Chapter 3

The tribe crowded round the Doctor and Seth put his hand around Maria's mouth he shot her a warning look and shook his head "Don't move" He mouthed.

"I saw others" the large man said.

"It doesn't matter now; we have opposed the company's prediction and this man will not destroy Alionus because we have destroyed him" Another person replied. The tribe looked down once more at the Doctor and they moved away silently. Maria and Seth jumped down and Seth gently pulled the dart out of the Doctor's back, Maria grabbed his wrist "You shouldn't have done that" She told him.

"Why?" Seth asked.

"Look, he's bleeding now"

"Sorry, didn't think about that"

"Come on we can't get back across the river till he wakes up"

"If" Seth added tactlessly.

Maria frowned at him "He's the Doctor he'll survive. Sometimes Seth you're so tactless- do you have emotion?"

"I love you don't I?" Seth smiled, lifting the Doctor onto his shoulders "Let's go into that cave over there"

The Doctor was falling for a while- after collapsing he hadn't hit the ground. Inaudible whispers erupted around him. The Doctor hit the ground and lay there for a second "Maria?" He called weakly.

"What is it I'm here, are you alright?" The answer came from all around him.

The Doctor stood up and looked around "That dart" He muttered.

"What dart?" The invisible Seth asked.

"No use, he's passed out again" The Doctor suddenly heard Maria's voice fade away.

"I can't believe it" The Doctor thought "I'm trapped in my own subconscious, it seems very empty"

There was a howl and a wolf appeared snarling at him it's hackles were raised and its claws were like knives glinting in moonlight "What are you?" The Doctor asked.

The wolf stood with red eyes glaring at him and snarling- not approaching him just staring. "He will kill you" it said and disappeared.

"What?" The Doctor exclaimed. "Is that it?"

Suddenly the jungle materialised back and the Doctor looked around anxiously, Maria was tied to a post over a pit of fire "Maria!" The Doctor shouted. Seth stood in the shadows on the edge of the jungle and evil grin on his lips "Seth, why are you standing there?"

Maria looked up "Help me Doctor!" Suddenly the whispers around him grew louder "HE'LL KILL YOU LOOK OUT!" The Doctor shouted into the skies "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Seth ran at him and threw a punch; the Doctor tried to fight him but was completely dazed as Seth threw punch after punch. The Doctor fought him off and warm blood ran out of his nose and down his lips "Seth, why are you doing this?"

Seth just grinned and his violet eyes flashed in pure fury, then he advanced on the Doctor "I told you, we couldn't save her" Seth muttered.

The Doctor looked up at the fire, the flames were rising at an amazing speed, all of a sudden Maria let out a blood-curdling scream and she vanished in the heat, still screeching, "NO!" The Doctor cried.

Seth's face crumpled and he fell to his knees onto the floor "It's your fault Doctor, I shouldn't have gone with you but you made me!" Seth stood up and grasped the Doctor's throat the black tears were rolling down his face, the Doctor gave up fighting "Why did it have to be her? It should have been me! Take me instead!" He thought as the air was squeezed out of him.

There was silence for a moment as the scene dissolved- the fire faded and so did everything else "Very well time lord, you shall get your wish"

"He's burning up" A distant voice said. "And his breathing is getting shallower and shallower, I think this is the beginning of the end, I'm sorry" The Doctor suddenly realised it was Frederick; another voice appeared in his mind "No way, he won't give up that easily…" That voice was Maria.

His surroundings changed again, and he saw Seth kneeling over a body weeping, he noticed the Doctor was there and looked up, revealing that was body was Maria's. She was covered in scars and blood, Seth glared over at him, his usually striking violet eyes now brimmed over with black.

"Seth…" The Doctor began.

"It's your fault, you knew they were around, you killed her! I'll kill you!" Seth charged towards him again and pushed him over a ledge, they plummeted down the cliff and the Doctor was hurled into the icy cold water He plunged down to the depths unaware of what was going on around him. Dazed and disoriented the Doctor looked upwards to a source of light, any source of light, there was nothing but darkness around him. The Doctor instinctively tried to kick once his senses had come back but he didn't move anywhere, he looked down and saw Seth grasping his ankle, he was determined to drown him. Frantically the Doctor pulled against Seth's grip but to no avail, Seth finally let go after a minute and the Doctor tried in desperation to rise to the surface but he kept sinking "Great time to find out I can't swim, I've never even swum before" He thought. As he was sinking he hit a ledge and dust flew up around him. The feeling of hopelessness and the burning in his lungs overwhelmed him and he breathed out. He watched as cascades of crystal like bubbles erupted from his mouth and nose and drifted to the surface. He realised as water flooded his mouth and lungs that he was in a state of limbo- neither sinking nor rising, was this his ending? Finally the burning in his lungs and the thumping in his head was taken away by the swirling darkness that closed in on him.

"Seth, Seth, wake up…his hearts have stopped!"

"What?"

"They have, and he's freezing cold, Seth I think he's…" Maria's voice wobbled with emotion.

"Don't say it, he can't die Maria…come on Doctor, breathe…don't die" Through the darkness the Doctor heard the muffled sound of Maria sobbing, a surge of determination passed through him. He opened his eyes and the burning in his lungs was back, he was still on the ledge under the sea. There was no oxygen in his body now, feebly he moved his arms upwards and pushed off against the ledge with his legs, every muscle in his body was on fire as he slowly kicked to the surface and burst out of the water.

The Doctor felt the life flood back into him as he gasped in a lungful of air he choked water up and tried to concentrate on where he was as well as trying to stay afloat, the horizon was blurry and a grey mist clogged up his mind, his brain screamed out for unconsciousness and he sank under again all of a sudden he was aware and he rose to the surface choking. Once his eyes had slid everything into focus he realised he was exhausted with difficulty and nearly sinking under with the effort of keeping afloat and trying to move at the same time The Doctor splashed and kicked to the shore and struggled onto the bank. He collapsed onto the mud "Let me go" He said feebly. There was no reply "LET ME GO! I'VE WON, I PASSED, I'M ALIVE, LET ME OUT! You've made me watch my companions die, what more do you want?"

The whispers were fainter now than they were "He'll kill you, because you killed her….it was your fault"

Darkness compressed in on the Doctor once more and he passed out on the grass.