Thorn Bush (Doctor Who Story)

Chapter 35: Family Time and Tying Up Loose Ends

Spring 1909

Kathy is taking a holiday with Carlyle and Ashildr. The two seem so busy these days that Kathy is enjoying spending time with her son and daughter-in-law as she is hardly able to spend time with the two of them. After taking a look around the Eiffel Tower, they notice a crowd going into the Galerie d'Art de Parisiennes so naturally the trio head over to see what's going on.

They are greeted by a young woman, though really anyone's young to them. "Hello! Please come in. Balcony room is off limits to guests because it has recently been painted."

"Thank you." Carlyle says, Ashildr's arm wrapped around his while Kathy trails next to them as they follow the crowd through the building.

It's an enjoyable time going around, except for the painting of the Weeping Angel which the three of them quickly disposed of. No blinking. They appreciate one of Vincent van Gogh's self-portraits, Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies, Scotland Forever!, The Tree of Life, and The Kiss. A while later, the trio is looking at a painting of an elderly woman knitting near a fireplace. Suddenly, they hear a scream coming from a nearby room.

"What was that?" Carlyle questions.

They run to the room to find it almost empty: aside from the paintings and a pen ominously spinning on the floor.

"Okay that is not right." Ashildr remarks.

Kathy can hear the sounds of other curious guests coming. "We need to get rid of them, somethings not right here."

"I'll do it." Kathy hears Carlyle getting rid of the people by telling them that free coffee is being given across the street.

Kathy uses her sonic screwdriver to scan for life readings. It begins to start flashing when it points at the Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies painting. "Mmm."

"What is it?" Ashildr asks curiously, hovering over her shoulder.

"There's life inside that painting." Kathy says as Carlyle re-enters.

Her son frowns. "Why and how is that possible?"

"Eh, heard of this before. In the future the Mona Lisa will come alive in the International Gallery in London 'cause it was painted with a certain paint." Kathy recalls. "She could put people into paintings."

"Do you think that's what happened here?"

Kathy frowns. "Maybe." Could it though? There are no people in any of the paintings from what she can see so what is it?

As they approach the painting Kathy had been analysing, two large black hands reach out from behind it and pull them inside the painting and before they know it, they find themselves falling on their backsides onto a bridge over a pond of water lilies. What the—

"Where are we? Is this the painting?!" Ashildr exclaims in alarm as they all get back on their feet.

Suddenly, Kathy can hear what sounds like something emerging out of the water. She turns to some sort of creature. It's a black ball with long arms with claws at the end. Must be what pulled them into the painting. It bares its teeth at them, growling and bounds over to them, beginning a chase. They all stare at it in alarm and shock.

"Uh, we need to get out of here!" Kathy cries, backing away hurriedly along with the other two.

"How?" Her daughter-in-law retorts.

"Maybe if we run to the edge of the painting, we might fall out?" Carlyle suggests.

"Worth a try I suppose."

They reach the painting's edge but instead of emerging back into the room they were once in, they're in another painting.

"Well, that's an interesting development." Kathy mutters as she looks around at what appears to be a forest surrounding them.