Episode 10: A Study in the Straw Part 2

The Doctor is walking quickly across a field. Conner and Georgia are scurrying after him.

“Doctor, what’s tracking us?” Georgia called to him.
“Me you mean! They want me!” Conner cried.
“It’s not all about you!” Georgia shouted “why would they want you? They’ve probably seen you go into the TARDIS. I can’t believe you took that watch!”
“It wasn’t my fault!” Conner shouted.
“I was wrong about you,” Georgia said at a normal pitch “I thought I, I thought we…”
“What?” Conner asked quietly.
“Never mind,” Georgia said.

She stalks off, and leads the way through the golden field. The Doctor follows quickly. Some way behind, Conner follows.

Meanwhile, a Scarecrow slowly turns its head towards the TARDIS.

Georgia stops. She looks around. The Doctor catches up with her, and Conner soon follows. Georgia points silently at a shadow amongst a section of tall grass.

“What is it?” Georgia whispered.
“I dunno,” the Doctor replied quietly.
“Maybe it’s a tracking device,” Conner said sarcastically.

Georgia glared at him. The Doctor pulled out the Sonic Screwdriver. He shone it in the direction of the shadow. The shadow then disappeared.

“Quick!” the Doctor cried “back to the TARDIS!”

They ran all the way back, leaping through the golden field, between patches of grass, until they reached the TARDIS.

“What now?” Georgia panted.
“I wonder,” the Doctor said “how recently the tracking device was last viewed.”
“What was that shadow?” Conner asked.
“I don’t know,” the Doctor replied, “but I have a hunch.”

He led the way into the TARDIS.

A Scarecrow was hidden behind the TARDIS, waiting for Conner and Georgia to enter. It stood up, and reached up to the ‘P’ on Police Box. It stuck an additional P on top of the original one on the TARDIS, and the second tracking device activated.

The Doctor leaned into the scanner on the console.

“I can only get the last reading,” he said “but the tracking device was last viewed when we landed here. Whoever is following us knows we’re here.”
“So, when will they arrive?” Georgia asked.
“They might be here already, which would explain the shadow,” the Doctor said.
“But they’d have had to have arrived before us,” Conner reasoned.
“I know, but we have a time and space machine,” the Doctor said “so they must have too, to follow us. That means they could arrive before us. But they must already be making plans. The whole Village might be in danger- we’ve got to stay and help.”
“Why?” Georgia asked “we don’t know anyone here.”
“I do,” the Doctor said quietly.

He led the way out of the TARDIS. Conner followed. Georgia grabbed a coat (it would be freezing in just a bikini and denim shorts) before hurrying behind.

A Scarecrow saw the door to the TARDIS open, and leapt into the grass. It hit the floor, before its master deactivated it. At least if it was found, it couldn’t be proven to be part of his plan.

“That little hiccup has been cleared,” the master of all the plans said “we activate tonight.”

Georgia screamed. She pointed in horror at the limp brown hand lying limp on the floor. The Doctor leaned down, and pulled the Scarecrow up with a horrified expression.

“You’ve seen it before, haven’t you?” Conner asked.
“Yeah.”

The Doctor dropped the Scarecrow onto the floor, before he began to run. Georgia and Conner tore after him. The Doctor reached the edge of the fields, and continued. He passed the trees, the village hall, and the Cartwright’s house, before reaching the school. It was empty. Of course- the war. He ran on instead to a small house in the village. He hammered on the door.

“Joan!” he cried.

The door opened, and the Doctor came face to face with Joan Redfern.

“John?” Joan asked.
“Joan?” the Doctor asked.
“Yes John?” Joan asked.
“Err-” the Doctor said.
“Yes John?” Joan asked.
“I’m the Doctor,” the Doctor said.
“Oh,” Joan said “then why have you returned?”
“I need your help.”

Joan began to close the door, but the Doctor stopped it with his hand.

