Das Mädchen:

Vorüber! Ach, vorüber! Geh, wilder Knochenmann! Ich bin noch jung! Geh, lieber, Und rühre mich nicht an. Und rühre mich nicht an.

The Maiden:

Pass me by! Oh, pass me by! Go, fierce man of bones! I am still young! Go, rather, And do not touch me. And do not touch me.

-Franz Schubert, 'Der Tod und das Mädchen'

"The Devil?" Sofia asked, skeptical. "Well, I'm certainly not religious. I don't believe in a devil."

"I don't know, honestly." The Doctor sighed, pressing down on the bridge of his nose. "Anything's possible."

Jack pulled over a chair. "Now look, Doctor. What are we dealing with? I mean it can't be too hard, right? Just whip out your Sonic Screwdriver and solve everything!"

The Doctor gave Jack a hard stare. "I lost my sonic screwdriver."

"Lost it? You don't anywhere without that blinking thing." Jack crossed his arms.

"Well, I prefer to go hands-free." The Doctor turned to Sofia. "Have there been other deaths like this lately?"

Sofia nodded hurriedly. "Yes, indeed." She leaned forward. "Quite a few, actually. Many people have been dying of unnatural or unknown causes lately. The funeral procession you saw earlier - that was Franz Schubert, the famous composer. I don't think the reason for his death has ever been known."

"It could just be that news doesn't go far." The Doctor thought again, and he suddenly shot upright, pressing a finger to his chin. "But there's something special about the victim we saw earlier."

"Yeah, Doctor?" Jack prompted.

"A tattoo at the back of the neck. Of three zeros - I wonder what that could mean."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop about ten degrees.

"Did you find that on any other victims? Or just this one?" Elisabeth asked.

The Doctor clasped his hands. "Well, we haven't had a chance to come across any other victims. It's just this one for now, I guess."

"Sure, three zeros. But what do they mean? Are they just symbols of some sort?" Jack inquired.

"I'm thinking it could be a timer." Sofia said, soft and tremulous. She clutched the scarf on her arm, tightening the knot.

"Clever girl." Jack beamed, winking. "Any other ideas, Doctor?"

"Tracker, or some kind of barcode." The Doctor guessed.

Sofia licked her upper lip. "What's a barcode?"

The Doctor stammered. "Uh, oh. Something you probably shouldn't know about. It's best that you don't."

"You don't need to keep shielding us from information, Doctor." Elisabeth said, stern.

"You can't just go around telling people about the future, Elisabeth!"

"Let it be then." Elisabeth turned away, crossing her arms.

The Doctor sighed. "I'm sorry, Sofia. My friend can be a bit difficult at times."

"Aren't all women?"

"Excuse me?" The Doctor wrung his hands, biting the inside of his cheek.

Sofia laughed. "Never mind. You're amazingly naive sometimes, Doctor."

"I think I'll go and ask some of the residents down this street. Perhaps they know a bit more of the strange deaths in the vicinity." The Doctor announced, standing to his feet. "Any of you coming?"

"I'll go." Jack followed, rising from his chair.

"And I'll stay here, since you think I'm being difficult. I think I need a day off." Elisabeth stated, leaning back in her chair. She watched as the two of them left, swinging the door shut in their wake. Sofia got up herself, heading to the kitchen. She brought in a teapot and poured tea for the both of them. Elisabeth thanked her, raising the cup to her lips.

"Are you married, Elisabeth?" Sofia spoke first.

"No, why?"

"You should be. You can't be running around here without a husband, if you're planning to settle in. That's what the Doctor told me. People'll stare. But besides that, there's a lot I find strange about you. For example, your attire. The short hair, the trousers, the collared shirt - everything! I can't believe you're a woman sometimes. Don't you ever go out in a dress? And what happens to you at dances? Do you even bother putting on any makeup? Do others mistake you for a man, sometimes?"

