Misfortune: A Time Travel Romance (Ball and Chain Book 1)

by David L. Hilton

  "I thought you were bluffing!"

  I scoffed, "I never go anywhere without a knife."

  He frowned at me, "I'll... Deal with that later..."

  "So it was here? That was the Angel?" River asked.

  "That was a projection of the Angel," he grimaced. "It's reaching out, getting a good look at us. It's no longer dormant."

  A loud, ear popping explosion sound, making me jump, and cover my ears instinctively. The Doctor and River run out to see what it was, while Amy sits beside me. "Sorry..." I muttered as the rubbed my eye that was irritating me. "Loud things, too much to hear. Makes my head hurt sometimes."

  Amy nodded, "S'okay," she looked at me, her smile changing into a confused look. "Earlier, when we were in the library. Why did you tell us about those... Abilities you could do, if you don't trust us?"

  "Mutual respect," I shrugged. "I trust you with something, and expect you not to go blogging it."

  She nodded understandably, I stared at her, "Amy... Who do you think River is?"

  "Hmm?" She looked at me, her green eyes gleaming with mischief, "I don't know about you, but I think she's the Doctor's wife!"

  I rose an eyebrow, "You don't think she's, I don't know, maybe... Related to someone you might know?"

  At this, she raises an eyebrow, "Why would you think that?"

  I looked at her, then gave her a forced smile, "No reason!" I smiled, "Just thinking. Don't listen to me, I'm just rambling. C'mon, let's go see what that explosion was," I get off the chair, walking out of the room, my smile melting.

  If River is from the future, then she is most definitely related to Amy.

  --/•-/--••/•

  We climbed down the rope ladder into the very large open cavern. "Do we have a gravity globe?" The Doctor asked.

  "Grav globe," Father Octavian ordered, and someone pulled out a large orb, and hands it to the Doctor.

  "Where are we? What is this?" Amy asked. I frowned, there's something very off about this place. Like its on the tip of my tongue, but I can't seem to place it.

  "It's an Aplan Mortarium," River explained. "Sometimes called a Maze of the Dead."

  "Well, if you happen to be a creature of living stone," he kicked the orb and it goes in the air, illuminating the entire cavern revealing hundreds, maybe thousands, of stone statues. "... The perfect hiding place."

  "I guess this makes it a bit trickier," Father Octavian frowned, assessing the situation.

  "A bit, yeah," he rolled his eyes.

  "A stone Angel on the loose amongst stone statues," the man grimaces. "A lot harder than I'd prayed for."

  "A needle in a haystack," River says.

  "A needle that looks like hay," the Doctor frowned. "A hay-like needle of death. A hay-alike needle of death in a haystack of, er, statues. No, yours was fine."

  "Right. Check every single statue in this chamber. You know what you're looking for," Father Octavian orders his soldiers.

  "I don't think splitting up would be the best idea," I frowned, looking around the room.

  "And what would you know, child?" The man scoffed at me.

  "I know, that when there's a half dead, desperate monster that's apparently capable of killing us all, it would be a bad idea to split up. It'll give the Angel the opportunity to kill us each off one by one."

  The man glared at me, "Complete visual inspection," he ignored my warning, and continued to order his soldiers. "One question. How do we fight it?"

  "We find it, and hope," the Doctor said, and him, Amy and I begin walk away.

  "Doctor," I said, pulling on his sleeve lightly. He turns to me. "Watch out for the statues... There's something really off about them..."

  -••/•/•-/-••

  We were walking through the maze, when I stopped, my eyes irritating again. I rubbed my eyes, and oddly felt something grainy fall in-between my fingers. When I looked up, nothing was there.

  "You alright?" River asked, coming over to me.

  "Fine," I dismissed, walking ahead. "Who are you, River?"

  "I'm a friend of the Doctor's," she answered.

  "You've said that many times," I noted. "I can hear it in your voice. Which brings me to the question: What kind of friend? I'm also wondering how a relative of Amy's could know the Doctor so well."

  She looked at me, "You always were the clever one," she laughed. "Give me your arm."

  "Viro-stabilizer?" I asked, pulling up my sleeve, and giving her my arm. "So I don't grow a third eye or something." She gave me a odd look, "I overheard you with Amy."

