THIRTEEN

 The Doctor’s whistle rang out across the ruins of Victoria square, the monster spun round distracted by the sound. I grabbed hold of Mike, who was screaming like a girl and pushed him into the TARDIS. Slamming the doors shut behind us, I ran over to the console and switched on the screen. With my heart in my mouth, I watched as the Doctor and my dad ran for their lives. The creature was chasing them, it appeared to have hundreds of legs but floated just above the ground as they ran round the back of the museum, and I zoomed in closer and saw the Doctor carrying the box and dad shouting frantically into his phone. They disappeared from view, then the smoke creature turned back and began circling the museum, leaping up to the rooftops as though it was trying to find a way in. It looked as though the Doctor and dad had made it, I wondered if the creature was a pet of the shadow army or perhaps a beast from their world that had accidentally fallen through a portal. There must have been an opening just below the pavement surface, it must have caused the earth tremors…I wondered how we were going to get back to the others… I wanted to be with my parents and friends. I closed my eyes and listened to the TARDIS breathing quietly and felt my own breathing slow down to match its pace. I turned round, Mike had been awfully quiet.

 “Mike are you are alright?”

 I ran round the console, Mike was crouching by one of the coral struts, the one nearest to the entrance. He had his back to me and appeared to be staring beneath the mesh flooring to the deep recesses and the inner workings of the TARDIS. Upon hearing my voice, it was as though his reflexes had kicked into place as he slid his hand in his pocket quickly and stood up to face me. Mike stared at me vacantly, his glassy eyes looking right through me but then he shuddered, snapping out of his trance and he was “back in the room.” Now whenever I recall that moment, I wished I had trusted my instincts and found out what Mike was doing. But I was caught up in the events of what was happening in the museum and the imminent destruction of our world. And it was too late there was nothing I could have done to have stopped Mike’s actions. For the Doctor, his TARDIS and I, our fates were sealed…But I run on ahead of myself, that story is for another time. Before I met the Doctor I never believed in fate or a person’s destiny but whenever I remember our adventures that story was still to come and had been waiting for me from the moment I met the Doctor…

 “I’m sorry I don’t know what came over me there…” Mike shook his head and for a moment he looked terrified. I put his strange actions to the back of my mind, I told myself that he was traumatized.

 “Well it’s not every day that you nearly get eaten by a giant, smoke, alien Centipede.” I smiled even Mike Hilton deserved a bit of pity and all fairness to him he’d taken the experience pretty well.   

 “Yeah thanks for rescuing me Anna, it turns out you don’t completely hate me after all.” I raised an eyebrow and glared at Mike, he quickly changed the subject. “Well I finally made it inside the TARDIS at last… Have to admit, I’m impressed Anna.” Mike smiled back and fully took in his surroundings. “How could any man compete with all this?”

 “Now don’t start, you know it’s not like that with me and the Doctor.” I wasn’t going to put up with any nonsense as I began to ring to check if everyone was alright. I had a missed call from mum, she would be out of her mind with worry.

 “New phone, very flash. What happened to one I brought you?” Mike couldn‘t disguise his resentment.

 “Brought me, are you having a laugh Mikey!” I raised an eyebrow as I waited for someone to answer and then added. “It got blown up by laser welding, psychotic robots.”

 “Alright… Alright. Don’t call me Mikey, you know I don’t like that.”

 “Hi mum calm down…We’re alright look, did the Doctor and dad make it back?”

 Once I’d heard they were safely back inside the museum, I ran back over to the screen and started surveying the desolate area outside. Mum started moaning about the Doctor bossing her about and ordering her to make tea, I didn’t say anything, I knew the Doctor had his reasons. The shimmering whirlpool above the museum had vanished, maybe it was another failed opening or the Mediator’s force field keeping them out. The smoke monster was nowhere to be seen maybe that had vanished too, then again it could be hiding. I couldn’t bear not being in the thick of the action and leaving them all to it.

 “Tell the Doctor, I’m on my way, heading for the main entrance.” I slammed my mobile shut and put it on silence before Mum could say anything.

 “Are you out of your mind Anna!” Mike protested as he stood on the ramp, blocking the doorway.

 “Out of my way Mike, the world could be ending right now and I’m not sitting here in the TARDIS and doing nothing. I want to be with my family and friends…”

 “Rather than with me?” Mike muttered sullenly.

 “Do you really want me to answer that?” I walked straight up to where he was standing and folded my arms. I looked at him, full of defiance and stared him out as he eyes began to blink under the strain. “You can stay here but I’m going outside. So what’s it going to be?”

 “Oh why are you so brave and reckless! You never used to be like this… Right I’m coming with you but just so you know at this precise moment in time I really hate you Anna Bailey.” Mike whinged like a petulant boy, I was undecided about whether he worried about looking like a coward in front of me or he actually cared about me.

 “Good. I like to know where we both stand.” I smiled as I slowly opened the door and peered outside, it was very dark and stormy. I turned to Mike. “Right are you ready to run like a mad man?”

