30 Nov 2012

Story 1.4: The Fear Factor

"It sounds like someone brought you back to life," said Alex in a mildly optimistic voice.

"Then why is my body still dead? And who is Harold J Stevens?"


Sherman Prison - closed down in 1976 when the public found out about the horrific acts of violence, torture and random executions that occurred behind its walls.

Sherman Prison - June 2012. A group of teenagers visit the long since abandoned prison, hoping to capture ghosts and paranormal activity.

Who is Harold J Stevens? Is the prison really haunted? Will the Doctor have to re-evaluate his beliefs on ghosts and the afterlife, and what exactly are any of them going to do when people start dying?

This is the fourth adventure in a continuing series for the Doctor, Caroline and Danny.

28 Nov 2012

Eye Of The Jungle, Chapter 15

Up above the Doctor was in a torture he had never felt before. Tressure had him suspended in a transparent cloud and he was being tossed and flung about like a rag doll in a washing machine. His whole body was flooding with pain. It felt like pins and needles pricking into every nerve on his body and the Doctor felt sure that he couldn't carry on. But he had to.

“You’re definitely hanging on, Doctor,” said Tressure smugly.

“You must stop!” screamed the Doctor through strained and painful gasps.

“I will only stop when you die,” said Tressure. “So far you’re shaping up for joining my powers. But you’re starting to fail. And if you die then I know you’re worthless.”

The Doctor couldn’t answer. He only could scream.




Nivere had found herself in a dark spaceship corridor. It was an old type from centuries ago and she felt sure she couldn’t remember how she got here. All she could remember was being stood with the savage, Yentob, and then the visions. She saw herself as a younger woman outside the church with the woman called Jayne. When she was happy. When she lived with the other Ancestors.

And then she had been thrown into the future.

She did what she always wanted to do – fly into space, but it still wasn’t enough. She saw Mark Dennington’s wife, Julia, die on a moon expedition and it was partly her fault. The oxygen flow pipe hadn’t been repaired properly from last time. It was her job, but she couldn’t have told Mark that.

When Julia had died Mark had been stricken with grief. He couldn’t live in their apartment on Earth anymore, not with all the old memories of Julia. So, in guilt she supposed, she took Mark under her wing and befriended him, let him join her expeditions.

She thought about forgetting this quest. Going back to Mark and telling him the truth and then just being an explorer again. Try to wipe the slate clean and begin anew. But, no, she’d gone too far. She was so close to the Eye and, she felt sure, close to Tressure. He would give her the powers she craved for and then she would make the Ancestors pay for casting her out.

A scream came from up the corridor. It sounded so chilling that Nivere almost considered turning to run. But she had to carry on.

She moved along the corridor. There was a light coming from a room up above. A green light. Nivere’s heart began pounding faster and faster as she advanced on the object of her desires.




The walls of the fortress were crumbling down around Caroline, Dennington and Yentob, but still they continued to trek into the heart of the fortress.

“Where’s that old fella you were hanging around with?” asked Caroline.

“Nivere told me that Slavin is dead,” said Yentob sadly.

“Dead? How did it happen?”

“Tressure killed him. Another reason why I can’t trust him anymore. Slavin had faith in him until the end.”

“I take it Slavin was one of his most trusted servants?” asked Dennington.

“The most trusted one. And that, I suppose, was his mistake. I always had my doubts over Tressure, but Slavin would always put me in my place. It seems I was right all along.”

A block of stone crashed down beside Yentob, almost crushing him.

“We have to be careful,” said Dennington.

“Do you think Tressure can sense us?” asked Caroline.

“No. He’s probably preoccupied with something else,” replied Yentob.

“Like what?”

“The Doctor, perhaps?” suggested Dennington.

“I hope he’s alright.”




But the Doctor wasn’t alright. He felt as if his insides were being ripped apart. He hadn’t cried in a long, long time, but right about now all he could think of was crying his eyes out. He wanted to rip himself free from the torment of this bizarre cloud, but he had no control over himself.

“Still not dying, Doctor?” chuckled Tressure.

“Let me go!” screamed the Doctor.

“What’s happening?”

Tressure turned and saw the woman, April Nivere, standing in the doorway looking in awe at the Doctor’s body being pulled and tossed about in the cloud.

“So, Captain Nivere, you have made it here.”

“After a few problems I’ve finally found you.” She extended her hand. “I’m April Nivere.”

Tressure didn’t take her hand. He was watching her eyes. They were focusing on the Eye around his neck. “You want this, don’t you?”

Nivere retracted her hand quickly. “I, um, yes. Yes I would like to share in your power.”

“Then I’m afraid that you will have to go through the same torment as him.” He pointed to the Doctor, flapping around in the air.

“But I would never survive,” she said nervously.

“You are one of the Ancestors,” Tressure replied calmly. “You could survive anything.”

“I’m not one anymore,” she said, trying to put the past behind her.

“Of course you are.”

“They cast me out. I lost any kind of power I had.”

“That’s because Jayne made you believe that.” Tressure smiled. “Those powers are still in there, buried deep down.”

“Then why must I go through that test?”

“You mustn’t defy me, April,” said Tressure, taking a step back. “I am offering you a share in my power. A chance for you to become a Goddess.”

There was a noise from behind. They turned and saw the Doctor lying on the ground, smoke rising from his burnt clothes.

“What happened?” asked Nivere.

“He…he lost his…concentration,” spluttered the Doctor.

“Lucky for you, Doctor,” said Tressure.

“It’s becoming…quite a ha-habit.” The Doctor managed a weak smile.

“You will be silent,” said Tressure, crossing the floor and booting the Doctor in his stomach.

“Or what? You’ll kill me? You’ve just about done that anyway so why don’t you finish it off?”

“No,” said Tressure, unwilling to take his bait. “We will take this battle down to the real world again.”




Grasp was lying in a cell, holding the wound on his leg. It had stopped bleeding some time ago, but it was still soar. The lizard-man had considered taking his life for failing his captain but, to his annoyance, he could find nothing that would have done the job properly.

He was just drifting back off to sleep when the door was kicked open and Caroline, Dennington and the man who had attacked him walked in.

“Grasp, how are you?” asked Dennington.

Grasp was a little weary. “What’s happening? How did you get through that door?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Grasp, this whole place is crumbling. The door was damaged badly.”

“I haven’t been fully aware of my surroundings,” he slurred.

“He is sick,” said Yentob. “He might not be able to help us.”

“We can’t leave him,” said Dennington. “Yentob, help me carry him out.”

Caroline stood by and watched the two men lift up Grasp and help him into the corridor as the ceiling of his cell collapsed. They then headed for the main chamber.




Running around the chamber like a headless chicken was Danny. He kept collapsing to the floor and then getting up again, muttering something about ‘Gods of the Eye’.

“What do you think’s wrong with him?” asked Ivy.

“I can’t be certain, but I suppose Tressure’s power is beginning to leave him,” said Dunjan.

“Can we do anything to help?” asked Ivy, feeling concerned for him for the first time since she’d met him.

“Not in here we can’t. And even if we did get out, I can’t see what I could do.” Dunjan felt his staff and it tingled. “Wait! I think we might be able to get out of this cage after all.”

“How?” Ivy’s heart had leapt a few feet out of her chest.

“Tressure’s power is spread all over the planet. He can’t have that much of a grip on us.”

Dunjan gripped his staff tighter and aimed it at the bars. He mumbled something incomprehensible to Ivy and a few seconds later the bars of their cage melted away.

Danny’s head snapped around and he stared with glowing green eyes at the two former prisoners.

“No!”

“Quickly, Dunjan, do something,” said Ivy as Danny ran for them.

It was too late to cast a spell and Dunjan simply swung his staff around and smacked Danny in the stomach. He fell to the floor and curled into a foetal position, mumbling something to himself.

Dennington, Yentob, Caroline and Grasp ran into the chamber just as the ceiling opened and a glowing bright green light descended into the room.

“What is it?” asked Caroline.

“The end,” said Danny, crying on the floor.

The light faded and standing there was Tressure, Nivere and the Doctor, once again, trapped in a torture cloud.

“What are you doing to him?” shouted Caroline.

“He is about to die,” smiled Tressure.

“No,” shouted Danny. “You can’t do it.”

“So, you’re defying me, are you?” said Tressure. “Do you never learn? Prepare to see the Doctor die.”

The cloud turned from green to red. The Doctor’s scream could be heard beyond the jungle, beyond the planet, beyond even space itself. His body began to dissolve away.

Dunjan mumbled some words and, unbeknownst to Tressure, pointed his staff towards the Doctor’s position,

The Doctor disappeared with a final, terrifying scream and Tressure laughed out loudly.

“You monster!” screamed Ivy.

Nivere felt her fingers tingling and she held them up to her face. Her eyes were glowing white hot. She smiled, a memory coming over her and then pointed her hand towards the group of travellers.

“Captain, what’s wrong?”

“He was right,” said Nivere, nodding towards Tressure. “I didn’t lose my powers. I only thought I did.”

“What powers?” asked Ivy.

“These powers,” laughed Nivere as a bolt of white light shot out of Nivere’s hand and engulfed Mark Dennington in a bright white light. And then he was gone.

“What did you do to him?” shouted Caroline, not knowing if she could take anymore of this.

“Took him out of the picture.”

“But he was your friend!” said Ivy through gritted teeth.

“Exactly,” said Nivere.

Tressure grinned down at her.

“So I can become your aid?” asked Nivere. “A Goddess?”

“If you will take the test,” said Tressure.

Nivere looked to the cloud which had now turned back to green. “I…I can’t do it.”

“Then you are worthless to me.”

“But I promise I would be worthy of your power.”

“Take the test,” said Tressure, getting mildly irritated with the woman.

“I can’t,” said Nivere, shaking her head.

“Then you are worthless, pointless to me. You must die!”

Tressure extended his arms and let out a bolt of green lightning. The lightning hit Nivere and she collapsed to the floor. Her face began to melt and burn away.

She remembered being with the Ancestors back at the church and wished she had stayed loyal to them. Margot had always told her that her hunger for power would kill her - and it had.

The last thing she saw was a distraught Grasp limping over to her.




Grasp held Nivere’s head in his arms and screamed out in anguish.

Tressure stood laughing and turned to Danny. “It seems you are the only one left who is worthy of my power. It’s a pity that I must have a traitor as my companion.”

“Yes,” said Danny slowly. “Will you still accept me?”

“Of course,” said Tressure. “I would have preferred someone a little more loyal like, say, Slavin, but…you can join me in my powers.”

Danny nodded. “I don’t need to go into the cloud?”

“No. Take the Eye. Make yourself complete. You have shown your worth.”

Danny stepped forward and placed his hand around the Eye. He could do it. He could really become a God and rule over his own world, but he remembered what the voices had told him, what the previous Gods of the Eye had spoken to him about when he’d first shown strength to Tressure. The Eye had become tainted by evil and for the sake of the universe it had to be destroyed.

