Chapter Five: Another Shocker

Rose sat at Lisa’s computer, where she’d been for the past half hour, staring at the screen in disbelief.

Every website – and she wasn’t even going to begin to guess how an Internet connection on another planet could access websites on Earth – she found told her that Alnilam was a star in the middle of Orion’s belt. There was no mention of a planet. And she wasn’t going to start on the unicorns, because she knew that would be a dead end, too.

The whole place, she decided, was impossible.

“Nothing’s impossible,” said a high voice behind her, causing her to shout and jump in surprise.

The creature behind her jumped, too. It was about the size of a cat, but its fur was about as colorful as the grass and trees outside. The fur on its head was tan, save for a purple “cap” between the fuzzy curved blue horns. Its back, tail and legs were purple, its chest pink with a lighter pink pouch around the stomach, and its arms were maroon. Its eyes were large and purple, and its nose a purplish-red. Its arms, legs and tail were hooked and it had no fingers or toes. It also had two scars on either cheek.

Rose realized that it was more afraid of her than she was of it as it cowered behind the door frame. Slowly, she stood up from the chair and inched closer to it.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “Please come out. I won’t hurt you.”

The creature cautiously poked its head around the room. It said, “I didn’t mean to frighten you…”

“Will you come closer?”

The creature walked in on its odd arms and legs. How it was able to accomplish that, Rose had no idea, even seeing it with her own eyes.

“Who…what…are you?” she asked.

It blushed fiercely, the pink visible underneath the tan fur. “My name is Hooks…I’m a friend of Lisa’s…I saw you come with the Doctor…”

“Yeah. Does everyone here know ’im?”

“Know of him…only Lisa knows him well. She’s been traveling with him for a very long time.”

Rose thought about that for a moment, then asked, “Are the Doctor and she…?”

Hooks got redder and Rose wondered if he was shy.

“Yes…” he said. “And yes, last I heard.”

“Oh.”

Hooks canted his head and looked as if he wanted to say something, but he simply blushed and looked away.

“Look, um,” said Rose, “I’m not too keen on sittin’ here while the Doctor sleeps. Lisa said I could wander around, but I think I could use a guide around here. How about it?”

It couldn’t have been possible for the critter to have blushed any harder, but he managed to do it. “Me?” he squeaked.

“Sure. Please?”

“Well…okay…”

End chapter five.

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