Cosmo || Doctor Who

49 : The Ink From Books

"You know... those things?" Sometimes it was like speaking directly at a brick wall. "Nobody else in the entire galaxy has ever bothered to make edible ball-bearings. Genius!"

"We'll find some for you after we've sorted this, then, yeah?" EJ smiled as he pulled the Doctor over to the lamppost. There were three missing posters, all about local children; two boys and a girl. Danny Edwards, Dale Hicks and Jane McKillen. "Now, come on."

As his eyes set upon the writing, he turned serious. "What's taking them, do you think?"

"A monster." Said the Thompson boy without another thought. "Human or not, this is a monster."

"Snatching children from a thoroughly ordinary street like this... and why's it so cold? Something's reducing the temperature."

"Says they all went missing this week." Rose sighed, and EJ shook his head, his heart wrenching.

"Their poor parents." He gulped. "They must be in pieces."

The blonde didn't understand. How could she? She wasn't the victim of any twisted tragedy, and she certainly didn't have children. "Why would a person do something like this?"

"Because people can be bastards sometimes."

The Doctor looked at them both skeptically. "What makes you think it's a person?"

"Whatever it is," Rose folded her arms to cross her chest. "It's got the whole street scared to death. Doctor, what..."

She turned to talk to the man, but he was already running up the road as fast as he could. EJ had gone after him as soon as he'd noticed, and it didn't take him long to catch up. However, he refrained from asking any questions. Whatever it was, he didn't need to know yet.

If there was one thing EJ had learnt from his time in the Tardis, it was that the Doctor would tell him when he needed to know something. He could deal with a little silence if it lead him to the right place eventually. He just had to trust that the Doctor had the right thing in mind. He'd not been wrong to trust him yet, but it was hard sometimes. Especially in moments like these.

     When they stopped, the Doctor had made himself at home within someone's front garden. It had been set out like a mini football pitch with a child's goal at one edge. At first, he was less interested in that, as he stared at the back of his fairly large hand. EJ stared at it too. They obviously weren't seeing the same thing.

     Still, staring at his hand, the Doctor crouched. Despite his many questions, EJ stayed silent. He was afraid to break his train of thought. However, he did make sure he was undisturbed, for the most part. There was only so much he could do.

     "Hmm, tickles." He smiled as he flexed his fingers.

  EJ turned around and crouched beside him, looking at his little movements, and then looking at his face with a small smile. "What tickles?"

  Then, a shadow was cast upon them, and a booming voice bellowed. "What's your game?"

     It startled them both, and the Doctor turned first, to find the middle aged man who wore a rugby shirt. He stood, dragging EJ up with him, just thinking for a moment before speaking, though that was unsure. 

     "My, um... Snakes and Ladders? Quite good at squash... reasonable." The Doctor pulled a face apologetically. "I'm being facetious, aren't I? There's no call for it."

"Who are you?"

  The Doctor tried to smile. "I'm here to help."

  "Help with what?" He spat, almost grinding his teeth like some sort of bull. "We don't need help! Are you lying to me?"