Danny had kept the false face for so long through pain and stress. Aided by the former Gods it was time to reveal his true intentions.

“What the hell!” he said, smiled at Tressure and then hurled the Eye to the ground. The green object shattered into a billion different fragments and Tressure screamed in agony, collapsing to the floor, searching out shards of power, his fingers running over the smashed pieces.

Danny turned to the others and gave a slight grin.

“Danny?” said Caroline confused.

“I had to trick you all. It was the only way I could do it,” he said.

“But…you were so convincing.”

Danny smiled sadly. “At times I wasn’t fully here and it was the Eye talking through me, but buried deep down, when the time was right, I knew I’d be able to do it. I knew I’d be able to destroy him.”

“Talk about a long con!” laughed Ivy.

The energy from the storm outside began rushing in through the ceiling and was drawn into Tressure and the broken Eye.

“We have to get out of here,” said Caroline.

Ivy tried to pull Grasp away from Nivere’s body, but he wouldn’t move. In the end they had to leave him.




After the travellers had left the fortress, Grasp was alone with Nivere’s dead body and the crying Tressure. He looked at the once powerful God and laughed.

“Not so special now.”

Tressure looked up sadly at Grasp as the lizard-man raised his dagger and stabbed Tressure straight through the heart.




Everyone had gotten clear of the fortress when suddenly there was a massive explosion and the entire stone structure exploded in a bright green light.

After a few moments everything subsided. The weather returned to normal and the ground stopped shaking.

Caroline gave a huge sigh and of relief and then began crying.

The Doctor had gone and they were never going to see him again. For the first time, she actually realised how much he had started to mean to her.

Danny put his arm around her and comforted her.

As they turned to go they saw the familiar figure of the Doctor, standing beside a tree, eating a pink coloured apple and smiling.

“What…?” said Caroline, lost for words.

“It was all Mr Dunjan’s hard work,” said the Doctor. His clothes were ripped and torn but it didn’t stop him from putting on that smug look of his.

“I don’t understand,” said Ivy. “We saw you die.”

“Yes, but what you didn’t see was Dunjan casting one of his spells.”

“It’s true,” said Dunjan, standing beside the Doctor. “But I didn’t know if it would work. I took a chance that Tressure’s powers had been distracted again.”

“Dunjan transported me outside of the fortress making it look as if I’d died. Tressure was so distracted he didn’t even bother to check whether I really did died.”

Caroline ran over to hug the Doctor as did Ivy. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you all,” said the Doctor, a little taken aback by Caroline’s affection. “I just wish I could have been more help.”

“Doctor,” said Ivy. “Captain Nivere is dead. And Grasp as well.”

“I know,” said the Doctor sadly. “But she never would have learned. And in the end her desires backfired on her.” The Doctor looked around, noticing someone was missing. “Where’s Mr Dennington.”

“Gone,” said Ivy sadly. “Nivere made this kind of white light appear from her hands and then he was just gone. I never even knew she had any powers.”

The Doctor looked in deep thought and he tapped on his chin. “She was an Ancestor.”

“And what’s one of them?” asked Caroline.

“That’s what I intend to find out.”

“So, now what Doctor?” asked Danny, rubbing at his forehead.

“Now, we try and get the TARDIS out of that swamp.”

As they walked off Yentob looked back at the crumbled fortress. “Farewell, Slavin,” he said quietly, and then ran to join the others.




Because of Tressure’s power being removed, Dunjan was free to use his magic to transport everyone back to Nivere’s ship and get the TARDIS out of the swamp.

“Well, I can take you home now if you want, Ivy,” said the Doctor.

“Actually I was thinking of taking Nivere’s ship and making my own way back,” said Ivy. “I need to go home and tell everyone what happened here today.”

“I actually meant home, as in Victorian England.”

“I’m afraid I’m too far gone for that now, Doctor,” she smiled. “I need to make sure everyone knows about Theen.”

“Yes. Tell them about how Aamina and Bridges died, as well as Grasp and Nivere, and poor old Mark,” smiled the Doctor. “Just don’t be a stranger, Ivy. I’d like this to be a ‘see you later’ rather than a goodbye.”

“Of course, Doctor. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other more often.”

The Doctor put his hands on her shoulders and looked down at her. “If you ever need to talk, Ivy, you know where I am. You know my numbers.”

She smiled sadly. “And if you ever feel like you’re ready to tell me about what happened to you - about what’s still happening to you - I’ll be around.”

“Hello?” came a voice.

The group turned to look and there was Dennington emerging from behind the ship.

“Mark!” said Ivy. “We thought you were dead!”

“No,” said Mark, rubbing his head and a little confused. “I woke up behind the ship. She saved me. Must have transported me outside the fortress walls.”

“She was your friend,” said the Doctor, “she clearly had some humanity left in there.”

“I’ll miss her,” said Mark.

“Never mind,” said Ivy. “You’ve got me now.” She tapped him playfully on the arm. “Let’s get back and rebuild our lives, hey?”

Everybody said their good byes and the Doctor, Caroline, Danny, Dunjan and Yentob watched the old spaceship blast off back into space.

“See you soon, Miss Coldstone,” said the Doctor quietly.




Yentob escorted the Doctor and his friends back to the TARDIS.

“What about you two?” asked Caroline.

“We’re going to try and work together,” said Dunjan. “Try and unite the tribes and make all of them work for the good of Theen.”

“And then,” continued Yentob, “maybe one day we can worship a real God.”

“I hope your dreams come true,” said the Doctor.

Dunjan shook the Doctor, Caroline and Danny’s hands and the two tribesmen walked back into the jungle with new hope in their hearts.




The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS door and then turned to Danny. “How are you feeling Danny?”

“I’m feeling better than ever now,” said Danny.

“Are you sure?” asked Caroline. “You were feeling ill before we got here.”

“I think it was Tressure’s power calling to me,” said Danny. “I don’t know how, but it affected me more than anyone else.”

“Next time though,” said the Doctor, “please keep us in the loop when you devise these little plans.”

The Doctor and Caroline went inside the TARDIS. Danny gave a last look around him. This could have been his kingdom. But then he was never meant to be a God. He felt a pain stretch across his forehead and then, shrugging it off, he went into the blue police box.

The TARDIS dematerialised and left Theen.

In the air a bird circled, and in the rivers the fish swam again. The evil had been lifted from the land and Theen was safe at last.

THE END

Next time: The Fear Factor

25 Nov 2012

Eye Of The Jungle, Chapter 14

Yentob ran out in front of the Doctor and Nivere blocked their path. He stood with his spear pointing towards them and a grim look on his face.

“Come on, lad,” said the Doctor, “we need to get away from that monster behind us.”

Yentob looked beyond them and to the huge shape that was getting closer. “Yes I know.”

“Then let us pass, man,” said Nivere.

“Only on one condition.”

“Okay, okay what is it?” asked the Doctor, nervously glancing behind him.

“That you allow me to come with you.”

“What?” said the Doctor, confused.

“My God, my Lord, has done me a great dishonour. He has taken away his divine love.”

“Ah…”

“I want to show him that I can still be worthy of him.”

The Doctor thought he’d guessed the plan. “By taking us prisoner?”

“No,” replied Yentob. “But simply taking you to him, avoiding his tests and proving I am worthy.”

“Sounds like a prisoner exchange to me,” said the Doctor grimly.

“Once you get into my Lords domain you’re free to do what you want.”

The Doctor looked behind him again, the monster almost on top of them. “Can you use magic?”

“No, I’ve been cut off from it. I’m alone.”

“Doctor, we must act now!” urged Nivere.

“Yes. Yes let’s go.”

Yentob managed a slight smile and they dashed onwards.

They ran for a few minutes until there was a huge earthquake and the Doctor, Nivere and Yentob fell to the ground. The sandman exploded in a cloud of sand and dust and covered the tree’s. Screams could be heard coming from the sky and a giant green eye seemed to form and hover over Tressure’s fortress.

“Tressure!” shouted the Doctor. “Tressure, what is going on?”

“The final test,” boomed the Gods voice across the heavens.

“What final test?” asked Nivere.

“The final ever test,” said Yentob slowly. “We have learnt about it in our teachings.”

“What about the other tests we were meant to go against?” said the Doctor, suddenly realising time had run out.

“I tire of games,” boomed Tressure. “All tests are cancelled. You and your friends are in danger. Prepare to face the end of the world! The end of my world!”

The ground shook and the jungle burst into flames around them.




Caroline was finding it difficult to walk and almost felt like throwing up. She hadn’t had an experience like this since she’d been on the rides at Thornsby funfair and even that wasn’t this bad.

“Do you think that voice was talking to the Doctor?” asked Dennington.

“Very probably. Tressure’s grown tired of toying with us and we’re probably all going to end up dead,” said Dunjan, clutching to a stone building for support.

The ground opened up and Ivy and Dunjan fell down into the depths of the fortress dungeons. Caroline peered over the edge but there was no sign of them.

“Now what?” asked Caroline, beginning to lose hope.

“I have no idea. They’ll be under there somewhere. We have to get back into the fortress.”

A group of guards ran towards Caroline and Dennington, but they faded away as thunder rolled up above.

Tressure laughed out loud as his toys began falling apart.




The Doctor’s party had reached the outer wall. It wasn’t a problem getting in as the wall had already been partially demolished.

The Doctor ran ahead of Nivere and Yentob and headed for directly underneath the giant green eye. He stared up at it, determination on his face and fighting against the massive gusts of wind.

“I’m coming for you, Tressure!” shouted the Doctor.

He was caught in a green beam of light, and, just like a sci-fi movie of 20th century Earth, he was dragged up into the sky. He shielded his eyes against the giant green light and then in a flash the Doctor disappeared.




For the Doctor everything had faded to black. He was lying on a floor of what he assumed was made of metal. His head was hurting, but as far as he could ascertain he was still in one piece. The darkness began to form into a shape and the image of a spaceships command bridge blurred into view.

Sat around the ship were various suited-up control operators. Sitting in a central chair was a more human looking version of Tressure. He looked fresh-faced and young.

“Captain Tressure, I presume?” said the Doctor.

“Correct, Doctor,” smiled Tressure.

“But why here?” asked the Doctor, noticing the bridge operators hadn’t moved at all.

“Why not? This is how I would have looked had I not been touched by the Eye. No, actually,” he said, remembering something, “my body would be badly burned and charred.”

“You were in an accident. You were offered power to save your life and you took it. I can’t say I blame you, but you’ve gone about it the wrong way, perverted the Eye’s power for evil.”

“What you call your evil is my good,” said Tressure smugly.

“I’ve heard that one before.” The Doctor walked slowly around the stations of the bridge. No one moved. No one even made a sound. They just sat there, oblivious to the Doctor’s presence.

“Do you want me to tell you a story, Doctor?”

“It depends what it‘s about.”

“It’s about you and Captain Nivere and why I was so interested in you.”

“Let me guess. It’s because I’m a Time Lord.”

Tressure smiled at the thought. “Yes. That’s the reason I was so interested in you. I believe you are worthy of joining me.”

