Clarence (Chapter 1)

Chapter 1 (Snatched)

The little boy knew he shouldn’t be out here at this time, but he also knew that this wouldn’t take long. He gazed up at the sun filtering through the leaves on the trees. He had a good twenty minutes before it got dark. He could make it there and back in enough time.

Earlier in the day he and his friends had been playing in the woods when he had lost his ball somewhere on the fringes of the forest clearing. Their parents had come to get them as darkness was due to fall soon, but Elliot wanted his ball back. He knew it had to be somewhere and it wouldn’t take him long to find it. It was bright yellow after all.

As soon as he was home he told his parents he was going out to play in the back garden. When he was sure the coast was clear he climbed over the small, back fence that backed onto the forest and followed his route back towards the clearing.

He would only be gone ten minutes. There’s no way anyone would know he had gone missing. He’d be inside well before darkness fell.

He approached the clearing. All looked still and silent. He had had a happy afternoon here with Leo and Claire, even if they hadn’t seemed so happy. He hadn’t gotten to the bottom of why they were so down, but it hadn’t bothered him. He wasn’t going to let their unhappiness rub off on him.

He squinted as he looked towards the copse of trees near the centre of the clearing. It had to have landed over there somewhere.

He quickly jogged across the clearing and into the copse. Here it was a little darker. The trees blotted out the ever-sinking sunlight. He moved through twigs and branches, pushing aside bushes and peering for the ball.

There it was! The gleaming yellow sphere staring up at him from underneath a collection of twigs. He was so glad to have found it. His dad had given it to him as a present two years ago and he didn’t want to disappoint him by losing it.

Elliot uncovered the ball and then turned to go. When he reached the clearing the sun had gone down. There was a chill in the air and everything looked gloomy.

He swallowed. He had misjudged how long he would be gone for. He needed to get back before darkness fell completely.

He took a quick glance around him and then tucked the ball under his arm and ran as fast as he could. He exited the clearing and entered the forest on the other side. He felt twigs thwack against his bare legs, but it didn’t bother him. As brave as he thought he was he didn’t want to come face to face with what was out here in the darkness.

He had lost his concentration. He foot got snarled in a collection of twigs and he fell forward, the ball rolling away from him. He panicked and tried to scramble to his feet. His foot was still caught and he twisted it away, pulling his shoe off as he did so.

He looked for his ball but it had disappeared again. He needed to get back. He didn’t have time for this. He looked to the sky - it was now a dark blue and he could see the stars and the half moon shining down.

It was then that he realised he’d lost all sense of direction.

A twig snapped nearby and Elliot breathed in sharply, holding his breath.

He could feel his body shaking, his teeth chattering. It was cold now and he couldn’t remember the path in the dark.

He was about to put one step forward when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

And then Elliot was gone, the only sign he was ever there was the yellow ball that sat nestled in a nearby ditch.




On board the TARDIS Holly was laid on her bed, the diary that belonged to Caleb sat on top of the bedside cabinet. She turned to her side and looked at it, but for the first time since she’d clapped eyes on it she didn’t feel the need to read it.

There was a knock on the door. “You decent?” came Lilly’s voice.

Holly sat up and smiled. “Always ready for action,” said Holly.

“How you feeling now? The Doctor told me you had a bad dream.”

“I can’t remember any of it,” said Holly, shaking her head. “It was probably nothing anyway.”

Lilly noticed the diary on the side. “You can read it you want. You might as well.”

“I don’t need to,” said Holly, opening the drawer and putting the diary inside. “Like I said - tell me when you’re good and ready.”

Lilly smiled. “The Doctor says we’re landing soon.”

“Oh, where?” said Lilly, getting up and putting her trainers on.

“A planet called Heliatos. It’s some Human colony world - your people in the future. They settled there a few centuries ago.”

“Sounds exciting,” said Holly, doing up her laces.

“Yeah, maybe,” said Lilly. She sat down on the bed and looked glum.

“The Doctor’s technically your uncle, you know?”

Lilly nodded. “In a weird, adopted sister-in-law type way I guess,” said Lilly. “But I don’t call him uncle. I’ve never called him that.”

“What’s wrong?” said Holly, turning to look at her.

