Doctor And Assistant (Chapter 10)
Chapter Ten: The Bloody Ball: Part Two
/(New!) Scarlet\\
The two lovebirds walked into the room, Scarlet following close behind closely. And there it was: the decapitated head.
"What should we look for first?" Scarlet asked.
Derpy looked around frantically, her eyes wide with fear. But when the Doctor looked her way it disappeared, coming back when he looked away.
"Anything and everything," the Doctor murmured, sonicing the door to lock it and setting his mask on the table.
Scarlet nodded, observing the room. Pale yellow walls, wooden floors, a curtain drawn to cover a window's view, a white-bricked fireplace that lacked wood, replaced with ash. A wooden desk has an apple that looked fake and real at the same time, a rose in a glass vase, and a few books. Scarlet saw the Doctor's eyes fall on the rose and his expression went blank. After a few seconds he remembered how to breathe and muttered something under his breath. "Doc–" she started.
He held up a hand. "–I'm okay. Let's keep working."
"What kind of building is this?" Derpy asked.
The Doctor shrugged. "Didn't say anything."
"Not even an address?"
"Well, I have an address. How else do you think I got the TARDIS at the right spot?" he pointed out, holding the dead man's mask.
"Or maybe this is a different masquerade ball, and the TARDIS only took you here because you need to be here?" Derpy suggested, nearing the fireplace in the middle of the room.
"Mmhmm... that could've happened too."
Scarlet unnoticeable ran her index finger across the black curtain, unwilling to do anything else. She felt someone had sewed it, or it had been previously ripped. Derpy stood up from her kneel at the fireplace. "Hey, um... Doctor? What is this?" she asked.
She held up a piece of cerulean plastic with a white swirl, the entire piece no larger than her thumbnail. The Doctor was by her side in a flash, leaving the head. Scarlet took to the painting of a man on a horse.
"Where did you find this?" he asked.
"Fireplace. Knocked it out of the ash like Agatha Christie did," she answered with a proud smile.
"'Agatha' who-now?" Scarlet asked, turning to face them.
"Author. Tell you about it later." The Doctor pulled out his glasses and put them on to study the piece closely.
Scarlet knew it was her chance. "NERD!" she called out.
He glared at her sternly but it went soft after hearing his assistant's giggle. "Whatever," he murmured. "Anyhow. Can I see this?" Derpy nodded, placing the piece in his hand. He examined it closely, flipping it over in his hands. "Definitely something of a mask...," he said to himself.
"Hey, Derp," Scarlet called.
"Yeah?" she answered, walking over.
"How does this painting make you feel? You know, cause you used to be a horse," Scarlet asked.
Derpy paused for a second, pondering, before laughing her response to Scarlet's question. "I was a pegasi, a pony, not a horse. Why?"
"Curious," Scarlet shrugged. The sonic screwdriver's high pitched screech filled the room. "Oh, will you knock that off already?"
The Doctor faked a girly pitched voice. "Sorry, sir, is that annoying to you?" he asked, stopping the noise.
"Well, y-"
-the Doctor pressed the button for a millisecond.
"It does annoy m-"
-the Doctor held out the noise for a few seconds.
"I-"
He pressed the button.
"I give up!" she growled in defeat.
Derpy and the Doctor laughed at Scarlet's torment. She rolled her eyes.
/the Doctor\\ (10 minutes later)
"What did we piece together? So far, at least," he asked the two.
Scarlet spoke first, adjusting painting again before joining them. "I was taking in the scene of the room, and I saw a few dents in the wall. Paint has been chipped as well. There was a stitch-mark on the curtain. Also, the painting was crooked."
"Very good," the Doctor nodded. "So far it seems to have been mostly in the right section of the room. Derpy?"
"Okay, I'm not an expert on flowers, but I'm sure clear water can't turn to a red color from a rose. Also, the books are a mess, like someone needed to find something in a rush. Totals of 7 on the top right corner of the carpet –" she gestured to the black circular rug "–, and 3 on the desk. All large books; the smallest amount was about 400 pages out of those 10. But there's an 11th. It's only 270-something pages long. Fell in front of that bookcase–" she gestured to the bookcase "– on the middle of the floor. One page, I believe it was 197, there was a few blood splatters. The page was about the main character hiding from the murderer. Funny thing is, it's about a masquerade murder-mystery too!"