“I’m sorry for what happened before- but Farringham is under threat once more,” the Doctor said “the Scarecrows are back, and they’ve got a new leader.”

Joan stood there in silence. At this point, Conner and Georgia stepped up to the door behind the Doctor.

“Hi,” Conner said quietly.

Joan was silent, staring at the ground.

“I’m Conner- the Doctor’s friend,” Conner said.
“They’re back Joan,” the Doctor said quietly.
“Hi, Georgia, Human, Doctor’s friend,” Georgia said.
“And who are back? The family?” Conner said.
“No,” the Doctor replied “their servants, the Scarecrows.”
“And what do they do, suffocate people with straw?” Georgia asked, not entirely serious.
“What are you here for?” Joan interrupted.
“I came back when there was trouble,” the Doctor said.

Suddenly an explosion broke the awkward silence. Everyone was thrown sideways. Joan looked scared at the return of trouble.

“Don’t get mad just ‘cause he got bored of you. We have to face him all of the time. Can you imagine what it’s like if he gets bored of us?” Georgia asked.
“Could you all stop!” the Doctor shouted “we need to find out what that explosion was.”

They didn’t have far to look, as emerging from the smoke were twenty Scarecrows, all with menacing looks in their eyes. Joan’s whole house is surrounded.

“What do you want?” the Doctor yelled.

The head Scarecrow raised an arm and pointed it to Georgia. She let out a horrified gasp.

“Don’t let them take me Doctor!” she sobbed.
“I certainly won’t! John was one thing, but a young girl?” Joan said, standing in front of Georgia to protect her.

Georgia hugged Joan, like they were old friends. Conner looked bemused. Women. The Doctor silently beckoned them to get back inside the house. Conner grabbed Joan’s arm in one hand and Georgia’s hand in another, and led them back into the house.

“Barricade the doors!” the Doctor yelled.
“But what about you?” Conner cried.
“I’m gonna do a Queen Victoria!” the Doctor replied “well, backwards…”
“What?” Conner shouted.
“I’m gonna leg it through a window,” the Doctor called.

Conner slammed the door shut, and began to pick up a wooden seat. He piled it against the door. He grabbed many other objects, and soon they were safe within Joan’s house.

The Doctor leapt up the side of Joan’s cottage, thanking his lucky stars (and Jackie Chan) for making it to a window. He slipped inside. Running down the stairs, he whipped out his Sonic Screwdriver.

“It’s OK! It’s me!” the Doctor called, in case the others thought someone had gotten in.

He reached the barricade, only to be hugged by Georgia and Joan. He showed them all the Sonic Screwdriver.

“This is for the shadow!” the Doctor declared.
“What?” Conner asked.
“You know that shadow disappeared? Well, it teleported. And I’m gonna bring it here. We’ll find out what it is.”
“Go on then,” Georgia grinned.

The Doctor extended the Screwdriver, and pressed the button. In a flash of blue light, a Scarecrow appeared. Conner quickly grabbed a stool, warding it off.

“How do Scarecrows have teleports?” the Doctor asked himself “their new master must be pretty efficient.”
“Yeah but that’s not good, is it? I mean, if he wants us, he can get us, can’t he? He can, can’t he Doctor?” Georgia asked.
“That’s why we have to stop him now,” the Doctor said quietly.

Suddenly, a faint tapping could be heard all around the house.

“What is that?” Joan asked.

It got louder. Conner ran to the window to have a look. He’d forgotten the Scarecrow, standing there, waiting for something to happen.

“I think I can see-” Conner began.

He jumped backwards.

“Something just flew into the window!” he cried “it looked like a crow!”
“Aren’t Scarecrows supposed to scare crows off?” Joan asked.
“Yeah,” Conner said.
“Well, it looks like they’re controlling them!”

The Scarecrow the Doctor had teleported into the house grabbed Georgia. Everyone turned to look at it, in shock.

“Doctor…” Georgia gasped.

The Scarecrow and Georgia vanished.

To be continued…