Turn Left
Oranges and reds were glittering the eyes of the Doctor and his companions when they entered the oriental but clearly alien marketplace. A narrow, crowded alleyway with various people selling strange wares was the place the Doctor had taken his friends. The Doctor had his wife's hand placed in a firm grip with one of his own as they walked towards one of the stalls. He picked up a certain object with a smile on his face and he started to sniff his fingers which he was rubbing together, laughing and smiling at Rose while he moved over to join Donna. The three of them continuing their way down the alley, laughing with each of them holding a beverage they had picked up on their way.
The Doctor had a large smile on his face, a laugh rumbling up from his stomach as he was handed a large brown mug full to the brim with a liquid drink and a creamy substance pressed up the top. His waggled his eyebrows at Donna who was laughing at the sheer size of the drinks while Rose watched the pair of them with amusement shining through her eyes.
"You are going to love this." The Doctor said with a smile as he pasted the drink to Donna. "One, two, three –" He said as he held his drink towards the two of them who had their own drinks. Donna squinted as she pulled the mug to her lips, the Doctor had his eyebrows raised causing creases to emerge onto his forehead while Rose was trying not to laugh as the foam tickled her nose. They took a swig, each one of them evidently giving themselves a foamy moustache which caused Donna to squeal with laughter which in turn lead Rose to burst out with laughter; leaving the Doctor dumbfounded as he looked at his giggling companions.
"Ah!" The Doctor sighed with contentment, his eyebrows frowning as he savored the flavors, his hand being pressed to Rose's shoulder as she smiled affectingly up to the Doctor, cradling her mug in her hands.
"It's lovely!" Donna breathed as she left her mouth hanging open as she looked at the Doctor and his Wife Rose. However once they finished their drinks they continued down the alley. Rose grasped hold of the Doctor and dragged him over to a stall that held various trinkets that she knew her mother would love. The Doctor had done an amazing thing that had brightened up his wife's hopes and sprits dramatically. He had taken his wife to see her mother and her family again after years of thinking she would never be able to see them again. The Doctor knew that even though Rose had told him and Jack everything that was bothering her from the situation she had be placed in he knew she still suffered from it. Having seen her mother, having spoken to her about it, having received the comfort she needed from her Mother Rose was able to deal with it a lot more and better. The Doctor just hoped that she was finally starting to heal, finally starting to get over it and he was going to be at her side every step of the way.
However something else caught Donna's eye and she absentmindedly walked over to it, being separated from her friends.
"You want to buy Shukina?" The stall owner said over to Donna, the fruit in question pressed to his hands as he spoke to the earth woman. She looked back over to the Doctor and Rose who were passionately talking to another stall owner, a precariously looking fruit with long spikes were pressed into the Doctor's hand, a frown on his features while Rose was talking to the stall holder, taking brief glances towards her husband.
"Or Peshwami? Most beautiful Peshwami in all of Shan Shen." The stallholder continued, causing Donna to smile at her awkwardly before she looked back at the two time beings that were chatting enthusiastically with the seller of the strange fruit.
"No thanks." Donna smiled politely as she continued to walk away a little further causing her to be spotted by a fortuneteller who was sitting outside her tent. Donna smiled a little as she passed before continuing further.
"Tell your fortune, lady?" The dark skinned Chinese lady stated causing Donna to turn back towards the woman. "Your future predicted, your life foretold."
"Ah, no thanks." Donna cried with a sly smile as she shook her head as the woman who pulled back surprised, a frown pressed to her brow as she continued to look at the Doctor's companion.
"Don't you want to know - if you're going to be happy?"
"I'm happy right now, thanks." Donna replied with a smile on her features, nodding her head at the woman, her hands pressed firmly within her pockets.
"You've got red hair. Reading's free for red hair." The woman stated again, her features softening as she smiled over at Donna.
"All right, then." Donna laughed as she shrugged her shoulders in defeat. The fortuneteller stood from her chair and walked into the tent as Donna followed after her, a smile still pressed onto her features as she took in the buzzing atmosphere of the busy street. She took a furtive and a slightly sinister glance around at the place before she ducked and followed the woman inside.
When she arrived she took in the surroundings she had found herself in. The tent opened up into a large open area with a single table and two chairs center of the room. Red and Oranges from the street were the colours of the hangings in room, odd chests and other lamps and trinkets lining the cloth sides of the tent, another room separated from the main room causing Donna to believe the fortuneteller lived here most days.
Donna and the Fortuneteller were sitting at opposite sides of the table as she pressed her hands over the middle. The other woman was caressing Donna's palms with her nail-polished fingers as she took in the lines on Donna's hands.
"You're fascinating. Oh no, but you're good. I can see... a man." The woman said cryptically as her attentions were moved from Donna as her eyes shifted up with Donna who half laughed, her shoulders moving at the gesture before she looked up at the woman who was still holding onto her hands "The most remarkable man. How did you meet him?"
"You're supposed to tell me." Donna stated, cocking her head closer to her as she stared at her
"I see the future. Tell me the past. When did your lives cross?" She asked, a smile pressed to her lips as she spoke
"It's sort of complicated. I ended up in his spaceship on my wedding day." Donna joked, unknown to her of a strange clicking noise in the air. Donna oblivious to the noise but the Fortuneteller responded to the sound with her eyes narrowing slightly.
