You've all done it - the lines have been crossed backwards, forwards, vertically (and, since this is Jack, horizontally, in various combinations and permutations) - I think we can officially say that all that remains are shades of grey. So let's draw one big black bar and get one thing clear... the Crossing the Lines challenge is officially over. The entries can be found using the "challenge: crossing the lines" tag - or just click here.

(And thanks - what a great start for the comm! Stay tuned for the next challenge....)

You are all fantastic - the entries for the last challenge were just wonderful. As a gentle reminder, please don't crosspost stories for this challenge to other comms until the challenge closes. As for me, I'll be over here reading and re-reading last month's submissions.

With the first challenge under our collective belts, it's time to move on. After all, the year is progressing rapidly towards its end: the days are getting shorter, the nights colder, and the creatures that like the dark are getting restless. (Note: if they show up wearing rubber masks and demanding candy, it's probably not worth calling Torchwood. Although the Doctor has a great story about this one time where it was just masks all the way down. But I digress.)

In honor of the holidays at the end of October (however you may celebrate them), we invite you to stick Jack and the Doctor in the dark - literally or figuratively....

The "Darkness" Challenge!

Darkness manifests in all kinds of ways: Despair. Anger. Grief. A cloudy night with no moon in the middle of the country. An underground cellar, with bogeymen lurking just under the stairs. Or, you know, what happens when the power goes out and you're left banging around your house wondering where the heck you put the batteries, since the ones in your flashlight/torch are (of course) dead.

None of these are unfamiliar to Jack or the Doctor - they've embraced the dark just as often as they've beaten it down. (And Jack has a great story about the time he went looking for those batteries and wound up in bed with the electrician. Toolbelts = win. Ahem.)

It's time to turn out the lights on our beloved duo: here's a few ideas to kick things off.

• Both Jack and the Doctor have deep, dark secrets - what are they? How far down do they drag the person in question? What's it like to keep them hidden away from the light?
  
• Or: Jack and the Doctor both play the hero, but what happens when their darker sides come to life?
  
• Or: What -do- those two get up to in the dark? Fun and games? Or do night terrors abound?
  
• Or: How exactly DID Jack wake up with his head on that electrician's pillow?
  

So much darkness: time for you to drag it kicking and screaming into the light - as fic, of course. The challenge closes one month from today; posting guidelines can be found here. Interpret the prompt as you like, take any of our suggestions or not - anything's good so long as Jack or the Doctor - or both of them - spend some time in the dark. What are you waiting for?

(And don't forget - leave a comment in THIS post and tell us what you think the next challenge should be!)