The Vampires of Venice pt. 1
Amy paces nervously as the Doctor works under the panel. I sit and watch as she eyes Rory nervously.
"Oh! The life out there, it dazzles. I mean, it blinds you to the things that are important. I've seen it devour relationships and plans…" there are sparks and a small explosion that makes Rory jump. "It's meant to do that" the Doctor comments looking up through the glass floor. "…because for one person to have seen all that, to taste the glory and then go back, it will tear you apart." The Doctor pauses and lifts up his goggles. "So…I'm sending you somewhere. Together." Amy stops pacing.
"Whoa! What like a date?"
"Anywhere you want, any time you want," he replies as he moves out from under the console. "One condition – it has to be amazing. The Moulin Rouge in 1890! The first Olympic Games! Think of it as a wedding present, because, frankly, it's either this or tokens." Amy stands on the opposite side of the console to Rory as she peeks around the side at him. The Doctor comes up next to him.
"It's a lot to take in, isn't it? Tiny box, huge room inside. What's that about? Let me explain." The Doctor climbs to the top of the steps leading to the rest of the TARDIS.
"It's another dimension," Rory says in a monotone voice.
"It's basically another dimen…" the Doctor pauses halfway down the steps and looks at Rory. "What?"
"After Prisoner Zero, I've been reading up on all the latest scientific theories-FTL travel, parallel universes."
"I like the bit when someone says, 'It's bigger on the inside!' I always look forward to that." The Doctor makes his way to stand in front of Rory in a menacing way.
"So, this date," Amy interrupts as she makes her way over to Rory. "I'm kind of done with running down corridors. What do you think, Rory?"
"How about somewhere," the Doctor turns to give me a wink. "…romantic?" Before either of them can protest, the Doctor flips the switch.
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After we land, the Doctor opens the door and steps outside spreading his arms wide.
"Venice! Venezia! La Serenissima! Impossible city. Preposterous city! Founded by refugees running from Attila the Hun. It was just a collection of little wooden huts in the middle of the marsh, but became one of the most powerful cities in the world." Amy and I take in our surroundings with interest as Rory looks a little shocked an uncomfortable. "Constantly being invaded, constantly flooding…constantly…just beautiful! Ah, you've got to love Venice. And so many people did-Byron, Napoleon, Casanova." The Doctor gasps and looks at his watch. "Ooh, that reminds me. 1580. That's all right. Casanova doesn't get born for 145 years. Don't want to run into him. I owe him a chicken." The Doctor takes off walking again.
"You owe Casanova a chicken?" Rory questions.
"Long story. We had a bet." Before we get much further, a man steps in our way.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Papers, if you please. Proof of residency, current bill of medical inspection." The Doctor reaches in to his pocket and pulls out his psychic paper.
"There you go fella. All to your satisfaction, I think you'll find." The man takes the paper and then looks up at us in surprise.
"I am so sorry, Your Holiness," the man says as he bows. "I didn't realize."
"No worries. You were just doing your job. Sorry, what exactly is your job?"
"Checking for aliens," Amy and I both give sideway glances to the Doctor, "-visitors from foreign lands-what might bring the plague with them."
"Oh, that's nice! See where you bring us? The plague!" Amy says as she whacks the Doctor on his arm.
"Don't worry, Viscountesses," the man addresses Amy and I.
"Oh…"
"No, we're under quarantine here. No one comes in, no one goes out, and all because of the grace and wisdom of our patron, Signora Rosanna Calvierri." The man motions to the crest on the book he is holding.
"How interesting. I heard the plague died out years ago."
"Not out there," the man says pointing. "No, Signora Calvierri has seen it with her own eyes. Streets are piled high with bodies, she said."
"Did she, now?" the Doctor questions with intrigue. Rory uses this moment to take the psychic paper away from the man. We start walking away as Rory reads the paper.
"Um, according to this, I am your eunuch!" Amy turns to look back at him.
"Oh, yeah, I'll explain later."
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We find ourselves looking out over the waterway. Amy and I look at each other and laugh at the glory of it all. Rory continues to stare at the paper. Across with water, we watch as a scene unfolds.
"What do you want?" the guard questions a man.
"Where's my Isabella?" the man asks trying to look at girls.
"What are you doing? Get away from her!" The man starts taking the veils off the girls, looking for someone. I turned to look at the Doctor and he motions for me to follow.
DWDWDWDWDWDW
We follow the man as he walks through the streets.
"Who were those girls?" the Doctor asks the man.
"I thought everyone knew about the Calvierri school," he states.
"Our first day here," I reply pointing between me and the Doctor.
"It's okay. Parents do all sorts of things to get their children into good schools. They move house, they change religion," the Doctor pauses as a man walks by. "So why are you trying to get her out?"
"Something happens in there. Something magical, something evil. My own daughter didn't recognize me. And the girl who pushed me away, her face…like an animal." The Doctor puts his arm around the man's shoulders.
"I think it's time we met this Signora Calvierri."
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After formulating a plan, we head to the school. The Doctor and I hide out of sight while we wait for Guido to cause a distraction.
"You have my daughter…Isabella!" Guido distracts the guards as the Doctor and I make our way past their line of sight.
"No. You're not coming in, stop there! We've told you…"
"You have my daughter…Isabella! I demand you let me see my daughter."
"Move away!" We make it to the side gate and the Doctor takes out his sonic.
"Isabella! It's me! It's your father." We slip in to the gate and find a door leading in to the school. We make our down a flight of stairs in to the lower part. We come to a room that has three doors. The Doctor spins in a circle before catching sight of a mirror.
"Hello, handsome." He walks over to the mirror. I follow and roll my eyes at him over his shoulder.