The Doctor was handed by his assistant the book she explained. "Interesting," he murmured.
"Can you read the summary?" Scarlet requested. "I'm too lazy."
He rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Okay. 'Masquerade; the word itself gives you the creeps. Masks. Secrets. Lies. But for Jody, add kidnap and murder. Her best friend, Brittany, disappeared during the masquerade party. Now the wanna-be-cop has to search before it's too late.'"
Scarlet pursed her lips. "Title?"
He flipped the book over. "'The Bloody Ball' by Matthew Agutcha. He'll be a lesser known author later on," the Doctor answered. He sniffed the book and observed it carefully, looking at the head again afterwards.
"What're you thinking?" Derpy asked.
"I'm trying to piece it all together. What sense does it make to just leave the head there? Why not leave the body—unless, unless, it wants to be known!" he gasped.
"'Aha!' moment?" Scarlet suggested.
"You know it. Now, answer me this: why would you want to have a murder known?"
Derpy spoke first. "Maybe to show the person's importance?"
"Perhaps," Scarlet agreed. "Or maybe to signify a revolution? To mark freedom? Establish something?"
"All very good answers," the Doctor nodded, approaching the head. "But, now, answer me this: if the person was important, or it would signify something huge and life-changing, why would you hide the body?" As the two began saying their answers the Doctor pulled out a pair of white latex gloves from his pocket.
"Maybe to show what the person was hated, know, or loved for?" Scarlet suggested.
"I'm with her," Derpy agreed.
The Doctor adjusted his gloves. "I'm thinking we split up and look for more clues. Stay close. Derpy, stay with Scarlet and vice-versa. If you two get into trouble or find something, call me right away. You have the number to the TARDIS on speed dial. I'll be able to hear it; I'll stay in this general vicinity," he rambled on.
"Oh, um, okay. What if we get mixed up?" Derpy asked.
"Have mask checks. Every 5-minutes-or-so start a conversation to check your voices, and then take off your masks," the Doctor explained. "Just don't wander too far away."
"Bye, Nurse!" Scarlet said, grabbing his sonic screwdriver, unlocking the door, and throwing it to Derpy.
He scoffed after Derpy caught it. "Will she ever learn?" he asked his assistant after Scarlet left.
She tossed his screwdriver to him with a laugh as she left. "Probably not."
"Oh! And Derpy?" he called after her.
"Yeah?" she asked, spinning back into the room.
He paused. "Stay safe."
She smiled. "I will."
/Derpy\\
Derpy shut the door behind her, leaving the Doctor and joining Scarlet. "Nice of you to show up again," Scarlet smiled plainly. "What'd you do, wait to see if he'd kiss you?"
"No!" she gasped. "N-n-never!"
Scarlet looked at the blushing woman out of the corner of her eye. "Liar."
"Am not!" Derpy protested, passing the TARDIS on their way back (following the curtain from before to find the entrance) and entering a new hallway.
"You're also a bad liar."
"Am not!" she repeated.
Scarlet snickered, pulling open a large metal door that led to what seemed to be a stage area. The same black curtain they'd seen an hour earlier when they first arrived stared at them temptingly.
"Wanna check it out?" Scarlet asked, pulling off her mask.
Derpy nodded, doing the same, and then in unison with the Skyolozine placed it again onto herself and walked in, spreading apart the curtain.
A small group of people sat on four lone chairs placed around a circular table; a young brunette man, an old grey haired woman, a young brunette girl, and a middle-aged blonde. They laughed before the elder noticed the two women in the doorway.
In unison, everyone except for the young brunette girl quickly put on their masks.
"Child! Your mask!" the brunette man scolded.
The little girl blinked a few frantic times before standing up. "They mean no harm," she said cooly.
The blonde turned suspiciously to the elder. "Mother, should we trust her instinct?"
"When has she let us down?" the elder responded.
Derpy looked at Scarlet nervously, who shrugged in response.
"Who are you?" the child asked, walking closer.
"Oh, never mind that," the brunette man muttered. "Show these two out!"
"Yes, sir," the child said grabbing Derpy and Scarlet's hands and pulling them outside of the curtains. But Scarlet brought the two separated ends of the curtains together and wouldn't let the child back in. "Why won't you move?" the child whined.
Derpy put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we don't mean harm, remember? Just answer us a few questions? Please?"