"Er, oh." Elisabeth sipped from her cup. "I rarely consider myself a woman. I'm just a person. I've tried makeup, but I don't like it. My attire may seem strange to you, but there are other worlds out there where they probably dress even stranger. And what about you? You live alone. No husband, I presume."

"He died." Sofia said, naturally. "Few weeks ago, same strange causes. Never really liked him, anyway. Was my parents' choice. Would have married Gretchen if I would. But my parents said it was a silly idea, two women being married. The church would never allow it."

"You hid yourself." Elisabeth reiterated.

"In a way, yes. I was mocked by my siblings and parents until I agreed to marry Robert. Not a very good idea, to be honest."

"Since you can't believe I'm a woman, I might as well just dress like a bloke, can't I? I don't think anyone'll see the difference." Elisabeth chuckled. "I don't think I'll fit in here at all."

"You don't have to look far for good husband material."

"Jack, you mean? He's a natural flirt. Seems to like you."

"He seems likely to sleep around." Sofia waved it off, leaning back. "I meant the Doctor. Very calm, unfailingly polite. He'd do great for you. It seems like a plus that he's quite fetching too. Didn't you see him when he was flustered?"

"I'm not interested in men, it seems. Well, at least not those two."

"Interested in girls, then?" Sofia smiled. "We do have a lot in common."

"Interested in romancing neither."

"You're one of those nuns, aren't you? Here to condemn my soul, eh?" Sofia teased, nudging Elisabeth in the shoulder.

"Hey!" Elisabeth brushed her hand away. "Well, no. I never intended it like that. For me, it doesn't seem like a choice. I do feel emotionally attached to the Doctor, though."

"Oh. Interesting. So to you, it seems that being attracted to nobody doesn't seem like a choice?"

"In a way, yes."

"I wish my parents could understand. They just figure that I have to be with a man, and a man only. Not that I'd object too much, but their choice for me was just rubbish."

"You're happier without him, I presume."

"Yes."

"I wish happiness in your life too, Elise."

Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. "Why are you doing this?"

Sofia hesitated. "I think it's only best to grasp opportunities before they blow away."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Elisabeth said, brushing her hair out of her face. "Well, at least not for the next few days or so, I think. I'm not even sure whether I'd like to settle here."

"Don't. You've got the chance to travel. Do it when you can, and you've got great friends by your side."

"We can swap, if you want. You sound like you want a chance to see the world."

Sofia shook her head. "No, it wouldn't be right. Plus, I don't think I've got the time!"

"There's always time. It's a time machine."

"Not for me, that is. You've got a very vibrant life, I can tell."

Elisabeth went silent, draining her cup of tea.

"Are you ever scared?" Sofia asked, slipping her hand over Elisabeth's.

Elisabeth nodded. "Occasionally."

"It seems to affect you. I can tell."

"Maybe you're right."

"I might be just a bit jealous of you, sometimes. I see that your friend the Doctor cares dearly for you."

"We've been together a few weeks." Elisabeth recalled.

Sofia spoke up again, this time softer. "Do you ever fear the places you haven't been to yet?"

"I-I don't understand." Elisabeth stammered.

Sofia looked Elisabeth in the eye. "I mean the great beyond. The eternal void."

"I don't want to think about death. But it looms over everything. It makes me gloomy."

"It scares me, as an irreversable process." Sofia gripped on tighter. "People believe different things. Some believe in a heaven. Some believe in a hell. But what if-" She cut herself off. "you just disappear? Won't that be horrifying? But which is worse, believing in a heaven and finding that there is none, or not believing in a heaven and finding that there is one, and you are condemned to hell for your sins?"

"I don't know, Sofia." Elisabeth's heart skipped a beat. "It scares me too. But we will never know until we cross over. I don't want to know what's on that other side of the deep chasm."

"Life is short," Sofia spat, bitterly. "And death is eternal. I might even be dead soon, very soon. It is up to Death himself. Death doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints. All it knows is to take and to take and to take."

"I fear way too many things." Elisabeth whispered.

