Doctor Who - The Impossible Pear Tree

Part two - Satan's Hut

   Tom Finch stood proud; A wretched street child, shivering in his patch worked rags that were pretending to be clothes,  stood in an archway that lead to the back alleys and slums of an area in Victorian London. Despite the pinching cold and the encroaching evening promising more frost and snow he wore a smile across his smudged face. He was revealing to a small scruffy girl whose hair looked like an explosion of ginger mixed with dirt, and a taller boy wearing a dog bitten black cap and a face full of soot, a collection of pears that he had pulled from his deep over coat pockets and were now nestling in his arms like a collection of puppies. Nathan Tilt and Daisy Plume's eyes were wider than the Queen's dinner plate. Their smiles like pale crescent slits  exposed broken teeth, sharp like forks; They were both eager to sink their rotten prongs deep into the juicy flesh that was on offer. The bright yellow of the pears reflected in the children's tired, blackened eyes. They looked to them like nuggets of gold, twinkling, freshly mined from the deepest darkest caverns. There were six pears in all, enough for two each.

   "A veritable banquet!" Pronounced Tom, puffing out his ten year old chest. "We ain't goin' 'ungry this Christmas - nor any other day this winter!"

   "Whaddya mean, Tom?" Squeaked Daisy loudly, a six year old with the voice like someone had stepped on a rat.

   "I mean," he said, leaning in towards them both conspiratorially, "There is a pear tree growing pears in the corner of the park and no-one has spotted it but me."

   Nathan's smile dropped and he gave Tom an accusing eye, "Tom don't lie. Just admit you 'alf 'inched 'em and be done wivvit. There's no pride in these streets. We're your friends. Just be truthful"

   Tom defended his claim. "I mean it, Nate! And more than that - it were my special pip that grew it. Y'know the one that posh lady gave me in springtime? Her with the china doll skin and black hair? Well that pip. It's all growed up!" Nathan scoffed and leaned back, the gold disappearing from his eyes.

    "Now I know you're lying! Firstly, it's mid-winter and nuffin' grows fruit 'cept the 'toe and 'olly - and they'll give you the rot – and, nextly, trees don't grow that fast!"

   "How do you know, Nathan Tilt? You're just a climbing boy!" The rat spoke again slicing the air with her ear splitting squawk. Nathan winced slightly. Her voiced was always so grating.

    "Coz I bovvered to look at some pictures in a book once in an 'ouse I was cleaning. That and me master explained it all to me"

   "Is this before he burnt your feet for sleeping up the chimney when you should've been working?" Tom had never worked in his short life, being an orphan since birth he lived in the streets. This  tale of  being a chimney sweep always amused him.

   "Same day actually," Nathan smiled. He knew very well that Tom liked this story. "But you know that already, Finch the Pinch! He can be alright can my master - 'till he sees that he's losing time and money then he's a right nasty sod. Y'know what? If I - " He was cut short. Tom was bursting to carry on. 

   "I got more to tell you both," he enthused, aching to tell them his story. "The pear tree, well, it must be magic or a gift from above or something, coz there were...."

   "Tell you what Tom," Nathan said suddenly, stopping him. He had been here before, too many times, with Tom's tall tales for his patience to allow another one to be heard while he was hungry. "Gis one o' those yellow miracles to eat and tell us one of your tales properly whilst we rest our behinds. We could do with forgetting about the cold for a while besides, I'm so 'ungry me tummy tubes are startin' to strangle me!"

   Daisy giggled at this image as they all sat on an old coal sack up against the red brick of the archway. Nathan hugged Daisy close, keeping her as warm as possible. Being the oldest in the group he felt it was his job to keep her from the cold. 

   "Well," Tom's eyes glazed over as he recalled the weirdest tale he'd ever told. "I was 'eading to the Christmas market to find some scraps for us all. Turning a corner opposite the big park, I sees me pear tree. It was like God 'imself 'ad stuck it there. Eden in a tree it was. 'Undreds of pears all ready to eat and no-one around picking 'em off! I was just about to scrump a bunch when suddenly I 'eard a blood curdling sound, like a bunch of old nags croaking it all at the  same time, and then I saw a blue hut just appear from nowhere. I swear! God be me witness! I was scared out of me wits! I thought Old Nick 'ad finally come for me. I ain't never seen anything like it all me born puff. As I watched on, the Devil's hut's blue doors opened and a bright light shone out..."