The creature lurked in the shadows, almost incorporeal in the darkness. It breathed deeply into the tension in the room ... a high, sweet taste. Soon, it muttered, soon ... but perhaps a little push? Its wizened brow furrowed with concentration.
"Liar! Cheat!" bellowed a voice. Glass broke. Someone screamed. The sound of hard knuckles on soft flesh. A grunt. A cry. Heavy feet pounded on the floor. Another scream. More blows. Yelling. Breaking furniture. Snapping bone. The unholy sound of chaos.
Clinging to the wall, lording over it all and giggling insanely to itself, the creature tasted deep of the negative emotion in the room ... and thrived.
***
"Some Christmas this is turning out to be. A miserable rock in the middle of nowhere." Izzy folded her arms and sulked.
The Doctor sighed. Earlier she'd seemed interested in seeing how Christmas was celebrated on other worlds. But now it seemed she'd changed her mind. She changed her mind about a lot of things recently. She was moodier, unpredictable. Angry with him for most of the time, usually over the most trivial of things. He'd never been able to understand adolescents. Susan had been much the same, for a while. He curbed his growing impatience and tried to be conciliatory.
"I'm sorry, Izzy ... I just thought you might like to see how different it was on other planets. Y'know, like ... broadening your horizons."
"I don't want my horizons broadened! I just wanna ..." she flung her arms wide, exasperated. "I don't know! I just don't know!" She stamped off down the street. The Doctor sighed again, letting her go. Let her walk it off for a bit. Fresh air always helped him when he was angry.
***
The violence was over, the emotion spent. The creature settled back, gorged, but not sated. It was never sated. It always wanted more, more ...
***
Izzy wandered through the little town. Simple stone buildings lined the street. The inhabitants, the Tral, were humanoid, though about at least three feet taller than the average human and covered in thick scarlet fur. Seal-faced, with large brown intelligent eyes, and powerfully muscled. The Doctor said they were an agricultural-based species for the main part, and assured her they were friendly. Where had she heard that before, she thought sourly. He said they'd come here to witness the celebration of their idea of Christmas, 'Nack Dre'em', the birth of their local deity, Laa'rn.
But their idea of celebration was a lot different to Earth people. One by one the people came to the centre of the town and placed two large blue spheres on a growing pile.
"Jabuta seeds," the Doctor had explained. "Laa'rn feasted on them when he was born. They're trying to tempt Laa'rn back down from the heavens to feast again."
"And will he?" she'd asked, already starting to feel bored.
"Of course not! No, the elders will then gather all the people in the square and will pass the seeds among the poor and needy, while the townsfolk sing the traditional Laa'rn birthing hymns. It's all very moving."
Izzy couldn't give a fig about their silly seeds, and she's always hated carol singing, so she'd wandered off. The Doctor tried to bring her back, which was when they started arguing again.
And now she was on her own. She stopped. She was tired, her feet hurt, and she was hungry. She'd had enough. She was going back to the TARDIS. He could sing songs and play with seeds while she settled down with her Nintendo, a plentiful supply of chocolate, and some loud music. Just like she always used to at home ... on her own. As always. Self-pity welled inside her ...
There was a commotion in front of a larger building opposite. She wiped at a tear and went over to see what was going on. Action at last, she wondered? She craned her neck to get a better view through the throng of people, but couldn't see much. She tapped a local on the arm.
"What's happening?"
The big Trallian turned to look at her and barked: "Big fight in tavern. Couple of young pups started argument over game of Blablooda. Got out of hand. Happens round about this time of year, especially when Rartlip juice starts flowing. I dunno ... kids!"
"So much for goodwill to all men ... aw, cobblers to this." Izzy turned to leave. When you'd seen one pub brawl you'd seen 'em all.
***
The creature crouched unseen on the eaves of the roof, tasting the emotions of the crowd beneath it. Curiosity, shock, a little outrage ... nothing much to savour. But ...
Its mind locked onto the young female walking from the pub. There was an interesting mind ... yes! Full of lovely dark, deep, negative emotion. It must investigate further ...
