"Red River"
Sep. 14th, 2014 11:43 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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who_contestTitle: Red River
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Word Count: 550
Pairings or Characters: Twelve, Clara
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Implied Violence.
Summary: Why is the river red?
The Doctor waited.
He stood on the bank of the river. It was late afternoon. A light wind rustled the huge blue leaves of the trees on either side of the water. The river wasn't particularly deep or fast flowing. He watched the crystal clear water.
Hands in his pockets he waited. Unblinking. Expression flat.
The smell came first. Unmistakable. Horrible as it always was.
Death.
The Doctor waited.
He didn't take his eyes off the water. He didn't have to wait much longer.
The river started running red.
The Doctor turned and walked to where the TARDIS was waiting. He went inside. With a grinding wheeze the TARDIS faded away.
Silence returned. The river ran red.
Ten minutes later the sound, the unique noise bringing hope or fear, returned. The TARDIS phased into existence. The door opened and Clara stepped out. "Doctor," she looked back. "Why is the river red?"
Clara saw him coming back on the screen. She went out to meet him. It had been a long time. Wherever they were had a short day/night cycle. After a few hours the sun had travelled the sky and it looked like it was afternoon.
"What happened?"
The Doctor looked at her and hesitated. She knew the look. He was thinking of a lie to tell. "Nothing."
"What happened?" Clara insisted. She could see in his eyes it wasn't good.
"Go back in," he said. She opened her mouth to reply. He raised his hand to stop her. "Please."
The way he said it spoke volumes. She cross her arms. Then she nodded. "Okay." She went back into the TARDIS. He looked at the river. The water clear.
The Doctor started waiting.
Clara stepped out again. "Doctor. We're in the same place."
The Doctor emerged from the TARDIS and sure enough they were in exactly the same place. He looked up at the sky.
"The river, it's not red any more."
He looked at the river. It was clear water. "It's earlier," he said. It was morning. The sun was on the other side of the sky. "We went upstream in time rather than space, easy mistake to make."
"Shall we..." Clara looked back at the TARDIS.
"Yes. Go back inside and wait. I'll be back."
He started heading along the riverbank, going in the direction the water was coming from. Clara started to follow. He stopped and turned. "TARDIS. Wait."
"Why?"
"Because something up there is going to make this river run with blood. It's probably not something you want to see."
"Good point," Clara said. She couldn't put her finger on it but something told her she really didn't want to see. She went back inside the box. He resumed walking.
The door opened and Clara stepped out. "Doctor," she looked back into the ship. "Why is the river red?"
The Doctor and Clara stood on the bank of the river. He want to the edge, crouched, then dipped his finger into the red water. He tasted it and frowned. "It's blood."
"That's a lot of blood."
"Yes, it is," The Doctor agreed.
"Who's blood?"
"I don't know. Let's go upstream and find out," he turned and went back into the TARDIS. Clara followed. He stood at the controls and they made the short journey upstream.
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Word Count: 550
Pairings or Characters: Twelve, Clara
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Implied Violence.
Summary: Why is the river red?
The Doctor waited.
He stood on the bank of the river. It was late afternoon. A light wind rustled the huge blue leaves of the trees on either side of the water. The river wasn't particularly deep or fast flowing. He watched the crystal clear water.
Hands in his pockets he waited. Unblinking. Expression flat.
The smell came first. Unmistakable. Horrible as it always was.
Death.
The Doctor waited.
He didn't take his eyes off the water. He didn't have to wait much longer.
The river started running red.
The Doctor turned and walked to where the TARDIS was waiting. He went inside. With a grinding wheeze the TARDIS faded away.
Silence returned. The river ran red.
Ten minutes later the sound, the unique noise bringing hope or fear, returned. The TARDIS phased into existence. The door opened and Clara stepped out. "Doctor," she looked back. "Why is the river red?"
***
Clara saw him coming back on the screen. She went out to meet him. It had been a long time. Wherever they were had a short day/night cycle. After a few hours the sun had travelled the sky and it looked like it was afternoon.
"What happened?"
The Doctor looked at her and hesitated. She knew the look. He was thinking of a lie to tell. "Nothing."
"What happened?" Clara insisted. She could see in his eyes it wasn't good.
"Go back in," he said. She opened her mouth to reply. He raised his hand to stop her. "Please."
The way he said it spoke volumes. She cross her arms. Then she nodded. "Okay." She went back into the TARDIS. He looked at the river. The water clear.
The Doctor started waiting.
***
Clara stepped out again. "Doctor. We're in the same place."
The Doctor emerged from the TARDIS and sure enough they were in exactly the same place. He looked up at the sky.
"The river, it's not red any more."
He looked at the river. It was clear water. "It's earlier," he said. It was morning. The sun was on the other side of the sky. "We went upstream in time rather than space, easy mistake to make."
"Shall we..." Clara looked back at the TARDIS.
"Yes. Go back inside and wait. I'll be back."
He started heading along the riverbank, going in the direction the water was coming from. Clara started to follow. He stopped and turned. "TARDIS. Wait."
"Why?"
"Because something up there is going to make this river run with blood. It's probably not something you want to see."
"Good point," Clara said. She couldn't put her finger on it but something told her she really didn't want to see. She went back inside the box. He resumed walking.
***
The door opened and Clara stepped out. "Doctor," she looked back into the ship. "Why is the river red?"
The Doctor and Clara stood on the bank of the river. He want to the edge, crouched, then dipped his finger into the red water. He tasted it and frowned. "It's blood."
"That's a lot of blood."
"Yes, it is," The Doctor agreed.
"Who's blood?"
"I don't know. Let's go upstream and find out," he turned and went back into the TARDIS. Clara followed. He stood at the controls and they made the short journey upstream.
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Date: 2014-09-20 03:43 pm (UTC)