Thorn Bush (Doctor Who Story)

Chapter 17: The Witchfinders Part One

The Thirteenth Doctor, Yasmin Khan, Ryan Sinclair and Graham O'Brien step out of the TARDIS and soon walk into a village that is not what they have come for. The people who surround them are dressed in early 17th Century rustic clothing.

"I'm sure it's somewhere around here." The Doctor murmurs as she looks about her. She's distracted by a familiar presence in her mind, one she only felt with other Time Lords and a couple of others.

"Come on, Doc, admit it." Graham says. He looks around him in annoyance.

"I dunno what you mean." The Doctor insists though she knows what he means.

Graham looks at her in disbelief. "Well, look at it! This ain't the coronation of Elizabeth the First, is it?"

"It's like a street party." Ryan observes as he takes in the gathering crowd and multiple stands. "Ye olde hipster pop-up happening."

"The TARDIS is being a bit stubborn at exact readings." The Doctor defends as they walk into the crowd. A woman hands Graham a tankard, and nobody is taking a bit of notice of their strange clothing.

"So where are we?" Yaz asks. But the Doctor gets distracted and doesn't answer her.

"Apple bobbing!" She cries as she runs over to it. "I love apple bobbing." The Doctor sticks her head in the barrel of water to get an apple with her teeth.

"Is this Halloween?" Yaz asks the boy minding the stand.

The boy looks at her confused. "No. It's Sunday."

"Yeah, but what's the party for?"

"We do this every Sunday."

"Oh, Happy Sunday." The Doctor says through the apple in her mouth before taking a bite.

"Northern accent. We must be close to home." Graham murmurs to the group.

An older man with a white beard rings a handbell and everyone stops to listen. "Mistress Savage demands your presence. The ceremony will begin." He announces. The people quietly follow.

"Anybody else missing the party vibe all of a sudden?" Graham remarks.

"Come on." The Doctor says and follows the people with her companions following.

As the travellers join the tail end of the villagers, a mysterious masked figure dressed in high-quality black clothes watches them go.

"Where are they all going?" Yaz asks.

The Doctor turns to them, walking backwards. "Whatever this is, I need you all to remember the most important thing about dips into the past. Do not interfere with the fundamental fabric of history."

"Even if something's not right?"

"Yep. And judging by the vibe here, something is definitely not right."

The mysterious figure watches from behind a tree.

Yasmin goes up to a girl who is crying as she walks. "Are you okay? Can you tell us what's going on here?" The girl hurries away.

——

The villagers and the time travellers reach the river to see an old woman chained to the branching end, which forms a handy seat and two arms, of a long tree trunk, swung out over the water and balanced on a fulcrum. An elegantly dressed woman ascends a small pulpit flanked by men in leather armour.

Graham notices a hill in the distance and points to it. "Guys, that's Pendle Hill. We're in Lancashire."

The elegantly dressed woman speaks to the crowd assembling on the other bank of the river. "People of Bilehurst Cragg, we are forced to meet here once again. Satan stalks this land. We must continue to root him out, and do whatever it takes to save the soul of our village. Let us put the accused to the test."