CAVE OF THE SIRENS

Chapter Two

"Okay, so where is this light?"

The Doctor and Clara had been walking for two minutes, feeling their way through deep darkness while they hoped they wouldn't drop off into the water they heard sloshing all around them. The Doctor tested the rocky path with his foot, testing the width of it and determined that it was about five feet wide.

"Of course, that's the width of the section I tested," he said to Clara in the darkness. "For all we know, it could be a foot in width now."

"Lovely," Clara said. "So Sirens, will they kill us?"

"Well, if the myths are correct, most Sirens lure ships onto rocks and shipwreck them or they pull people under the water and drown them."

"So I'm guessing…drowning then," Clara said. "Lovely, my favorite sort of death."

"Maybe we can reason with them," the Doctor said. "They're sentient beings, they must have other interests besides luring people to their death."

"Brilliant. We'll sit down with them and have a nice cup of tea and a chat and get to know the real Siren behind the murdering fish," Clara said sarcastically.

"Hush."

Clara fell silent.

"Listen," the Doctor said softly.

Clara listened but all she heard was the lapping of the waves against the rock path. Then suddenly, she heard something that sounded like splashing, like someone was splashing around off to her left.

"Doctor," Clara said in a hushed voice. "Doctor, is that them?"

"Dunno," the Doctor replied, matching her soft tone of voice. "Just stay still for a moment."

Clara nodded, knowing the Doctor couldn't see it. She swallowed hard as her heart began to race the moment she heard a lot of splashing on both sides of the path. She tried to calm herself but the darkness and the unknown filled her with terror. The fact that the Doctor was as clueless as she was made it that much worse. She reached out her hand and felt the back of the Doctor's coat. The solidity of it eased her fear a bit but not by much.

"I'm here, Clara. I hope that's you," she heard the Doctor say.

"Yeah, it's me. Just checking to see if you're still here," Clara said.

"Still here so far. And so are our guests, I can hear them around me," the Doctor said. "Hello, I'm the Doctor and this is Clara. We mean you no harm so please mean us no harm, eh? We're just sightseeing on your lovely planet and we'd like to leave here alive and well."

"Yeah, alive and well would be nice," Clara said.

The splashing ended and there was only the sound of the waves again. Clara stood and listened, waiting for the sounds of splashing or the roar of an angry siren leaping at her and dragging her to her death. But minutes passed and there was only the sound of the waves splashing against the path.

"Hello?" the Doctor finally said. "I'm guessing you're still here so show yourselves. Do something. Impress us."

Suddenly, there was a blinding radiance as a light illuminated the water around them. The Doctor gasped and he and Clara shielded their eyes. Clara stepped back and turned her head away to try to get away from the blinding light.

"I suppose this is what fish woman meant by lights then?" Clara said as she covered her eyes with her hand. "I can't see now."

"Neither can I. Can you lot tone it down a bit so we can see?" he yelled out.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Doctor."

The Doctor's breath caught in his throat when he heard Rory speaking to him. He was still shielding his eyes with his hand like Clara was doing but he felt someone take his free hand. But it wasn't a man's hand he felt; it was far too smooth and womanly.

"Clara, are you holding my hand now?" the Doctor said.

"No, I can't even see your hand, Doctor."

"Okay, someone is holding my hand now," the Doctor said.

"I am, Raggedy Man."

The Doctor froze, rage beginning to bubble up inside him at the sound of Amy's voice.

"No, you're not doing this to me, I'm not falling for your tricks," he growled.

"Doctor, take your hands down, silly," "Amy" said to him.

The Doctor slowly removed his hand and could see only a faint light coming through his eyelids. He swallowed hard and slowly opened his eyes. There was still lights in the water but they had been dimmed enough that he could see without pain. But the pain wasn't in his eyes now, it was in his hearts. Standing in front of him was Rory and Amy, their arms around each other while they gave him loving smiles.

"Doctor, we found a way back," Amy said.

The Doctor gave her a withering look. By now, Clara was taking her hand down and opening her eyes. She stared at the strangers in front of the Doctor for a moment before moving to his side.

"Who's this?" Clara asked the Doctor.

"Sirens, nothing more," the Doctor said tersely.

"Sirens? We're Amy and Rory. Who's she, the new us?" Amy said, pointing to Clara. "Did you replace us already?"

The Doctor sighed angrily. He tried to walk around Amy and Rory but they stepped in front of him.

"Doctor, it's us," Rory said.

"Wait, who are you supposed to be?" Clara said to him.

"I'm "supposed" to be his companion," Rory snapped as he pointed to the Doctor. "We were traveling with him when we got a little sidetracked."

"Sidetracked? You got stuck in a paradox, "Rory"," the Doctor said to him. "You and Amy aren't here. You are sirens who think you're going to trick me into coming with you so you can kill me. Sorry, I'm not that thick. Now get out of the way before I push you out of the way."

Rory snorted.

"We're not done with you yet, Doctor," he said to him.

Suddenly the light was extinguished and the Doctor and Clara heard Amy and Rory laughing in the darkness. Then they heard two loud splashed and then there was only the sound of the waves once more.

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