Sofia sat upright, rubbing the back of her hand across her forehead. "I don't think there's any use worrying. Can't let the men seeing us down and depressed." She returned to the kitchen, and Elisabeth heard her sob quietly. Elisabeth wrapped her arms tighter around herself, hoping the looming feeling would disappear.

"Another one." The Doctor announced, stopping at the front door.

"By the same unnatural causes?" Elisabeth inquired.

The Doctor stepped into the house, removing his rain soaked hat. Lightning crackled outside and it had started to rain relentlessly. His wet hair stuck to his forehead, and he brushed it aside. "Seems so. I still don't know what's causing it. It still seems to be that shadow entity again. And as for whether there's anything strange going about, the villagers have informed us of two suspicious individuals."

"Murder, then?" Sofia spoke up, placing the fresh loaf of bread on the table. She rushed over, offering to help the Doctor remove his soggy coat. He complied, and it came off with a bit of a struggle. He sat down, catching his breath.

"That is implied, yes," The Doctor panted. He leaned back, sighing heavily. "Two girls. Around your age. A tall one, and a shorter one. They're rarely seen, but we know that one is blonde, and the other has raven-black hair. The shorter one wears a black robe. They were first seen in the vicinity about four months ago, which was when the first deaths started to take place."

"That doesn't say anything," Sofia pouted, pulling over a chair and sitting down next to the Doctor. "You must be tired, Doctor." She placed her hands on his sore, tense shoulders, massaging them.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Sofia. But what I've heard from the villagers is that the girls have been dabbling in a bit of black magic." The Doctor replied, letting out a sigh of relief. "A bit lower, please."

"Would you like some tea?" Elisabeth passed a warm cup to the Doctor, who took it in his hands.

"Thank you, Elise." The Doctor said, sipping. "What's with all this today?" He glanced backwards, and signalled to Sofia to stop.

"You're awfully tense today, Doctor, if you can't tell." Sofia explained. "Thought it might help."

"Well," The Doctor blinked hard. "It's been a rough day."

Elisabeth sat back, clasping her hands. "Where's Jack, then?"

"He says he'd like to pop around to the pub and get a bit more information." The Doctor said. "I'm pretty sure he will at least take a drink or two or ten. We might need to prepare to lug him back."

"Well, I hope the shadows and the death pass us by. I've had enough." Sofia huffed, opening a bottle.

Leaning forward, Elisabeth lowered her voice. "She's lost her husband already. Might be to the same thing that took all the others."

The Doctor turned his head to look at Sofia. "I'm very sorry, I didn't know that-"

"No matter. I wasn't happy with him anyway." Sofia lamented. "But I'm moving on quite well, actually. And I thought I'd never fall in love again."

"Ah, is that so?" The Doctor said. "That's great. People come and go, but the important part of life is to keep moving. There's no point stopping yourself. Life goes on, and time and tide waits for no man."

"Did the person die today?" Elisabeth asked, folding her hands.

The Doctor shook his head. "No. She's been dead for a few days now. We managed to catch her funeral. The tattoo was on her hand, visible to all. There was hardly anyone at the girl's funeral. Although I did catch a group of girls snooping around. Around your age, Elise. They matched the description given by the villagers. A taller one, blonde, and a shorter brunette in a dark gown. I only glimpse them before they caught my gaze and retreated. I don't know who they could be. The friends of the deceased, perhaps?"

"Any other information?" Elisabeth probed. "There's more, isn't there?"

"I wish I knew."

"What about the shadow?" Sofia prompted.

The Doctor took a breath. "Oh, yes. I nearly forgot. There was an witness to her death. An old priest. His vision had detoriated, but he heard the caw of a bird before it struck her."

Sofia's eyes widened, and she gulped. "Struck her?"

"The priest says it took her soul." The Doctor recounted.

Elisabeth made eye contact with her friend. "And you believe her?"

"There's always room for impossible things, Elise. You've seen that. Like the encounter at Darrowby. What are the chances of me running into someone who looks identical to myself? Very little, close to impossible. But it did happen." The Doctor gave a small nod. "We might as well be dealing with supernatural forces here."

