Terry and Amy reached the third floor with ease, to find it apparently completely deserted. Of all the other parts of the house they had seen so far, this floor looked the most normal… if you didn't count the fact taht every dormitory room on the floor had the same words painted repeatedly in large, bold letters.
'LEAVE ME ALONE'. 'GET OUT NOW'.
"What kind of a place is this?" Amy wondered, holding her torch a little bit tighter as she peered into each room.
"The kind of place we were looking for." Terry answered as she took out Amy's mobile and dialled quickly. She waited patiently as the phone rang while she and Amy stepped into one of the bedrooms to take a better look around.
The Doctor answered on the third ring. "Angel?"
"We've found the place where the little girl was taken from." Terry said quickly, looking around warily for the Silence that she were around somewhere.
"And what about what we were looking for?" The Doctor asked.
"There are signs that they were here but the place looks pretty deserted." Terry answered vaguely.
The Doctor, none the wiser, replied seriously, "Okay. Find out what you can, but don't hang around."
"Okay. And you be careful too, Doctor." Terry warned. "It would be pretty hard to fix if you sent Apollo 11 up without Neil Armstrong in it."
"You know me, angel - I would never let that happen." The Doctor replied confidently. "Not again, anyway."
Terry smirked before she hung up and looked back at Amy.
"Let's go-"
The door suddenly slammed behind the two women, making them jump. Terry whirled around to stare at the door before she turned at Amy's gasp. And Terry's lips thinned as she saw the Silence hanging from every available inch on the ceiling, like bats.
"Amy?" Terry called softly even as she pressed her own palm to start the nanorecorder.
"Right." Amy said in a shaky whisper as she pressed her own palm. She started speaking while simultaneously reaching for a marker to mark how many Silence she could see on her skin.
"I'm looking at them right now. But I think they're asleep." Amy couldn't hide her fear for much longer and she urged her future self, "Get out. Just get out!"
Amy dropped her marker and turned on her heels to run for the closed bedroom door. Terry followed behind her, waiting for the inevitable and simultaneously proving to herself her own theory that even when she wasn't looking at the Silence, she could remember them. Maybe it was because she knew of their existence from her visions; maybe it was because of Daemon. Whatever it was, Terry couldn't erase the image of the Silence lining the ceiling like bats even as she watched Amy freeze midway through reaching for the door handle.
"Angel?" Amy called, clearly afraid as she stared at her blinking red palm.
"Listen to it, Amy." Terry answered encouragingly, knowing that even the memory of Terry telling her about the Silence wouldn't stick.
Amy, looking pale, pressed her palm and together, they listened to her recording.
"I'm looking at them right now. But I think they're asleep. Get out. Just get out!"
"Angel. My hand." Amy said shakily as she saw the four tally marks she'd made onto the back of her hand.
"I know, Amy."
Amy looked at Terry fearfully. "Do you remember seeing them?"
"Yes, but it won't do you any good even if I tell you. You'll just forget." Terry explained as she reached for the windows instead.
Amy started to follow her before she paused. Terry knew from Amy's stifled shriek that she had seen the Silence again, but Terry ignored it as she examined the windows intently. There were obvious signs that a child had tried to force them open many times and Terry's heart panged as she thought about poor little, frightened Melody.
Suddenly, Amy was right next to her and desperately trying to pry open the windows.
"Amy." Terry warned as Amy made a right racket. "Amy!"
Terry grabbed Amy's hand, forcing her to stop. And Amy had to stop a scream as she saw her own reflection in the window - the reflection of her entire face decorated in tally marks. Amy slowly looked back down at her arms to find every inch of visible skin covered in similar markings.
Amy gasped. "How many could there possibly be-?"
Terry answered by lifting her gaze up to the ceiling. Amy followed her gaze up and the redhead had to stop another scream as she saw for the third time what she and Terry had seen on the ceiling.
"Oh, my God." Amy whispered.