“And what about Nivere?”

“Oh, the good Captain. Didn’t you know the truth about her?”

“The truth?”

“Yes. She’s one of the Ancestors.”

“What?”




Nivere picked her way through the ruined buildings closely followed by Yentob. “What has happened to the Doctor?” asked the young man.

“At a guess I’d say he’s gone up to see your God. I should have been the one.”

“You are a lowly human being,” snarled Yentob.

“I’m much more than that, Yentob. Yes, I’m a human but I’m still much more. And more than you’ll ever be as well,” she added nastily.

Nivere suddenly felt a pain in her chest and she collapsed to the floor. The sky spun around above her and suddenly everything was black. When she dared to open her eyes she was floating above a church.

“Where am I?” she asked. But there was no reply. And then she recognised her surroundings.

From the church door a younger version of herself emerged followed by a young woman with strawberry blonde hair. They both wore old fashioned Earth clothes.

“Please, Jayne,” she said, “try and see reason.”

“Have I not been fair?” She spoke in an American accent. “Have I not allowed us all to live proper lives?”

“Yes, but-”

“But nothing, April. It’s our own stupid fault that we’re in this situation. The least you can do is act with some responsibility.”

“I’m sorry. Give me another chance.”

“How many chances do you want?” scolded Jayne. “Thomas and Rebecca knew the consequences when they had their little…encounter, and so do you. You do not use your powers for your own gain.”

“Please…”

“No. From here on our your powers are relinquished from you.”

Nivere collapsed to the floor, crying and begging at Jayne’s feet. “But where shall I go? I can’t live here in this primitive time.”

“I’ll send you to the future,” said Jayne. “Maybe you’ll learn your lesson and stop misusing power given to you.”

Up in the clouds, the older Nivere was crying. “No. No!” She cried.







“Why wont you tell me about these Ancestors?” asked the Doctor.

“It’s not your place to know yet,” said Tressure, calmly.

“Why not?”

“That would be telling,” smirked Tressure.




Ivy and Dunjan opened their eyes. Ivy was getting fed up of waking up in bad situations, but thankfully, at the moment, everything seemed peaceful. She was content to close her eyes and go back to sleep. Her body ached and her left wrist felt very painful, maybe she‘d broken it, but she decided that giving up would only allow Tressure to win.

She sat up and realised, to her dismay, that she was surrounded by solid metal bars. And worst of all was that she was in Tressure’s throne room.

“What’s happening now?” groaned Dunjan, still lying at her side.

“Looks like we’ve been taken prisoner,” said Ivy standing up. “But I can’t see the big boss man anywhere.”

It was true. Tressure had disappeared, but in the darkness Ivy noticed Danny sitting in Tressure’s throne.

“He won’t be happy with that,” she said.

“My Lord has allowed me to take charge until he returns,” replied Danny darkly.

“And where has he gone?” asked Dunjan.

“To…” Danny suddenly felt uncomfortable, “…to talk to the Doctor.”

“Why?”

“To find out whether the Doctor is worthy of the power.”

“The Doctor will never accept his power. He’s not selfish like you,” said Ivy.

Ivy couldn’t see it, but in the dark Danny flinched at the word ‘selfish’.

“I am only serving my God.”

“You’re just power mad.”

“Be easy on him, Ivy,” said Dunjan. “He has a weak mind. Tressure can take those sort of people quickly.”

“You’re right about the weak bit,” said Ivy, sitting down again.

In the throne Danny began to shake. “How much longer?” he whispered to himself.




Yentob had met up with Dennington and Caroline. At first Caroline hadn’t trusted the young savage, but Dennington made her see reason that everyone had to try and work together now.

“Where’s Nivere?” asked Dennington.

“She went elsewhere,” said Yentob, dismissing the question.

“So what’s your plan, Mark?” asked Caroline.

“I’m not sure. We need to find the others.”

“Well,” began Yentob. “I can’t be certain where your two friends will be held, but when I was possessed by Tressure I took the lizard man to one of the lower dungeons.”

“You mean Grasp is still alive?” asked Dennington.

“Yes. He’s injured, but he’s still alive.”

“Do we really need Grasp?” asked Caroline, remembering how difficult the lizard could be.

“He’s got strength. Strength that we need. Let’s go.”

They crossed the shaking ground, avoiding drops and cracks in the ground until they finally reached the entrance to the main fortress building. Outside were two crumbled guards bodies.

Yentob seemed extremely distressed.

“Something up?” asked Caroline.

“Yes. For many years I’ve been taught to believe that our Lord cares for us, helps us through life. But this…” He indicated the bodies.

“He’s trying to destroy this planet, Yentob,” said Dennington. “I wouldn’t trust a God who did that.”

Yentob closed his eyes and clasped the stone eye around his neck. “I wanted to be faithful to him. I wanted to show him I was worthy to join his worshippers again. But this is too much.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Caroline.

Yentob pulled the stone eye from it’s chain and threw it into one of the deep chasms in the ground.

“My Lord - no, Tressure - is no longer my God. It is time he realised that you cannot turn your back on those who loved and cared for him. Tressure must pay for this!”

Caroline patted him on the shoulder and smiled at Dennington. Then, setting their sights on their main objective, they pushed open the fortress gates and went inside.

22 Nov 2012

Eye Of The Jungle, Chapter 13

The Doctor and Nivere stared in wonderment as the sand rose from the ground and began to take on the form of a humanoid giant.

“Could this be a test?” asked Nivere.

“Well if it isn’t then I’m Santa Claus. Again.”

“What do you suggest we do, Doctor?” asked Nivere, as the sand creature took on it’s finished form of a large, faceless demon-figure.

“Run?” said the Doctor, already backing away.

The both of them ran around the edge of the sand pit and headed off back into the jungle. They could hear the scraping and grating of sand behind them and realised that if they couldn’t get away then they’d be in big trouble.

“How the hell can that thing be alive?” asked Nivere, lagging slightly behind the Doctor.

“Need you be asking that question, Captain? You’ve seen Tressure’s powers,” replied the Doctor, leaping over vines. “Unless of course the sand is actually inhabited by living, breathing sand creatures and that, I’m afraid, sounds more unlikely.”

A tree came crashing down behind them and the sand demon pushed it’s way through the trees as if they were made of matchsticks. The thing had now grown a hideous, roaring mouth complete with sharp, sand teeth. Suddenly an old man dived out in front of them, causing the Doctor to stop suddenly which in turn made Captain Nivere crash into his back.

It was Slavin.

“Now, what do you want?” asked the Doctor, scrambling to his feet.

“Go back and face it like a true man,” snarled Slavin.

The Doctor looked back and saw the sand demon almost on top of them. “I’m afraid that’s going to be a little bit difficult. That thing’s a monster in case you haven’t noticed.”

Slavin’s eyes widened and he advanced on them, spear in hand. “You will go back and not advance any further.”

“Now look, this isn’t fair,” complained Nivere.

“Agreed. If your God is going to test us then he could at least give us each test one at a time. Why’s he sent you?”

Slavin charged forward and the Doctor stepped aside as if doing some strange form of bull fight. “Oh, not good enough, my man,” laughed the Doctor.

“You shall die!”

There was a roar and Slavin looked behind him at the huge sand monster casting a shadow over them. It towered above them and was looking at Slavin with interest.

“My lord,” stuttered Slavin, “save me.”

There was no reply and Slavin felt a trickle of sweat run down the side of his face. He gulped and lowered his spear to the ground.

The Doctor was about to grab Slavin and pull him away when he felt himself being pulled back by Nivere.

“Captain Nivere, please let me go!”

“No, Doctor. That old man’s given us a diversion and we can make our escape.”

“No!”

Nivere raised her gun. “Yes.”

The Doctor was getting a little tired of having a gun pointed at his head and he followed Nivere reluctantly as Slavin got to his knees and prayed to his God. The sand creature seemed to smile and the grains dropped from it’s twisted mouth as it brought it’s hands down on Slavin with a crash.

But the sand simply smashed against him and then fell to the ground. Why wasn’t he dead? Maybe his God had saved him. Yes, of course, that’s what it was. He began to smile and shake with happiness. His God had saved him from death.

But then he began to feel a little…different. His eyes began to quiver as he realised his feet where going cold. He looked down and to his horror realised the whole lower part of his body was turning to sand. After a few seconds the rest of his body had followed suit. He gagged for air as the sand crept up his face and totally consumed him. Skin, flesh and blood turning into sharp, brown grains of sand. Then, with a roar, the sand creature booted the strange sand-statue of Slavin into a million grains. The grains dropped to the floor and the sand creature continued it’s pursuit of the Doctor and Nivere.




Caroline had felt this feeling before. The feeling of falling through nothing. It was while you were asleep and you thought you were falling out of bed and then suddenly awoke with a start. She’d read it was supposed to be your soul slipping out of your body for a few seconds and then jumping back in. Well this wasn’t her soul - this was very real.

“Caroline?” came Ivy’s voice.

“Ivy, are you there?”

“Yes, I’m to your right.”

Caroline turned and saw Ivy slowly floating down with her. “How can you be so calm?”

“Believe me I’ve been in worse scrapes than this.”

“Why are we falling so slowly?” asked Dennington who was also nearby.

“Perhaps we are in space,” offered Dunjan.

“Don’t say that!” shouted Caroline as their motion increased.

After a few seconds of screaming and panicking their motion slowed again and they touched down safely. Things began to blur back into existence and they discovered they were in a circular, stone room with a stained glass window up above them.

“What is this place?” asked Caroline.

“Just another bag of tricks from Tressure I expect. Let’s get out of here before the magic show starts,” said Dennington.

“Wait!” shouted Ivy. “I think I see the TARDIS up ahead.”

“What?” said Caroline in disbelief.

But sure enough the blue police box was standing amid the floating colours

“But it’s not possible,” said Caroline to herself and then raced after the others.

The door of the TARDIS opened and they went inside. After a moment there was a wheezing and groaning sound and the time machine disappeared.

They were now standing in the TARDIS console room. Danny and the Doctor were at the console and the Doctor was busy flicking switches. Around Danny’s neck was the Eye, glowing green.

“This place is something else,” said Dennington in wonderment.

“Doctor, what’s going on?” asked Caroline, completely confused and feeling as though she’d accidentally skipped a few pages of a particularly confusing book.

“I managed to get to Tressure and I defeated him,” said the Doctor, turning and grinning.

“Just like that?”

“Just like that,” smiled Danny.

“Why does Danny have the Eye?” asked Dennington.

“It must be destroyed,” warned Dunjan darkly.

“It was given to me by Tressure,” smiled Danny, “and then we killed him.”

“You killed him in cold blood, Doctor?” asked Ivy.

“Of course. There was no other way.”

“There’s always another way,” said Ivy. “Or at least there used to always be another way. You taught me that.”

“Not today!”

The Doctor pulled a lever and the TARDIS lurched sideways. Everyone fell against the back wall except for Danny and the Doctor who had stayed calm and fixed to their positions.

