if it could hurt her. Doctor Maddie had a braver smile than ever. Her hair was split into pigtails and wrapped with purple ribbons that matched her dress.

There was an explosive crash and Maddie jumped to her feet. A thick arm, ending in straw, had just broken through her window and shattered glass littered the floor around the jagged opening.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
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