" But what led you to that meeting?"
"All sorts of things." Donna said after a moment's thought "But my job, I suppose. It was on Earth... this planet called Earth, miles away. But I had this job as a temp. I was a secretary at this place called H.C. Clements." Donna explained before grimacing as she gave a strange lurch forward.
Donna could hear the sound of phones ringing, of people talking to people on the phone as she watched herself sitting at her desk looking around until she found herself lurching back into her chair on the alien planet, her eyes wide, her mouth hanging open in worry and confusion. She leant back into her chair slowly, sitting back on the chair, exhaling trying to rid of the shaken feeling as she looked at the fortuneteller who was once again caressing her hand.
"Sorry."
"It's the incense. Just er - breathe deep. This job of yours - what choices led you there?" The woman asked her again, her eyes constantly flickering between Donna and something that was creeping up behind her via the door.
"There was a choice... six months before. The agency offered me this contract with H.C. Clements." Donna started as she nodded her head at the alien woman. However she lurched forward again to find herself walking from her house to the car with her mother walking beside her "But there was this other job. My mum knew this man..."
"Jival, he's called. Jival Chowdry?" Sylvia stated as she pulled open the door to the car and placed herself on the seat as Donna herself pulled open the door to the driver's side. "He runs that little photocopy business. And he needs a secretary" Donna mother said again as she pulled on her seat belt while Donna looked over at her mother.
"I've - got - a job." Donna stated with an air of a person who has been nagged.
"As a temp. This is permanent. It's twenty thousand a year, Donna." Sylvia implored frustrated again while Donna pulled on her seatbelt.
"H.C. Clements is in the City. It's nice. It's posh. So, stop it." Donna snapped up to her mother as her seatbelt clicked into place and she turned the key into the ignition.
Donna lurched forward again and she wasn't surprised when she found herself looking at the fortuneteller who had her eyebrows raised, her eyes wide as she stared intently over at Donna who was starting to panic.
"Your life could have gone one way or the other. What made you decide?"
"I just did."
"But when was the moment? When did you choose?"
Donna was driving down little Sutton Street and she noticed a large blue van driving past. She was waiting at the junction in the car, turning her head, as she looked both ways while her mother continued to nag at her.
"It won't take long, just turn right. We'll pop in and see Mr. Chowdry. Suzette can introduce you." Sylvia argued, motioning her hand to the right while Donna tapped her hand on the steering wheel, rolling her eyes at her mum
"I'm going left. If you don't like it, get out and walk." Donna said, not bothering to hide how fed up she was with her mothers constant nagging
"If you turn right, you'll have a career. Not just filling in." She said to her again, keeping up with her point, being consistent.
"You think I'm so useless." Donna snapped suddenly, her voice rising as her anger grew.
"I know why you want a job with H.C. Clements, lady - because you think you'll meet a man with lots of money and your whole life will change. Well, let me tell you, sweetheart: city executives don't need temps, except for practice." Sylvia said mocking, her head shaking, her eyebrows rising and forward as she continued to flick her eyes from Donna to the road, the indicator clicking in the car as they spoke.
"Yeah. Well, they haven't met me." Donna muttered stubbornly as she continued her journey left.
"You turned left. But what if you turned right? What then?"
"Let go of my hands." Donna whispered, shaken and suspicious as she attempted to pull her hands away from the woman who was clinging onto them tightly
"What if it changes? What if you go right? What if you could still go right?" She stated as the crawling thing closed in around Donna's mind. The headlights, the blinking arrow indicating her direction, flash in quick succession. All Donna could do was watch her life unfold; watch as the images took over her mind leaving her scared and panicked.
"Stop it." Donna shouted trembling until she felt something dart onto her back. "What's that?" Donna whispered as she froze, not wanting to move an inch as she continued to hear the clicking noise "What's on my back?" She shouted again, not receiving an answer from the fortuneteller merely fixing her with an intense, somewhat greedy stare. "What is it? What- what's on my back?"
"Make the choice again, Donna Noble, and change your mind. Turn right." She said viciously as she stared right at Donna once again
"I'm turning..." Donna whispered, her eyes not blinking, not moving from the woman as she was stuck in the trance, a black spindly leg clasping around her shoulder.
"Turn right. Turn right. Turn right."
"Let me tell you, sweetheart: city executives don't need temps, except for practice." Sylvia shouted again as Donna realized she was pressed into her car again.
"Yeah. S'pose you're right." Donna sighed in defeat as she waggled her head, her mother smiling smugly as she leant back into her seat in the car as Donna changed the direction of her indicator.
"Turn right and never meet that man. Turn right and change the world!"
It was a Christmas party. The pub was noisy full of people laughing and shouting. People were singing 'We wish you a merry Christmas' as Donna elbowed her way through the crowd with a tray of drinks and breathed a sigh of relief when the song finished resulting in cheers and cries of joy before 'Merry Christmas Everyone' by Slade blares out of the speakers.
"Get out of the way. Get out of the way!" Donna interjected before she joined her friends at the table "There we are! Feed at the trough." She finished as she removed the glasses from the tray and handed then to her friends, a large smile pressed to her features.