“What’s going on?” asked Dunjan.

“I’m afraid we’re having a few problems,” laughed the Doctor.

Ivy was about to make a run for the Doctor, but the doors opened and sucked them all out into the coloured space/time vortex. The TARDIS exploded and caused a blast that blackened the colours and threw them into a grassy area outside a castle wall. The real world again.

Ivy opened one eye and then closed it again. “I can’t work out if Tressure is just having a laugh or wants to seriously pee me off.”

There was a growl and they all sat bolt upright. Standing to their right a few metres away was Yentob.

“Not him again,” said Caroline.

“Time to run?” asked Dunjan.

“No,” replied Dennington.

“What?” they all said in unison.

“I’ve had enough of running. It’s time to face this man.”

“Speak for yourself,” said Ivy.

“How exactly are we going to fight him?” asked Caroline.

“I…don’t know.”

“Mark is right, though,” said Dunjan. “We can’t go on running. It’s time for us to stand up to Tressure.”

Yentob’s eyes glowed green and he began sprinting towards them.

“Well you better think fast,” said Caroline nervously, as the savage man came closer.

As Yentob approached, the others backed away, but Dennington stood his ground, and at the last moment raised his fist and punched Yentob square in the jaw.

The young man was taken aback and fell to the floor, clutching his jaw in agony.

“Now, what’s your problem mate?” asked Dennington, crouching down and looking at the possessed man.

“Must kill!” He jumped to his feet and brought down Dennington with one swipe.

“Mark!” Dunjan leapt in front of Dennington before Yentob could do anymore damage. “That is enough!”

Dunjan closed his eyes and began mumbling incomprehensive words.

Yentob’s face creased and turned into a look of terror. He backed off and began sobbing as Dunjan continued chanting. And then, with a howl, he turned and ran towards the main castle tower. The old man opened his eyes and smiled to himself.

“What did you do?” asked Ivy.

“Oh, I just used a little bit of magic.”

“But you said you couldn’t use magic this close to Tressure,” said Dennington, rubbing his bruised chin.

“I took a chance. It appears Tressure’s mind was too occupied to hold his barrier against me. He’s probably got his mind on a lot of things. Possessing that fellow there, watching your friends outside the castle and keeping an eye on that Danny boy.”

“So there’s a chance we can break through and defeat him?” asked Caroline, hopefully.

“It looks like there might be. You can‘t keep throwing juggling balls into the air and hope to catch every single one all of the time.” Dunjan turned and grinned at the others.




Yentob ran into the main chamber of the castle and cowered on the floor in front of Tressure and Danny.

“You fool!” yelled Tressure. “You stupid, pathetic fool.”

“What happened?” asked Danny.

“This fools weak mind allowed the old mans magic to penetrate it.”

“He should be punished,” said Daniel coldly.

“Yes,” smiled Tressure. He turned to Danny. “What would you suggest?”

“This man is religious. Throw him outside the walls, cut him off from your divine power.”

“No…” sobbed Yentob.

“Yes. His punishment will be the separation from his God forever!”

Yentob screamed as a green cloud engulfed him. He disappeared and Tressure clapped his hands in glee.




Yentob was face down in what felt (and tasted) like sand. He coughed and looked up. The sky was there and tree’s hung over him as if they were gazing down on a piece of rubbish. He felt some kind of loss. He’d lost his mother when he was young, but this was different. His God had left him.

Yentob cried out in pain and sadness and collapsed to the ground. The one thing he had tried to worship for his short young life had abandoned him.

A little while later he could hear a heavy thumping sound coming from beyond the trees. The sound got louder and soon Yentob could make out the shape of some strange sand monster looming over the tops of the trees. Then he heard two people running - the Doctor and Captain Nivere




It hadn’t taken long for the fugitives to find cover. Almost as soon as Yentob had run, the guards had begun advancing on them. Through quickness, though, they were able to elude the guards and sneak into a small stone building near to the main building of the fortress. The room was cold and damp and straw lay on the floor, but they were all relieved to grab a few seconds rest.

“I’m starving,” said Caroline as she sat on the floor.

“Food’s the last thing on my mind,” said Dennington. “We can’t stay here long.”

“Agreed,” said Dunjan. “Once Tressure regains his full powers he’ll find us and the tests will begin again.”

“It’s like some savage circle,” said Ivy. “Every time we run he gets us. We get away and have a break, and then he starts it again. What do we do?”

“Like I said,” Dennington began. “We fight him.”

“It does seem like our only choice,” said Caroline grimly.

“Then it’s time we formulated a plan.”

A gust of wind blew in from the outside and Dunjan gripped his staff tighter. “It looks like we don’t have time for that.”

“Let’s go,” said Dennington. “Let’s go and defeat this monster.”

17 Nov 2012

Eye Of The Jungle, Chapter 12

Dunjan sat with his head resting on his hands in the dark cell whilst his companion, Mark Dennington, circled the room, occasionally tapping on the stone walls trying to discover anyway out. The frustration of the situation was beginning to get to him, but he knew that they were trapped and his frustration was fruitless.

“Maybe that Cyberman could help us,” said Dunjan, indicating the metal man sat in the corner.

Dennington crossed over to the heap and checked it. “Nah, it’s useless. The thing’s dead.”

“It’s mechanical, isn’t it?”

“Well, it’s partly robotic, but I don’t see how that would help.”

“Perhaps you could cause an explosion. Maybe blow up the wall using something from the Cyberman.”

“It’s a possibility. The thing might have enough power in it to cause a small explosion.”

Dennington bent down and prised open the chest panel on the dead Cyberman revealing a number of circuits and wires. He pulled out a few cables and examined them carefully.

“Well?” asked Dunjan.

“I think I can do something.”

Dennington twisted a few wires together and the chest panel began to emit a high pitched whine. He placed another chunk of gold from Dunjan’s necklace into the circuit board and the whining got higher.

“Okay, get back!”

The two backed away to the far wall as the chest panel glowed a hot orange colour and then exploded. When the smoke cleared a large hole could be seen in the wall.

Dunjan turned and smiled at Dennington. “Well done, boy.”

“Oh, it was nothing,” said Dennington, coughing and peering into the darkness.

“It looks extremely dark.”

“Yes.”

Dennington kicked the remains of the Cyberman to the side and slowly went through the hole. They appeared to be in a corridor which was just as dark as the previous room. A laugh could be heard in the distance.

“Do you think he’s watching us?’” asked Dennington.

“Undoubtedly,” said Dunjan, gazing upwards.

“Then why’s he letting us continue?”

“To test us. To see if we can make it all the way.”

The laugh came again.

“He must have had many visitors,” said Dennington, edging forward.

“Oh, he has. They’ve all been here and they’ve all failed.”

“Then why are we getting so far?”

“It’s like I said; he’s testing us. Many have gotten this far, but then failed. Or maybe it’s something else…”

A blast of wind shot down the corridor knocking the two men backwards. A roar accompanied the howling wind and they both had to hold their hands to their ears to block out the deafening sound. Eventually the wind died down.

“What did we do to deserve that?” said Dennington.

“Hmm…I wonder.” Dunjan chuckled to himself and then led Dennington further down the corridor.




“Welcome, children, and the, erm, lizard.”

Caroline, Ivy and Grasp where sat on the floor rubbing their heads.

“Oooh, what happened?” groaned Caroline.

“Not your average transmat system, that’s for sure,” said Ivy, shaking her head. “And if I get another headache today I’m off to live on a farm and milk cows. At least that will be peaceful. I’m sick of waking up with a pounding in my head.”

“Where are we?” asked Caroline, squinting into the sub-darkness.

Ivy looked around and noticed a light glowing not far off in the shape of an eye. “By the looks of that glowing eye I’d say we’re in Tressure’s stronghold.”

“Congratulations, Miss Coldstone,” came a familiar voice from the darkness.

“Oh no,” said Caroline, shaking her head in disbelief.

Danny walked into view of the three of them, grinning.

“What is going on?” growled Grasp.

“You’re right smack in the centre of the lair of God - Tressure.”

“What are you on about, Danny?”

“He seems delirious, Caroline.”

“I shall tear him limb from limb!” said Grasp, getting to his feet. He reached for his blaster to find it had gone.

A laugh came from near to the glowing Eye light.

“Please, I mean you no harm. We mean you no harm,” said Danny.

“You could have fooled me,” said Ivy, continuing to rub her head. “What exactly has happened to you?”

“Come with me and you shall be told everything.”

Danny held out his hand and helped Caroline and Ivy to their feet. Grasp reluctantly followed behind them. He brought them towards the glowing Eye.

Sat in a ornate chair was a fairly young, but withered looking man. He sat, looking at the three of them and nodded his head.

“Welcome, children.”

“Three guesses for who you are,” said Ivy.

Grasp obviously didn’t understand the joke and was about to answer when Danny slapped Ivy across the face.

“What the hell are you doing, Danny?” said Caroline.

“Thanks a lot, Danny,” said Ivy, rubbing her sore cheek.

“You will show respect to our Lord.”

Danny advanced on the two women but Tressure rose from his chair. “Stop, Danny!”

Danny obeyed without a second thought.

“We must try and understand our…guests.”

“I’m glad to see you have a bit of sense,” said Ivy.

“Do not trust it,” growled Grasp. “It’s a false God and I shall not worship it.”

Danny advanced on Grasp, but the lizard knocked him to the floor.

“What have you done to Danny?” asked Caroline, daring to step towards the strange, tired man.

“You should be asking what he has done to himself?”

“I’ve surrendered my mind to the Lord Tressure,” said Danny, rubbing his bruised jaw.

Grasp decided enough was enough and leapt towards Tressure.

The man was too fast and a wave of nothingness seemed to shoot out of Tressure like a shockwave and knock the lizard-man back.

Danny was back on his feet in seconds and beside his God.

“Why are you doing this?” shouted Caroline.

“Don’t worry, you will find out eventually, and when you do -”

Tressure’s words were cut off with a slam into his back. Danny whirled around to see who the attackers were. Mark Dennington stood in the shadows with a wooden staff in his hand and a little old man standing beside him. Tressure flailed and fell on the floor, out of breath.

“Some God,” said Dennington with a grin on his face.

Danny’s eyes shone yellow-green and he let out a grey vapour from his mouth.

Dennington, Dunjan, Ivy, Caroline and Grasp ran for the exit of the chamber before Danny’s vapour could catch them.




Meanwhile, outside, Captain Nivere and the Doctor had walked through the remainder of the jungle in silence until Nivere decided it was time for a quick break. They sat down beside a small, sandy area in a clearing amongst the trees.

The Doctor sat crossed legged and opened one of the rucksacks. Inside was a flask with a hot drink that resembled something like tea, but not quite. Inside a small box were thin strips of space rations. He eyed them wearily and then took a bite into the dark coloured strip. After a few chomps his face contorted and he quickly took a drink of the liquid. It wasn’t nice but at least it washed away the disgusting taste.

“Don’t like them, eh?” asked Nivere, happily munching away.

