Doctor Who_ Nightshade - Mark Gatiss [45]
skeletal grip on her cheek.
‘Her real name’s Dorothy but she wouldn’t thank me for Plash
telling you.’
Thud
‘Well, I just wondered whether...’
Thud
‘Yes?’
The rustling came again. Betty jammed her fist into her The Doctor raised an eyebrow, enjoying the young man’s mouth, eyes bulging in naked terror. Where was Lawrence?
discomfort.
Where was Robin? Where were they?
Robin was saved by a terrible, whooping scream which The footsteps stopped. The door seemed to loom before echoed across the moor like the howl of a wolf. Both he and her, heavy with the presence behind it.
the Doctor jumped in alarm. There was movement about a hundred yards ahead and they turned to make it out. A 126
127
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
small, silhouetted figure was stumbling about, making pressed flat so that his mouth and nose were just two gory incomprehensible gurgling sounds in its throat.
holes, as though he’d been flung against plate glass.
‘Come on!’ cried the Doctor, grabbing Robin’s arm.
The Doctor moved towards the body and gingerly The figure was stationary now, swaying a little in the touched Prudhoe’s arm. There was a horrible crack as moonlight and sobbing uncontrollably. The Doctor pulled tissues split apart and clouds of opaque vapour flooded the out a torch from his capacious pockets and swept the beam little niche. The Doctor gagged as the smell engulfed him.
on to a blanched, panicky face, the stern mouth flecked with Robin turned and ran outside, hurling himself down on the spit, the eyes two perfect circles of fear like bullet holes in heather.
ice.
Pushing a handkerchief into his mouth, the Doctor forced
‘It’s Mrs Prudhoe!’ hissed Robin.
himself to watch and shuddered involuntarily as the body
‘The missing man’s wife?’
rippled and fell inwards, trickling away into the ground.
Robin nodded vigorously. The Doctor placed a reassuring The Doctor remained a few minutes more and then hand on the old woman’s wrinkled brow. ‘All right. It’s all stepped outside, drinking in the frosty air with relief. He right now, Mrs Prudhoe. Mrs Prudhoe? What’s wrong?
patted Robin on the shoulder as the boy knelt there, What happened?’
doubled up.
She stared at the Doctor but seemed to look right through
‘What... what happened to him?’
him, struggling against the firm grip of his hands, her The Doctor shook his head and looked up at the sky mouth working away in silent protest.
above them. He sighed heavily. Would there never be an Sensing his ministrations were futile, the Doctor let Mrs end to it?
Prudhoe go and she shambled off into the darkness, weeping.
Trevithick turned up the collar of his coat as a chilly wind
‘Doctor! Over here!’
from the moor shivered through the village. It was bloody Robin was some way off now. He had found the little cold. He rubbed his gloved hands together and grumbled a enclave in the rocks surrounded by stubby trees. The Doctor little under his breath.
picked out the area with his torch and the beam bounced Christmas Eve tomorrow! In all the excitement, he’d over black moor and grey stone as he advanced. He could almost forgotten. But now he could sense that lovely, feel Robin’s breath by him as he turned the beam into the indefinable crisp-ness in the air. Was it snow? Would they hole.
have snow for Christmas? He looked forward to that
‘Jesus,’ cried Robin, taking a step backwards as the torch beautiful, serene quiet which heavy snow always brought to revealed the appalling sight within.
the world and the satisfying crump his steel-toed winter Jack Prudhoe lay in a heap, legs and arms snapped, boots would make in virgin drifts. Nothing quite like it.
paunchy skin streaked with purple scratches. His face was 128
129
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
If memory served, they’d finished the last Nightshade Trevithick caught a smell on the breeze, recognised it and around Christmas. December 1958, wasn’t it? Only ten years, felt his stomach heave. He turned and ran. About fifty yards yet