The Clock's Dial - Chapter Four
Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three
Chapter Four - False Signals
The air was damp but it wasn’t raining, at least not yet. The pavements glistered, evidence that the night had been wet. Technically, the night was not yet over, dawn still at least an hour away, but the small motel room and the drone of Mickey’s blocked sinuses had driven Rose up and out. She’d slipped on her jeans, donned her hoody and pushed her feet into her worn trainers, all of which without causing Mickey to more than snort and roll over with a mumble about socks. Shoving her room key in her pocket, she’d snuck out into the permanently lit corridor and down the wooden stairs to the night exit.
The chill air had almost sent her back inside, but one glance back over her shoulder at the oppressive space she was escaping had dispelled her reluctance. Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she stepped clear of the motel’s shelter and out into the remnants of the night. Now, in the half-light of predawn, wandering down the preternaturally silent and deserted streets, Rose could almost imagine she was on some alien planet, light years from home, a blue box and an impossible man waiting for her just around the corner.
Except, while she sort of was, he most certainly wasn’t.
She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, holding it in her chest before letting it out slowly, feeling the release throughout her tense body.
‘Rose!’
Her eyes popped open in surprise.
‘Huh?’
‘Rose! Rose, come on! We’re already late.’
‘Shareen?’
Rose frowned in confusion as, through the grey light, her old secondary school became visible, her best friend standing in front of it, beckoning at her desperately.
‘Come on, Rose! Mr McKenna is already in a snot with us, and my mum’ll kill me if I get detention again.’
Rose stumbled forward, moving towards Shareen despite her lingering uncertainty. Shareen’s hands moved to her hips, one knee gutting forward, foot tapping impatiently. Rose contemplated her irritated friend, taking in her white ankle socks and grey school skirt, rolled at the waist so it’s hem skimmed mid-thigh rather than below the knee. The sun glinted off her patent leather shoes.
Rose glanced at the sky. The sun was out and already inching high into the sky.
‘Come on, Rose! We’re running out of time. It’s the test today, remember?’
Rose felt anxiety flood her stomach.
‘Test?’
‘God, Rose! Are you tripping? Yes, test. Physics. We revised all weekend. Come on!’
‘I don’t…’
Rose stopped moving, feet floundering as they found themselves on glossy grey industrial lino instead of tarmac. Her head moved frantically about her, recognizing her school corridor.
‘Rose!’
She focused on the call of her name. Shareen and Keisha were at the end of the corridor, Shareen holding open the classroom door, Keisha visible behind her.
‘You’re late, Rose,’ Keisha shouted. ‘Run!’
Rose ran, the corridor stretching away from her. Her breath was ragged in her ears, her heart pounding in clenching panic - she couldn’t afford to fail this test, it was important.
The classroom door banged shut, cutting her off from her friends, leaving her alone in the long, white hallway.
She pushed on, stretching out her shaking hand, grasping the doorknob. The cold metal slipped beneath her sweaty grasp, eluding her attempt to wrest the door open. She tried again and again, gripping the knob in both hands, pulling and tugging and twisting, but it resisted.
‘Open, please, open!’ she begged, tears threatening and her chest tight with the need for emotional release. ‘Please, god! Please, open! Please!’
Her grip began to loosen as despair filled her. ‘Please,’ she whimpered.
‘Rose, get out of the way, you’re blocking the door!’
The door swung inwards, pulling her with it. Mr McKenna stood on the other side.
‘Miss Costello, late again?’ he observed, as Shareen stepped from behind Rose and made her way into the classroom. ‘Miss Tyler not with you?’
‘Mr McKenna, I’m here,’ Rose attempted. Mr McKenna showed no sign that he’d heard her.
‘What’s the excuse this time, Shareen? Men from Mars? Well, take a seat, hurry up, girl.’
‘Mr McKenna, please,’ Rose tried again. ‘I’m sorry I’m late, but please, please, can I still take the test?’
