Doctor Who_ Wonderland - Mark Chadbourn [15]
'We have sunshine in our eyes,' she said dreamily. 'Rainbows sprout like trees ... like fountains. In heaven, all the angels know ... we can walk through walls ... we can do anything.' It was only the briefest moment of calm. Slowly her gaze focused on my face and that look of terror returned. 'They were born behind the wind. They were there before the sun. Colours ... so many colours ... And now they're here.'
'Listen to me' I stroked the back of her hand; she was so scared I was afraid she'd hurt herself. I'd once seen one guy drive a shard of glass right through his hand in the middle of a trip because he thought he was made of smoke. 'It's just you and me here. . . '
'No, we're not alone. We're never alone' She snatched her hand free and gripped the arm of the chair as she looked frantically around the room. 'There!' She pointed to one corner near a standard lamp with a broken shade. Her eyes moved quickly to another corner as if she were following something; a chill ran down my spine. 'There!'
'Look at me,' I said gently. She was so adamant I could almost believe she was seeing something, but acid does strange things if your head isn't in the right place.
But she was too far gone. She forced herself up the back of the chair, trying to drive herself away, her face drained of blood. I could smell fear on her, a horrible metallic taint. 'No!' she screamed.
'Please, you'll be okay.'
Suddenly her arm shot up into the air as if it had been yanked. A scream erupted from her throat. I threw myself backwards in shock as she was dragged from the chair by invisible hands. Rapidly, she went across the floor, one arm outstretched into nothing, shrieking in terror.
She mouthed something, but it took an instant for her vocal chords to work: 'Colours ... colours ... Colour-Beast –' The words were choked off.
The sight of her disappearing eerily into the shadows at the far end was too much for me. The last things I saw were her white eyes and white teeth glowing in the dark, before they finally faded.
I should have felt guilty for abandoning her. I didn't; I panicked. But as I scrambled towards the door ready to throw myself down the stairs and out of that nightmarish place, something grabbed at my arm. Only there was nothing there. I screamed, skidded out on to the landing. I got free, but the way I'd landed meant I'd have to go past the door to get downstairs. The only way was up. I didn't stop to think. I ran.
All the doors I passed were locked. I hammered on them, but no one answered. On the top floor, the final door was made of steel and daubed with a red circle sprouting twin horns. I hit it hard, yelling to be let in. Behind me, I couldn't see anything in the half-light. The drapes on the stairs were all drawn, with only slivers of sun eking through the gaps between them. But as I watched, one of the drapes drew back, then fell shut again. As if something had brushed by it.
My heart rose into my mouth. Before I could cry out, the door at my back swung open and I fell through. It slammed shut instantly and a bolt was drawn. I was looking up into the grinning face of a squat, heavily muscled man. He had long, wiry black hair starting to grey, and a thick beard. One tooth was missing so that his grin was faintly menacing, while in the middle of his forehead was a home-made tattoo, an A in a ragged circle; dried blood and dirt crusted the edges. Like the others I'd seen, he didn't appear to have washed recently. He reached out a hand and pulled me roughly to my feet.
'There's something out there!' I said, but he only laughed.
'Nobody can get in here, baby.' He turned and headed into the main room, clearly expecting me to follow. His voice floated back: 'And once you're in, you don't get out. Unless I say so.'
'You're the Goblin?' The minute I said the name, whatever was outside faded into the background.
'The question is, who are you?'
'My name's Summer. I'm looking for – '
'Summer, Summer, Summer.' He laughed, not