***
Izzy felt suddenly very uncomfortable, like a heavy weight had settled across her shoulders. She flexed them, but the feeling didn't go. She felt a twinge in her temples ... oh great, was she coming down with a migraine now?
***
The creature coiled itself invisibly around her shoulders, probing her mind. Oh, delicious! Such raw feeling ... it hadn't felt anything this good in ages! It turned her attentions to her memories and dug deep. Its eyes widened ... what a species! So full of hate and rage ... it must have more!
***
"Ah there you are! Izzy, are you okay?"
The Doctor looked at his young companion with concern. Her whole body was hunched slightly and her face was creased in pain.
"I don't know ... I think I got a migraine coming on ... oooh ..."
The Doctor caught her just as she started to fall. Her forehead felt clammy ... "Back to the TARDIS, I think. We'll soon get you firing on all thrusters again!" He sounded more reassured than he felt.
***
The creature frowned. The man's mind was difficult to probe ... it was unusually disciplined, and hard to break through the surface, though it sensed some tasty morsels beneath. Wait ... a Time Lord! One of the ancient enemy! It must tread warily ... They were going to their ship ... good, good! Now it could journey to the girl's homeworld ... it salivated at the prospect of the feast it would soon be consuming. All that hate and rage! Delicious! And this time, the Time Lord would not be able to stop it ...
***
He sat Izzy in his arm chair and studied her, puzzled. Her hunched position had not altered, and her face was still twisted in pain. He rubbed his own brow. He'd felt a tingling himself, almost as if ...
His eyes widened. "Oh no," he murmured. He went over to the shelves and hunted through the drawers before pulling out what looked like a large torch, only made from intricately inscribed silver. He pointed it at Izzy.
"Izzy, look up at me ..."
The girl looked up weakly. The Doctor flicked a switch and the girl was bathed in a gentle cyan glow. He gasped suddenly. There, crouched on her shoulder, was a hideous gargoyle-like creature, with long bony limbs and a twisted, wizened little face with hooked fangs and two mean, livid scarlet eyes. It looked straight at the Doctor and hissed venomously. Izzy looked round and screamed.
"Let her go!" The Doctor yelled. The creature pressed a bony talon to Izzy's forehead.
"Back, Time Lord! I have the power to materialise my finger into her brain. She will die in exquisite agony."
"She won't be the only one, you disgusting leech! Release her!"
It hissed again and pressed deeper. Izzy moaned. The Doctor backed up a little.
"All right, all right ... just don't hurt her anymore! What do you want of us?"
"Take me to this girl's homeworld. I want to sample its delights. Her memories of it ... stimulate me!"
"Doctor ... what is it?" Izzy moaned.
"It's a Vorvon, Izzy ... a disgusting multi-dimensional parasite that feeds on hatred, suffering and misery. It must have leeched on to you back on Tral. I thought we'd wiped your breed out aeons ago."
"Never! We shall always exist where there is pain and suffering and hatred... and there is so much in the Universe. And lots, lots lots on this planet Earth! Ripe for milking! Take me there at once! At once!" it shrieked.
"You want pain, suffering and hatred? Let me take you to the Dalek homeworld. That would sate a million of your kind."
"Ah-haa, Daleks, yesss ... but they know of us, and hate us as well."
"I knew the Daleks had a redeeming feature somewhere ... all right, all right ..." He turned to the TARDIS console, mind racing. "You want to go to Earth? I'll take you to Earth ..."
"Doctor, no! Don't unleash this filthy thing on humanity ..." Izzy's voice tapered to a gasp of agony as the creature ground at her temple.
"Stop! You win ... we're almost there. Just let her go, okay?"
It gestured to the door. "When we are outside and I am unleashed ... go, Time Lord! Go!"
The TARDIS landed. Grim-faced, the Doctor opened the door and they stepped out ... into the middle of a church service. Everyone in the room turned to gape at the new arrivals.
"Doctor! Is that really you?"
