Episode 4: Attack of the Clowns part 3

They sat around the séance table in an order; the Doctor, Sybil, Catherine, Bradley, Beth, Zac, Kaylie, Alex, Christina, Abby, Lucy, Brian, Georgia and Conner, who sat beside the Doctor. Everyone held hands, waiting for something to happen. Suddenly Sybil’s head leaned backwards.

“I see something!” she cried, her breathe rattling.
“What do you see?” the Doctor asked. “Tell me what you see.”
“I see it too!” Bradley gasped. “Catherine!”
“What? What about me?” Catherine asked, scared.
“Bradley, what’s going on?” Beth asked quickly.

A red electric light shot around the table, passing from hand to hand. Everyone gasped, one after the other, as the vision was shared. Georgia’s eyes were watering. She blinked them away quickly. She could no longer see the séance table, but St. Mark’s school. The last time she’d been there was the last time she’d seen Brian, and her brother Richard. They all saw Catherine stood inside an office. Kaylie was there, and Mrs Sow, whom Georgia recognised from those terrible events on the Spidership. Kaylie was talking to Mrs Sow about Zac, while Catherine peered out of the door anxiously. A clown appeared from the stairs, stalking down the corridor. It was getting closer.

“Kaylie…” Catherine said nervously.
“Not now Catherine!” Kaylie said firmly. “It’s really important miss; we need to know where Zac went.”
“Kaylie!” Catherine said.
“Later Catherine!” Kaylie said, frustrated.
“Anyway miss, could you guess where Zac would’ve gone?” Kaylie asked.
“Sorry dear, I couldn’t. Does he have his mobile?” Mrs Sow asked.
“Mr Pickard took it off him in class,” Kaylie said. “He was looking at pictures of me, him and Conner together, when we went the fair a while ago.”
“Fair?” Mrs Sow asked.
“Oh my God!” Kaylie said. “They might’ve gone to the fair! Zac’s dad was on the news, and he found a body! It was covered in face paint!”
“Kaylie!” Catherine screamed.
“What?!” Kaylie asked, losing her temper slightly.
“A clown’s coming along the corridor!” Catherine said.

Kaylie and Mrs Sow jumped as a clown burst into the room. Kaylie froze, unable to move. It raised its arms.

“Thank you, and goodnight!”

The scene faded, and Georgia saw them all sat around the table once more.

“Did everyone just see what I saw?” Georgia asked.
“Yeah,” everyone replied.
“That was my boyfriend you were talking about,” Christina said to Kaylie. He wasn’t special, but he still had a name. ‘The body’ isn’t good enough.”
“Sorry,” Kaylie whispered.

Sybil looked up again, and everyone turned toward her – waiting to see what would happen next.

“Who do you see now?” Conner asked in a hushed whisper.
“Bradley,” Sybil said quietly.

Conner blinked, and suddenly he was somewhere else. It was the Spidership. He tried to call out, but realised they had just seen Catherine, and now it was Bradley’s turn. Mrs Sow, Bradley, Catherine and Beth were running for their lives.

“Run children and quickly!” Mrs Sow screamed as she ran.

They burst into a large room, containing a shop. Sadly there was no time to browse the shelves because a Magnet Warrior was following them. Beth waved her arms and they each ducked behind some shelves. Suddenly, they heard footsteps, there was a crash and another pair of footsteps was heard.

“Say goodbye human!” a Magnet Warrior growled.
“No please don’t kill me,” a man’s voice said.

The voice belonged to Mr. Renegade who had escaped the car-sized spider. Conner remembered Mr Renegade covering his history lesson once, but that was the only experience of the teacher he had. Conner frowned, and remembered how little he knew about the world he had left behind when he died. What had happened to all his friends?

“And why not Earthling?” the Magnet Warrior grunted.
“Because there are four other humans hiding behind those shelves of stuff over there!” Mr. Renegade cried.

Mrs Sow gasped as Mr. Renegade came into her line of vision, followed by a Magnet Warrior.

“So there are,” the Magnet Warrior observed. “Well you will still die!”

The Magnet Warrior shot Mr. Renegade in the stomach with a laser, and he fell down dead. Mrs Sow screamed loudly.

“You’re next!” the magnet warrior snarled.

Beth and Catherine screamed and ran off through the back entrance to the shop. The Magnet Warrior fired shots at the two girls but they missed.

“That was horrible,” Kaylie said.

She looked at Beth, Catherine and Bradley.

“You lot never said what happened to him,” she said sadly. “Now I guess I know why.”
“Even though he betrayed you, you couldn’t let his family think badly of him?” Zac asked.
“Yeah,” Bradley said. “But we couldn’t lie about him – he was a coward.”
“So we never told anyone what happened,” Beth said.
“Actually I told the police that Mr Renegade ran from the room earlier, and that someone mentioned finding his body,” Catherine said.
“Hush!” Sybil said. “I’m looking for more.”
“I can already see,” Bradley said. “It’s still me.”