"Mooky says let's go to the Boardwalk. It's two for the price of one." Venna spoke as she looked over at Donna
"Christmas Eve? It'll be heaving." Donna argued before she was hit on the leg by Mooky who had taken her attention
"Exactly! Get in and grab 'em." She implored, using her hands to make a point before the table of them laughed.
"Hey, that's the second round of drinks you've bought. It was my turn!" Veena stated as she spoke to Donna who smiled as she looked at her friends.
"I can afford it. Promotion. You are talking to Jival Chowdry's personal assistant, I'll have you know. Capital P, capital A, twenty-three-thousand pounds per annum, merci beaucoup!" Donna said excitedly as the rest of her friends looked around at her as she explained while Alice was looking at Donna nervously.
"Here's to Mr Chowdry!" Veena cried as she raised her glass
"Mr Chowdry!"
"She gets all the luck." Mooky cried disheartened as she raised her glass but Donna frowned when she noticed that Alice had not joined the toast and chinks glasses with her. What she had not noticed was that Alice had been regarding her somewhat nervously ever since she had sat down as she could hear a faint clicking noise in the background.
"What's wrong? What is it?" Donna sobered as she looked at the wide-eyed expression pressed to Alice's features
"Sorry?" Alice whispered bewildered shaking her head as she realized Donna was looking at her and she attempted a smile as she spoke to her friend.
"Has someone spilled a drink on me?" Donna asked again as she strained round to look at her own shoulder "Why do you keep looking at my shoulder? What's wrong?"
"I don't know." She said wide eyes again
"Oh, don't tell me you're getting all spooky again. It was bad enough when you saw the ghost of Earl Mountbatten at the Boat show. What are you looking at? What is it?" Donna cried, looking back at her shoulder as Alice continued to look over Donna's shoulder. Her friend having been undeterred by Donna's jibes
"It's like... it's like there's something I can't see!" She whispered causing Donna to stare at her friend unsettled. However they were pulled from their interaction when a man in the pub started yelling at them
"Shut up, all of you! Come and see! Just look at the sky!" He shouted as everyone stopped chattering and focused on him and what he had to say, "It's a star! A Christmas star!" He bellowed before he hit his mate in the chest and everyone got up to follow him
"Come on, then." Veena implored as she scooted over to get out of the chairs they had been sitting at. Donna and her friends all ran outside, pulling on their jackets as they looked up at the thing in the sky. Donna had her eyebrows raised, her mouth hanging open as she and everyone else looked up at the sky.
"What the hell is that?"Mooky whispered as she hugged her jacket around her closer, a frown pressed to her features, her heart beating in her chest as panic and worry made its way over her heart.
"Ken Livingston, that's what - spending our money on decorations." Veena stated irritated as she continued to look at what appeared to be a large star gliding over the rooftops with a low hum "I mean, how much did that cost?"
"Don't be so stupid, it's flying! It's really flying!" Mooky cried as she hit her friend in the chest before everyone hurried around to the corner to keep the star in sight.
"That's not a star. That's a web. It's heading east... the middle of the City." Donna implored not hearing the sound of clicking. Alice was completely ignoring the star, as she was completely engrossed in Donna's back, staring at it, trying hard to see. The web came to a standstill above a busy street and out of each of its point it shot a beam of electricity. Everyone was running around and away from it in horror. Donna had her mouth hanging open as she stared at it with wide eyes. Alice was still staring at Donna's back.
Suddenly Donna became aware of Alice looking at her as she had to take a double take before she looked back up at the sky.
"Alice. There's a great big web-star thing shooting at people, and you're looking at me?" She said slightly fearful in her confusion.
"There's something on your back." Alice managed to say in quite terror. Her eyes wide, her mouth hanging open before she ran away from her. Donna could do nothing but watch her retreating form in confusion before she bolted in the direction of the star.
Donna! Where are you going? You're going to get yourself killed! Donna!"Veena shouted, making an attempt to follow her before Mooky pulled Veena away and they didn't follow her. Even as it was Donna ignored them and she continued running.
Donna could hear the sound of gunshots, hearing the sound of men barking orders as they shot the web in the sky. She looked up in the air, watching as they fired missiles into the air and hitting the webbed star as it caught fire and shattered as Donna continued to jog towards the masses of people.
"Everyone stay back. The Thames has been closed. Return to your homes." A man shouted while Donna held a frown on her features, her mouth hanging open as she slide around some cars and she could hear the sound of a UNIT Soldier speaking to his captain on his walkie-talkie.
"Trap 1 to Greyhound 15: what is your report? Over."
"From the evidence, I'd say he managed to stop the creature. Some sort of red spider. Blew up the base underneath the barrier, flooded the whole thing. Over." The Soldier stated as he held a frown on his features, his talkie pressed to his mouth as he shuffled his fear.
"And where is he now? Over."
"We found a body, sir. Over." He said distressed as he watched as a body on a stretcher, covered in a red blanket, is being carried into an ambulance, Donna trying to get a better look to see if she could see anything else.
"Is it him? Over."
"I think so. He just didn't make it out in time." He stated just as a clothed arm in a pinstriped suit fell uselessly over the side of the stretcher. A hand dropping the sonic screwdriver into the road. "The Doctor is dead. Must have happened too fast for him to regenerate." he finished as the screwdriver twitched on the floor as they loaded the Doctor's body into the ambulance.