“They are truly disgusting.”

“You’ll get used to them,” said Nivere.

“Assuming I have to get used to them. I don’t intend on staying in space forever.”

“You lost your craft you say? Well it’s a long way back to Earth if you come back with me on my ship. You’ll have to live off these things. Normal food is very scarce.”

“Yes. Maybe I should have listened to Caroline and tried to get the TARDIS out of that swamp rather than coming on this stupid expedition.”

Nivere gave him a sideways glance. “And why exactly is this a stupid expedition?”

“Well look at what’s happened. Deaths, one disappearance and the kidnapping of Caroline, Ivy and Grasp. Not to mention my friend, Danny, walking off.”

“Minor problems, Doctor,” laughed Nivere.

“You may call the death of two innocents minor, but I don’t!”

Nivere didn’t reply and carried on eating.

The Doctor felt at a loss until he noticed the glint of metal at the bottom of the rucksack. He checked Nivere wasn’t watching him and slowly put his hand in the bag. He could feel a gun shape, cold in his hand. His hand froze and he could feel his pulse racing. He didn’t want to use a gun, but perhaps he could threaten Nivere, change her mind about this mission.

But he had delayed too long. The Doctor felt the barrel of a blaster pressed against his left temple. He turned his head and saw Nivere pointing her weapon at him.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting more rations?” attempted the Doctor.

“You fool. I forgot there was a gun in that bag. What would you have done if you’d got it?”

“Tried to make you see reason,” said the Doctor, letting go of the gun.

“Reason? I have been offered the power of a God. There is no reasoning to make me see,” she growled insanely.

“You have been offered nothing!” snapped the Doctor. “You’re a fool to trust Tressure. If he wanted you to share in his power he’d just transport you there himself.”

“He wants to see if I can make it there on my own. He wants to see if I’m worthy of the power. And I will show him that I am.”

“What about me then? He said I was worthy as well.”

“Then we shall see.” Nivere smiled and withdrew the gun from the Doctors temple. She then snatched the bag from him and made sure it wasn’t in his reach and carried on eating and drinking.

The Doctor flopped onto his back and looked up at the high sun. “Well, if we’re supposed to be tested, where are the tests?”

There was a low rumbling and the Doctor sat bolt upright. The Doctor and Nivere turned to face each other, a look of worry on their faces, as the ground began to shake.

“I think that answers your question.”




Yentob felt his head burning with fury, but there was something wrong, something not quite right. It didn’t feel like his fury. Something was inhabiting his mind. A power so strong it would be impossible to dislodge it. His God was in there. In his own mind. And he could see the escapees in front of him. And they had spotted him.

‘Run!’

He could hear the people shouting and running as fast as they could through the corridors and hallways of the fortress. Something told him to run and stop them and his legs moved him on against his will.




Caroline turned around and realised she was alone. Where she had been running was now a wall blocking the way back. How could a wall suddenly appear out of nowhere? A face pushed through the wall forming from the bricks.

“What the hell are you?”

“Just another servant of Tressure!” it said excitedly.

“Well let me get back to my friends.”

“Answer my three riddles.”

“This isn’t a game show! Do I look like a dungeoneer?” she shouted, and booted the face in it’s nose. It wailed with pain and Caroline dived through it’s gaping mouth and onto the other side of the wall were Ivy and the others were waiting.

“Where did you go?” asked Ivy.

“It’s Tressure setting up traps for us.”

The wall suddenly changed. The face had switched to the other side and was watching them with thunder in it's face.

“Yentob! Yentob they are here!” it shouted, it’s voice ringing through the castle walls.

“You stupid wall!” shouted Caroline.

It continued to shout until Dennington picked up a loose brick and smashed it’s nose off. It yelled in pain and the group made their escape.

Dennington turned to Dunjan. “Can’t you use that power of yours yet?”

“Tressure’s is too great. It’s blocking me still.”

“If we could only divert his power,” said Ivy.

“And how do we do that?” asked Caroline.

“He’s inhabiting your friend, Danny, as well as Yentob and himself,” said Dunjan.

“Then what we need to do is attack them all,” growled Grasp.

“That’d be suicide. And besides, Tressure wants us alive,” said Caroline.

“And how do we know he’d keep his promise?” said Ivy.

“We don’t,” said Dunjan.

“Then our best bet is to get out of here,” said Dennington.

“No,” said Grasp, “we fight!”

The others turned to Grasp and said in unison “No!”

A terrible howl came from behind them and Yentob appeared, running faster than them, and looking like a caged animal. He advanced on them and threw his spear. It landed in the back of Grasps thigh and he fell to the floor in pain.

The others turned back, but Grasp, amazingly, urged them to leave him.

“We can’t leave him!” shouted Caroline.

“We have to,” said Dennington sadly.

As the others disappeared around the corner, Yentob jumped on top of Grasp and pulled the spear from his leg. “Did you really think you could get away?” he growled.

“Get off!” shouted Grasp.

“You’re going back to our God.” Yentob closed his eyes and a green mist formed around Grasp and then he was gone.

Yentob laughed and then carried on his pursuit of the others.




Caroline and the others turned a corner and walked straight into…nothing. No wall, no ceiling.

No floor.

The four of them tumbled through the blackness, screaming as they fell.

16 Nov 2012

Eye Of The Jungle, Chapter 11

Dunjan and Dennington had reached a wall. It was made of crudely shaped thick bricks and stood at about fifty feet high.

Dennington gazed up at it in awe. “So how do we get over that? Climb?”

“No,” said Dunjan. “Tressure will have guards on the other side who would kill us in an instant.”

“What about the main gate? We could knock on the door and ask them if we can see Tressure.”

“It would take another full day to follow the wall around to the main gate. We must find an alternative route.”

“I’m open to suggestions.”

Dunjan started to bang his staff on the ground whilst walking around and around in random patterns.

“What are you doing?” asked Dennington, confused.

“The fortress has dungeons and tunnels that stretch far under the land. Maybe we could find a passage in that way.”

“Can’t you just put a spell on the guards? You know, knock them out?”

“Tressure will have protected them, but -” he seemed to have found something, “- a-ha!”

“What?”

“Hollow ground. We can get through the earth into the dungeons.”

Dunjan raised his staff, muttered some words under his breath and brought his staff down sharply on the ground. The earth began to tremble and cracks formed. Dennington stepped back as a large hole appeared where he had been standing.

Dunjan smiled.

“Bloody hell, Dunjan! Well done!”

They peered down into the abyss. It was a few feet down but they’d make it. But below was just blackness.

“Shame we don’t have any rope,” said Dennington. “I lost it in the river. Think you can jump that far?”

“Life is nothing without risk.”




In his throne room Tressure was distracted. Danny was pinned against the wall and screaming in agony. The tears were streaming from his eyes and he was begging to be released.

“You’re weak!” screamed Tressure. “Weak!”

Danny crumpled in pain and fought against the harsh yellow light that was emanating from the Eye around Tressure’s neck.

“Please, stop,” he begged.

But the torture continued.

With all of his strength Danny edged himself forward. It was as if someone was inside him, pushing him on. He reached out and to Tressure’s horror he grabbed the Eye. The light enveloped Danny and he gasped in shock and surprise.

And then…nothing.

Danny was lying somewhere. He couldn’t quite tell where. But all around him was yellow-green light. An old man appeared out of nowhere. No, there were two men. One old, one young. No, wait. More than two men. There were women as well. People were appearing from everywhere. Soon a huge crowd of people were gathered around him.

“Who are you?” asked Danny fearfully.

“Do not be frightened,” said one of the woman. “We are the Gods of the Eye.”

“I...I don’t understand.”

“We are the Gods that once were,” added a young man. “We are the past keepers of the Eye. The ones that came before Tressure.”

Danny listened intently as the Gods told him of the story of the Eye. And then they gave him specific instructions of what he was to do. Danny nodded and then…

He was lying in Tressure’s throne room on the floor. In his hand was the Eye; it had been pulled from Tressure’s neck. Now the God stood over him, watching with interest.

“What happened?” The previous conversation seemed a distant blur.

“You defied me,” said Tressure, calmly.




“Oh, my head,” groaned the Doctor, wondering whether or not to risk opening his eyes against the sunlight.

“What have I been drinking?” groaned Ivy.

“Whatever it was, I had some as well. I feel like the morning after last years Christmas party. I thought Nivere had shot us,” said Caroline.

“She did,” replied the Doctor. “She just had the gun on a high stun setting.”

“Nice of her to leave us alive,” said Ivy.

The Doctor opened one eye and then the other and then groaned in pain. He shielded his eyes as he forced himself to sit up. His head was pounding with the beat of a thousand elephants stamping on his skull.

“Is it safe to open our eyes yet?”

“I think so, Ivy, but take it slowly.”

The two women sat up and then opened their eyes. After a while the brightness of the morning sun started to feel normal again and, although they still had splitting headaches, they were beginning to feel much better.

They’d eaten a few rations that Nivere had left behind and then gathered their stuff together.

“So what do we do now?” asked Caroline. “Go back to the TARDIS?”

“We can’t just leave Mark. He might still be alive.”

“Yes.” The Doctor bit on his finger nails in thought. “Okay. It looks like we’re going to have to get to this God’s fortress after all.”

“What?!” spluttered Caroline. “You were all for abandoning the expedition.”

“Yes, I know, but I don’t think we’ve got any choice. Nivere isn’t going to stop until she’s got the power of the Eye. It’s inevitable that we’re going to end up there.”




Dennington and Dunjan, meanwhile, had come to a dead end. They had jumped through the hole and into the tunnels underground only to find themselves in a stone prison chamber with no obvious means of escape.

“So now what do we do?” asked Dennington.

“Well I could try using my magic to get us out, but this far down and this close to Tressure might render it in-operable.”

“You mean from now on your magic’s gonna be useless?”

“More or less,” said Dunjan, biting his lip.

“Great. We’ll just have to go back up.”

Dennington sat down on the cold floor just has he heard a soft groan. It seemed to come from the far corner of the cell. The whole place was in darkness so they had no idea of what was making the sound. Dennington grabbed Dunjan’s stick and motioned for him to stay back.

“Hello?” he called wearily into the darkness.

There was no reply.

“Hello? Who’s there?”

The groan came again; this time a little more strained.

“Are you okay? You sound like you’re in pain.”

The groan came louder again, but this time Dennington noticed a mechanical twinge to it. Robotic. It sounded more like a faulty robots voice.

“Are you okay? What are you?”

Dennington thought he saw a glint of metal shining in the darkness and put his face closer. A great metal hand reached out and grabbed Dennington around the throat. He shouted out in terror as a blank, metal face with black holes for eyes stared back at him.




Nivere and Grasp were running through the jungle, out of breath and feeling very tired. But they had to keep going. Behind them were the two savages that had taken the girl. They must have located them and they were chasing them, gaining ground on them all the time.

“Come on, Grasp, come on!” she shouted back to the lizard man who was firing bolts of energy back through the trees.

