It's All Downhill

By Sonic Jules

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Previously, in chapter six...

A few men, women, and children had gathered where the church once stood, sitting on pieces of what was left of the farthest wall. Some were obviously in shock and some too injured to help with the search efforts, or both. Beside the church, where once was a playground, was now a resting place for the bodies that had been found and laid side by side.

Rose's breath hitched.

"Ready?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Let's do this."

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Chapter Seven:
The Downhill Path

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A scream to their left had the Doctor and Rose looking beside them, spotting a woman trying to outrun an approaching Grova Nostra. It began chasing her, its light weight allowing it easy maneuverability atop the mud as it gained speed.

Rose gasped, clearly shocked by the insect-looking animal. She remembered the Time Lord had said that they were a bit like the fire ants from Earth, only fifteen times larger and much more aggressive, and they lived around the water. But the lake had been nearly drained now, and the creatures were beginning to relocate.

The Doctor and his traveling companion were too far away to help the woman being chased - that much was obvious - but neither could just stand by idly.

The Doctor reached in his pocket, retrieving the sonic screwdriver on the first grab. He brought it up to his face as he began working the settings.

"Please, please, please, please, please," he spoke toward it, hoping it would work after being buried in the mud with him not too long before. When the high pitched screeching noise began and the Grova Nostra made a hasty retreat, the Time Lord exhaled with relief, turning the settings down enough that the humans could no longer hear it, but the creatures could, and would likely stay away from the area as long as it was transmitting.

The Doctor watched Rose as she moved as quickly as she could toward the woman, who had collapsed when the creature stopped its chase. He soon followed her.

"There will likely be more of Grova Nostra moving this way soon," he warned. "The low sonic emissions will keep them away for now, but once I turn it off, they'll come back. There's enough moisture here now for them to feel just as comfortable as they were around the lake."

"That's our problem to deal with," a loud voice interrupted from behind the Time Lord, causing him to turn abruptly. "Come, Arine," he said to the woman who'd been chased by the creature.

"She's still a bit shaky," Rose said, helping the woman stand.

"Well, if that's all she is then she's lucky. Arine!"

As the woman stepped toward him, Rose grasped her arm gently. "You don't have to leave with him," she spoke softly.

"But I do - Grodin is my husband," she replied innocently. "Besides, where else would I go?"

Rose turned her focus on the man. "I bet you're one of those men that caused all this to begin with, too ignorant to accept help when it was offered."

The patches of skin on Grodin's face not covered in mud began turning red as his hands balled into fists. Rose watched him defiantly, never dropping her eyes from his glare. When the man's arm raised to slap her, however, it was stopped midway.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the Doctor spoke with quiet menace, his fingers wrapped painfully around Grodin's wrist.

Arine's husband stared at the Time Lord for only a moment before looking away. "Let me go," he said, nodding in silent agreement not to attempt that again. He grabbed Arine by the arm and lead her away from the travelers.

"Thanks," Rose said, looking at the Doctor gratefully.

"You're welcome," he replied, eyeing his companion for only a moment before looking around at the villagers who were either climbing up the hill or already there.

"Everyone listen up!" he suddenly yelled, startling Rose. "All of you - that's right." The Doctor watched as they gave him their attention. "We want to help you - that is all we've been trying to do since we've arrived. But you've been stubborn and you've made a mistake far worse than I can fix. I'm still willing to help you, though. I can take you somewhere else - a planet with abundant land and water where you can start over. It's up to you whether or not you accept."

Grodin, one of the few people who did not attempt to give the Time Lord his attention, suddenly turned around and began laughing. "You can't take us anywhere!" he scoffed. "You're just as trapped here as the rest of us. Your ship is gone! You have nothing! We'll have no more of your offers of help!"

The Doctor looked around at the rest of the people. "Is that it, then? Does he speak for all of you?"

He and Rose watched as the others all either looked down or away, not meeting their eyes.

"Very well," he continued, his voice tinged with sadness. "I can't force you to come with me, but rest assured, Rose and I will not be staying to witness your suffering."

He held out his hand and Rose took it willingly, then they began walking away.

When they had walked far enough down the hill that the villagers could not hear them speak, Rose stopped and turned toward the Doctor. "Where are we going?" she asked quietly.

He pointed forward to the left. There sitting amongst the ruins of homes and trees washed down toward the valley was the TARDIS. She was covered in mud and limbs and in their eyes, she looked more beautiful than they had ever seen her before.

They reached the doors of the ship twenty minutes later after carefully walking down the hill of muck and mud, relief evident as both the Time Lord and Rose touched tentative fingers to her frame. Simultaneously, they then both looked back up the hill one last time.

The once thriving population of two-hundred thirty seven villagers had been brought down to merely forty-two people in the blink of an eye, all due to their unseeing lack of wisdom. If only they'd listened to him...

While thunder boomed above them, the Doctor and Rose stared at the chaotic remains a few moments. The Doctor unlocked the door and they both entered the TARDIS.

Ironically, as the doors of the time traveling ship closed behind them, rain began to fall.

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The End.

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