Amy slowly started to back away in fear, when Terry's eyes suddenly narrowed in on one of the Silence. It was shifting, like it was waking up.
"Let's go. Quickly." Terry whispered, grabbing Amy before she could accidentally kick one of the empty pails lying on the ground.
Amy grimaced in fear but Terry just slowly pulled Amy with her out of the bedroom. She shut the door behind them as softly as she could, but Terry knew it was only a matter of time before the Silence came after them.
Not that Amy knew that. The redhead was blinking again with a rather dazed look on her face.
"What just happened?" Amy asked.
Terry just shrugged. The longer Amy could know peace, the better it would be for her. Especially since this Amy wasn't even the real one.
But keeping those thoughts to herself, Terry answered, "I think there's one more floor above us."
She pointed to some stairs at the far end of the corridor.
"I thought this was the highest floor?" Amy said in surprise.
"Unless there's an attic." Terry pointed out as she climbed up the steps. Amy followed behind the brunette as Terry walked out into the hallway that the stairs had led to.
"Come on." Terry murmured, leading the way down the hall.
They walked carefully, trying not to make any noise as they shone their lights down the corridor. But Terry paused when she saw one door that was partially open. Walking over, she peered inside carefully before she pushed her way inside.
"What is-?"
Amy trailed off as she followed Terry into what was obviously a child's bedroom. However, unlike the other rooms in the building, this one was fully furnished and looked like it had been maintained quite well. And until very recently. The room even felt a little cosy with several rugs covering the worn, wooden floors and many toys and dolls on every surface. A single bed stood on one side of the wall, covered by a cute, pink duvet.
Terry gazed over the scene grimly, imagining young Melody's life trapped in this cell that was made to look like a home. The vision of the conversation Canton would be having with Renfrew right at that moment sprung to her mind.
"This place, it's been closed for years. What have you been doing?" Canton wondered, looking around the battered old building.
"Oh, the child." Renfrew answered vaguely, his voice monotonous like he was repeating someone else's words. Or their command. "She must be cared for. It's important. That's what they said."
"That's what who said?" Canton demanded.
"Hello. Who are you?"
Terry turned at Amy's question, only to find the redhead speaking to a blank wall. The Time Lady's gaze softened and filled with sorrow - she knew who Amy was speaking to. Who Amy had seen in her mind's eye, as if in a dream.
But she couldn't say anything. Not right now. And so, while reminding herself that Amy and Rory (and even River) would all be safe and happy in the long run, Terry reeled in her emotions and called in a questioning tone, "Amy? What is it?"
"There was this woman with an eye-" Amy broke off as she looked from the blank wall to Terry in confusion. "Wait… what?"
"There's nothing there, Amy." Terry pointed out. Amy shook her head.
"No, no, she… She was right there. Just a second ago, there was this weird eye-patch woman looking at me through a hatch."
"A hatch?" Terry repeated as though confused.
Amy nodded. "It happened, I swear, she was just there…"
Amy trailed off as she stared at the blank wall that couldn't and didn't have the hatch she had seen. And yet, it had all felt so real.
Terry gave the redhead a moment before she prompted, "Let's just see if there's anything worth finding here and then get out of here."
"Right. Right." Amy muttered, still looking troubled but she refocused on the room with great effort. "So, what are we looking at…?"
The redhead trailed off again as she found herself standing in front of a chest of drawers that stood against one side of the room.
"How?" Amy gasped as she picked up one of the framed pictures that stood upon the chest. "How can that be me?"
Terry said nothing as she came over to look at the photo she knew would be there. The picture of Amy smiling up at the camera as she held a tiny, sleeping baby.
"Terry, I don't like this." Amy said shakily. "How am I there?"
"I don't know." Terry said quietly.
Amy turned to her friend sharply, her disbelief plain on her face. But before she could say anything, they heard a noise - almost like a breath through an inhaler - come from behind them.
Both women spun around quickly and Amy froze as she saw the astronaut she had seen in the warehouse in Florida three months ago step slowly into the room towards them.