“I just…I don’t know. The Master’s out there somewhere. He’s obviously following us so I don’t know why we don’t just turn around and confront him. Why keep landing in different places?”

“You know the Doctor better than I do,” said Holly. She shrugged. “Maybe the Doctor hasn’t worked out how to deal with the situation yet. Then there‘s the business with the Kro’Tenk which we still have to deal with. Maybe he just wants to deal with one issue at a time.”

Lilly nodded. “Maybe.”

“Ah, cheer up. After what we went through with Arnold’s aliens and you having to tell me all about your past woes, we could do with a nice, relaxing time in a normal place full of normal people.”

The door burst open and the Doctor bounded in. “Strange readings detected at the colony, I’m afraid. Get your gear on, we’re landing.” And then as quickly as he’d arrived he vanished.

“So much for a quiet time, eh?” said Lilly. “Thanks, Dangerfield. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

Holly laughed as they got up to follow the Doctor.




The TARDIS had landed in a clearing within a larger forest. A copse of trees sat behind the police box and it was a chilly day, despite the sun shining down. The dew on the grass was just beginning to dry up.

The box opened and Holly emerged first, her eyes squinting in the early morning sun. She was followed by Lilly who still looked like she wasn’t in the best of the moods, and finally the Doctor, who locked up the TARDIS and then gazed out across the clearing, his hands on his hips.

“So you detected a signal, yeah?” said Holly.

“A faint one,” said the Doctor. He spun around to take in his surroundings. “No idea where it’s coming from though, but there’s a small town through the forest, about a quarter mile from here.”

“Think they serve decent breakfasts?” asked Holly.

“Who knows?” said the Doctor as he set off for the line of trees. “It’s 4454, but Heliatos has always been one of the more rural colonies.”

“Rural?” said Holly. “You mean with farms and cows?”

“That’s right,” he said, as they reached the forest. “Some colonies went for big, towering cities. Some went for the simple way of life. It’s safe to say that Heliatos fits into the latter category.” He looked up into the sky. “In fact the only technology functioning on this planet will be the air defence systems. All colony worlds set them up. Like a mini station orbiting the planet and protecting it from hostiles.”

“It’s so peaceful,” said Lilly, stopping and smiling to herself.

Holly held back whilst the Doctor carried on walking. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, she said, smiling. My head feels so clear.”

Holly breathed in and closed her eyes. The air was fresh and cool and there was nothing but birdsong in the air. “I know what you mean. Sometimes that box can get a bit too much.”

“Ladies?” called the Doctor from up ahead. He had already entered the forest.

Holly felt Lilly grab her hand and then run towards the Doctor’s voice. Lilly hesitated for a moment as Holly ran along side her and then let go of her hand quickly.

Holly frowned, but she didn’t have long to think about it when they found the Doctor crouched down over a ditch just inside the forest.

“Oh, you’ve found a ball,” said Lilly, nonchalantly.

“Yes,” said the Doctor, plucking the yellow ball from it’s ditch and turning it over. “Try not to sound too enthusiastic, Lilly.”

“Maybe the owner’s around here somewhere,” said Holly, turning around to look for any sign of a person.

“Unlikely,” said the Doctor. He got up. “This ball has been here overnight. It’s cold and wet.”

“What’s this?” said Lilly, a few metres away.

The Doctor and Holly joined her. Lilly was staring down at a patch of ground that looked like it had been scorched. The twigs had turned to ash.

“Someone lit a fire maybe?” suggested Holly.

“Maybe,” said the Doctor. He crouched down, stuck his finger in the ash and then put his finger in his mouth.

“Seriously, Doctor?” said Lilly.

He grimaced. “Not normal ash. More than likely created by some intense energy beam.”

“Like a weapon?” asked Holly.

“Possibly,” said the Doctor. He got back up. “Let’s head towards the town. Then maybe we can reunite this ball with its owner.”

Lilly remained standing, a frown on her face.

“You alright, Lilly?” asked Holly. She found herself saying that a lot recently.

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m alright, but something doesn’t feel right about this place. Something feels…odd.”

What the Doctor and his friends didn’t notice as they headed towards the town was a child’s shoe snarled under a collection of twigs.

To be continued...