Doctor Who: Time Lords Don't Cry

Chapter Fifteen: Tunneling to Freedom--or Death?

“We have to get this open!” The Doctor shouted. “Here, Marie. Give me a hand.” Marie reached up on her tiptoes and gripped the bar with both hands. 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 supports. Dust motes sifted through the torch’s beams. Holding Marie’s hand, he edged into the opening. “We’ll have to hurry. When that gas ignites..." He glanced behind him, "well, we don’t want to get trapped down here, do we?.”

Marie nodded--then stared at the Doctor. "Wait, Doctor. What do you mean? What's going to explode?" 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. He glanced down at Marie. "I made things a little hot for your Uncle." Scratching his ear, he murmured, "Brings a new meaning to the old American saying, 'now you're cookin' with gas." He grinned, "I left a little surprise for your uncle in the kitchen. Believe you me, he'll get a big bang out of it."

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. He cursed under his breath in low Galafreyan when his forehead grazed a beam. He missed his trainers, as well. Running bent double was difficult enough: in wellies, it definitely left something to be desired. Just then he felt Marie stop abruptly. He turned. “We can’t stop, 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. “Right then, up you go young lady.” She climbed up and opened another trap door, and the rushing wind blew thorough, raining dead leaves down upon the Doctor.

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 alongside the barn. Just then, he heard Marie give a little squeak of surprise. The walking dead woman in the apron was reaching pale fingers towards her. The Doctor launched himself up out of the tunnel, only to have the last step give way. He fell back into the tunnel, with the staircase collapsing on top of him.