"Who are you?" five girls appear behind us speaking in unison. We look back at the mirror but the girls are not reflecting in it.
"How are you doing that? I…am…loving it," the Doctor rambles as he keeps turning to look at the mirror and then back at the girls. "You're like Houdini, only five slightly scary girls, and he was shorter…will be shorter."
"You're rambling," I say nudging him on the arm.
"I'll ask you again, signor and signora. Who are you?"
"Why don't you check this out?" the Doctor holds up what he thinks is the psychic paper. The girls look at him in confusion. He looks at what he is holding, "Library card. Of course, it's with…He's…I need the spare. Pale, creepy girls who don't like sunlight and can't be seen in… Ha! Are you thinking what I think I'm thinking?" the Doctor questions turning to look at me. One thought comes to my mind, vampires. "But the city. Why shut down the city? Unless…"
"Leave now, signor and signora, or we shall call for the steward…" all the girls smile at us with creepy grins, "if you are lucky." They open their mouths to reveal their teeth as they step toward us. The Doctor pushes me ahead of him before turning back.
"Tell me the whole plan." The girls continue to walk toward us. "One day that'll work," he mutters to me under his breath.
"Listen, we would love to stay here," I say as I try to pull the Doctor along.
"This whole thing…I'm thrilled. Oh, this is Christmas!" The Doctor turns and pushes me up the stairs. We both run up the steps, leaving the creepy vampire girls behind us.
DWDWDWDWDWDW
We both run through the streets looking for Rory and Amy. Finally, after searching forever, we see them.
"Doctor! Jaz!" Amy yells as she runs to us. "We just saw a vampire!"
"We just met some vampires!" Amy and the Doctor say at the same time. I watch as they just babble nonsense to each other.
"And creepy girls and everything," I say trying to put an end to the babbling.
"Vampires!" Amy says again in excitement. We all bounce in around in excitement as Rory finally catches up to us.
"We think we just saw a vampire."
"Yeah, yeah, we know," the Doctor replies windily.
"Amy was just telling us," I add.
"Yeah! The Doctor and Jaz actually went to their house," Amy says draping an arm around the Doctor's shoulders.
"Oh. Right. Well…"
"Ok, so…" the Doctor pats Rory's face, "first we need to get back in there somehow."
"What?!" Rory questions in shock.
"How do we do that?" Amy questions as we continue to ignore Rory's presence.
"Back in where?" Rory asks still trying to catch up to our conversation.
"Come and meet our new friend," the Doctor says as he leads the way to Guido's house.
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Guido pulls out a topical map of the city and lies down on the table. Rory sits off in a corner while the rest of us crowd around the map.
"As you saw, there's no clear way in. The House of Calvierri is like a fortress. But there's a tunnel underneath it," he points it out on the map, "with a ladder and shaft that leads up into the house. I tried to get in once myself, but I hit a trapdoor."
"You need someone on the inside," Amy comments.
"No," the Doctor and I say at the same time.
"You don't even know what I was going to say!" Amy retorts.
"That we pretend you're an applicant for the school to get you inside…" I start.
"And tonight you come down and open the trapdoor to let us in," the Doctor finishes for me.
"Oh. So you do know what I was going to say," Amy replies.
"Are you insane?" Rory questions.
"We don't have another option," Amy says turning to look at him.
"They said no, Amy. Listen to them."
"There is another option," we all turn to look at Guido. He points to the barrels that Rory is sitting on. "I work at the Arsenale. We build the warships for the navy." The Doctor walks over and starts sniffing at the air.
"Gunpowder. Most people just nick stationery from where they work." Rory very slowly and carefully moves away from the barrels. "Look, I have a thing about guns and huge quantities of explosive."
"What do you suggest, then? We wait until they turn her into an animal?" Guido questions in frustration.
"I'll be there three, four hours tops," Amy comments.
"No, no, no, no, no. It can't keep happening like this. This is how they go." The Doctor takes a seat on the bed and puts his head in his hands. "But I have to know. We go together. Say you're my daughter."
"What?! Don't listen to him!" Rory exclaims.
"Your daughter? You look about nine," Amy comments as she ignores Rory.
"Brother, then."
"Too weird. Fiancé." The Doctor and Amy start their usual banter.
"I'm not having him run around telling people he's your fiancé!" Rory interjects.
"No. No, you're right," Amy says.
"Thank you."
"I mean, they've already seen the Doctor. You should do it," Amy says looking over at Rory.
"Me?"
"Yeah! You can be my brother." Amy ruffles his air. The Doctor just sits back and watches.
"Why is him being your brother weird, but with me, it's ok?"
"Actually, I thought you were her fiancé," Guido comments pointing at the Doctor.
"Yeah, that's not helping," I say under my breath from my spot next to Guido.
"This whole thing is mental! They're vampires, for God's sake!" Rory says as he tries to get everyone to change their minds.
"We hope," the Doctor comments ominously.
"So if they're not vampires…?" I start but trail off not wanting to think about it.
"Makes you wonder what could be so bad it doesn't actually mind us thinking it's a vampire."
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The bell tolls as Guido steers the gondola down the waterway.
"She'll be fine," the Doctor comments as he notices the worry on Rory's face.
"You can promise me that, can you?" They fall in to silence as we continue on our way. After a few minutes, Guido steers the boat to a dock.
"We're here," he comments as he motions toward the door. The Doctor hops out of the boat and heads toward the door. Rory turns to look at me.
"Jaz, are you going to be ok staying here?" he questions glancing over at Guido.
"Rory," I say putting my hand on his arm, "just go get my sister back."
"Right." He nods his head and then follows after the Doctor.