"Escort the ambulance back to UNIT base." The Captain ordered as the ambulance doors were shut. Donna could do nothing more than walk slowly away from the scene. As she walked she could see the figure of someone bolting down the street, her boots clicking against the floor as she headed towards the scene.
"What happened? What did they find?" She asked breathless and frantic as she turned to face Donna. Her long blonde hair was swept over her shoulders, hanging and framing her face as it had been cut from the long hair she used to have. Boots and jeans were pressed to her feet and legs while a purple leather jacket was attempting to keep her warm. This was Rose, but Donna did not know who she was "Sorry, did they find someone?"
"I don't know. Um, bloke called the Doctor or something." Donna cried as she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders
"Well, where is he?" Rose breathed again as she looked around her surroundings, her eyebrows raised, her mouth hanging open as she looked at the ambulance.
"They took him away. He's dead." Donna said with her own eyebrows raised causing Rose to stop and stare at her. Her mouth hanging open as she really studied Donna's features "I'm sorry. Did you know him?" Donna finished and watched as Rose looked away in utter dismay "I mean... they didn't say his name... it could be any doctor." Donna argued, hoping to make the woman feel a little better as the blonde tried to hide the pain she was feeling in her heart. She took a few steps away from Donna; completely wrapped up by her own pain she didn't know Donna was turning around to face her again
"I came so far." She whispered causing Donna to reach out and touch her arm
"It could be anyone." Donna defended as Rose turned to look at her as if she's only just seen her
"What's your name?" Rose questioned, her heart heavy, her eyes staring intently at Donna, trying to hide all the pain, all the sadness and all the loneliness from the woman who had no idea she belonged with the Doctor.
"Donna. And you?" Donna asked unknowingly too her Rose could hear the clicking nose, causing Rose to become mildly distracted by something on Donna's shoulder all the while she was speaking
"Oh, I was just... passing by. I shouldn't even be here, this is... wrong. It's wrong. This is so wrong. Sorry, what was it? Donna what?"
"Why do you keep looking at my back?" Donna snapped abruptly
"I'm not." Rose complained as she quickly averted her eyes looking down at the ground pressing her arms across her chest.
"Yes, you are. You keep looking behind me. You're doing it now." Donna exploded angrily her voice rising as she strained to see her own back " What is it? What's there? Has someone put something on my back?" She snapped but faltered for when she turned back around, Rose had disappeared. Donna looked around at her surroundings in a state of bewilderment as she tried to find the young woman, but when she came up empty she walked away.
"You can't sack me. I'm your personal assistant." Donna said angrily as she stamped her foot in anger
"You don't have to make a scene. Just come downstairs and we can have a little talk." Chowdry reasoned, waving his hand at Donna to try and get her to calm down. Moving around her to try and get her to follow. The whole room was watching. Computers had been left un attending, the photocopier was unused. Silence. NO noise no sound, nothing, everything was focused and watching the scene unfold in front of them.
"Oh, I'll make a scene, all right." Donna whispered as she turned to face her now Ex-boss "Right in front of a tribunal - and the first thing I'm going to say is "wandering hands"!" Donna shouted, her hair shuddering forwards as she bellowed at the older Indian man standing in front of her.
"Now, come on Donna - you know what it's been like for the past few months, ever since that Christmas thing! Half my contracts were on the other side of the river and the Thames is still closed off. Look, I can't deliver. I'm losing a fortune." Chowdry complained causing Donna to listen to him, her eyes glaring right into his eyes while her head was angled a little at the ground.
"Well, sack one of this lot! Sack Cliff! He just sits there! Don't know what he does all day - sorry Cliff –" Donna shouted as she took a brief look at Cliff "Actually, I'm not sorry - what DO you do all day?" Donna rambled but before Cliff could answer the whole office shook underneath their feet in what sounded like an explosion from outside.
"What the hell?" Chowdry cursed as he along with the whole of his staff rushed to the window to see what's going on, except Donna who merely shook her letter open with an irritated sigh. "It's like an earthquake!" He continued as a thunderous black cloud had positioned itself over a hospital only a short distance away "That's weird! Funny sort of clouds."
"Who typed this? I'm your PA! Did you get someone else to type this?" Donna shouted in outrage as she watched the staff exchange glances, clearly bemused at her lack of prioritizing. A black woman simply turned around to face her with a small awkward smile pressed to her lips.
"Beatrice!" Donna shouted furious. A short while later, the TV had been switched on showing a reporter on the BBC News 24, standing in the rain under and umbrella. The headline reading "ROYAL HOPE HOSPITAL VANISHING IN UPWARD RAIN MYSTERY"
"It sounds impossible, but the entire hospital has vanished." She stated before the image of broken pipelines still churning out water in the empty crater where the hospital once stood where shown. "The Royal Hope no longer exists. It's not been destroyed - there's no wreckage. It's simply gone." She stated, talking to the office staff, apart from Donna were all crowded around the TV listening. "Reports from bystanders say that the rain lifted up around the hospital..."
"Hole-punch - having that. Stapler - mine. Toy cactus - you can have that Beatrice, catch." Donna stated as she packed all her things in to a cardboard box. She chucked the toy cactus over to Beatrice and it squeaked ineffectively as she caught it. "Cliff - I'd leave you the mouse mat, but I'm worried you'd cut yourself." She implored as she throw it into the box
"All right, Donna, have some respect. There's two thousand people in the hospital and it's vanished." Her old boss shouted angrily over at her, the whole of the staff looking at her with their mouths hanging open.