"Not every impossible thing has to happen. You told me saving the hostages on Beijing was impossible. I tried anyway. They died."

"It's all a game of chance, I'm afraid. It has to end someday." The Doctor said, intensely. "Time can't be rewritten sometimes. Fixed events in time are impossible to alter with dire consequences."

Sofia sat forward. "Doctor, may I ask, what may you mean by fixed points?"

"Startings and endings. Timelines end. Sometimes I wish they didn't, but they can't be changed."

"But we can change whatever happens in the middle of the start and the end, as long as the end result isn't changed?"

The Doctor thought for a second. "Yes, in a way."

Sofia rose from her seat. "I'll get dinner ready. Would you like wine, Doctor?"

The Doctor leaned on the edge of his seat, turning back. "That would be very nice of you, but I don't drink-"

"It's alright then, Doctor. Should I get you something else? Apple juice? I've got some apples in the pantry, I can-"

Shaking his head, the Doctor responded, "It isn't necessary. Water will do. There's no need to add to your burden."

Jack had returned from the pub a few minutes later. A little tipsy, but he was fine. "How many did you have?" Elisabeth inquired.

"Hey, stop it with the questions! I only had a few," Jack replied, lowering himself into a chair. Sofia had prepared a simple meal, and they ate in the dark by candlelight. A very romantic setting, Elisabeth noted. She wondered why people liked to describe eating by candlelight as romantic. To her, it was just that. Just the flicker of a flame in the near darkness.

"You're saying that the shadows don't stop for any man. Nor woman." Sofia repeated, placing down her fork noisily.

The Doctor rested his cheek on his palm. "You could say that, yes. I'm not sure - maybe there is a way to stop it, but we haven't found it yet."

The four remained in silence for a short while.

Sofia pushed her chair back. "I'm going to the kitchen to get the wine. Do any of you want any?"

"No thank you," Elisabeth declined. "And I think it's not wise for Jack to have any more."

"What are you, my mother?" Jack poked. "Oh, we're so lucky to have someone keep us in line."

Elisabeth grumbled.

Sofia returned, filling her own cup with liquor. She downed it, subtly but vigourously, as if in a hurry to escape from something. Sofia firmly placed her cup on the table, making the tableware bounce.

The Doctor nodded, a concerned expression already starting to form. He gulped, pushing down the lump in his throat. He shifted forward in his seat. "If you don't mind, Sofia, the three of us would like to stay on for a while longer. We'd like to stay the night, if you-"

Sofia nodded, sluggishly. "No problem. There's a spare bed on the first floor. One of you can take that one. There's room in my bed for another person. And the last..." Her voice trailed off. "I'm sorry, but I've only got accomodation for two."

"I'll sleep on the floor," Elisabeth offered.

The Doctor gave her a stern look. "You do need to take better care of yourself, Elise. We could still go back to the TARDIS, if that's better-"

"I'm quite sure I have a few extra sheets. Could lay them on the floor." Sofia explained, pouring herself another cup.

"Do you drink often?" Jack inquired, smirking.

Sofia shook her head. "No, not often. Just recently. I'm quite proud of myself, actually. I've got lots of old wines at the back of the pantry and I'm trying to clear them all."

"Clear them all? Why?" The Doctor put forward.

Elisabeth found herself shivering. She didn't know whether it was the wind, or something was off.

"It's rather cold out." Elisabeth remarked, getting up to the window.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "You're already wearing a jacket."

Elisabeth shrugged. "I know, I know." She stood at the window, taking a glance.

That's when she saw the raven.

It was a very peculiar bird. Instead of just dashing across her vision just like any other playful sparrow or thieving magpie, this bird left streaks of ink and shadow in its wake as it soared. Even from a distance she could see its eyes, glimmering like two black diamonds. Its stare was something evil, something cold.

Then it gave a shriek, and barrelled down towards the street, as if trying to attack its prey.