"Who are you?" Amy demanded as she backed away from the astronaut. "Just tell us who you are!"
"It's okay, Amy." Terry soothed as she stepped forward despite Amy's grip on her arm as the redhead tried to pull her back.
Terry turned her attention toward the astronaut and she smiled gently.
"Hello, Sweetie. It's okay, you don't have to be afraid of us."
The astronaut seemed to hesitate before finally, slowly, the astronaut raised its gold visor. Terry waited, unsurprised when the visor lifted to reveal a little girl. A very frightened little girl. Amy's eyes widened, especially when she saw the cracked hole on the inner visor of the astronaut suit, just above the little girl's head from where Amy had shot at the astronaut suit in fear for the Doctor's life.
"It's okay, little one." Terry repeated softly, taking another step toward the little girl. "We won't hurt you."
As if struck by Terry's comment, Amy blurted out shakily, "I'm sorry." I didn't mean to shoot you. I'm glad I missed. Really, I am. But…"
Amy glanced at Terry pleadingly.
"You killed the Doctor."
"It hasn't happened yet for her, Amy." Terry explained quietly. Amy glanced from Terry to the terrified little girl, but Terry had eyes only for little Melody.
"You'll be okay. I promise."
The little girl stared at her, eyes still wide with fear. Terry tilted her head.
"Do you know who I am?"
Melody's gaze changed slightly. A challenging look entered her eyes and Terry almost had to smile - this was most certainly the daughter of Amelia Pond and Rory Williams.
But she kept her thoughts to herself as she explained soothingly, "Well, one thing you might now know about me is that I don't make promises I can't keep. And I promise, you will be okay."
The little girl dithered and then opened her mouth - but before she could say anything, the door opened behind the girl and Terry tensed while Amy gasped as four of the Silence walked into the room towards them.
"Oh, my God-" Amy whispered, when Terry suddenly spoke.
"Amy, when I say, I want you to grab the little girl and run for it. Get to Canton as quickly as you can."
"What? Angel-"
Amy started to protest but Terry insisted, "As fast as you can, do you hear me-?"
Terry gasped as she suddenly felt a presence behind her. She whirled around but she was too late - the Silence (which must have been hiding, knowing she could see and remember it) stabbed her with an injection.
"Run, Amy!" Terry gasped even as her vision started to go dark.
"Angel, no!"
Terry heard Amy cry out for her before the redhead screamed. "DOCTOR!"
"... Melody…" Terry whispered.
And then Terry's entire world went black.
The Doctor burst into the bedroom in the attic, pushing aside Canton and Rory in his haste. But as he'd suspected, Terry and Amy weren't there. The only things left in the abandoned bedroom were two small, red nanorecorders and the spacesuit that the Doctor had seen in the Florida warehouse.
"What the-?" River gasped.
Rory meanwhile stared helplessly at the blinking nanorecorder from which they could hear Amy's voice.
"It's dark. So dark. I don't know where I am. Please, can anybody hear me?"
"Doctor-" Rory started, but the Doctor ignored his companion.
Instead, he strode forward and bent down beside the other nanorecorder. Unlike Amy's, this one was silent. No blinking lights, no nothing, not even the sound of breathing. The Doctor's lips thinned and his eyes darkened as he picked up Terry's nanorecorder.
Seeing the Oncoming Storm brewing in the Doctor's expression, River pointed out grimly, "She knew this was going to happen. It's the only explanation for why she insisted on coming to this place with Amy."
"Yes, thank you for the obvious." The Doctor growled as his hand fisted over Terry's nanorecorder.
"Why would Terry purposely let Amy walk into danger?" Rory demanded. "Usually she's trying to get us out of it."
"There must have been a reason. Something so important that it couldn't be compromised." River answered with only the minutest glance at the abandoned spacesuit.
The Doctor still hadn't moved from his position, which did not bode well in River's opinion. But before she could say anything, Rory asked shakily, "Why can I still hear Amy?"