"Oh, I'll show you vanishing. Thanks for nothing. Oh, and you know when that money went missing from the kitty? Anne-Marie. That's all I'm saying. Anne-Marie!" Donna yelled before the whole place shook again with a loud rumble.
"Oh, don't tell me. The hospital's back. Well, isn't that wizard?" Donna cried sarcastically before she kicked her old drawer shut.
That night Donna found herself sitting the living room with her mother and her grandfather sitting in front of the TV with the news pressed to the screen. Her mother was going through the box of supplies Donna had taken from the office while herself and Wilfred were watching the News.
"To confirm, the Royal Hope Hospital was returned to its original position, but with only one survivor. The only person left alive is medical student Oliver Morgenstern."
"There were these creatures…Like... rhinos, talking rhinos, in- in- in black leather."
"Rhinos?" Donna whispered with her eyebrows raised.
"Rhinos could be aliens." Wilfred stated with his eyebrows furrowed, his hand pressed to his teeth.
"Shh.."
"There were hundreds of them. We couldn't breathe. We were running out of air. A colleague of mine gave me the last oxygen tank. Martha. Martha Jones. And she- she died."
"At least you got a hole-punch. And a raffle ticket." Sylvia said as she removed the said item out of the cardboard box.
"Yeah, well they can keep the raffle. I wouldn't take a penny off that man." Donna breathed defeated but passionately as she cocked her head a little towards her mother who was still unpacking the box slowly.
"Honestly, you two- there's aliens on the news. They took that hospital all the way to the moon and you're banging on about raffle tickets." Wilfred cried reprimanded as he waved his hand towards the TV and then to the two people who were sitting next to him. Donna could do nothing but look at her grandfather with a smile on her face as she watched him rest his elbow on his folded arm.
"Don't be daft, Gramps. It wasn't the moon! It couldn't be." Donna breathed as she pressed her shoulder to her grandfathers, a mug of tea cradled in her lap.
"Yes, well, I'm telling you - it's getting worse. These past few years, it's like, all of a sudden, they suddenly know all about us and... there's keen eyes up there and they're not friendly." Wilf argued again, cocking his head to the TV causing Donna to turn her attention back to the News.
"This stapler says 'Bea'." Donna's mother voiced as she examined the object in question
"Can't believe how well you're taking it, me getting sacked. Thought you'd hit the roof." Donna voiced again with a small smile as she looked at her mother
"I'm just tired, Donna, what with your father and everything. To be honest, I've given up on you." Her mother replied, not sounding at all angry. She just sounded and looked disappointed causing Donna to look away guiltily.
" This further report just in, from Oliver Morgenstern."
"There was this woman who took control who said she- she knew what to do, said she could stop the MRI or something- Sarah Jane, her name was. Sarah Jane Smith."
"Sarah Jane Smith was a freelance investigative journalist formally of Metropolitan Magazine." The reporter voiced causing photographs of Sarah Jane Smith to be displayed on the large screen of the TV, images recent and older causing Donna to continued to stare at the screen.
"Her body was recovered from the hospital late this afternoon. Miss Smith had a son called..."
"What's for tea?" Donna chimed as she continued to look from her grandfather over to her mother
"I've got nothing in."
"I'll get chips. Last of my wages. Fish and chips, yeah?" Donna stated when she tried to force cheeriness into her voice. Her smile faltering when neither Sylvia nor her grandfather responded to her. She just watched as Sylvia adjusted a vase of flowers on the table, Wilfred just watching the television miserably.
"along with his teenage friends Maria Jackson and Clyde Langer. It is feared that they also perished."
Donna had pulled on a large coat as she pressed her hands deeper into her coat pockets as she walked down the long, cold, wet streets of London. She checked over her shoulder before she crossed over the road, her attention pressed to the ground she almost missed a flash of white bright light. She could hear the sound of electricity building up from the alleyway but when the light become blinding she flinched from the light. The next thing she knew she could see a young woman being propelled out of the alleyway and into the street, her form skidding to a stop as she tried to regain her balance.
"Blimey! Are you all right? What was that, fireworks or...?" Donna breathed shock as she looked at the figure of Rose who was turning back around and heading over to Donna with a frown on her features while Donna was looking back down the alleyway as Rose came to stand next to her, studying the same alleyway
"I dunno! I was just walking along and... that's weird." Rose muttered to herself, pulling her arms across her chest as she frowned and looked further down the alleyway. All the while Rose failed to noticed Donna recognizing her from the previous Christmas, looking her up and down in the process.
"You're the one. Christmas Eve - I met you in town." Donna breathed, her eyebrows moving into a frown as Rose readjusted her lips, moving her fringe from her face before pressing her hand to her hips as she looked over at Donna.
"Donna, isn't it?" Rose said with a small smile, pointing towards the woman before pulling her hands over her chest.
"What was your name?"
"How are you doing? You're looking good..." Rose said as she smiled evasively. She could hear the clicking and without realizing she seemed be distracted with something that was on Donna's shoulder. "How've you been doing? What have you been up to?"