The Doctor had joined her at the window, watching the scene play out.

The bird locked onto its victim. A teenage boy, his face streaked with soot and his eyes opened wide, like a animal caught in a searchlight. The boy turned, and sprinted off. He might have outran the bird if it weren't for an obstruction in the road. His toes caught on one of the rough, jagged cobblestones and he took a mighty tumble, pushing past a lady carrying a basket of apples. She was just as alarmed as he was, and she stood aside in fear as the bird passed her.

The bird collided with the boy, and it was all over. At least, that's what it seemed. A second later, Elisabeth and the Doctor watched in horror as black smoke billowed from his mouth, and he fell to the cobblestones with a silent scream.

"I'm going to investigate." The Doctor began to make for the door. Elisabeth grabbed his sleeve, causing him to turn back.

"I'm going with you too."

The Doctor shook his head. "You are staying here. Don't leave the house, do you hear me?" He took hold of her wrist, and she let go, although reluctantly. The Doctor marched off, and Elisabeth followed, a distance behind his flapping beige coattails.

She made it out onto the freezing street, meters behind her friend. A crowd had already started to form, in the evening rush. Elisabeth stood behind as the Doctor was lost in the crowd, probably bending down to search the body for the tattoo that marked the victims of the phantom raven. The hair on the back of her neck stood, and she knew that she was in the presence of someone powerful. The duo standing next to them. Even with the robes obscuring most of their faces Elisabeth knew it had to be them. In the dim light of the lanterns Elisabeth could just make out their features - just barely, but enough to confirm. Something was horribly wrong when she started to feel sick again. She pressed her fingers to her temples as she gritted her teeth. The girl - the short brunette - had seemed to notice, and looked on.

"What's the matter?" The other girl, the blonde, whispered, and Elisabeth raised her eyes just to take a better look at her. Her face was youthful, but probably held a deeper secret. A very pretty girl she was. Her sharp, angular face was framed by her sandy blonde locks, and those green eyes seemed to shine. So, so very familiar... Elisabeth knew she had seen this face before.

Caroline Nicola Miles.

That's the name she remembered from the credentials she had found in her wallet. Well, not really her wallet, but Caroline's.

The brunette led Elisabeth by the arm, away from the crowd. "You better go home. Blinovitch Limitation Effect. It's not safe for you here."

Elisabeth looked up, with a sour expression. "Excuse me?"

The brunette shook her head. "Never mind." She stopped at the door of Sofia's house. "You better get inside before you freeze."

Elisabeth took a step away. "Thanks." The mysterious girl turned away, and was gone once again. Elisabeth went indoors, and was appaled to see Sofia still at the table, half a cup of wine still in her hand.

"T-tell me, is there any way to stop it?" Sofia wavered.

Elisabeth sat down opposite her, moving the bottle away. "I don't know."

Sofia gripped Elisabeth's hand tightly. "You don't understand, Elise. I'm too young for this. I just hope it'll pass me by when the day comes, and I don't know when it'll come..." She took another sip from the cup.

"Sofia, I don't understand. Could you start your story from the beginning? Maybe it'll help-"

"You don't understand!" Sofia sobbed. Jack shifted closer, patting her gently on the back. He glanced up, mouthing something back at Elisabeth.

"Go find the Doctor, will you? He might need help."

"I'm not going out there again. Some effect, the girl warned me." Elisabeth stated, crossing her arms. "Let's wait until he returns. Besides, he told me to stay in here."

Jack glanced out the window. "Human life is a fragile thing, I'm afraid."

The Doctor returned from the freezing cold, breathing into his palms to warm them. "You can't run from it. I don't know how it chooses its target - it just locks on. But what about the tattoo? The triple zeros mean something, can't they?"

"What if they weren't triple zeros to begin with?" Sofia piped up, resting her head on the table.

The Doctor thought for a moment. "I don't quite understand."

Elisabeth stood, going over to the Doctor. She lowered her voice. "I think we better get her upstairs. She's speaking incoherently, and in riddles. It's the alcohol. She needs rest."