  She nodded, and stabbed me with the circular thing. "I'm giving you two because of your... Situation."

  I looked at her, warily, "How did you know about those?"

  She smirked, and stabbed me again, "Spoilers."

  -•••/---/•---

  We were walking around again, and I was on edge. At the slightest touch, I would jump. I knew there was something wrong, but every-time I thought about it, it... Slipped my mind.

  Suddenly, I heard a gunshot, and I jumped. The four of us ran into the main room where one of the soldiers and Father Octavian was. The Doctor went to go talk to the two of them. A few minutes later, we were scouting once again.

  We were walking through the maze once again. I had my hands crossed over my chest and watching every corner of the room

  "Isn't there a chance this lot's just going to collapse?" Amy asked, "There's a whole ship up there."

  "Incredible builders, the Aplans," River awes.

  "Had dinner with their Chief Architect once," the Doctor said. "Two heads are better than one."

  "You mean, you helped him?" I asked.

  "No, I mean he had two heads," he explained. "That book, the very end, what did it say?"

  "Hang on," River says, going through her bag.

  "Read it to me," the Doctor says once she had pulled it out and opened it.

  "What if we had ideas that could think for themselves?" River read, "What if one day our dreams no longer needed us? When these things occur and are held to be true, the time will be upon us. The time of Angels."

  •-/•--•/•-••/•-/-•

  We were walking around the mazes again. This time, Father Octavian and a few others were with us. I didn't feel very well, my breathing was heavy, and I kept touching my temples. I had a very bad headache, but that wasn't the worst of it.

  I could hear beating, heartbeats. In the thousands. They were coming from the statutes, but whenever I turn around to look at them, they stopped. I don't know what's going on. Every-time I tried to talk about it, I just... Forgot what I was going to say. Like I couldn't find my voice.

  "Hazel, are you alright?" Amy asked, I looked at her, my eyes devoid of any emotion, and nodded. "A-are you sure? You don't look fine..."

  "I'm okay," I muttered, continuing. What's going on? Usually, I can block out the heart beats, especially when I'm in a crowd, but for some reason, something's stopping me.

  Amy frowned, but said nothing else. "Are we there yet? It's a hell of a climb."

  "The Maze is on six levels," River explained. "Representing the ascent of the soul. Only two levels to go."

  "Lovely species, the Aplans," the Doctor commented. "We should visit them some time."

  "I thought they were all dead?" Amy said.

  "So is Virginia Woolf. I'm on her bowling team," he shrugged. "Very relaxed, sort of cheerful. Well, that's having two heads, of course. You're never short of a snog with an extra head."

  My eyes widened, and I looked at the statues. "Doctor, there's something. I don't know what it is," River frowned.

  "Yeah, there's something wrong. Don't know what it is yet, either," he rambled. "Working on it. Of course, then they started having laws against self-marrying. I mean, what was that about? But that's the Church for you. Er, no offense, Bishop."

  "Quite a lot taken, if that's all right, Doctor," Father Octavian said. "Lowest point in the wreckage is only about fifty feet up from here. That
way."

  "The Church had a point, if you think about it," Amy said. "The divorces must have been messy."

  "... Doctor..." I called, my head was pounding, my eye was irritating, but I didn't want to rub at it anymore.

  "Yes, Hazel, what is it?" He turned to me.

  "The statues..." I muttered. Suddenly, the heartbeats got louder, and I held my head in pain. "Aah!"

  "Hazel!" Amy cried, going to my side.

  "The statues! Stay away from the statues," I warned.

  "Why what's wrong with the..." A flash of realization goes across his face. "Oh."

  "What's wrong?" Amy asked.

  "Oh," River says, looking around too.

  "Exactly," the Doctor says.

  "How could we not have noticed that?"

  "Low level perception filter, or maybe we're thick," the Doctor admitted.

  "What's wrong, sir?" Father Octavian asked, stepping forward.

  "Nobody move. Nobody move. Everyone stay exactly where they are," he warned. "Bishop, I am truly sorry. I've made a mistake and we are all in terrible danger."

  "What danger?" He questioned.

  "The Aplans," River says.