"You're doing it again." Donna retorted, flicking her eyes to her shoulder before she looked back to Rose with her eyebrows pressed into a hard line.
"What?"
"Looking behind me. People keep on doing that - looking at my back." Donna informed, her eyes holding so much worry as she watched as horror and realization flickered into Rose's features.
"What sort of people?"
"People in the street. Strangers. I just catch them, sometimes, staring at me... like they're looking at something." Donna stated, shaking her head as she spoke, her head cocked slightly to the left as she continued to look at Rose whose eyes involuntarily drifted behind Donna again. " And then I get home and look and there's nothing there." Donna cried before swiping at something on her back "See, look, now I'm doing it!"
"What are you doing for Christmas?" Rose said suddenly, adjusting her feet on the wet sodden ground, her arms still folded across her chest as she looked at Donna.
"What am I what?" Donna cried exasperated, shaking her head, her eyebrows in a frown as she couldn't understand why Rose was talking about something that was months away.
"Next Christmas. Any plans?" She asked, shaking her head slightly, her eyebrows raising before she looked back at Donna who was clearly stuck to see how any of the information Rose was giving her was relevant.
"I don't know, that's ages away! Nothing much I suppose. Why?" Donna rambled, looking at Rose and then back to the ground, her head never staying still as she shook her head,
"Just... I think you should get out. You and your family, don't stay in London, just... leave the City." Rose said, struggling to stay casual, lifting her hand in gestures to make a point.
"What for?" Donna muttered frustrated as she rolled her eyes.
"A nice hotel... Christmas break?"
"Can't afford it."
"Well, no, you've got that raffle ticket." Rose said eagerly with a small smile playing on her lips, her eyes boring right into Donna who was holding a frown on her face, shocked that the woman in front of her knew of personal matters like that
"How do you know about that?"
"First prize... luxury weekend break." Rose said seriously, her eyes boring right into Donna's eyes before her tone of voice turned emphatically "Use it, Donna Noble."
"Why won't you tell me your name?" Donna said warningly. Rose remained silent, the only thing giving away her unease was the way her jaw was resetting itself as Donna walked around her threateningly. "I think you should leave me alone." Donna said darkly, her hands still firmly pressed in her pockets as her eyes continued to follow Rose as she walked away. Rose just looked at her, her hands clinging onto her purple leather jacket as she refused to help Donna. Her eyes flittered down at the ground before she headed back down the alleyway where she was greeted by the flashed of blue light and a loud humming- which Donna steadfastly ignored.
Donna was driving her blue car up the long cobbled driveway of a mansion house called firbourne house. The large cobbled stonewalls helped with the oldness and authenticity of the place and Donna couldn't help but smile at her grandfather who was merrily singling along to Slade's Merry Christmas everybody on the radio. A couple of footmen appeared to be waiting from them from the doorway and Donna smiled as Wilf got out of the car.
"Cor, blimey - that's what I call posh!" Wilf smiled, a pair of antler on his head as he pulled open the boot of the car "I said you were lucky, didn't I? I always said, my lucky star!" He continued loudly as he looked at Donna.
"For God's sake, don't tell them we won it in a raffle. Be classy." Sylvia said in a low voice as she walked right up to her father before noticing the antlers "Dad! Take those things off!"
"No, I shan't! It's Christmas." Wilfred said shocked before he stopped one of the footmen from taking a bag from his boot "Oi, I'll have that one, thank you. It's got my liniment in it." Wilf informed as he walked over to the boot to take it from the young man. Sylvia walked up to Donna who had a contented smile on her features, her hands in her pocket as she and her mother took a leisurely stroll up the driveway.
"I reckon we deserve this. It's been a hell of a year." Donna said gently as she smiled at her mother who was smiling at her daughter.
"Your dad would have loved this." Sylvia said as she nodded her head up to the house whole Donna leant her head back
"Yeah. He would've." She smiled as she put her arm around her mother and the pair of them went inside together.
Christmas day. Christmas day being spent with her family in a luxury room in the country. Wilfred was sitting on the chair with his feet sticking out of the end of his blanket which he is wrapped on the sofa, and he was waving them in time to Good King Wenceslas when he could hear the knocking of someone on the door.
"Oi, Gramps! Get that! That'll be breakfast. Croissants!" Donna shouted to her granddad who pressed his hand to his forehead before looking over at Donna who was in the bathroom in front of the mirror, a make up brush in her hand. Wilf shifted himself and noticed Sylvia smiling contentedly tucked up in bed kitted out with a silk nightdress and dressing gown and making her way through a box of chocolates.
"Why can't you get it, Lady Muck?" Wilf said grudgingly over at Sylvia.
"It's Christmas Day" Sylvia said as she flicked through the channels, remote in hand while Wilf sat up, pressed his hands over his eyes and then looked over at her " I never get up before ten." She smiled before nodding towards Donna. "Only, madam there was up with the dawn chorus, like when she was six years old." She continued wile Wilfred continued to rub his bleary eyes.
"I'm not wasting a second of this place. How was the sofa?" Donna chimed excitedly.
"Oh, yeah... not so good, really." Wilf groaned as he got to his feet placing his hand on his back as he massaged away the pain. "You know, we could have paid for a second room." He complained before whistling at Donna to get her attention as she played with her hair in the mirror "Oi! Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas!" Donna chuckled, a smile on her face as she pointed back to her grandfather.
