Doctor Who_ Nightshade - Mark Gatiss [54]
sending the old man with the arthritic hands to check on We were both sick in the car.’
Betty. He had returned, saying her door was locked and it Trevithick frowned. ‘Anything else?’
seemed wise not to disturb her.
Lowcock nodded slowly. ‘Oh aye. Plenty. That’s why we Trevithick himself, however, had not slept well. His mind came tearing back here like a couple of nutters. We both felt fizzed with unanswered questions. Events had been curious this... terror.’ He threw up his hands hopelessly. ‘That’s the enough before but now! That creature... It was fantastic.
only way I can describe it. Overwhelming terror. Hysterical He heard a mumbling groan behind him and turned to we were. As if something was coming over the moor to get see Lowcock stirring in his blanket-covered chair. The us. I’ve never been so scared in my whole bloody life.’
policeman’s lively, humorous face now seemed heavily He finished off the whiskey.
jowled and tired. He rubbed his eyes and looked blearily
‘George.’ Trevithick put a hand on the policeman’s arm.
about him.
“There’s something happening in this village. I think it’s Trevithick pushed a whiskey into his hand and he drank beyond any of our understanding, but we’ve got to do it gratefully.
something. Pool our resources. Get all the facts together.’
‘What happened out there?’ said Trevithick, immediately Lowcock grimaced. ‘What facts? What do you think is pouring another drink.
happening?’
Lowcock gulped it down and waved his hand about.
‘I don’t know. Listen. I know this is going to sound
‘Don’t know. How long have we been out?’
incredible, but, last night, when I was walking home...’
Trevithick looked at his watch. ‘It’s a quarter past eight.
‘How’s Betty?’ said Lowcock suddenly. ‘Christ, I forgot all You got back about half past ten last night and you’ve been about her. How is she?’
asleep ever since. We couldn’t wake you.’
Trevithick put up his hands. ‘It’s all right. I sent someone Lowcock shook his head and rubbed his face, his cheeks up to relieve young Robin but he’d locked the door. We making a slapping sound like wet liver. ‘We got as far as the didn’t want to disturb her. She’s fine, I’m sure. But listen, moor road,’ he said at last, cradling the whiskey glass in his last night...’
hands, ‘and we were just talking about who we should Lawrence sat bolt upright in his chair, blinking his eyes in contact in York. Then...’
confusion. He looked at Lowcock and Trevithick with a Trevithick looked up expectantly.
puzzled frown as if unsure of who they were. Then he
‘Then?’
threw aside his blanket and clattered across the room to the
‘I felt it first. Sickness. Nausea. Waves of it. Like we were stairs.
on a rolling ship in a storm. I felt awful. And I could see
‘Lol, it’s all right!’ called Lowcock, getting to his feet.
152
153
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
There was grim determination in Lawrence’s tired face as Lawrence sat down calmly on his side of the bed and he sprinted up the stairs to the bedroom. He glanced down folded back the eiderdown. Betty Yeadon glared back at absently at the carpet which seemed to be wet through.
him, her features horribly contorted and stretched back like
‘Betty?’ He hammered on the door. ‘Betty? Are you all perished rubber. Broken capillaries zig-zagged across her right, love?’
flattened face.
He tried the door. It was locked.
Lawrence let out a howl of grief and made to grab his
‘Robin?’
wife’s shoulders. He jerked back in abject horror as her body His shoes squelched on the sodden carpet.
shattered in his hands, the skin falling away in brittle shards.
‘Betty? Robin? Come on, son. Open the door.’
For one awful moment he could feel the bones in her wasted He could hear the alarm clock’s muffled ticking. Lowcock arms but then they too shuddered into nothingness beneath and Trevithick