the hourglass (doctor who fan fiction)

Vincent and the Doctor pt. 4

Amy pulled us into the room, but before she could close the door all the way the Krafayis jammed its foot in the door to stop her from closing it, so Vincent stamps on it and shut the door. "
"Right. Okay. Here's the plan. Amy, Rory, Juno." the Doctor said.

"Who?"

"Sorry. Er, Vincent." the Doctor corrected. "What is the plan?" Amy questioned. "I don't know, actually. My only definite plan is that in future I'm definitely just using this screwdriver for screwing in screws." he frowned. "Give me a second. I'll be back." Vincent walked off. "I suppose we could try talking to him." I said. "Talking to him?" Amy asked. "Well, yes. Could be interesting to know his side of the story. Though maybe he's not really in the mood for conversation right at this precise moment." I shrugged. The beast banged on the door.

"Well, no harm trying." the Doctor walked up to the door. "Listen. Listen! I know you can understand me, even though I know you won't understand why you can understand me. I also know that no one's talked to you for a pretty long stretch, but please, listen. I also don't belong on this world. I'm the second to last of my kind. If you trust me, I'm sure we can come to some kind of, you know, understanding. And then, and then, who knows?" the Doctor bargained. Behind us, a window was broken in. "Over here, mate!" Vincent yelled. We quickly hid behind a stone monument while Vincent had his easel and was bashing the beast with the three pointed feet.

"What's it up to now?" I asked. "It's moving round the room. Feeling its way around." Vincent described. "What?" I questioned. "It's like it's trapped. It's moving round the edges of the room." he explained. "I can't see a thing." Amy spoke up. "Oh. I am really stupid."

"Oh, get a grip! This is not a moment to re-evaluate your self-esteem." Amy bashed. "No, I am really stupid, I'm starting to grow old. Why does it attack but never eat its victims? And why was it abandoned by its pack and left here to die? And why is it feeling its way helplessly around the walls of the room? It can't see. It's blind. Yes, and that explains why it has such perfect hearing!" I concluded. "Oh that's brilliant Juno!" the Doctor smiled at me. "Which unfortunately also explains why it is now turning around and heading straight for us." Vincent said.

"Vincent. Vincent, what's happening?" the Doctor called. "It's charging now. Get back. Get back!" the Krafayis stabbed itself onto the easel and lifted Vincent into the air. It then fell to the floor, mortally wounded. "He wasn't without mercy at all. He was without sight. I didn't mean that to happen. I only meant to wound it, I never meant to-"

At that moment, I felt like I could understand it. "He's trying to say something." I said, walking over to the beast. "What is it?" Vincent asked. "I'm having trouble making it out, but I think he's saying, I'm afraid. I'm afraid." I grazed the beast. "There, there. Shush, shush. It's okay, it's okay. You'll be fine. Shush." It was dead. "He was frightened, and he lashed out. Like humans who lash out when they're frightened. Like the villagers who scream at me. Like the children who throw stones at me."

"Sometimes winning, winning is no fun at all."

<—————>

We had been lying on the ground and looked up at the night sky. "Hold my hand, Doctor. Try to see what I see. We are so lucky we are still alive to see this beautiful world. Look at the sky. It's not dark and black and without character. The black is in fact deep blue. And over there, lighter blue. And blowing through the blueness and the blackness, the wind swirling through the air and then, shining, burning, bursting through, the stars. Can you see how they roar their light? Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes." Vincent explained. "I've seen many things, my friend. But you're right. Nothing quite as wonderful as the things you see."