"They're everywhere!" Sasha cried, grasping Alec's hand as they watched the Angels in fear. "Why aren't they moving? They were moving before!"
Alec raised an eyebrow. Yes! He'd solved it. "They don't move when we're watching them! Keep looking at them!" he ordered.
"I am, but they're still coming!" Sasha panicked, clueless as the body parts formed, piece by piece, assembling wings and whole bodies as the emerged from the rock around them, encompassing them in a circle.
"We're trapped," Alec gasped.
"DOCTOR!" Sasha screamed.
Alec screamed out loud. "IT'S GOT ME!" A stone hand protruded from the ground, clinging to the lace of Alec's shoes.
"Keep looking at the others!" Sasha instructed him.
Alec tried his best, flicking his eyes from the hand to the assembling army. Each time he looked at one threat, the other would develop – the army assembled itself, getting closer with their clawed hands stretched out, reaching for the two of them, and the hand wormed its way up Alec's leg, now wrapping itself over the cuffs of his trousers. "SASHA! HELP ME!"
Sasha didn't have a clue how to help. The army was only a matter of metres away, now fully formed as a legion of winged Angels. In a desperate panic, Sasha pulled a large stone from the ground and wielded it at Alec.
"Woah!" Alec warned.
Smash! Sasha cracked the hand from Alec's trousers with the stone, smashing it into pieces. "Keep watching them!" she quickly reminded him, watching the Angels who had approached closer in the panic.
"What are they going to do to us?" Alec asked, watching the Angels with eagle-eyes, panicking as they moved closer with ever blink. "Don't blink! They move that quickly!"
Sasha followed the order. "I don't know what they'll do! Why are you asking me?"
"I'm scared and panicking!" Alec screamed, blinking as his eyes began to water. An Angel snarled at him, its clawed hand reaching for him, barely ten centimetres from his neck.
"We need to go!" Sasha decided. "Follow me!" she instructed, pulling Alec from the circle of Angels.
The Doctor and River ran from the half-assembled Angel, disappearing deep into the forest as it followed them. "We need to get to Sasha and Alec!" the Doctor insisted. "They've never seen a Weeping Angel; they won't know what to do!"
"Protect ourselves first," River demanded. Quickly, she turned her head, facing a pair of arms that crawled from a tree trunk. "The Angels are everywhere. This entire planet is made out of Weeping Angels; we can't possibly escape."
"I know; it's impossible," the Doctor frowned, scanning the ground around them, boiling with paranoia.
"We need to get off this planet as quickly as possible," River concluded. "Get the TARDIS, find your companions, and leave. And we've only got four hours until that vol . . ." River turned to the Doctor, and both of their eyes flared. "The volcano . . ." River gasped.
"When that volcano erupts, it won't just overflow with molten rock; it'll overflow with Weeping Angels! I'll always blame you for our deaths, if that helps."
"Surprisingly not," River frowned. "Move back!" River screamed. The Doctor jumped back as she pointed towards the ground as a whole upper arm emerged from the stone beneath them, reaching out into the open air. "TARDIS! Now!"
"I couldn't agree more."
"Where's the TARDIS?" Alec asked.
"I don't know," Sasha replied, "just keep moving."
Alec looked to the rocky ground – fingers were growing beneath him. "We need to get away from the Angels!" Alec decided, staring at the ground.
"The TARDIS is our priority."
"But what if the Angels have the TARDIS?"
"It's worth the risk. Besides, can they even get inside?"
"I hope not. But we need to find it first."
Sasha looked around her, keeping an eye on the Angels. "Aha!" Sasha cried. "It's over there!"
Alec looked to where his sister pointed as she looked to the ground. There, at the top of a hill in the distance! There was a path leading up towards it, but was too high up to get to; they would have to climb to the TARDIS instead. "We'll have to get up there," Alec gasped.
"Do we have any other choice?" Sasha asked, pulling Alec back as an arm appeared from the stone ground, crawling out of the landscape.
"Apparently not," Alec gulped. "We'll have to climb a stone surface, made from stone statues that move whenever we stop watching."
"Sounds fun."
"I know, right," Alec laughed, turning red. "We'll have to go quickly."
"Exactly. But I doubt we'll be able to move faster than them."
"Absolutely not; they'll catch us quickly."
"Damn it! I knew this was a rubbish plan!"
"Well, it's our only chance. Let's take it!" Alec decided, leaping over a face as he ran towards the jagged hill ascent, squeezing Sasha's hand.