The girl looked up and met her gaze. "Okay, Derpy Hooves of Ponyville, Equestria. Funny place!"
Scarlet and Derpy gasped. "How do you know her name?" Scarlet asked.
"I can basically know and figure out everything, Scarlet of – ...hmm, that's a weird place. Maybe they got it wrong?"
"Wait... THEY?!" Scarlet asked.
"Yeah, Spirits. Anyways, what do you want to know?" the child asked. "I'm Lillith, by the way. Most people call me Lilly."
Derpy blinked a few times before exhaling. "Alright, then, who were those people?"
"I'm not allowed to say anything," Lilly frowned.
"Okay-" Derpy started.
"-it seems at masquerade balls, like this one, you are given names to use in place of the originals. Correct?" Scarlet reminded her sternly.
"Oh yeah! Sounds reasonable enough. The old woman is Suzanne, the blonde is Maryanne, and the man is Ryan. Pretty bland choices, if you ask me. And that room was sort of a group hangout. They only set up those chairs so far, though."
Scarlet stepped closer, forgetting her grip. "Family to you?"
"Oh, um, uh... n-no," Lilly frowned again, watching the ground. "Hmm? Yeah, it does seem a bit... thick."
"Are you talking to us?" Derpy asked.
"No, them, the Spirits," Lilly answered. "But also, doesn't the air seem more dense?"
"Well, I suppose it's cloudy," Derpy shrugged. "Out of nowhere, too."
Maryanne walked out from behind the curtain, not bothering to apologize for pushing Scarlet out of her way.
"Excuse me?!" Scarlet gasped in a yell of disbelief.
But Maryanne's blank expression didn't falter. She continued walking through the fog.
Lilly clutched her head with both hands, a groan of pain emerging from her mouth.
"Lilly?" Derpy asked, her hands on the pre-teen's shoulders.
"Do you think she needs the Doctor?" Scarlet suggested.
"No!" Lilly protested. "I don't need a doctor! He'll send me to an insane asylum!"
"Not a pediatrician doctor, the best Doctor in the universe!" Derpy smiled reassuringly, grabbing her hand and showing her the way.
/the Doctor\\
The Doctor crouched, examining the head. Blue eyes, pale skin, terrified expression. His hair was the color of a storm cloud. The door swung open, reminding the Doctor he forgot to lock it. He spun around and was greeted by his assistant, his companion, and a little girl.
The little girl was holding her head, her expression one of true pain. A thin stream of blood trailed down from her nose to her lips. "Lilly," she smiled weakly, "12 years old. Nice to meet you, Doctor," she said, her British accent making her pop the "t".
Lilly slipped and sprawled out on the ground, the Doctor rushing to her aid. "What happened?" he asked, kneeling next to her.
"We found her with 3 others behind that curtain we saw earlier. Says she's talking to 'Spirits'. I vote and say she's lying," Scarlet explained.
The Doctor scanned the 12 year old. "No...no, she isn't insane," he whispered. "She's gifted."
"'Gifted' how?" Derpy asked.
"She's psychic," he grinned, kissing Lilly's forehead, "she's a bloody psychic!"
"Wait, psychic? As in, fortune tellers and mediums?" Scarlet asked.
"Yes," he nodded. "Was she saying anything unusual?"
Derpy frowned. "She was saying how a doctor'd send her to the insane asylum, and she was talking to these Spirits about clouds thickening in the room. And the people she was with weren't her family."
"Wait, 'clouds thickening in the room'?" he asked.
"You didn't see it?" Scarlet asked him. "It ended when... what was her name?"
"Maryanne," Derpy filled in.
"Right. Maryanne walked away and it stopped. Left as quickly as it came," Scarlet explained.
The Doctor pondered this for a few seconds, trying to find a possible explanation. "Maryanne could have gotten up to fix a smoke machine. But how could it just disperse in the blink of an eye? Unless it was absorbed, absorbed by what, though?" he rambled on at his usual speed of 90 mph.
"Anyways. Did you find anything else, Doctor?" Derpy asked, looking away from the head.
He got up from his kneel. "The man, whoever it was, was terrified. So, either his decapitation was that of a surprise, or WHATever-slash-WHOever killed him was severely frightening."
Scarlet watched Lilly closely. "So... she isn't insane?" she asked.
