Trapped! (ST short story)

Trapped was the eighth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Monsters. It was written by Joseph Lidster. It featured the Sixth Doctor and Peri.

Summary

Sacha Mary Palmer is waiting for the bus in the early hours of the morning. She sees a strange man standing nearby, and is nervous as several girls have gone missing recently. She takes a taxi instead, and the man nearly catches her before the taxi drives off. The driver begins speeding away, and Sacha realises the doors are locked. The driver reveals himself to be a vampire. When Sacha's mobile phone rings, the vampire stops the taxi suddenly, sending Sacha through the window. She is seriously injured, and the vampire, Saric Warder, approaches her. The man that Sacha saw earlier yells for Saric to stop. Saric tells Sacha the man is called "the Doctor", then he kills her. The Doctor leaves Peri to stay with Sacha, and chases Saric as he runs off.

Mr Thompson is bored with his life. He decides to pursue Joanne, a fellow office worker. One day he accompanies her on a cigarette break. They take the lift, which stops at every floor, with more people boarding the lift. Saric, who has entered the building, gets on the lift. He stops it and reveals himself to be a vampire. He begins killing one person after another. Finally, before he can kill Mr Thompson, the Doctor breaks into the lift and kills Saric. Mr Thompson suffers a heart attack.

In the TARDIS, Peri is traumatised by what she has seen, and the Doctor is full of guilt for chasing Saric into the office building. He asks Peri why she puts up with him, and she answers, "Because I'm your friend."

Mrs Thompson visits Mr Thompson in the hospital. He tells her he loves her.

Characters

Worldbuilding

to be added

Notes

to be added This was Joseph Lidster's second Short Trip to feature vampires, after I Was a Monster!!! in Short Trips: Zodiac.

Continuity

Peri recalls the Fifth Doctor sacrificing himself to save her life. (TV: The Caves of Androzani)