Finally, the teacher seemed to see her. ‘What are you doing here, Rose?’
‘I’m here for the test.’
Mr McKenna frowned. ‘The test was last week, Rose. You missed it.’
‘No, i…’
‘I’m sorry, Rose, you’re too late.’ He let the door go and Rose fell backwards with a scream as it hurtled towards her. She staggered and fell, bracing herself for impact, only for her bottom to collide with something soft.
She fisted her hands in the sand beneath her, feeling its warmth seep into her bare skin. She shifted onto her knees and pushed herself to her feet, standing unsteadily.
‘Run, Rose!’
She turned her head, lifting her hand to shield her eyes against the burning glare of the sun, angry and huge in the sky. The sea sparkled like diamonds as it whooshed away from the shore. A lone figure stood against the surf line, tall and thin and familiar.
‘Doctor?’
She ran, the hot sand burning her toes and dragging at her feet.
‘Doctor!’
The figure turned.
‘You forgot, Rose,’ said Father Christmas, shaking his head at her sadly. ‘I warned you that a storm was coming and you neglected to bring an umbrella.’
‘But it’s sunny,’ Rose protested.
‘Look closer,’ Santa advised.
Rose blinked and screamed as a pigeon flew directly at her, its wings flapping against her head as she ducked. Thunder rolled and suddenly she was drenched.
‘Who are you? What are you?’
‘Doctor?’
Her eyes shot open.
‘You’ve wandered from the path, Rose. You should watch your feet!’
Rose looked down and screamed as the sea rushed in around her, dragging and pulling at her, hurtling her away from the shore. She struggled and fought against the irrevocable force, air bubbling from her screaming lungs as the dark depths took her.
‘Doctor!’ She sobbed into the dark.
‘You’re stronger than I thought.’ Rose turned her head to look at Yvonne Hartman. ‘All of this was mine,’ Yvonne said, gesturing down the estuary towards Tilbury docks.
Rose nodded, for want of something better.
‘The Pier is Southend, Southend is the Pier,’ Yvonne said sagely, ‘but the sheep are loose. I forgot to lock the door. The dogs will gather them, but who will gather the dogs?’
‘Dogs?’
The sound of distant barking filled the air.
‘Here they come! I’m sorry, Rose, so sorry. I did my duty for Queen and country. How could I know? I wasn’t warned. It’s your fault. He warned you. They all warned you. You knew, all along, you knew!’
‘But I didn’t!’
Yvonne turned accusing eyes on her. ‘You knew!’ she accused, as four huge dogs raced towards them. ‘Better run from the wolves, Rose!’
Yvonne turned towards the screaming dogs, unflinching before their fury as, mouths foaming, they descended upon them. And Rose ran.
‘I like watching you run, Rose, you bounce in all the right places!’
‘Doctor?’
‘Not yet.’
Rose gasped and spun round abruptly, searching desperately, only to find herself lying on her back in bed, eyes wide, still in the cramped motel room she shared with Mickey. She turned her head as her heart thundered in her chest and her brain scrabbled to make sense of the unexpected sensory inputs. Reality reestablished itself and she realized that he hadn’t come and that in the Doctor’s place had been a nightmarish anxiety dream. Perfect.
In the meager illumination provided by the thin strip of light coming from under the door she could make out Mickey’s bulk, hunched on the twin bed next to hers. On the bedside table between them the hands of the cheap alarm clock declared the time - three sixteen. The map of Europe lay, untouched, beside the clock. She closed her eyes against the depressing room and inhaled deeply, striving to calm her still pounding heart. Slowly, the broken organ returned to its resting rhythm and she swallowed against the misery that seemed to spring from her constantly these days, the accusations and sensations of failure wrought by the dream still depressingly potent.
She rolled onto her side, curling into a semi-fetal position and, staring at the blank grey motel room wall beside her bed, she waited for the dawn.
Chapter Five