"Merry Christmas, Dad." Sylvia grinned before the sound of a knock on the door sounded again.
"Yeah, all right, come in, my darling. Grub's up." Wilf shouted before he got to the door, opening it and letting the woman into the room with a smile on his features.
Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, sir!"
"We have interrupted your programme to bring you breaking news." The TV suddenly sounded, the news interrupting everyone's happy spirits.
"Have you seen this?" Sylvia said sadly, the remote still poised in her hands , the box of chocolates on her knees while the Spanish maid continued to walk around the bed with a smile on her face.
"Because I thought, nice early breakfast and then we'll go for a walk. People always say at Christmas, "oh, we all went for a walk". I've always wanted to do that." Donna laughed happily, still grooming herself in the mirror. The maid had set the tray down with a smile on her face but as she rightened her figure and saw Donna brushing her hair in the bathroom she froze with fear.
"So, walk first, presents later, yeah?" Donna continued as she continued to brush her fringe
"Donna, come and see." Sylvia stated again, her eyes riveted to the screen.
"Tienes algo en tu espalda." The Spanish maid said over to Donna who had her mouth hanging open in confusion.
"What?"
"Donna, look at the telly." Sylvia erged urgently.
"Tienes algo en tu espalda!"
"What does that mean? I don't know what you're saying."
"Donna, look at the TV!"
"Tienes algo en tu espalda!" The maid continued, fearful and suspicious of Donna who suddenly lunged forward and now she could see it. Out of the corner of her eyes, in the mirror. Something black on her back, something that might be a spindly leg, could be a feeler… the clicking starts to sound like the pincers of a beetle tapping together. Donna's breathing started to accelerate, constantly spinning around, trying to get a better look as her heart started to beat as the panic started coursing around her body. The main bolted from the room as fast as her legs would carry her, but she was ignored because of the nature of the news that was being shown on the tele.
"For God's sake, Donna, don't just stand there - come and look!" Sylvia said in distress, her eyebrows in a frown as she held out a hand to her daughter who was still trying to look behind her straining to her back in the mirror, turning, feeling herself, but whatever it was appeared to have gone.
"It seems impossible, but this footage is live and genuine." The newsreader read out causing Wilf to plonk down next to his daughter and Donna came to stand behind them. Finally the family gave the TV their undivided attention. "The object is falling on Central London. Repeat: this is not a hoax. A replica of the Titanic has fallen out of the sky and it's heading for Buckingham Palace." Images fell onto the screen of what he said. An object, which appeared to be the Titanic falling from the sky, with the headline 'TITANIC REPLICA HEADING FOR LONDON' "We're getting this footage from the Guinevere range of satellites."
"Is that... a film or something?" Donna asked with a shake of the head, Sylvia clinging onto her father as they watched the replica of the Titanic falling from the sky, falling mere feet above Buckingham Palace "The Royal Air Force has declared anarchy—" The newsreader continued just as the Titanic crashed straight through the roof of the Palace and seconds later, the screen turned to white noise. The family continued to look at the screen before the blast shook the hotel room. Wilf struggled to stay upright, and Donna was moving with the floor as they all tried to understand what was happening.
"It's gone dead. All of them." Sylvia said sadly as she attempted to get he channel back, flicking the remote and different channels.
"No, but the Titanic... well, don't be daft. Is that like a... sequel?" Donna said smilling nervously at the absurdity of the situation as Wilf moved towards the Window.
"Oh... oh, God rest their souls." Wilf said as he leant on the window seal as he peered through the window and is in absolute revulsion at what he was seeing.
The Nobles were walking down the steps, each one of them staring in the direction of London as they gathered outside with the other guests and staff who had found themselves looking at the large mushroom cloud that has replaced London.
"I was supposed to be out there selling papers. I should have been there, we all should. We'd be dead." Wilf whispered, waving his hands around while Donna and Sylvia continued to look at the scene with their mouths hanging open, a frown pressed across their features.
"That's everyone. Every single person we know. The whole City." Sylvia voiced, unable to comprehend what was going on.
"It can't be." Donna breathed in disbelief.
"But it is, it's gone! London's gone!"
"If you hadn't won that raffle..." Wilfred whispered to Donna, looking right at her. But Donna's mouth has fallen open but suddenly she became aware of someone looking at her. She turned to see the Spanish Maid pointing at her, her eyes narrowed as through she was seeing an unholy demon, shaking her head.
3 months later Donna and her family were sitting in a crowded dingy office surrounding a small desk, speaking to a housing officer. A buzz of people were talking loudly, babies were crying which added to the sense of claustrophobia and chaos
"Leeds? I'm not moving to Leeds!" Donna said in horror
"It's Leeds - or you can wait in the hostel for another three months." The housing officer said in a very authoritive voice.
"All I want is a washing machine." Sylvia said woefully as she looked at her dad.
"What about Glasgow? I heard there were jobs going in Glasgow." Donna informed, trying to get a Job to try and support her family.
"You can't pick and choose! We have the whole of Southern England flooded with radiation. Seven million people in need of relocation, and now France has closed its borders. So, it's Leeds - or nothing. Next!" The housing officer said irritated as she ranted to Donna before she stamped the words 'LEEDS' in large red letter on their papers in a very final sort of way.