The Doctor cleared his throat, pausing to look at Sofia, her thin and wiry body hunched over the table. "I'll handle it myself." He walked over, laying a hand on Sofia's shoulder, causing her to look up.

"You're back." Sofia beamed, drunkenly. The Doctor remained silent, before slinging one of her arms across his back and lifting her from her seat. She swayed precariously off his shoulder, her head lolling. Elisabeth rushed forward to support her, but Sofia was more capable than she thought. Sofia pressed her lips to his ear, and Elisabeth could see her lips moving, then a smirk. The Doctor coughed, a confused and disgruntled expression on his face. Sofia gave a lurch, planting a foot down firmly to stay upright. It was then that Elisabeth decided to step in and help in hauling the woman up the staircase. Once that was done, Elisabeth slipped her into bed, and rushed downstairs to grab a wet cloth, and laid it gently on Sofia's forehead. The Doctor stood back, crossing his arms. His gaze fell on Sofia's left arm. Sofia had applied a clean, white bandage to her left forearm, which Elisabeth swore had been on her arm ever since they had arrived. It had been tied rather loosely, so as not to cut off her circulation, perhaps?

"What's she doing with that on her arm?" Elisabeth murmured, careful not to wake Sofia.

The Doctor crossed the small room, scrutinising the bandage. "It's quite a thin one, and I don't think it's to dress an injury. If it was to dress an injury it'd be tied on tighter in avoid infection, and the blood and pus would soak through." Gently, he reached down and undid the bandage, revealing three black marks on her forearm. Not triple zeros, like the ones he had seen on the recent victims. A zero, a two, and a four. 024.

The Doctor ran his palm across his forehead. "Oh dear." He said, through gritted teeth. He said, regarding Elisabeth. "I think I might know why she might be unstable. Did she mention about regularly turning to drink?"

"She mentioned it was recent." Elisabeth recollected. "Do you think she looks a bit hurried?"

"Like she's attempting to squeeze in as much as she can before the deadline? Yes, indeed." The Doctor turned to leave, heading back down the stairs. Elisabeth followed, rejoining him and Jack in Sofia's sitting room.

"So?" Jack looked up.

"There's a tattoo on her arm. Similar to the deceased we've seen today - three digits. 024, as of now." The Doctor explained. "024, what does that mean?"

"024...24 hours? But 24 hours for what?" Elisabeth posed.

"Is there anything else you've talked about together? I'm quite sure there was some time for you two to strike up a conversation."

"She talked about death." Elisabeth said. "To be exact, her fear of death." She clarified. "She wanted to know...whether there was something after life."

"Death, is that it? Anything else in particular?"

Elisabeth shivered. "I think let's not bring up death again. I think I'm starting to get goosebumps too."

"Scared of it. How many times did she bring it up today?"

"It was a constant topic of conversation. Oh, and fancying a certain someone."

Jack snorted, and the Doctor sat back, biting the inside of his lip. "So I see."

"What exactly did she say to you, Doctor?" Jack probed.

The Doctor sat upright, folding his hands. "I don't think it's right for you to know. She was incapacitated and probably had no idea what she meant. You know, perhaps I could have said that I was married once..."

"Married? That doesn't seem like a very you thing to do." Elisabeth sniggered.

The Doctor retorted, "Once. It was a very long time ago, back on Gallifrey. I'm not being held to my bond now, as the binding seems to cease after the first regeneration. It's rather complicated."

"But you must have had familiy on Gallifrey, didn't you, Doctor?" Jack asked.

"I travelled around with my granddaughter for years after I left Gallifrey." The Doctor reminisced. "But since I haven't felt the need for, er, romantic attraction. Not even now, I suppose."

"You've got the physicality of a young man, Doctor," Jack chuckled, "but not the drive to use it, I suppose."

The Doctor ignored Jack. "024. 24 hours to live, perhaps?" He said, addressing the group once more.

Elisabeth's expression turned sour. "We'll just have to wait.