 Poor Mike, before he even got the chance to answer I had yanked him by the jacket and pulled him outside and in one fluid movement had shut the TARDIS door behind us. I grasped his clammy hand in mine and once we got passed the crater in the ground, we were running flat out acrossthe square. There was a gale blowing which pushed against us but we were almost there, I picked up the phone and started ordering mum to be ready to open the door. But coming just around the corner of the civic offices was, you guessed it the smoke creature. There was no mistaking it, even against the unnatural night sky. Its turn of speed was elemental like being chased down by a tornado, clattering and banging as it swept along the ground. I heard Mike whimper quietly but we both increased our speed and I didn’t look back again.

 “Come on!” I yelled as I dragged Mike up the steps, fitness wise he was seriously out of condition. “I’m not having you on my conscience.”

 I looked up and I could see mum and Paul waiting at the door, their eyes widening with terror as they took in the full horror of the creature. It was so close, mum and Paul reached out to grab us…And then the door next to ours swung open and the Doctor and dad jump out like a pair of cuckoos on a Swiss clock.

 “Hello again!” The Doctor beamed as he and my dad both sprayed the creature with the carbon dioxide contained within the fire extinguishers they were holding. The creature let out an earth shattering shriek and recoiled from the cool inrush of air.

 “And stay out!” Dad yelled at the creature.

 I heard the doors slam shut and everyone began bolting them and barricading them with tables and chairs and anything they could find. I waved to Jasmine and Kyle who came dashing down the staircase to help. I sank to my knees, wiping the rain from my face and began to get my breath back, Mike collapsed on the floor beside me in a sweaty heap. Mum hugged me, throwing down murderous glances at my ex, maybe it might have been better if Mike had stayed in the TARDIS.

 “What took you so long?” The Doctor grinned, giving me a helping hand.

 “Oh you know the usual stuff.” I smiled back. “How’s everything going?… You all playing nicely?” I glanced between the Doctor and mum, I hoped they had both been making an effort.

 “It’s coming along just nicely and so far no more visitations from the Galanties.” The Doctor pointed to the foot of the stairs where a makeshift cube device made of Perspex rested on the ground. It was compact and looked reasonably easy enough to carry, there were, dials, an on/off light switch and wires protruding untidily from all directions. In fact one of the wires was soaking in a pot of steaming tea that rested alongside the device.

 “Is that the Dimensional Stabilizer?” I wasn’t even going to ask about the tea.

 “Yeah among other clever little things it can do, young Kyle helped me to build it. It’s just charging at the moment. It’ll be ready in a tic.” The Doctor smiled at the device with something like parental pride, I had to admit I was impressed with how quickly he had constructed it.

 “Right okay.” I frowned and wondered how this little device was going to save us and the entire planet. To be honest I think we were all thinking the same. My thoughts were interrupted by a loud, bone splintering banging against the solid oak reinforced doors.

 “I think Smokey wants to get in.” The Doctor observed with utmost calm. Mike leapt to his feet and we all moved back towards the stairs. “He’s really not happy.” The Doctor had a little think. “Or she, it’s difficult to tell.”

 “But what are we going to do with the creature, we can’t leave it rampaging the streets of Birmingham? That force field isn’t going to last forever.” Before the question had left me lips, I knew the Doctor was fashioning a plan.

 “Don’t you worry Anna Bailey, It’s all falling into place. But I might need you to do a spot of running again.” The Doctor ran over to the Dimensional Stabilizer and picked it up. “Right I think that might just about be ready. Good brew Caroline.” The Doctor nodded to my mum.

 “Glad to be of assistance Doctor but whatever that Dimensional thingy does, is it going to work? I mean you haven’t actually tested it. ” Mum replied bluntly.

 “I have a feeling we’re going to find out soon enough.” The Doctor looked down at the pouch on his neck, the artefact, the final piece to the time key was glowing again. The Doctor’s face was illuminated in a florescent glow. “Paul, show us the quickest way to the vaults. It’s time for some pest control.”

 Our little group was sticking together, it was safer that way as a portal could appear anywhere within the museum and at any moment. Though I noticed a few of the group keeping their distance from the Doctor as he was lit up like a beacon and was carrying the time component, a sure target for the Galanties of the shadow armies. Of course I trusted the Doctor implicitly with our lives but I don’t think everyone else was quite so convinced…

 “You’re going to let that monster roam in the museum!” Jasmine exclaimed loudly and then turning to the quiet security guard. “No Paul, we can’t let the Doctor do that.”

 “We need to contain the creature, we don’t know how long the force field will last and also…” The Doctor had a little think. “It might come in handy later on…”

 “Come in handy!” Mum exclaimed loudly.

 “Shush everyone, we’re running out of time!” I shouted, making them all jump. “So what’s the plan Doctor?” I asked, knowing perfectly well it was going to be highly dangerous.