“We must stop them, Captain,” panted Grasp.

“Leave them. We need to run!”

They continued running and eventually Grasp ran up alongside Nivere. But Nivere was already starting to run out of steam. After a while she slowed to a walking pace and collapsed on the floor.

“It’s no use,” she said, panting. “I’m just not fit enough.”

Grasp looked around anxiously and then hefted his captain up to her feet. “I’ll have to carry you.”

“What!”

But Grasp didn’t listen to her protests, picked up the bulky woman and slung her over his shoulder. He broke into a struggling run again with the protesting Nivere over his shoulder.

Back a few metres was Slavin and Yentob. The two had been tracking Nivere and Grasp for sometime.

“They’re on the move again,” said Yentob.

“Well done, lad, yes, they are,” replied the old man.

“We could use our magic to get ahead.”

“We mustn’t rely on magic all the time, Yentob. We shouldn’t flaunt it. It was a gift from God and not something to be used without thought.”

“I understand, Slavin.” But in his head Yentob couldn’t work out why they had to do all this running.

Further up the path Grasp was beginning to struggle with Nivere. She demanded that he put her down, but he wasn’t listening.

“We must carry on, Captain.”

“Then let me go.”

“You can’t manage it.”

“I can!”

Grasp stopped, thought, and then put his captain down. She straightened out her clothes and stood up. ‘

“Thank you, Grasp.”

“Do not mention it, Captain.”

A spear whizzed straight past Grasp‘s head, amazingly, not killing him.

“Down!” shouted Nivere.

The two hid behind some bushes as their attackers, Slavin and Yentob, pushed their way through the trees.

Yentob stood as still as a stone, narrowing his eyes and listening for any sign of movement. He was like an animal on the prowl and Nivere and Grasp were his prey. Slavin simply stood and watched the younger man, admiring him and nodding in approval at his hunting skills.

“I can hear something,” whispered Yentob.

“Where are they?” asked the older man, hoping to get a response.

“I am not sure. I can hear breathing.”

Grasp and Nivere were crouched as low as possible behind the thick jungle leaves. Grasp was breathing heavily and Nivere was trying to stop him. And then they saw the two savages advance on their position.




“Get it off me!” screamed Dennington as the huge metal hand of the robot tried to strangle the life out of him.

“I can’t. He is too strong!” said Dunjan in despair as he rammed his staff into the things body. The spear wasn’t even denting it.

Dennington tried to splutter a few words but it didn’t work. His hand reached out and grabbed at a gold necklace that hung from Dunjan’s neck. He snatched it away and thrust it as hard as he could into the robots chest plate. The thing recoiled back, screaming in horror and hid itself in a corner.

“What on Theen is it?” asked Dunjan, wide-eyed.

“A Cyberman. Part organic and part cybernetic. Gold is lethal to them,” said Dennington coughing and rubbing his soar neck. “Well, at least to some Cybermen it is. It clogs up their breathing apparatus.” He moved closer to the strange robotic man and examined it’s still form. “Yes this appears to be a Telosian Cyberman. We went to war with them a few centuries ago.”

“I don’t understand,’ said Dunjan, feeling rather confused.”

“Cybermen were once like you or I, Dunjan. Flesh and blood. But they gradually replaced their human body parts with cybernetic organs, metal and plastic until most of what was human was gone. The result was this - a Cyberman.”

“But what’s it doing on Theen?”

“Obviously the same reason my Captain is here – looking for the Eye.”

“Yes. Many have come to our planet, but never fully passed the test.”

Dennington brushed the gold pieces from the Cyberman’s chest plate. “Yes. This one must have been with a larger group. Tressure must be very powerful if he can stop the Cybermen.”

Dunjan nodded grimly. “What do we do now?”

“We get out of here.”

“Through the hole in the ceiling?”

But when they looked up they noticed, to their horror, that the hole had gone. They were now fully enclosed in.




“Stop!” shouted the Doctor, running up to Slavin and Yentob.

“We passed your dead bodies,” said Yentob suspiciously.

“Only stunned, boys,” said Ivy. “We’re alive and kicking again.”

“No thanks to her,” grumbled Caroline, pointing to the Captain and Grasp who were now emerging from behind the buses.

“We should kill them all - now!” said Yentob fiercely.

“Killing us won’t achieve anything,” said the Doctor, looking hard into Slavin’s eyes.

“Listen to the Doctor, he knows what he‘s talking about,” encouraged Nivere.

“Is that why you shot him?” said Caroline.

“Okay, Caroline, let’s forget about the blame for now.” The Doctor circled Slavin and examined him closely. “You don’t really want to kill us, do you?”

“I must…”

“What did your God ask you to do?” asked the Doctor.

“He...he told us that he was only interested in you, Doctor, and Captain April Nivere.”

“Me?” spluttered Nivere. “Why me?”

“I don’t know…”

“Perhaps he wants to give me the power of the Gods.” Nivere’s heart had leapt and visions of the future were whipping up around her head. Visions of her sat on a throne surrounded by all the treasures she could think of.

“I think I can guess why,” said the Doctor. “I’m a Time Lord so he’s possibly interested in me for that reason. But Nivere…hmm, I don’t know about her.”

Caroline turned around, suddenly feeling the unnerving chill of something watching her. “Doctor,” she said uneasily. “Doctor can you feel that?”

“What?” The Doctor looked at his young companion. A green cloud was beginning to form close to the travellers. But it was low down and small. After a while it became thicker and soon an odd, cloud-like face began to form.

“What the hell is that?” asked Caroline.

Slavin smiled. “That is our God”

The mouth opened on the face and it spoke. “I am indeed their God.”

“God?” spluttered the Doctor. “I doubt that you’re a God.”

“You doubt it?”

“Yes,” continued the Doctor. “There are many powerful beings out there and I believe that you’re one of them, but you are not a God”

The face chuckled. “So I am given power over this entire planet. I even structured the planet and created these people. Does that not make me a God?”

“No it does not.”

The face twisted into a look of sneering anger and then a vapour was released from it’s mouth. The vapour floated past the Doctor and engulfed Ivy, Caroline and Grasp, leaving the Doctor, Nivere, Yentob and Slavin. It then cleared and the three stood motionless. Paralysed. Frozen in one spot.

“What have you done to them?”

“Taken them out of the picture for a while. Slavin -”

Slavin raised his staff and crashed it down onto the ground. In a flash of green light the savages and the motionless ones disappeared leaving just Nivere, the Doctor and the cloud in the jungle.

“Where have they gone?”

“They are with me now, and if you want to see them alive you’ll continue your expedition to my fortress.”

“Why?” asked Nivere. “Why take them?”

‘Because you two, I believe, are worthy for the task of joining me in ultimate power. If you can make it to me in one piece then I will consider releasing some of that power to you.”

Nivere smiled as the face disappeared.

9 Nov 2012

Eye Of The Jungle, Chapter 10

The wind had died down and everything was calm. This perplexed the Doctor.

“What’s wrong?” asked Ivy.

“I’m not sure. But if we’re supposed to go through some tests then why has the wind stopped before we’ve gotten to the end of the river?”

“Perhaps the test is over,” suggested Caroline.

“So we succeeded then,” smiled Ivy.

“Maybe…” A thought entered the Doctors head. “Or maybe we failed.”

“Failed! How?” asked Ivy.

“Dennington and the others. Maybe they’ve had bigger troubles than we thought.”

“Mark will be fine,” called Nivere from the front of the raft. She’d been rowing since the incident and Ivy and the Doctor had been pleased that she’d kept quiet for most of the journey.

“Are we anywhere near the end of this river yet?” asked the Doctor.

“Yes. Just look up there.” Nivere pointed ahead. The river was trickling into smaller streams that were too narrow for the raft. Ahead was more of the dense jungle.

“And we have to go through more jungle?” asked Caroline.

“I’m afraid so. This is where we have to travel through the most dangerous part of the jungle.” Nivere emphasised the dangerous part.

After a few minutes Nivere guided the raft to one of the banks of the river. They gathered up their belongings and sat down beside the water.

“Now all we have to do is wait for Mark,” said Ivy. “I hope he’s okay.”




But Dennington was not okay. He had been washed up on some rocks half a mile away from Nivere’s position. He spluttered and coughed the water out of his system and managed to drag himself to a safe distance from the water.

After a few moments of lying down and gazing up at the dark, over-hanging trees, he sat himself up and looked around him. Everything was still and silent.

“Where the hell am I?” he asked himself.

A noise came from behind him and he was amazed to see a tall, slender, blonde haired woman step out from behind a tree. Dennington felt his heart strings tug and tears of joy began to well in his eyes.

“Mark,” said the woman. Her voice was silky and smooth. “Mark, I’ve missed you.”

“But…but it can’t be,” said Dennington, fighting away the tears. “You died on the moon. You’ve been gone seven years.”

“And those were the loneliest seven years of your life. I know, Mark, I know.”

Dennington got to his feet and ran over to the woman. She embraced him and kissed him passionately on the lips.

“I won’t let you die again, Julia, I won’t.”

“Oh, I know you won’t.”

The woman, Julia, looked into Dennington’s eyes. The explorer could feel something was wrong with her and not all of this was ringing quite true. But right now he didn’t care. He had his wife, Julia, back and he was never going to let her go again.

Julia took his hand and led him into the jungle. After a while she let go and began to run. Dennington chased her and they both laughed, ignoring the branches and sharp thorns that were slashing against their clothes.

Julia arrived at a large lake that had been formed from a stream that had run from the river. She dived in. Dennington couldn’t believe this was happening and he dived in after her.

They swam around for a moment, splashing water at each other and then embraced again. It had been such a long time and he had turned into a robot for Nivere. He needed Julia back in his life, but something at the back of his head was telling him that this couldn’t be happening.

“What’s wrong?” asked Julia.

“I don’t know,” he replied, pulling away from his wife.

“I want you to come away with me, Mark.”

“No.” He was stunned at the harshness of his own voice.

“Why?” The tears began falling from her eyes.

“Because you’re not real.”

As he said the words Julia was dragged under the water by some invisible force. When she emerged her eyes were bright yellow and cat-like. She snarled at Dennington and lunged at him.

Dennington backed away. “You’re not Julia.”

“I can be,” she snarled, attempting to wrap her arms around him again.

He pushed her back, but she grabbed him around the throat.

“I love you Mark,” she growled.

“You’re not Julia!” he yelled, pushing her under the water.

After a few moments of struggling she stopped. Dennington began crying and watched his wife’s body sink to the bed of the lake and then evaporate.

A voice came from beyond the heavens.

“Well done, Mark. You have defeated one of my illusions. You are indeed strong. But are you the strongest? We shall see.”

After a while Dennington regained his composure and swam to the bank. He sat there for a good fifteen minutes and then made his way back into the jungle with a new determination. Someone had blackened the memory of his wife and he wasn’t going to let them get away with that.




The Doctor, Ivy, Caroline and Nivere sat around the edge of the lake waiting for Dennington’s party. It had been around an hour and there still hadn’t been any sign of the second raft. Things were beginning to look decidedly grim.