"How long until that volcano explodes?" the Doctor asked, scrambling through the forests, his eyes involuntarily large in fear.
River checked on her device, tripping on rocks and tree roots, desperate to keep facing upwards. "I make it three hours," River replied, her voice trembling.
"Ok . . . Ok," the Doctor thought. "Up here!" the Doctor commanded, pulling River up onto a tree branch that hung about a metre off the ground.
"What are we doing up here?" River asked, following the instruction.
"The Angels won't be able to reach us from here – well, not until they've developed part of a torso. It'll buy us a little time. Face in the opposite direction to me." River did as the Doctor asked. They leant against each other's shoulders, sat side by side, watching out into the forest. "So . . ." the Doctor considered, "I'm guessing you still have your vortex manipulator?"
"Of course. Don't even suggest what you're about to!" River snapped.
"But we could," the Doctor said, ignoring her pleas. "You could take us both away from here . . ."
"And leave Sasha and Alec? No. You wouldn't. I know you wouldn't. Listen. They may not be Amy and Rory, but I still care from them. You're forgetting that I know them; they're my friends too. And we both need them."
"What do mean like that?"
"In the future, we need them."
"Why?" the Doctor asked, very serious. "What's going to happen?"
"You know I can't tell you," River snapped.
The Doctor frowned, his face a concoction of worry and confusion. "What is it, River? What's coming for me?"
"ANGEL!" River screamed, jumping from the tree.
"How far away?" the Doctor asked, his eyes fixed in the other direction.
"Fifteen metres. There's another; six o'clock!"
The Doctor whipped his head around to look. Five metres away. Too close. "RUN!" the Doctor screamed, grabbing Rivers hand. They ran. Weaving between trees, leaping over logs. Turning behind them constantly, checking for Angels. They ran. Faster! The Angels kept coming. Snarling, grabbing, closer every moment.
Alec and Sasha ascended the cliff, scurrying up it like rats through a drain pipe. Rocks scuttled to the floor beneath them. Sweat dripped; hearts pounded, forcing against their cages. Hands, both flesh and stone, pulled themselves up the cliff face.
"Move quicker!" Alec screamed down to his sister, his hands scraped and numb.
"I can't!" Sasha panicked, jumping a little to the next ledge. "I can't get my hands on anything! They're too far away!"
"You have to keep going!" Alec persisted, pulling himself up from a small pocket in the rock. "Keep your eyes open; we could be caught at any moment!"
"I know, it's why I'm moving!" Sasha replied. She hesitated, nearly grasping an Angel's hand by accident. She secured her foot on a ledge and pulled herself up, keeping an eye fixed on the hand. "Alec! Look at this hand! Please! If someone's not watching I want be able to make the next step."
"But what about the rocks up here?"
"Just do it!"
"Ok. On the count of three . . ." Alec stammered, breathing heavily. "One, two, three!"
Alec whipped his head downwards, staring at the hand in the rock. Immediately, Sasha moved to the next ledge, standing on the hand before pushing herself above it. "Done!" she called back.
As soon as Alec knew it was safe to do so, he turned back up the cliff. He screamed. He clung to the rock face, nearly falling. His eyes bulged. A large, fanged face hung inches from his – a half assembled body crawling out of the rock, glaring down at Alec as if it were about to pounce at him. "SASHA!" Alec screamed, not daring to blink.
Sasha looked up and gasped. "Oh my God!"
"What do I do?" Alec panicked.
"Keep climbing!" Sasha replied. She looked down. The hand had turned into Angel, which was now following her up the cliff. "I've got a problem too . . . Don't look! Keep your eyes on your one!"
Alec whimpered, his eyes puddled with pained tears. "Ok . . ." he breathed, thinking out a solution.
"Stay there . . ." Sasha whispered, watching the Angel beneath her. Still focussed, Sasha reached her hand upwards, feeling for a crevice to hold. She found one, and pulled herself upwards. Again she reached for a latch.
Alec winked, refusing to let both eyes closed as he watched the snarling Angel. He crawled to the side of it, climbing up along it.
Cautiously, Sasha reached up again, feeling for something to hold onto. Feeling to the rough surface of a latch she grasped it and pulled . . . The rock crumbled, disintegrating into dust and rubble as it trickled down the surface, scraping down against Sasha's face. In a brief moment, she looked up, reaching for any possible ledge before she fell. Finally secured, she looked back down. The Angel beneath her had moved rapidly – so quick that its pointed talon touched the sole of Sasha's shoe. She screamed.