Donna was struggling. She was currently sitting on a military green bus with other refuges on the way to her new home. How could the rest of the world leave her and her family like this? She had heard of the hospitality of the other nations, but right now everything was go wrong. But she had this feeling, this inclination that her life should be different, that somewhere, in another universe she was travelling the stars, wondering the universe and having a fantastic life. But then she got thrusted back into reality, and the weight of the world fell upon her shoulders. When they arrived in the crowded street with small terrace houses Donna could see and heard a Soldier using a loud speaker to let the waiting families, who have now alighted, know where their allocated houses were. The Nobles looked at each other before picking up their things when they heard their names being called.
"The Daniels Family, billetted at number 15. Mr & Mrs Obego, billetted at number 31. Miss Contrane, you're in number 8. The Noble family billeted at number 29."
"That's us. Come on, off we go. Oh. All right?" Wilf said, trying to put some happiness in to his voice as he picked up their suitcases. Donna and her family walked past a woman who was standing with her arms folded in the doorway next door to their, regarding them with hostility as she started yelling at Donna who had turned around to face her.
"Used to be a nice little family in number 29. They missed one mortgage payment - just one - they got booted out. All for you lot." She shouted causing Donna to frown towards her, her fire and anger really shining out as she was more than a match for her.
"Don't get all chippy with me, Vera Duckworth. Pop your clogs on and go and feed whippets." Donna yelled with a frown causing the woman in the doorway to glare at her
"Sweetheart, come on. You're not going to make the world any better by shouting at it." Wilfred defended, carrying all their bags but still able to comfort his grandchild.
"I can try." Donna whispered as she turned back around and walked up to number 29 to find the door closed.
"What happens? Do we get keys?" Sylvia asked as she clung on to her suitcase looking over at her father.
"I don't know, do I?" Wilf continued as he shook his shoulders over at her
"Well, who do we ask? The soldiers?" She said as she looked around at her surroundings, but suddenly the door opened by a beaming Italian man causing large frowns to fall on their faces.
The door is opened by a beaming Italian man.
"Hey-ey-ey! Is a big house! Room for all. Welcome! In you come." Rocco said enthusiastically as he smacked the walls happily as he smiled at the three standing in front of him.
"I thought this was our house." Donna whispered with a frown
"Is many people's house! Is wonderful! In, in, in." Rocco said with a smile before moving out of the way and ushering them in to the narrow hallway. "We've been here for eight weeks already. Had a nice little paper shop in Shepherd's Bush - all gone now!" He continued to say just as two little boys watched them from the stairs as they crowded into the tiny hallway. "So, upstairs, we have Merchandani family, seven of them. Good family. Good kids." He said as he eyes one of the boys "Except that one. You be careful of him." He stated before bursting out laughing and ruffling the boy's hair that was trying not to be offended as the Italian man talked to him. Ah, that's a joking! Where's that smile, eh?Rocco Colasanto. I'm here with my wife and her sister and her husband and their kids and her daughter's kids. We've got the front room. My mother, she's got the back room. She's old. You'll forgive. And this, this is you. This is your palace!" He said with a smile, squeezing past Donna and Sylvia as he pulled away a curtain showing them into the narrow kitchen which obviously had a curtain instead of a door. Bed having been made up on the floor.
"What do you mean, this is us?" Sylvia said apprehensively.
"You live here!" Rocco said with delight, a smile always on his face as he nodded towards the three of them
"We're living in the kitchen?" Donna said closing her eyes briefly, directing her hand towards the floor as she spoke.
"You got camp-beds. You got the cooker, you keep warm, you got the fridge, you keep cool. Is good!" Rocco voiced, pointing towards the different objects as he spoke.
"What about the bathroom?"
"Nobody lives in the bathroom." He said shaking his head towards Sylvia who had closed her eyes as she tried to defend her point.
"No, I mean, is there a rota?"
"Is pot-luck!" Rocco said with a loud laugh " Is fun! I go wake Mamma. She likes new people." He said as he pushed past them into the hallways shouting causing Wilf to shriek back a little, and pressed his hand to his ear while the Nobles took in their surroundings with despair.
"Oh, well. We'll settle in, won't we? Make do? Bit of wartime spirit, eh?" Wilf said heartedly as he looked at Donna who was still looking at her surroundings.
"Yeah, but there isn't a war. There's no fight. It's just... this." Donna whispered broken, shaking her head and looking at her grandfather who had taken a brief look towards the ground before looking back up at her, refusing to be broken down.
"Well, America, they'll save us. It was on the news. They're going to send Great Britain fifty-billion quid in financial aid. God bless America!"
"America is in crisis, with sixty million reported dead. Sixty million people have dissolved into fat. And the fat is walking." The newsreader informed while the inhabitants of number 29 are crowded around the television in the kitchen, eating food out of tins. Footage of what looks like hundreds of little bobs of fat with faces were waddling down the streets.
"People's fat has come to life and is walking through the streets." The woman continued as Sylvia watched on miserably, the images of spaceships hovering over the buildings "And there are spaceships. There are reports of spaceships over every major US city. The fat is flying. It's leaving..."
"Aliens."
"Yeah." Donna and Wilfred stated, not even surprised anymore, the only emotion any of them were feeling was depressed. How could life get any better?
To be continued