TIME LORDS DON'T CRY

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

We have to get this open!” The Doctor shouted. “Here, Marie. Give me a hand.”

Marie reached up on her tiptoes and, like the Doctor, gripped the bar with both hands. Together, they pulled downwards on the bar as hard as they could. With a grating groan of protest, the metal bar slowly moved down. The shelving shifted slightly.

The Doctor used his shoulder to force it open part-way. He pointed the torch through the opening. The light reveled shoveled out dirt walls, and a low dirt roof held up with huge hand-hewn wooden support beams. Dust motes sifted through the torch’s beams.

Holding Marie’s hand, the Doctor edged into the opening.

“We’ll have to hurry. The house could blow at any moment, and we don’t want to get trapped down here.”

Brushing aside a multitude of cobwebs, the Doctor led the way down the gaping maw of the tunnel, stooping over to avoid hitting his head on the dirt roof.

The going was slow. Every so often, dirt sifted down on top of the pair, worrying the Doctor. If the house blew while they were still in here…he stiffened his shoulders and ran a bit faster, dragging Marie along with him. Unfortunately, the cramped quarters made running almost as much of a hazard as a cave-in. The Doctor cursed under his breath in low Galafreyan when his forehead grazed a beam.

“Times like this, I really miss my trainers,” the Doctor huffed. “Wellies are fine for walking about in muck, but definately not good for running in tunnels. Next time I get amnesia, I’m going to leave a note myself on how to dress appropriately.”

Just then, the Doctor felt Marie stop abruptly. He tugged on her hand.

“We can’t stop now, sweetheart, we have to keep going!’ He shouted.

“We have to stop!” Marie shouted back.

She pointed at the dirt wall behind him. Set into the wall, regular blocks of dirt had been scooped away and flat stones used as steps. It didn’t look very stable. The Doctor carefully rested a foot on the first step, to test it. The dirt crumbled away, trickling down onto his boot, but the step held fast. The Doctor lifted up Marie to the middle steps, standing close by, in case she fell.

“Right then, up you go young lady.” He encouraged her. “Careful!” he added sternly as a warning.

Marie slowly climbed up the crumbling steps and opened another trap door. A rushing wind blew thorough, raining dead leaves and more debris down upon the Doctor. He involuntarily stepped back, covering his face with his arms, until the air cleared. A beam creaked ominously overhead.

Balancing his foot on the first stone, the Doctor heaved himself up, step by careful step. Poking his head up through the door, he saw they were in some uncut brush that stood a short way back from the barn.

Just then, he heard Marie give a little squeak of surprise. The Doctor looked up to see the walking dead woman in the apron, slowly reaching pale fingers towards his sister.

“No!” he shouted, “Run, Marie!”

The Doctor launched himself up out of the tunnel, only to have the last step give way under his foot. He fell back into the tunnel, with the staircase collapsing on top of him.

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