"No, and if you convince her otherwise, you'll wish you hadn't," the Doctor snarled. He'd always been overprotective of children, ever since...-
-"Why?' Derpy asked, tilting her head out of curiosity.
"Because she's only 12. Her mind is filled with all of these different things: voices, secrets, thoughts, images, ideas, plans, emotions... it'd be a bloody catastrophe for her," he explained.
"You know," Lilly laughed dryly, "if you're going to talk about me, at least do it quietly. I don't get much sleep anymore."
The Doctor helped Lilly up with a frown. "Sorry. We were just curious."
"It's alright," she giggled embarrassedly. "Oh, who is that?" Lilly asked, pointing at the bodiless head.
"Do you think you could find out?" Derpy suggested.
Lilly paused for a moment. "John Patrick Williams, age... 66. That's all she can figure out right now."
"So now we know the victim, just half of the cause of his death," the Doctor muttered to himself.
Lilly approached the head fearlessly, her hand trailing down what was left of his neck. After 15-or-so intense seconds, Lilly nodded. "Dull weapon. There are incision marks, about 4, so on the first 4 hacks the weapon didn't cut through. It's on the left side, so the murderer must have been left handed. Now, as to the head..." she spread out large groups of hair and studied his scalp. "He was hit on the middle-center of his head. Object of metal, as his skull is weak, obviously broken."
"How do you know all of this about investigating?" Derpy asked, her eyes widened.
"I have 1 other brain if you count hers. My Spirit Guide's name is Rachel. Pretty sure she used to be a police officer. Also, I don't sleep much and read to pass the time. I love mysteries, especially about murders!" Lilly explained.
"Doesn't it scare you?" Scarlet asked.
"Now anymore. But..." she held her head again, but only on the left side. "Ugh... just tell me why?"
The Doctor raised his finger to his lips and looked at a Derpy and Scarlet. They nodded, echoing the motion.
Lilly murmured to herself before frowning. "We have to go," she whispered. "We have to stop her!"
"Lilly, calm down," the Doctor said carefully. "Can you tell us what's needing to be stopped?"
"It's something about the gas," she whispered. "It's getting into their heads? It is!" Her fists clenched, her lips pursed, her eyes shut, and the stream of blood dripped onto her white, thin dress.
"Doc-" Derpy began to gasp.
"-she's having a vision," he said firmly, kneeling in front of her again. "I can gain access into her optic nerve and her brain to see what she sees..."
He rested two fingers of each hand on her temples and shut his eyes.
(Vision)
She was flying through the halls. If you looked down you saw nothing more of her body, like she only had eyes. She continued down the hall, increasing speed with every turn. Something was thrown, like rope. Sobbing? No, laughing. Hysterical laughing. She approached a door, most likely to a closet of some sort. The laughing was coming from inside. The door opened and a woman with long blonde hair jumped joyfully onto a stool. Her icy blue eyes were widened and a crooked smile covered most of her face. She grabbed the homemade noose.
(Vision Over)
The Doctor and Lilly opened their eyes in unison. He noticed she was shivering so he wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"What did you two see?" Derpy asked.
"Maryanne's made a noose, you-!" Lilly yelled. She then blinked. "Sorry. My emotions change after these visions..."
"Shouldn't we stop her, then?"
"No, Lilly frowned. "The job is done. My visions happen at least a minute later than when it originally happened."
"How do you know there still may or may not be time left to save her? She could have jumped just now!" Derpy suggested.
"Rachel," she whispered. "Tell me."
The Doctor got up, pulling a tissue off of the desk and wiping the blood off of her face. "Perhaps we should go see to the suicide?"
/(New!) Lilly\\
Rachel, with her elegant voice, warned Lilly in a firm tone as they got into the hallway. No. Go to the crowd."
"Why?" she asked in return.
"The murderer is still there as we speak. Tell the Doctor to remember the clues and start questioning!"
Lilly grabbed the Doctor's hand, making him turn around and stop his walk. "Rachel doesn't know who the murderer is. All she knows is that he or she is in that crowd. Oh, and, she's also saying to remember the clues."
He nodded, smiling. "You heard her, girls. Let's go catch us a murderer. Time for some interrogations!"
Author's Note:
Sorry for the long and late chapter, guys! Just finished the chapter in my journal. How do we all like Lilly so far? A few more mysteries are always good. Nows the time to start wondering: who did it and how?
— GothicPegasister