ROSE'S DREAM

Chapter Three

Krakow led them deep into the forest until they reached a small dirt house with a thatched roof that had a smoke hole at the top of it. The door was only five feet high, so everyone had to duck down and crawl in while Krakow walked in easily. Inside there was nothing much except for a bit of straw bedding with some blankets on top of it, some pots and pans with wooden shelves for food and various jars of different sizes and in the center of the house, a small fire was blazing. The Doctor, Rose and Jackie sat down in front of the door while Krakow walked over to one of his shelves and selected a green glass jar. He walked over to the fire and sat down across from everyone.

"So what's Bunny Buddha doing now?" Jackie hissed to the Doctor. "What? You can't be serious about all this," she said when the Doctor glared at her again.

Krakow opened the jar. He reached in, pulled out a bit of black powder and threw it on the fire. The fire crackled and flared up and Krakow put the jar aside and began to sing in an alien language.

"This is your life now, Rose? Things like this?" Jackie said to her daughter while she pointed to Krakow.

"Um…yup, this is my life now, Mum," Rose said while the Doctor tried not to laugh at that.

Krakow finished singing and stared intently at Rose with his squinting gaze.

"Proceed, child, tell us your dream," he said to her.

Rose opened her mouth but suddenly felt self-conscious about her mother and the Doctor hearing it.

"Rose, go ahead," the Doctor prodded her gently when she didn't speak.

"Um, you lot won't laugh, will you?" Rose said.

The Doctor and Jackie glanced at each other.

"I won't, sweetie," Jackie said.

"Nope, I won't either. Go ahead and tell us your dream," the Doctor said.

Rose nodded and told them what she remembered of her dream.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Rose was walking through the forest. She was by herself and searching. The trees were so dense, she couldn't see much on either side of the trail she was on but she didn't feel any fear. She just had to find someone who could answer a deep and probing question that had been on her mind. She stopped when a wooden sign suddenly sprang up from the ground in front of her. The sign said…

THIS WAY TO THE ONCOMING STORM.

Then it turned and jerked as if pointing to the path before her. But before Rose could move any further, there was a rumbling and a huge tree suddenly came up from the ground several feet in front of the tree. The tree kept on rising and rising until it was one hundred feet in the air. Then just as it finished, the tree trunk suddenly formed into the shape of the Doctor's head. The head was about ten feet high and it stared at Rose with an intense gaze.

"I am the Oncoming Storm!" he boomed at her.

"Why are you in the tree?" Rose said.

"I'm not in the tree! I am the tree!" the Doctor proclaimed. "I am eternal! My very voice will bring things into being! Behold! I say the words, ice cream!"

A bowl of ice cream appeared in the air in front of Rose's face and hovered there.

"What is it you want of me?" the Tree Doctor boomed at her.

"I want knowledge," Rose said.

"Good. Because I want the ice cream for myself," the Tree Doctor said before it vanished from view. "What knowledge do you seek, young wanderer?"

"What is the meaning of life?" Rose said.

The Tree Doctor glared at her.

"What? You told me to tell you what knowledge I seek, that's what I seek," Rose said.

"But everyone asks that of me. I believe Douglas Adams already answered that. 42, remember?"

"That can't be right," Rose said.

"Do you dare to question the wisdom of Douglas Adams?" the Tree Doctor boomed.

"Yes, I mean…no…I mean, never mind. I'll ask something else," Rose said.

"Proceed, young knowledge seeker," the Tree Doctor said.

"How can I have a more fulfilling life?" Rose said.

"Ah. That's easy. The answer lies inside me!"

"You what?" Rose said.

She stepped back in shock when the Tree Doctor opened his mouth until it was as wide as her body. Inside, she saw a mini thunderstorm at the back of his wooden throat.

"Proceed and find your answer!" the Tree Doctor's voice boomed from overhead.

"But…there's a storm inside there," Rose said.

"Yes, the Oncoming Storm! But you must walk past it and face your fears to find what you seek. Now proceed!"

"Okay then," Rose said and started to walk towards the mouth.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"And that's when I woke up because I had to use the toilet," Rose said.

She looked at her mother and the Doctor. Jackie was staring at her in shock while the Doctor was biting his lip and shaking with silent laughter.

"I told you not to laugh, Doctor," Rose said angrily.

"I'm not, honestly," the Doctor said without much conviction.

"Okay, so what does that mean then?" Jackie said to the Great Krakow.

The rabbit stared at Rose for a moment in silent thought.

"I believe it means you have a severe drug problem and must stop taking acid immediately," he finally said to her.

"What?" Rose said while the Doctor sniggered. "I don't take any drugs!"

"Ah, then your problem is solved. Go forth in peace and beauty!" Krakow said.

The Doctor sniggered while Rose and Jackie stared at Krakow in shock. The rabbit ignored them as he yawned, rose and walked over to the makeshift bed.

"That's it? We got pulled out here for that?" Jackie said to the Doctor.

"The Krakow is the wisest being in the Silfrax Galaxy. He knows what he's talking about," the Doctor said. "Well, let's let him sleep now. Come on!"

Rose and Jackie stared at him in shock as he crawled out the door.

"I don't know him as well as you do, Rose. But I think he was taking the mickey out of you in a big way and I was a part of it," she said to her.

They looked at Krakow who was now snuggling down under his blankets and falling asleep.

"I think you're right, Mum," Rose said.

"Hello, we're finished here," the Doctor said, sticking his head inside the door. "He wants to sleep, so come on! Out you come!"

They waited till the Doctor's head left the doorway before Jackie grabbed Rose's arm.

"Stay with me, Rose, because I have a feeling I'm going to murder him on the way back," she muttered to Rose.

"I think we'll have to restrain each other, Mum," Rose muttered back.

Jackie looked at the snoring Krakow, snorted in disdain and headed towards the door while Rose followed her.

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