The scene snapped back to Bradley’s vision. He was right. The Magnet Warrior snarled and aimed his gun at Mrs Sow.

“Magnet Warrior!” a voice shouted very loudly.

The Magnet Warrior turned as he fired his gun. The shot missed but hit the shelves which Bradley and Mrs Sow were sitting by. The shelves broke into pieces and one piece fell on Mrs Sow, knocking her out. The Magnet Warrior saw three humans striding towards him with serious expressions on their faces.

“Who are you?” the Magnet Warrior asked, slightly scared.
“Your worst nightmare,” Captain Price said. “Humans that can beat you at war!”

Captain Price fired her revolver, and the bullet hit the magnet warrior in the head. It collapsed and died. Bradley stood up and saw Harry and Zac standing by Captain Price’s side.

“Whoa! Zac and Harry!” Bradley grinned.
“Mrs Sow looks injured,” Harry said, running up to her.
“I think she’s unconscious”, Zac replied.
“Beth and Catherine just ran off,” Bradley said.
“Right then. I’ll take Bradley and Mrs Sow back to the lifeboats,” Captain Price said. “Harry and Zac, you go on after Catherine and Beth.”
“Good idea,” Zac said. “Captain Price once you get to the lifeboats, don’t wait for us, just go.”
“All right, good luck,” Captain Price said reluctantly. “Can you help carry Mrs Sow please?”
“Course,” Bradley replied. “C’mon Miss! Let’s get you to the lifeboats!”

Zac smiled as he saw Captain Price and Bradley leave with Mrs Sow. The scene abruptly ended, and Sybil was scowling. She was obviously annoyed that Bradley was developing a skill for seeing that rivalled hers. Bradley annoyed her further, when he announced that he saw Beth.

“Run!” Beth screamed.

It was Christmas, and Catherine and Beth had been finishing a last bit of Christmas shopping, when the first wave of Cyberman began to attack, dragging people off for an upgrading. Beth grabbed Catherine and pulled her into the doorway of New Look.

“You have to keep quiet!” Beth whispered. “Otherwise those metal things will kill us!”
“I don’t want to die,” Catherine said.

Beth wrapped her arms around Catherine comfortingly. Together they sat in the dark corner of New Look, hoping to avoid detection from the Cybermen. Suddenly a Cyberman marched up to them.

“You will come with me,” the Cyberman said. “We can remove your pain.”
“I’m not in any pain,” Catherine said. “Ouch!”

Beth had just poked her in the ribs.

“Shut up!” Beth hissed.
“You will be upgraded,” the Cyberman said. “Follow me.”
“No!” Beth pleaded. “We don’t want to be upgraded!”
“You will become like us,” the Cyberman insisted, raising an arm as a warning.

Beth took Catherine’s hand, and pulled her up off the dusty pavement. Together they reluctantly followed the Cyberman. They were nearing the Marr Factory when the Cybermen froze. Beth cried in delight.

“Come on!” she laughed. “Let’s get out of here!”
“But what about the upgrading?” Catherine asked.
“Uh, upgrading is bad…” Beth said.
“But it was free,” Catherine complained. “Now what am I gonna buy Bradley for Christmas?”
“Let’s go home,” Beth sighed, taking Catherine by the hand.

They walked away from the frozen Cybermen. It looked as if it was going to be a good Christmas after all. Everyone around the séance table was smiling as the vision ended.

“Colin! How is the pulpit looking dear?” Elizabeth asked.
“Fine darling!” Colin said sadly.
“Excellent,” Elizabeth smiled.

There was a clatter of footsteps as Mrs White came running into the main church area. Colin looked up and Elizabeth dropped her feather duster.

“Clowns are trying to break into the church!” Mrs White cried.
“Where my dear?” Elizabeth trilled, running down the steps towards her.
“The door around the back!” Mrs White cried.
“Is there any other way out?” Daisy shouted, appearing through a door.
“I think the clowns have covered all entries!” the Vicar said, running with his wife into the room.

There was a bang as the door crumpled slightly. The Vicar’s Wife ducked behind a table. Colin pulled Elizabeth’s arm and the hid in the pulpit. Daisy slid under the altar table, and the Vicar grabbed Mrs White and they hid at the back of the church together.

“That’s my husband!” the Vicar’s Wife shouted.

Bang! The door flew off its hinges, and several clowns burst into the church. One of them, the leader it seemed, pointed a finger at them.

“Come with me,” Sybil said. “Or you will die.”

To be continued...