Thriving Thrills
Prompt: "Thriving Thrills" and "the eclipse this coming sunday"
From: KI (guest) and ErinKenobi2893
Words: 540
ErinKenobi2893: thank you! (forgot to put Wilf in here. . . sorry).
"Please?" the Doctor pouted.
A grown alien shouldn't do that so well, Donna thought as she finally nodded. Then again, he's had so much time to learn.
She walked behind him at a less enthusiastic pace, to the roller coaster that rose on the horizon. The Doctor was still in her line of sight, pushing through the crowd in the park, and all she had to do was follow the enraged and surprised cries. But other than a few ruffled feathers, the Doctor had left her a clean path, and Donna had no trouble catching up.
"Why's tonight so special?" she asked when she was even with him.
"You'll see," he grinned and took her hand.
They walked the rest of the way like that, and when they reached their destination, both gaped. The orange skeleton of the roller coaster rose up before them, illuminated and almost shining gold from the lights that decorated it. Above them, a warm but cloudy sky hung low, but Donna didn't question further, not even when she saw the Doctor's face fall.
He paid for their tickets, and the two of them sat at the front of the wagon as eighteen more people piled in after them. The seats were filled, and even Donna, who hated roller coasters, was excited.
The Doctor nodded to the operator, and the wagon started moving. It rode slowly, and started gaining speed as it rose. By the time they reached the top, their surroundings had become nothing but a blur. But as they turned the summit, the wagon slowed to a crawl and the incredible view of the amusement park and surrounding country evened out to the passengers.
"Is it supposed to do that?" Donna asked quietly as the people behind them gasped and started taking pictures.
"Yup!" the Doctor replied, but beneath the enthusiastic pop of the 'p', he seemed to be disappointed.
"What's the matter?" she wondered then, and he shrugged, but replied quietly. "What?"
"I said that there's supposed to be a lunar eclipse tonight," he repeated. "Last time was in '82. 1982, that is."
"And?" she prompted.
"And I wanted to see it," he replied as they inched forward. "For real. Without cheating."
"Can't you do anything?"
In response, the Doctor lifted his screwdriver. The trusty piece of alien metals that had saved their lives more times than they could count. Almost an extension of the Doctor's hand. Almost an extension of his being.
"Can't you use that?"
"That would be cheating," he sighed.
"Not really," Donna reasoned. The Doctor gave her an incredulous look. "I mean, if, for some weird, unexplainable reason, your hand accidentally slipped to the screwdriver?"
"Continue."
"And if, knowing how excited the people would be if they saw such a rare eclipse, and how disappointed they would be if they missed it, you accidentally, unconsciously, sent the clouds away?" Donna suggested.
He didn't answer, but, as the ride continued its descent, Donna saw the moon, covered by an orange shadow, emerge from the clouds.
The wagon sped up again, and Donna's sense of wonder was washed out by the sense of her stomach falling to her feet, and by the sounds of the screams of her fellow coaster riders.
The eclipse was beautiful last night!