The Doctor looked across to Nivere. For once she seemed truly concerned. Maybe it was because Mark Dennington had been a close friend of hers and she’d finally realised that her eagerness to proceed with this expedition had resulted in the rest of her crews disappearance.

First Bridges and now the others. That’s if they were dead, of course. There was no telling.

And then there was Danny. What was he doing now?

Too many questions. The Time Lord picked up a stick off the ground and began to draw in the sandy-mud. The doodle was interrupted when a shadow was cast across the Doctor. It was Caroline.

“How are you doing?” asked the Doctor.

“Fine,” said Caroline, giving a weak smile.

“We haven’t had a chance to talk since we arrived.”

“No, we haven’t,” she said, looking him in the eyes. “But I can understand that you wanted to talk to Ivy. She’s an old friend after all.”

“And I hope that you and I can be friends as well, Caroline.”

Caroline looked unsure. “I like you, Doctor, but I don’t feel like I can settle into this life. Not while I know so little about my own.” She looked sideways at him. “And so little about you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ivy never recognised you at first. How come? If she’d travelled with you for - what, five years? - you would have thought she would have recognised you.”

“Hmm,” said the Doctor, drawing his knees up close to his chest. “I wondered when you were going to start asking about that.”

“It’s almost like she thought you looked like a completely different person.”

“Not exactly,” smiled the Doctor. “You see, I am a Time Lord, and Time Lord’s have certain…gifts. When our bodies become damaged - irreparably damaged - we can completely regenerate ourselves. Change our appearance. Renew ourselves.”

“You mean-?”

“When Ivy knew me I looked completely different. I had a completely different personality. And I was younger and fitter and healthier.”

“Healthier? Has this got something to do with those pills you’ve been taking?”

“Not exactly,” said the Doctor. “I’m not exactly sure how to explain that to you at the moment.”

“Hmmm,” said Caroline, rolling her eyes.

“As soon as I’ve figured it out myself, I’ll tell you.”

Caroline moved around uncomfortably and then looked at him. “I’m also worried that you don’t care what happens to us.”

“What!?” The Doctor was taken aback.

“The TARDIS is lying at the bottom of a swamp, Doctor. You didn’t seem to bat an eyelid.”

“Caroline, I’m concerned; truly concerned. But we can’t do anything about it yet.”

“But is there a way to get the TARDIS unstuck?”

“Possibly,” said the Doctor, managing a slight smile which didn’t reassure Caroline.

There was a splash of water and the Doctor, Caroline and Nivere got up and ran towards Ivy who was crouched down beside the river banks.

“What was it?” asked Nivere.

“I don’t know,” said Ivy, trying to peer over the edge.

“Look!” Caroline pointed towards a shape under the surface of the water. A large, green shape.




Tressure dismissed Yentob and Slavin and watched as Danny cautiously entered the chamber.

Danny looked confident and not a bit scared.

The fool, thought Tressure, he’ll never be able to stand up against me.

“Good morning, sir,” said Danny extending his hand.

Tressure narrowed his eyes, thought about shaking the young mans hand and then decided against it. “Good morning, Mr. Lennon.”

“You know my name?”

“I know everything. This is my world, my planet. Everything is mine. I am God.”

“Then you must be extremely powerful.” Danny’s tone had changed from sounding confident to sounding full of admiration.

“More powerful then you could imagine.”

“But, what do you do here? I mean, what is the reason behind having an entire planet under your control? I could understand if it was Earth or something, but there’s only one small tribe on this planet.”

“I wanted power – I have it. It’s all I ever wanted. But the question is, Danny, what do you want?”

“What do I want?”

Tressure leaned in closer. “Yes. What do you want?”

“I want to be a God as well.” Danny wasn’t sure he was really thinking this as he said it.

Tressure smiled and then let out a huge belly laugh that threatened to shake the entire chamber to it’s foundations.

Danny frowned and felt angry.




The jungle was full of all sorts of strange sounds, sights and smells and by now Dennington was getting hungry. He’d lost his pack of food when the raft broke up and he wasn’t sure whether he dare try any of the fruits that hung from the trees. Eventually he’d reached a small pool and, risking it, he had taken a drink of the cool water. It may have been cool, but it was fowl tasting and he spat it out immediately. At least his thirst was quenched for a while. But this jungle had seemed to have gone on forever.

A sound made him stop in his tracks. He turned around and standing beside him was a small, pale-skinned man with a long white beard and white hair. His eyes were small and pale and he was grinning at Dennington.

“Can I help you?” asked Dennington.

“Can I help you?” smiled the man.

“I don’t think so. Who are you?”

“A friend.”

“A friend in this jungle? I doubt it.”

“We are not all savages,” said the man. His high voice had taken on a darker sound. “I am not from the tribe of Tressure.”

“What do you mean?” asked Dennington, sitting down beside the small man.

“I do not worship the Eye. I am one of the few on this planet that don’t believe in this false God.”

“You don’t worship the Eye? Well how come you’re allowed to live on this planet.”

The little man was about to speak and then stopped himself. “It’s a long story, my friend.”

“Perhaps you could tell me as we walk. I’m trying to get back to my friends.”

The two men – one tall, one small – set off further into the jungle and the little man told of how he and some others had broken away.

“The legend goes that Captain Tressure was carrying the Eye of the Gods on his cargo ship. The ship crashed here when it was just sand and baking hot sun. He grasped the power of the Eye and a whole new world grew around him.”

“The jungle?”

“Yes, the jungle.”

“You mean he created all of this?”

“Yes. The Eye gave him this world. Throughout millions of years the Eye had travelled from person to person. The person that took the Eye became a God and it was his bound duty to create a world and civilisation and try to continue the life of the universe. Then, after centuries, the Eye would depart and find a new host, having learnt all it could from each new civilisation.”

“Well, this Tressure doesn’t seem to have created anything worthy of continuing the life of the universe.”

“No. And that’s the problem. He became power mad and created a tribe which was there to solely protect him. A few of us broke away and we’ve been trying to fight him ever since through these many long centuries.”

“But how come he let’s you live here?”

“He doesn’t. But he gave up trying to destroy us a long time ago. You see, his mistake was in giving his tribe magical powers. Magical powers which we also have. There have been times he has succeeded in killing of a number of us, but we can usually hide ourselves from him for short times.”

“And you are here to do…what exactly, besides fighting him?”

“We want to rescue the Eye. Free it and let it find a planet more worthy. And then perhaps our planet can begin to live without fear. Maybe we can advance as a civilisation without having to live in the dark ages.”

The little man had given his name as Dunjan and had promised to accompany Dennington to the fortress of Tressure. Dennington had decided that Nivere and the rest of the team would have continued on their way there, but the Jungle threatened to become more and more dense and soon they’d have to find an alternative way in.




“What’s happened to Aamina and Mark?” asked Ivy, impatiently.

Grasp coughed and spluttered.

“Come on, Grasp, where are they?” said the Doctor.

“Leave him,” complained Nivere, getting down to her knees beside the drenched lizard who they had pulled from the river.

“Shut up, Nivere,” moaned Caroline. “If it was anyone else you wouldn’t give a toss.”

“How dare you -”

“Captain Nivere, how long are we going to persist with this disrespect for others? Caroline is quite right about you. We need to know where Aamina and Dennington are, and from this point on I’m taking charge.”

It was the first time the Doctor had used such authority, but it took Nivere by surprise and silenced her.

“Well done, Doctor. You certainly showed her,” smiled Ivy.

Nivere narrowed her eyes and backed away from the group whilst the Doctor, Caroline and Ivy attempted to get some sense out of her bodyguard.

“The raft…”

“What about the raft?” urged the Doctor.

“The raft…it…it broke up.”

“What about the other two?” asked Ivy.

“They…they tried to argue with me…”

“Oh, let me guess. You killed them?” said the Doctor, looking down in disgust.

Amazingly Grasp’s mouth curled up into a sneer. “I attempted to kill them. They wouldn’t obey orders.” He chuckled. “We fought. They both fell into the water. I don’t know where they are now.”

The Doctor rubbed his tired eyes and sat on the floor shaking his head. “People are dying because of this stupid expedition. We need to round everyone up – if they’re still alive – and get us back to the ship. This expedition has to end now.”

“It won’t!”

The Doctor looked up. Nivere was standing over them, aiming a blaster at the Doctor’s head.

“Captain Nivere, please - !”

“Shut up, Doctor. Grasp, get to your feet. We’re leaving.”

The lizard man struggled to his feet and stood by his Captain’s side.

“So you’re going to kill us in cold blood, are you?” asked Ivy.

Nivere laughed and shot out three energy bolts. The bolts hit the Doctor, Ivy and Caroline and they flopped down to the ground. There was no movement.

3 Nov 2012

Eye Of The Jungle, Chapter 9

“What in the nine realities…?” The Doctor couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Ivy, Dennington and Caroline were in the distance and shouting towards the Doctor's party.

“I'm sorry,” said the Doctor, putting a hand to his ear. “I can't quite hear what you're saying?”

Ivy shouted a bit louder, but the Doctor still could only make out bits. “I.....shoot.......bloody thing.”

“Shoot it?” suggested Captain Nivere.

“Ah yes, of course. Grasp.” The lizard didn't move.

“Grasp,” said Nivere. “Fire a few shots at that thing.”

“Yes, Captain Nivere,” Grasp said obediently and began blasting bolts of deadly energy at the giant cloaked figure. The thing screeched out in horror.

“What the hell is it, Doctor?” asked Nivere.

“It looks like a walking nightmare,” said the Doctor. “After Ivy’s fiancĂ©e died, she had had nightmares about the Grimm Reaper taking James’ body away from her”

By now the giant was beginning to recoil backwards and Ivy and the others were getting ahead of it. Eventually the giant fell to it's knees, gave out a large howl and the final blast from Grasp's gun dispersed the giant into a cloud of nothingness.

Ivy helped Dennington and Caroline up to the side of the river and they collapsed in the sand beside the Doctor, gasping for air.

“Are you okay?” asked the Doctor, gazing down at her.

“Yes. I think so,” she said. “I sometimes have the nightmares. Even now. Are you okay?”

“No, we've been sat here all night waiting for you. Where have you been?”

“We had some problems.” Ivy pointed to Caroline who was lying on the floor next to Dennington.

“Caroline,” gasped the Doctor, looking at her wounded thigh. “What happened?”

“They attacked me. Then they locked me up and then threatened to stab me with a flaming spear.”

“Other than that, did they do anything to hurt you badly?” asked the Doctor eagerly.

“Badly? Doctor, they stabbed me through the leg.”

“Yes,” he said, examining her thigh, “but it's a superficial wound. It's nothing compared to what Danny's been through.”

Caroline looked over to Danny who was sat alone beside the river, dangling his fingers into the running stream and staring into space. “What's up with him?”

“He had a brush with a dream.”

“So did I,” said Caroline. “I didn’t quite understand it either.”

