69
"We've searched all of down here. Where else is there to check?"
"Upstairs for one, outside for another."
"Do we have to go outside? Outside usually means cold, and...garden gnomes."
"Seriously you have such a problem with them!" The Doctor pushed Phil through a set of double doors which he'd just unlocked with the screwdriver. She whined and wriggled around in his grasp, "Quit squirming Phil!" He exclaimed while keeping a grip on her shoulders. She looked over her shoulder at him, narrowing her eyes she went to say something only to get beaten to it. "This doesn't look normal."
"Well-"
"No Phil, no not a time for your sarcasm, look around." The Doctor looked around the outside. Phil huffed and eventually looked around too.
"Oh."
"Exactly, one big oh." He let go of her shoulders which caused her to stumble back slightly. Making sure she caught her balance he took off looking around. The outside department which was meant to be for the plants and apparently, sheds. Was covered, literally, covered in vines. Touching the green leaves on one Doctor frowned and looked around.
"I guess this isn't normal?" He turned and looked at Phil, she'd been to quiet and thought he'd point the question at her. Although he already knew the answer. Frowning he flicked his eyes over the spot where the black curly haired woman was once standing in.
"Phil!" He shouted and pushed a vine out of the way, "Are you hiding?" Slowly walking over to where she was standing he waved his hands over the spot. "Well you've not turned invisible. Just so you know I usually win at hide and seek!" He grinned and turned on his heels, twiddling his fingers slightly he frowned.
Seeing a roughly made path he smiled, walking he picked up his pace and humbly walked along the vine laden pathway. He had to duck and dodge out of some which were hanging low. "Phil! Phil! Philippa where are you?" Doctor exclaimed while kicking a pebble on the ground. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. The path behind him was covered with vines and foliage, yet the path in front of him was clear, well clearer than the path behind him. "Huh, that's strange." Crouching he picked up pieces of vines which had been snapped and broken. Looking at the end he raised an eyebrow and looked up. Dropping the vine he stood up slowly, "Oh dear. Well, this is unexpected." Running a hand through his dark hair he waved a hand at Phil. She was standing stock still pushed as far as humanly possible up against a hedge. It was her own choice to be that close to the plant.
Standing in front of her with arms slightly extended was a very familiar statue.
"This isn't helping me. I think my fear of statues has just boosted."
"Phil I want you to do something for me."
"Uh-huh." She nodded slowly, he couldn't help but smile, even in trouble she would listen to him instead of irrationally ramble. Although granted she did do that the odd few times.
"Without taking your eyes off of that, move as slowly as you can."
"Ok."
"And Phil?"
"Yes?"
"Don't blink."
"What?"
"You blink you will die."
"Gee, that's erm," she slithered along the hedge slowly while glaring holes at the statue nearest to her. "Really filling me with confidence."
"Come on Phil you're almost there!" The Doctor said while seeing her nearing him out of the corner of his eyes. Feeling a hand suddenly wrap around his wrist and then another the two backed off slowly.
"It's a statue."
"No," he shook his head. "It just looks like one."
"What is it?"
"Well," Doctor picked up his pace slightly when Phil had to rub one eye – while keeping the other open – and then do the same to the other eye. She was so close to blinking, and as soon as she would do so would the first Weeping Angel statue move.
"Lets just say, they're the only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely," he paused. "Can you see both of them?"
"Yes."
"Keep looking at them for me Phil," he quickly glanced behind them. There were none behind them and they were nearing the doors. Looking back at Phil, he rolled his eyes slowly. Grabbing a hold of her shoulders he ran towards the doors. "Keep staring at 'em Phil!" He said while practically jumping through the doors. Landing in a heap on the floor he looked at Phil who was repeatedly blinking and rubbing her eyes. Jumping up he shut the doors and locked them with the screwdriver.
"Are you alright?" He crouched next to Phil, she sat cross legged still blinking repeatedly.
"Uh-huh I think so."
"Phil I need to ask you something."
"Alright."
"Did you look it in the eyes?" She looked up at him and frowned. "It's important." He said deadly serious, he vividly remembered Amys unfortunate run in with one of them who in fact ended up effecting her eyes.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Phil gave a nod and looked at him. "When we went out there, you went off to eye up the plants and I felt a pang."
"You didn't think to tell me of this apparent pang?"
"Sorry." Phil said sounding incredibly sorry. "I've wandered from you before and been alright."
"Phil," he sighed and stood up, holding a hand out to her he helped her stand. "They could have killed you in a blink of an eye. Quite literally, that is how they kill. Only they don't really kill you, they send you back in time. You die before you're even born."
"That's horrible."
"They are the Weeping Angels, everything about their name is enough. Add horrible to the list of names." He said slowly, Phil looked up at him and then towards the door. She paled slightly and opened her mouth to say something. The Doctor turned and looked, shadows were moving very slowly along the path. The grip on his hand tightened dramatically. "Ow! Phil!"
"What? I'm scared!"
"You know I think that's the first time I've heard you admit that."
"They're moving statues! That's utterly terrifying!"
"We're amongst your worst fears then."
"What do you mean?"
The Doctor didn't answer but nodded backwards, Phil looked around. "Of course," she said. She had completely forgotten that they were in fact in a dark warehouse. Least of all that warehouse be a garden centre and a horribly orange painted one at that.
"Well by looks of things there's only two." He said thoughtfully, "Those doors aren't going to hold them though."
"What?" Phil exclaimed, he rubbed his ears, her raised voice echoed loudly around the empty building. He eyed her up, "They're stone Phil! Not a lot can stop stone. The only thing which is against them is quantum locking."
"What's that?"
"You look at them, and they're stone. Look away and the real them appears."
"By real them you mean that," Phil held her hands up and clawed her hands and stood stock still, she even went as far as impersonating their facial expressions when they'd moved. The Doctor nodded and crossed his arms.
"Not a bad impression Phil I have to admit."
"Doctor?"
"Yes Phil?"
"If we're looking at each other...whose looking at the doors?"
"Ah!" He waved a hand at her. "Very good point you have there Phil," he lowered his hand and slowly looked towards the doors. Phil did the same, the two angels were standing at the double doors with a blank look on their faces.
"Why are they here?"
"There's got to be something here."
"...It's a garden centre, choose your pick of things."
"No Phil, I don't mean they've popped in to do some shopping! I mean there's got to...be...oh."
"What?" Phil frowned yet stayed staring at the statues beyond the glass door. If what The Doctor had said was true, they'd smash through the door easily as if it weren't there, or if it was made out of paper.
"What did that 'oh' mean? That means something! That always means something! Is it a bad thing?"
"Calm thoughts Phil, you're rambling." He pointed out simply, there was that irrational fear he was thinking of earlier on. "Phil, they feed off of energy."
"Do you mean like the Spheretors? They fed off of energy too."
"Yes Phil," Doctor smiled. He was happy that she'd remembered them, when he thought about it both were rather similar. Both looked statue-esque, both fed off of energy – be that from a person or something else. The only difference was; the Weeping Angels were so much more dangerous and their fear factor was so much more higher.