A tres short chapter but the next one is going to be extra llooonnggg so I'll make up for it! :)
Chapter Nine
She awoke roughly with a powerful kick to her abdomen. The sun blinded her momentarily as she blinked, once, twice, with the realisation of what had happened adding another pain to her stomach.
"Gwen Cooper, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
The sun was setting, she noticed glumly. There was less chance that she'd been found in the dark; it was one of the first things drummed into you during the vigorous RIS training. Never go out on an op at night if you can help it. Oh, and don't go without backup or a partner. She'd broken both rules and now she was paying the price.
"I'm so sorry …"
She gasped as another sharp slap jerked her body from the floor by the sheer brute force of it. Blood trickled slowly from her nose, onto her crimson top. The second shade of red looked like the intrusion that it was.
"I'm not telling you anything!" She was grating the words out of her bloodied mouth.
"What makes you think that I need you to tell me anything?" a silky voice mocked from behind her. She only knew his rough location because of the punch to the back of her head. Her neck jarred and she bit her tongue. His voice was resonating from everywhere around her and it sent an unwelcome shiver down her spine.
"Would you rather be stuck in World War Two?"
She swung her body around without warning, lashing out with her feet, driving them into the neck of her captor. She completed her move and stood breathing heavily.
There was no-one there; there was no-one at all in the vast golden field that she was standing in the middle of.
"Do you really want to know?"
In the distance, the very far distance, she could see several high rise buildings. They tilted dangerously as she did, swayed from side to side as she tried to focus on them. Her battered head wouldn't let her do so but it meant there had to be people. They must have been ten miles away but it gave her hope.
"You bring him back, you bring him back, or what the fuck is the point in you?"
She started to run. She was running from this haunted field, from the voices that didn't exist, from that inescapable feeling of disquiet and the sense that she was running from something that you couldn't run from.
"Going somewhere?"
He was sat on the fence, and she was definitely sure that he hadn't been there a second ago.
She blinked in surprise and then he was behind her.
"What the fuck do you want with me?" she shot at him, adrenaline and fiery anger lacing her voice.
He laughed humourlessly. "Don't you remember?"
"I asked you the question first so you answer that and I might answer yours."
"I'm not quite sure that you understand this Gwen."
"I think that I understand perfectly – I asked the question first."
That laugh – again – echoed around the field.
"I want you to remember."
"Remember what?" Gwen demanded.
"Everything."
She looked at him askance.
"He wears a cravat."
This man was wearing a cravat.
"Bilis Manger? He's the caretaker."
These … thoughts … were invading. They weren't her … but they were so real.
"Bilis Manger?"
"Ahh, now we're getting somewhere."
"From out of the darkness, he has come."
The last rays of sun disappeared, leaving the sky a blood red.
And then it was there, all of it, rushing into her head, insulting her knowledge of the world with the new information it brought. One day – Tosh and Jack, World War Two. Then another – Rhys dead, Jack dead, the team so small without him. And then more … more … and more …
Bilis watched in awe.
"How much do you remember Gwen?"
She looked up, hair clinging to her terrified face. She took in the sight of him with wide eyes.
"You!"
She backed away futilely.
"How much Gwen?" he whispered.
"That day," she cried, "you … Jack was … all of it."
His eyes darkened dangerously. "All of it?" She sobbed, covering her face with her muddy hands as it crumpled. "It's a pity … for you, I mean. It must hurt to have years of memories poured into your head. I find this rather fun!" His sunken eyes widened. "You will understand Gwen. I need you to remember."
"What the hell are you doing to me?" she choked.
"You already know, I think. I'm showing you what's been there all along, hidden underneath the surface."
Without warning, he seized her hand.
"It should have been the End of Days," he snarled, "except for you … and him got in the way of my Master. He was so angry and he hurt me so much. Like I'm going to hurt you and your precious Jack."
The fields of gold disappeared as she closed her eyes.
Uh oh :S
Reviewers can have a niccee pryaniki that I'm making again!
