"Do you remember what Talitha said?" Angelo asked, although it was more like a statement than a question.
"She says a lot of things." Bernadette replied. She knew where the boy was going, but she didn't want to admit it.
"About if things go badly." he finished.
Bernadette sighed. "Yes, I do."
"Do you think that's a good idea?"
"I don't think she's ever had a good idea."
"But what if it's bad out there?"
"Then she would have had her first half-decent idea."
He laughed, making Bernadette realize that she couldn't remember the last time he had. It had been weeks, she thought, some strange weeks when he had been inconsolable. But it seemed to Bernadette that the boy felt most at ease when everything was coming to an end, as if he took comfort in the world falling apart around him. It was the only certain thing in his small world.
Angelo turned to his left, an unusually deliberate move, and pulled Bernadette along with him through the crowd. "Can you call Tally?" he asked as they walked.
"I can try." Bernadette replied. She found her friend somewhere in the tangle of thoughts that filled the dark room, and Talitha found Bernadette in the mess of people.
"We'll have to run for it." Talitha said, "At least once we find our way out of here. Bernadette, did you catch any leads as to where we are and going?"
Bernadette soon her head. "I'm just following Angelo."
"So Angelo, how do you know where you're going?" Talitha asked.
"I've been down here before. I know my way around."
"So what's down here?" Talitha asked.
"Just school stuff." Angelo replied a bit too quickly.
She let him and his lie be for some time.
Angelo pulled open a hatch that led out into the street, a mess of broken stone and glass. They helped pull each other out, careful not to step on anything sharp. In the dim daylight, Talitha could see that he was carrying his schoolbag in his arms, holding it close like a comfort object.
She looked down the road. "The TARDIS is about a kilometer and a half away. That's not too far."
Angelo pulled his bag closer. "That's very far."
"Shut up."
"But it is!"
"It's only a mile. You've gone a mile before, haven't you?"
Angelo nodded. "But now isn't a very nice time to go a mile." He slung his bag over his shoulder. "But I guess I can try."
Bernadette took him by the hand. "That's the spirit, kid."
They sprinted down the road, not daring to look behind them. Nothing seemed real in those moments as the city flew past in a blur. The storefronts and their posters were aflame and the road's cobbles were torn, reaching up for the ashen sky.
Angelo glanced behind him, yelled for Bernadette to get down and she fell to the pavement, shielding her head as her knees scraped stone and a flash cracked overhead, followed by a second. Talitha pulled her up. They ran, faster this time, not daring to look back out of fear of what they'd see. As the pavement turned to metal, Talitha could her Angelo's footsteps behind her, sharp like the boots of a Chancellery Guard. The children scanned the heaps of scrap metal for the TARDIS, but couldn't find her. Frantic, they dove behind a familiar discarded control terminal. Talitha peeked over its edge, trying to quiet the ragged breaths that tore at her throat. She found herself staring directly into a single electric blue eye.
She froze, every muscle in her body rigid with fear.
Bernadette pulled her down.
"It's a dalek." Talitha whispered. "It's a bloody-"
She was cut off by an explosion, louder than a thousand staser bolts, one that left he ears ringing. She hauled herself to her feet what remained of the metal monster. It was nearly indistinguishable from the other scrap metal in the dump, with the sole exception of the steaming chunk of flesh that once lived inside the dalekanium casing.
Talitha couldn't tell if she wanted to vomit or cry.
Angelo took her by the hand. "Come on, the TARDIS is here. We're going to make it out. She saved us. Tally, come on..."
She only stared.