  "The Aplans?"

  "They've got two heads," she explained slowly.

  "Yeah I get that. So?"

  "So why don't the statues?" The Doctor asked. "Everyone, over there. Just move. Don't ask questions, don't speak." Amy helped me move to where there was some kind alcove, away from the statues.

  "Okay, I want you all to switch off your torches," the Doctor instructed.

  "Sir?" The soldiers questioned.

  "Just do it. Okay. I'm going to turn off this one too, just for a moment," the Doctor holds his flashlight ready.

  "Are you sure about this?" River asked.

  "No." The lights go out, then back on in an instant. All the statu-- no, Angels have moved.

  "Oh, my God. They've moved," Amy whispered in a hushed tone.

  The Doctor runs to the entrance that we came, which is full of Angels. "They're Angels. All of them," he confirmed.

  "But they can't be " River states.

  "Clerics, keep watching them," he instructed the soldiers and runs to one of the cliffs to the side. "Every statue in this Maze, every single one, is a Weeping Angel. They're coming after us."

  -/•-•/•-/•--•/•--•/•/-••

  We were cornered in the cave, Angels surrounding us. "But there was only one Angel on the ship. Just the one, I swear," River gasped.

  "Could they have been here already?" Amy asked.

  "The Aplans. What happened?" The Doctor asked. "How did they die out?"

  "Nobody knows," River said.

  "We know," the Doctor corrected.

  "They don't look like Angels," Father Octavian said.

  "And they're not fast," Amy pointed out. "You said they were fast. They should have had us by now."

  "Look at them. They're dying, losing their form," the Doctor explained. "They must have been down here for centuries, starving."

  "Losing their image?" Amy repeated.

  "And their image is their power. Power," his eyes widened and he slapped his forehead. "Power!"

  "Doctor?" Amy asked, and he turned to her.

  "Don't you see? All that radiation spilling out the drive burn," the Doctor explained. "The crash of the Byzantium wasn't an accident, it was a rescue mission for the Angels. We're in the middle of an army, and it's waking up."

  River's eyes go wide, "We need to get out of here. Fast."

  Father Octavian pulled out his communicator, "Bob, Angelo, Christian, come in, please. Any of you, come in," he said.

  "It's Bob, sir. Sorry, sir," a male's voice says through the communicator.

  "Bob, are Angelo and Christian with you?" He asked. "All the statues are active. I repeat, all the statues are active."

  "I know, sir. Angelo and Christian are dead, sir," his said. "The statues killed them, sir."

  The Doctor snatches the communicator, "Bob, Sacred Bob, it's me, the Doctor."

  "I'm talking to--" Father Octavian tried to say, but the Doctor cut him off.

  "Where are you now?"

  "I'm talking to my--"

  "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, shut up," the Doctor rolled his eyes.

  "I'm on my way up to you, sir. I'm homing in on your signal," he said, I frowned.

  "Ah, well done, Bob. Scared keeps you fast. Told you, didn't-- Hey!" The Doctor shouted as I snatched the communicator from him, and putting my ear to it. I heard the sound of running, but it was too fast. Too rapid. Too inhuman.

  "Hazel, what are you--"

  "Bob, Scared Bob, whatever the hell your name is, where's the real Bob?" I demanded, "Because you sure don't sound like him."

  There's a short silence, "The human Bob was killed, miss," he said. "Snapped my neck, miss. Wasn't as painless as I expected, but it was pretty quick, so that was something."

  The Doctor took the communicator, "Where are the others? How are we still talking to you?"

  "Snapped their necks too, sir," he said. "And you're not talking to me, sir. The Angel has no voice. It stripped my cerebral cortex from my body and re-animated a version of my consciousness to communicate with you. Sorry about the confusion."

  I scowled, and turned away, my hand gripping the wall tightly. I saw it crack under my pressure. "So when you say you're on your way up to us..." The Doctor trailed off.

  "It's the Angel that's coming, sir, yes. No way out," he snickered, as if something was funny.

  "Then we get out through the wreckage. Go! Go, go, go. All of you run," Father Octavian says, as they run out. I turn to go too, but I can't move. I look at my hand, my eyes widening.

  "Doctor," I called, but he ignored me.