"It defaults to live." The Doctor answered briskly as he suddenly got to his feet. "This is current. Wherever she is right now, this is what she's saying."
Rory shook his head, denying the reality of the situation that his wife was kidnapped somewhere they had no idea, and sounding so terribly afraid.
"Please, is anyone there?" Amy's voice pleaded.
"Amy, can you hear me?" Rory picked up Amy's nanorecorder and he tried to speak into it. "We're coming for you. Wherever you are, we're coming, I swear."
"She can't hear you." The Doctor interjected grimly. "I'm so sorry. It's one way. "
"She can always hear me, Doctor." Rory snapped. "Always. Wherever she is, and she always knows that I am coming for her. Do you understand me? Always."
"Doctor, are you out there?" Amy cried out at that moment. "Can you hear me? Doctor? Oh, God. Please, please, Doctor, just get me out of this."
At once, Rory's face fell. But he hid his despair and instead, he promised into the nanorecorder, "He's coming. I'll bring him, I swear."
The Doctor didn't even seem to hear him as he stared at the nanorecorder in his own hand. River meanwhile had another thought.
"If that defaults to live… Why is Terry's silent?" She asked.
The Doctor's answering look was all the answer they needed. River opened her mouth to stop the Doctor (or at least, try to), but they were interrupted by Dr. Renfrew's call.
"Hello? Is somebody there? I think someone has been shot."
The Doctor's expression, if possible, became darker. And before River could try to calm him down, the Doctor was dashing toward Renfrew's voice as the confused man continued helplessly.
"I think we should help. We c. I can't re. I can't remember."
Terry opened her eyes and groaned. It felt like she'd been bludgeoned over the head with a cricket bat. Or maybe even three.
"What… Where…?"
Terry tried to focus her bleary eyes. And when her vision finally swam into focus, she almost wished it hadn't. Terry groaned as she saw the Silence staring right back at her.
"Oh, great. You lot." She grumbled. It was also then that she realised she was strapped to a gurney and her sour mood worsened.
"Really? A gurney? You guys really aren't that creative."
Terry looked around to see she was also placed in the middle of a cavernous room with a medical-looking and clearly not human machine standing nearby. Her distaste only increased.
"Let me guess: A mysterious, hidden cave that no one will be able to find?" Terry scoffed. "You really think that any of this is going to keep the Doctor from coming for me?"
"It doesn't matter if he will." One of the Silence answered as three or so of them drew in closer around Terry.
"Oh, really? And why not?" Terry asked in a bored tone.
But she was quickly jerked back awake when the Silence answered, "Because by then, we will have what we want. Daemon."
"Oh, really? And what is it that you could possibly want, aside from the Doctor's death?" Terry asked.
"We have already told you." The Silence answered as they started to hook Terry up to the machine.
Terry started to struggle angrily in retaliation, but there was no way of breaking out of her bonds.
"You didn't tell me anything!"
"We did. And once we have you, Daemon, we will have all that we need to erase the Doctor from existence." The Silence announced.
Terry's eyes widened as she realised what the Silence were after.
"I don't think that's going to work-"
Terry broke off with a scream while a gold-blue light started to envelope her as the Silence switched on their machine. Only, the glowing energy that surrounded her seemed to get sucked into the machine.
"Terry?! Terry!"
Terry faintly heard Amy screaming - apparently, the redhead had just woken up from her own forced slumber. Not that Terry could pay much attention to her friend as she fought to remain conscious through the pain that coursed through her. Every cell in her body felt like it was being ripped in half, every muscle felt like it was tearing and every bone felt like it should be a shattered mess.
"Doctor…" Terry writhed, as though her body was trying to escape the pain. "Who…"
"What is happening?"
Terry vaguely heard the Silence start to hiss. But she was no longer in control. And Terry's eyes closed as she slipped into the deepest recesses of her mind, just as she heard a faint but familiar wheezing sound.