Chapter Sixteen: She's gone

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Chapter Sixteen: She's gone.

[Cwmtaff]

In South Wales, 2020, there was an old mining village with half the homes boarded up and a man whom was helping his young boy to read.

"But who is this creature with terrible claws, terrible teeth in his terrible jaws? Go on, your bit. He, he has. Go on." He encouraged.

"I can't do it, Dad. I can listen to books, anyway."

"I know it doesn't come easy, son, but you've got to keep at it. All right? You're not on your own with this."

A woman brought a lunch box in.

"Mo, you'll be late for your shift."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry, El, got to go. Now, who loves you more than me?"

"No one."

"Stop saying that." The women said.

Mo bicycles up to the mine, with its high tech equipment installed.

[Control room]

"Approaching stage four target drilling depth. Stage four target drill depth scheduled in five, four, three, two, one. Stage four target drill depth achieved. Drill depth now twenty one kilometres."

The two people had a brief, quiet celebration. The Indian woman in charge made a telephone call.

"Hi. Nasreen here. Just to let you know we have just hit our new target."

The older man, Tony Mack, made the announcement on the tannoy.

"Twenty one kilometres, folks. Further than anyone's ever drilled into the Earth. Thanks for your amazing work. Have a great weekend. Onwards and downwards."

"How much further do you think we can we go, Mack?" Nasreen asked.

"Into the unknown. Exciting, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

Mo entered. "Aye, aye. Stop that. The real worker's here now."

"Evening, Mo."

"Twenty one k? Whoo hoo. You wanted to grab all the glory before I come on shift. Right, off you go. Get out. My gaff for the night."

Nasreen and Mack left the room and Mo was left alone with the computer screens. He immediately got a book out of his knapsack - the Gruffalo.

"Brilliant."

The ground started shaking, then everything stopped. The CCTV screens went dead one by one. The power also failed so Mo took a torch to check everything was okay.

[Store room]

Mo stared at the steaming hole in the floor.

"That is mad."

He bent over to reach in and something grabbed his arm.

"Oh, no. Please."

He struggled free and tried to escape, but was pulled back into the hole by his legs, screaming until the ground swallowed him.

[Graveyard]

The Tardis landed in between two graves, unknown to its occupants.

"Behold." The Doctor announced, flinging the doors wide open. "Rio."

Amy, Rory and Emily peeked out from behind him and surveyed their surroundings.

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