The Doctor was glad to see his old friend, the Reverend Annie Trelaw, current incumbent of the church in the tiny parish of Cheldon Bonniface, but he didn't let it show. "Hello Annie ... yes, it's me, and I've changed again." He turned, pointing towards Izzy. "And we're in trouble again!"
Annie and the whole congregation gasped when they saw the monstrosity perched on the girl's shoulder. Annie pressed forward, unconsciously clutching at the cross around her neck.
"What in heaven's name is that?" she gasped.
He explained about the Vorvon. His voice rang loud around the church. "That's why it wanted me to bring it to Earth ... the place to go for a little suffering, right?"
The people murmured, fearfully, but a touch indignantly. Annie frowned. "Doctor, what are you ..?"
The Doctor turned and spun down the aisle. "Go on, gorge yourself! This is the human race, a species with an unbounded appetite for hatred and destruction!"
The creature giggled and sprang from Izzy's shoulder, clutching at the wall and hanging down like some obscene parody of a monkey. It could taste the negative emotion in the room already! Oh, such a feast awaited it!
The Doctor continued his tirade. "They fight endless wars, cause endless suffering upon one another, revel in violence and destruction!" The Doctor's voice reached its peak - and then dropped to a hush.
"All except at one time of year - Christmas! Peace and goodwill to all men! Am I right?" He turned and appealed loudly to the congregation. They rumbled their assent. The Doctor snatched up a hymnbook. "Come on, let's show this twisted little git what the human race is really like!"
In a loud, clear voice the Doctor began to sing "O Come All Ye Faithful". One by one, the rest of the congregation - even Izzy - joined in to, until the sound of their singing filled the church.
The creature twisted and writhed on the wall. Nooooo ... the feeling had changed! All hate and fear had been replaced by compassion, and warmth, and ... worst of all, love! It sprang for the TARDIS but the door was shut fast. It squealed. A deep voice boomed in its mind.
"In this church, there is no room for hatred or suffering. Leave this place! Leave it!"
With a high-pitched drawn screech of agony the creature faded from existence.
The last note of the song died away. The Doctor turned and bowed to the congregation. "Thank you, everybody. Thank you, Annie." He looked up to the roof. "And thank you, Saul."
"My pleasure, Doctor," the voice rumbled. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas to you ... and to all of you as well!"
The people rose and surrounded them, a single tide of human warmth and friendliness in the cold ocean of space and time.
***
The Doctor and Izzy strolled along the frosty path, gazing up into the night sky.
"Feeling better?" He asked.
"Lots, thanks." She rubbed her stomach. "I couldn't eat another thing."
"Good spread, wasn't it? They always celebrate Christmas well, here. Annie always did make a good plum duff! I, err, really should have brought you here instead of Tral. Me and my bright ideas, eh?"
"It's my fault as much as any ... if I hadn't been such a moody bit -"
The Doctor cut her off. "Now now ... you're going through a difficult phase in your life. I dare say I'm not helping much either."
She stopped. "Of course you are! Don't be daft ... who saved me from that creature?"
"Hmmm, well ... I didn't really do anything, y'know. It was ..." he smiled, "Christmas that did it. Or at least the feeling it inspires. All that positive mental energy ... the Vorvon couldn't deal with it. It hates positive emotion." He sighed. "A pity your people can't keep it up for the rest of the year. Oh no!" He yelped and smacked his forehead suddenly.
Izzy suddenly looked concerned. "What is it? The Vorvon ...?"
"No no no! I totally forgot to buy you anything ..." His face fell and he turned towards the village. "I wonder if the village shop is still open at this time?"
She looked bashful. "That's okay ... I, er, didn't get you anything either!"
They laughed, and looked at each other. He reached across and brushed a hair from her cheek. He gazed deep into her eyes and smiled one of his radiant 1,000 year old smiles.
"Your presence is the only present I want," he said softly. He leaned forward and kissed her delicately on the nose. For a split second, the only sound was the beating of three hearts. Then he said briskly:
"Come on - one last glass of mulled wine for the road and we'll go somewhere for a real party! With streamers and funny hats and crackers and jelly and ice cream ..."
He bounded off down the road, Izzy laughing in his wake.