"What is it?" Alec asked, having to remind himself to not move his focus.
"It's nearly got me. Don't look!" Sasha replied, forcing her eyes to remain open. Then an idea hit her. "What happens if you smash an Angel?"
"How do you mean?"
"Can it reform? If I push this Angel off its ledge, would it come back to get me?"
"Why do you expect me to know?"
"Good point. Oh well. Screw this!" Sasha cried, kicking the Angel's face with as much force as she could risk. Elegantly, the stone nemesis tumbled, falling through the air. It shattered its wing on a rock as it tumbled, before splitting open at the foot of the cliff, scattering into grey shards.
"What happened?" Alec asked.
"I don't know, I'll have to blink," Sasha replied. She blinked . . .
The rubble had assembled into a pair of hands, stretching out into the air.
"It's reforming!" Sasha replied, still watching it.
"Look up," Alec insisted. "I need you to watch this Angel so I can move up. Count of three?"
"OK," Sasha agreed. "One, two, three!" She watched the Angels, waiting as Alec scrambled above it, using its wing as a ledge to get higher. When Alec looked back down, Sasha turned to the pair of hands. Already they had formed a body, and the newly assembled Angel had started its ascent. "Keep moving!" Sasha instructed, moving her gaze between both Angels to allow Alec time to reach the top of the cliff.
"Ok, I'm nearly there," Alec announced, "but I need you to watch mine for just a couple of seconds."
Sasha looked down; her Angel was close. She would have a moments at most. "Ok," she agreed. "Three, two, one!" She looked up at Alec's Angel. He scrambled over the ledge, tumbling onto the top of the cliff. His face lit up in triumph! Then, slowly it turned to worry.
"Look down!" Alec warned, pointing down the cliff.
Sasha turned to where Alec pointed. The Angel following Sasha was only a metre from her, ready to snatch her from existence. Slowly, Sasha regained her breath. "Hold on . . ." she muttered, "Are you still watching your Angel?"
Immediately, both knew that the reply would not be a pleasing one. Alec's jaw hung open. Sasha looked upwards. Now both Angels were a metre from her, each coming from a different angle. "Jesus!" Sasha gasped.
"I'll watch mine!" Alec told her, watching closely from over the ledge.
"But what about up there? " Sasha asked. "Is there anything coming?"
"Don't worry about that for now. Just keep climbing. I've got both of them in my sights just keep going!"
Sasha began to climb, quicker than before without being chased.
Alec heard a scuttling behind him. The hair on his neck stood up to attention. "Sasha, I'm going to have to look . . ."
"Give me one moment," Sasha pleaded, "I'm nearly there."
The scuttling continued. Alec panted, his breathing faster and stronger as it grew in fear. He could feel the presence behind him, the stone grating. His pupils shrunk to pin pricks. His cheeks blushed and glistened with shining beads of sweat. "Sasha . . ." he pleaded.
"One moment! Please!"
"I can't do this much longer!"
"Alec!"
In a moment of complete panic, Alec looked over his back. An Angel crawled from behind a line of trees, her face angry and deadly. "Damn it!" Alec cried, then looked back down the cliff.
Sasha was in reaching distance, both to Alec and the Angels. "Alec!" Sasha cried.
"One more step!"
"Help me! Don't blink!"
Alec stretched out his hand, offering it to his sister. "Hold on, I'll pull you up."
"Don't be ridiculous! You're not that strong!"
"I don't care! The Angels have nearly got you!"
"It's too risky!" Sasha replied, taking a step higher. She slipped, her foot snagged around the talon of an Angel. She began to tumble.
Alec grabbed her, clinging to her arm before she was lost. Quickly, he pulled his sister up the cliff; she eased herself up, placing her feet on the creviced beneath to help Alec. Both of them collapsed on the cliff edge, exhausted and in pain. Alec watched for the Angel in the forest, which had approached considerably, as Sasha watched over the edge.
"We need to get to the TARDIS!" Sasha commanded.
"Agreed. Keep looking at them!"
"But what about the one in the forest?"
"That's my job!"
They scrambled to their feet and raced to the TARDIS, bounding up the slope to the blue box. Sasha panicked, quickly moving her gaze between the two Angels, which were now approaching from completely different directions. They were fast, closing the distance with every fraction of a second. Even the Angel from the forest had caught up quickly. "Alec, get the doors open!"
Alec threw himself onto the doors. "They're locked!"
