Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden (audio story)
Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden was the second and final story in the audio anthology Strange Chemistry. It was written by Karissa Hamilton-Bannis and featured Caitlin Blackwood as Amelia Pond and Michelle Gomez as Missy.
Publisher's summary[[edit] | edit source]
Young Amelia Pond is used to getting into trouble. After another fight at school, she is sent back to counselling. But her new therapist is rather unconventional...
Because Missy is also in trouble. Stuck on Earth, she's targeted one of the Doctor's best friends to get his attention - but her timing's off. Amy's TARDIS encounters lie years in her past and future, but there's something strange in her garden now. As Missy sets her sights on young Pond, the fairies may be her only hope!
Plot[[edit] | edit source]
Amelia is sent to the headmistress's office after fighting back against Fran, a bully, and Sharon has her partner Conor take her home at the end of the day. Confined to her room, she listens to music until she hears strange sounds in the garden and sneaks out to a telephone box to invite her friend Laura to spend time with her in Leadworth. Laura's mother has heard about Amelia fighting Fran, however, so Amelia goes to the carnival on her own and is told by a fortune teller that she should not continue to wait for the person she met as a child.
Sharon searches for Amelia when she fails to answer her mobile phone and goes to the police to report her as missing. She arranges for Amelia to return to counselling but, instead of Dr David Millner, Amelia's new therapist is Missy, using Millner's name. Missy asks her about the Raggedy Man and whether he has returned for her, confirming that she is too early in Amelia's timeline to make contact with him, and tells her to investigate the strange occurrence in her garden to "get things moving" and stop waiting. Whilst putting the washing to dry in the garden, Amelia encounters fairies and barricades herself in her bedroom, attempting to call Sharon and Conor before the fairies leave her alone. She then realises that she recognises them from Into the Magic Forest.
Running from Rukith assassins after killing the prince of Rukundra Prime, Missy arrives in Leadworth using a faulty vortex manipulator and kills the assassin leader and Corporal Rux. She renames the third assassin Derek and, realising where she is, employs him to help her get to the Doctor by killing Amelia. However, she is unable to get into Amelia's house due to a dark matter force field which Derek is able to pass through, but he is killed by the fairies. She then decides that she will have to kill and take the place of Dr Millner, whom she hears Conor mention to Amelia.
At their second session, Missy invites Amelia to join her as her companion if she helps get the fairies to open a dimensional rift and says that they can kill the Raggedy Man together. Amelia refuses and runs home to the fairies, who are now in the form of glowing clouds of mist and protect her from Missy, getting her into the house. The fairies, which are actually Will O'Wisps, explain that they are wanderers who passed through the crack in Amelia's wall to mend themselves with her help. She gets them to let Missy in the house and promises that she will keep the Will O'Wisps from killing her so long as she helps them, but Missy does not like being told what to do.
Missy threatens to destroy Leadworth with a nanobomb, so the Will O'Wisps take her away with them and she swears that she will one day get her revenge on Amelia and her Raggedy Man. Amelia falls unconscious and loses her memory of the events, but she tells Conor that she feels that she will be okay and offers to help tidy up the garden in case they get visitors.
Cast[[edit] | edit source]
- Missy - Michelle Gomez
- Amelia Pond - Caitlin Blackwood
- Conor - John Rayment
- Fran / Laura / Will O'Wisp 1 / Assassin Leader - Jennifer Tyler
- Derek / Ride Operator / Dr Millner - Homer Todiwala
- Mrs Walters / Fortune Teller / Mother / Will O'Wisp 2 - Abi Harris
Worldbuilding[[edit] | edit source]
- Missy mentions Adric and Ace as two of the Doctor's companions whose names begin with A.
Notes[[edit] | edit source]
to be added
Continuity[[edit] | edit source]
- Amelia and Missy both mention the Eleventh Doctor's visit. (TV: The Eleventh Hour)
External links[[edit] | edit source]
- Official Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden page at bigfinish.com
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