  "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm coming," he says. "Just go. Go, go, go. Yeah. Called you an idiot. Sorry, but there's no way we could have rescued your men."

  "I know that, sir," Father Octavian says, his eyes set into a heavy glare. "And when you've flown away in your little blue box, I'll explain that to their families."

  "Angel Bob. Which Angel am I talking to?" He asked. "The one from the ship?"

  "Yes, sir," he confirms. "The others are still restoring."

  "Ah, so the Angel is not in the wreckage. Thank you," he grins, and pocketed the communicator. "What are you waiting for? Go run."

  "I can't," I muttered, pulling on my hand as much as I could.

  "Why not?"

  "It's stone!" I hissed, pulling harder. My hand wasn't skin anymore, it was a grainy stone. "Can't you see it?!"

  He looked at me, and takes out his sonic, pointing it at my eyes. "You looked into the eyes of an Angel, didn't you?" He asked.

  "Yeah, sorry, it was in the general direction," I said, pulling as hard as I could.

  "Listen to me. It's messing with your head," he says. "Your hand is not made of stone."

  I gave him a weird look, "Yeah it is. See!"

  "It's in your mind, I promise you," he said, glancing at the door and at me. "You can move that hand. You can let go."

  "The Angel is going to come and it's going to turn this light off, and then there's nothing I can do to stop it, so do it. Concentrate. Move your hand."

  I looked at him, and back at my hand. I took a deep breath, and pulled my arm, using my feet to walk up the wall, and support myself. I forcibly pry my fingers off the wall. My fingers begin to turn a dark brown, back to its original color. I pull harder, the Doctor helping me, and finally, my hand fall off, and I fly back, hitting the wall.

  Just as I did that, I heard footsteps by the door. The Doctor stares at the Angel that appeared in the door way. I jump up, kicking it in the head. The stone head goes flying, and hits the wall behind it, and shattered.

  Before he could say anything, I yanked the Doctor's hand, and race as fast as I could out of the door.

  Once we've caught up the the group, who are all outside in the main area, where the gravity globe is. Finally, the Doctor says, "You-
You lobbed its head off!"

  "We're alive," I gasped, flexing my throbbing fingers. My foots sore as well, since I kinda kicked stone, but other than that, I'm pretty fine.

  "You completely just-- did you kill it?" The Doctor is flabbergasted.

  "Yeah, probably," I shrugged.

  "Angels can't--"

  "Doctor," I interrupted him. "It was only stone at the time, which gave me the chance to kill it. Sorry, but it was the only thing I could do. Either way, we're alive. and that's what matters."

  He gives me a look, about to say something, when someone called him. "The statues are advancing along all corridors," he explained. "And, sir, my torch keeps flickering."

  "They all do," Father Octavian says.

  "So does the gravity globe," River pointed to the globe that had dimmed significantly.

  "Clerics, we're down to four men," he says to his soldiers. "Expect incoming."

  "Yeah, it's the Angels. They're coming," he said. "And they're draining the power for themselves."

  "Which means we won't be able to see them," Father Octavian says.

  "Which means we can't stay here," the Doctor says. I scanned the room, fortunately, the heart beating had been a bit quieter so I could think clearly. All escape routes are blocked, just as they said. My eyes trail to the ceiling, there's what seemed to be a hatch up there, but its way too high. Even if I flew up there, I wouldn't be able to carry all ten of us.

  "Two more incoming," Octavian announced.

  "Any suggestions?" River asked.

  "The statues are advancing on all sides," Octavian says. "We don't have the climbing equipment to reach the Byzantium."

  "There's no way up, no way back, no way out," River says, a bit of a panic to her voice. "No pressure, but this is usually when you have a really good idea."

  "There's always a way out," the Doctor says, looking around. His words seem to echo around the nearly empty cavern. "There's always a way out."

  "Doctor? Can I speak to the Doctor, please?" Bob's voice says through the communicator. The Doctor pulled it out.

  "Hello, Angels. What's your problem?" The Doctor asked causally.

  "Your power will not last much longer, and the Angels will be with you shortly. Sorry, sir," he said.

  The Doctor glared at nothing, "Why are you telling me this?"