“What happened?” asked the Doctor.

“I was on a beach, but I was five years old. There was a health care woman talking to my parents. Apparently they were refusing to have been tested.”

“Hmm,” said the Doctor. “Keep a hold of that memory.”

“Memory?” questioned Caroline. “You mean that actually happened?”

“Quite possibly. Some dreams are just a jumbled collection of thoughts. Some relate to possible truths, and others…well, others are actual memories.”

“Here, Doctor.” Nivere handed the Doctor a medical kit from her travel bag and the Doctor began dressing up Caroline's sore wound. She winced in pain and stared at him, trying to work out what was going on in his head.




“Bridges. Dead,” whispered Dennington slowly.

“Yes. It was Grasp's fault,“ said Nivere sadly to her second in command. “He was only trying to protect me.”

“So he killed Bridges. My god, what have you got as your bodyguard?” said Dennington in disbelief.

“He's extremely loyal. You know that, Mark.”

Dennington turned away in disgust and knelt down beside Bridges' body. “We should bury him.”

“We don't have time. The expedition -”

“Damn the bloody expedition. Human life is more important than some mission. The Eye can wait.”

“No it can't,” said Nivere, grabbing Dennington by the shoulders and turning him towards her. “I have heard that the keeper of the Eye needs someone to share in his power. He needs someone new to take over.”

“What a very interesting way to put it, Captain,” said the Doctor. He'd been listening in.

“How do you mean?” asked Ivy.

“Well, we all knew that Nivere wanted the secret of the Eye.”

“I don't see what I've said that's out of turn,” said Nivere, shifting her eyes from Ivy to the Doctor and to Dennington.

“You sound as though you want to take the power for yourself.”

Nivere chuckled uneasily at the suggestion. “Oh, Doctor, I didn’t mean that. I mean, how would I know about the God wanting to share his power anyway?”

“How indeed,” wondered the Doctor.

“Right,” said Nivere, clapping her hands together as if she wanted to move off the subject. “Are we all ready?”

“We can’t carry on,” said Dennington.

Aamina groaned on the floor.

“How are you Aamina?” asked Ivy.

“Fine,” replied the quiet woman. “I don't fancy talking.” She got up and slowly and shakily wandered off to sit beside the river.

“No, you never do,” whispered Ivy under her breath.

The Doctor crossed over to Danny who hadn't spoken for the past few minutes. “We're ready to get going again, Danny,” said the Doctor gently.

“Fine. I'm not going.” He refused to look up.

“What? You can't stay here?”

“Why not? It's perfectly safe now we're off the Dream Path.”

“Because there’s a dangerous tribe out there looking for us, that's why.”

“I'm not coming, Doctor,” said Danny defiantly. “You find your Eye, get yourselves killed, whatever. I'll wait for you here.”

“Danny, why are you being like this?” asked Caroline, sitting herself up. “You know it’s dangerous out here.”

“Everything’s dangerous,” said Danny, staring blankly out across the river. “I wish I’d never come with you. I wish I’d never come back to Thornsby and gotten involved. I should be sat at home, drunk and stuffed after my Christmas dinner, watching old films on ITV.”

“Danny, don’t say that.”

The Doctor was about to speak again and then decided against it. No point in forcing the issue. He patted Danny on the back, explained to the others and they walked off, leaving Danny to his own thoughts. They hid Bridges’ body under some bushes with the Doctor making a promise to give him a proper burial later and then they made their way onwards.

When they were gone Danny turned away from the river and faced the Dream Path - waiting.




They’d followed the banks of the river around to where it turned and flowed into the jungle.

Nivere took out her notepad, made a few marks in it and then turned to face the others. “This is where we must cross onto the river.”

“Why?” asked Caroline.

“Because the river heads towards the fortress that the God inhabits.”

“Why can’t we cross through the jungle?” asked the Doctor.

“Because, it is said, that this is the most dangerous part of the jungle. Even the tribe of Tressure won’t venture into it.”

“The river’s looking pretty rough though, Captain,” said Dennington.

“Even so, it’s much safer than the jungle. It’s daylight now and we need to get a move on.”

“What do you suggest we do? Build a raft and float along?” suggested Ivy.

“That’s exactly what we’ll do, Coldstone.”

The group began gathering up thick vines which could be used instead of ropes. Grasp drew out his blaster and splintered a tree into thick pieces. Then, with his blaster beam set on a low setting, he began to carve the pieces to make them float better.

“Nice to see your concern for the plant life, Nivere,” said the Doctor, staring at her.

“Survival, Doctor,” she responded cheerily.

He walked over to join Caroline. “How are you feeling?”

“You really want to know, Doctor?” said responded. “I’m tired, worn out and in need of some clean clothes.” She sat down on the floor and began picking at one of the vines.

“Is that all?”

“No,” she said sadly. “Everything’s falling apart. I can’t even rely on Danny anymore.”

“Danny’s not well,” said the Doctor. “We’ll get him checked out as soon as we get off Theen.”

If we get off Theen.”

Nivere called over. “Come on, you lot. Grasp’s cut up the wood and we can begin assembling the rafts.”

“Do we build one big raft?” asked Caroline.

“No. I thought we could make two.”

“Good idea,” said Ivy. “And then maybe we’ll end up getting separated again.”

“Will you stop being so sarcastic all the time?” said Aamina.

“Oh, you’ve piped up. Why don’t you just -”

“Ladies, ladies,’ said Dennington, trying to smooth the situation over. “Let’s just try and work together, shall we?”

“Good idea,” said the Doctor. “If we have to continue with this absurd mission, then we can at least let the captain find what she’s looking for and then we can all go home.”

“You’re forgetting, Doctor,” said Caroline, “our way of getting home is sat the bottom of a swamp.”

“Yes, thank you, Caroline,” said the Doctor.

The next few hours were spent tying the strips of wood together with the vines and making the two light rafts secure, interspersed with bickering and whispered jibes at one another.

When Nivere was satisfied that they were safe she ordered Aamina, Grasp and Dennington to take one whilst her, Caroline, Ivy and the Doctor would take the other.

They mounted the rafts and cast them off into the river as the winds began to pick up around them.




“Please don’t attack me,” said Danny, worriedly, as Yentob and Slavin approached him.

“And what makes you think we’d want to do that?” asked Slavin.

“Because you’ve already attacked the others.”

“Yes,” said Slavin, “we did. So that, I suppose, is a good enough reason to attack you.”

“No, please,” said Danny desperately. He held out his hands in front of him to show he wasn’t armed and then walked slowly towards the two savages. “You can see I mean you no harm.”

“Why are you doing this?” asked Yentob. “Why do you risk your life?”

“Because I believe I am what your God wants.”

Slavin turned to Yentob and they began laughing.

“What’s wrong?” asked Danny, desperate to get the two men on his side.

“How could you possibly know what our God wants?”

“Because I am not just a normal human being.”

Slavin’s face froze. “Then what are you?”

Danny grinned. “Now that would be telling. Take me to your God and I shall prove I am what he wants.”

Yentob looked at Slavin, unsure of what they should do. Slavin’s eyes narrowed and he walked up to Danny. “We will take you to our lord. But if he is angry then you will die.”

Danny wasn’t exactly sure why he felt so different, but he knew that something was urging him to do this. Something deep inside his soul.

And he could still hear the voice whispering over and over again.

“Danny….Danny….”




Problems had arisen already. The two rafts were being tossed about on the current of the river. Almost as soon as they’d gotten onto the river the wind had picked up and made things difficult for the travellers. It was almost as if someone had known that they were going to travel across. The river had narrowed and the dense jungle on either side hung over, obscuring the sunlight.

The Doctor was soaked through and he grabbed hold of the raft as tight as he could. Dennington’s raft was a little way behind and they’d gotten stuck against a rock.

“We have to turn back,” shouted the Doctor over the rushing water.

“Why?” asked Nivere.

The Doctor pointed towards the raft that they were rapidly sailing away from.

“Mark!” shouted Nivere. “Mark, can you free your raft?”

There was no answer, and Dennington was trying to push away from a large boulder with his oar.

“What’s going on?” asked Ivy, crawling around to look.

“Mark’s trapped,” said Caroline anxiously. “We’ve got to help.”

“Mark can help himself,” said Nivere, grabbing a nearby oar and pushing the raft against the wind again.

“I don’t believe you,” said the Doctor, grabbing her shoulder. “He’s your friend. And your damned body guard is on that raft as well.”

Nivere suddenly realised that she wasn’t protected. “Grasp will be okay,” she said a little shakily.

“That’s it, Doctor, I’ve had enough,” said Ivy, grabbing the oar off the captain. “We’re not leaving those poor people.”

Suddenly a blast flew through the wind and splintered Ivy’s oar.

“What the hell was that?” asked Caroline.

They looked back and saw Grasp aiming his gun at Ivy.

“Loyal to the end,” grinned Nivere. “Thank you, Grasp!” she shouted over the wind.

“This is unbelievable,” said the Doctor.

Nivere grinned and began to push the raft away with the other oar.




On Dennington’s raft, Aamina and him were clinging for dear life whilst Grasp covered them with his blaster.

“Come on, Grasp,” said Dennington. “There was no need to shoot at Ivy like that.”

“My captain’s life was threatened. Now get us free,” ordered the lizard.

“We can’t,” said Aamina, trying to wrench the raft out from between the boulders.

“Then get into the water and push from behind,” he growled.

“No way,” said Dennington. “We’ll be swept away in an instant.”

“You will obey,” commanded Grasp, putting the blaster up against his forehead.

Dennington swallowed hard, looked at the water, took his shirt off and prepared himself to jump in.

Aamina had had enough. She leapt to her feet, steadied herself and launched herself at Grasp. The lizard was taken by surprise and stumbled to the floor. Dennington lunged on top of the lizard and wrestled the blaster from his grip. He pointed the blaster at the snarling creature.

“Shoot me then,” said Grasp.

“Don’t tempt me,“ replied Dennington. “Tie him up, Aamina.”

Aamina got out some of the spare vines and was about to tie up Grasp when he lashed out at her. She fell backwards into the river. Dennington shouted in horror and dropped the blaster. He hung over the edge of the raft and tried to grab Aamina, but she was already being dragged away by the rapids. He called out to Nivere’s raft, but they were too far away to hear or see what was going on.

Then Dennington felt something cold on his cheek. It was the barrel of the blaster. Grasp was aiming it at him and was about to shoot when…

Aamina, halfway down the river, had shot a blast from her gun. It hit Grasp on his arm and he yelped, falling from the raft and cracking his head against a jagged rock. Dennington scrambled to his feet just in time to see Aamina get dragged under the water. He looked around for Grasp but he was nowhere to be seen.

Dennington began to panic and, as if he hadn’t been through enough already, the raft began to fall apart, jostled to pieces on the rocks. The space explorer felt himself fall through the wood and into the water. Before he could grab a hold of the rocks he was swept away. All he could think of was keeping his head above water.

And still the river raged on.