"How can they be locked?" Sasha gasped, spinning back around to stop the Angels from approaching. "Alec, some help?"
Alec helped Sasha, watching over the Angels. The task was too hard. They were too fast, and too hard to see against the grey landscape. "How do we get in?"
"I don't know!" Sasha cried, jumping back as an Angel stretched its arm towards her. "Telepathy!" she gasped. "The TARDIS is living. It's a little telepathic. It'll recognise us, so ask to get in."
"Let us in!" Alec pleaded, now watching behind the TARDIS as even more Angels grew from the ground. "Stop playing with us and let us in!"
Sasha rested her face against the doors, a tear staining her cheek. "Please," she whimpered. "I'm begging you."
The doors flew open. Without hesitation, the siblings jumped inside, avoiding the hands that had been centimetres from their faces. Doors slammed behind them.
The two of them emerged from the forest, breaking through the line of trees. "Woah!" the Doctor screamed, pulling River back.
River gasped. The Doctor was right to have stopped her. Centimetres from the tips of her heels the ground dropped, forming a tall deadly cliff, plunging at the bottom into a dark pool. "Alright . . . We're in trouble."
The Doctor pulled River around, facing back into the forest. Hands protruded from the edges of the trees. Faces snarled in the darkness. "Keep looking!" the Doctor instructed.
"Doctor, we're surrounded," River gasped, scanning the edge of the forest, where angels emerged from every side of them. Quickly she whipped her head around. The Angels had moved – five, at least two steps closer. "Doctor, how deep would you say the lake is?"
"Don't suggest it. It's too dangerous!"
"But it's our only way out!" River reminded him, flicking her head from side to side – the Angels gradually moving closer. "Ok. I'll count down from three."
"No, River!" the Doctor insisted. "It's too dangerous!"
"Exactly. Where's the fun in safe? Three."
"Don't be so stupid. This isn't a game!"
"I know. Two."
"Then stop treating it like a game!"
"But I am; I never play fair," River grinned, then pulled the Doctor with her, tumbling off the cliff edge. She had never need "one". Wind pulled at their faces. Their screams disappeared, left at the top of the cliff as they hurtled down. There was a gasp. Then a painful wrench across their backs as the water around them was thrown through the air by the impact.
The two of them panicked in the water. They kicked, fighting against both the water that clung to them, and the inflamed burning in their lungs and throats as they clawed at their surrounds, desperate for escape. Instinctively, the Doctor grabbed River. He kicked, fighting against the soggy clothes and heavy shoes that pulled him to the lake bed. Losing a heel, River kicked – paddling her arms in desperation.
Gasping for air, the two of them surfaced. Their thighs ached, screaming in pain as though the muscles were about to jump out of their skin. Clinging to their damp skin, their clothes dragged down.
"Alright?" the Doctor gasped, water spilling into his mouth.
"Yes," River replied. "Angels? Where are the Angels?"
The Doctor looked around, panicking. Nothing, as far as he could see; just the cliff to one side, and a rocky beach at the other, leading into a forest. A moment later, after he'd turned his head, several Angels appeared at the cliff top. "There!" the Doctor warned.
River turned to look – her eyes narrowed together, inspecting the Lonely Assassins at the top of the cliff. "Doctor – why are they smiling?"
In shock, the Doctor's eyes widened. "That's . . . What is it? Worry doesn't quite cover it."
"Why, Doctor? Why are they smiling?"
"They smiled in Manhattan when they had us in a trap."
"So what's the trap? What's the trap we're in?"
" . . . It's the lake . . ."
"The lake? How come?"
" . . . Every lump of stone on this planet is an Angel – the rocks, the magma, the mountains . . ."
"The bed of this lake," River interrupted.
"But it's worse than that."
"How can it be?"
"If an Angel grabs us, we get sent back in time. If an Angel grabs us – and we look – the Angel turns to stone, and we get pulled under the water. We drown."
River gasped. "There's no exit."
"We could out swim them; get to the beach."
"But they're too fast."
"Then we watch them. They'll sink before they can get to us."
"Have you seen this water? It's black!"
River looked down into the water. Some indistinguishable faces smiled at her from beneath the surface. "Doctor . . . we're surrou . . ."
Suddenly, River was cut silent. Her entire body disappeared beneath the water's surface, snatched by an Angel. The Doctor screamed out for her. Of course, she couldn't hear; River was already trapped in a stone clutch, pulled under the cold, black surface.