She Who Wandered

Part 1

The Vanishing Act


Jacket. Check. Cell phone. Check. Bag. Check. Doctor...

Not check.

Clara Oswald spun around in a circle, searching for her missing alien. Where did he go? He'd been here a few seconds ago, running around the console in his usual frantic manner as he landed the TARDIS. He must have run off right after he'd finished.

"Honestly. You think I wander off." The brunette sighed, throwing her arms in the air with the words. "You wander off more than I ever do!" Clara shouted, the words echoing around the room and down the long hallways. She paused for a moment, hoping for some sort of response. Nothing. He'd was pretty deep in the TARDIS then.

That left her wandering the console room, the companion waiting impatiently for the late timelord. Every minute or so, she would glance towards the wooden doors, biting her lip as she resisted the temptation.

"No. Nope. No. Not happening Clara. I'm waiting. Waiting for the Doctor. Waiting forever apparently."

What could he possibly be doing!? He'd promised her a planet. Actually, he'd promised her one two days ago, then they'd gone to ancient Japan, then future Paris… They really did get distracted a lot. The point was, she'd been waiting for this planet.

Maybe if she just waited outside for him...

What could possibly go wrong?

Chocolate eyes flicked back and forth between the exit and the door leading to the rest of the TARDIS, hoping to see that distinctive chin. Nowhere to be seen.

Time's up.

"You snooze you lose Chin Boy." A few quick strides took her to the door, the woman moving fast to prevent talking herself out of it. Fingers wrapped around the handle, and Clara allowed herself one glance back. Still no Doctor. "Meet you out there."

A quick yank pulled the doors wide open, and the impossible girl hopped outside, the doors gently clicking shit behind her.

When she saw the world before her, Clara immediately groaned.

He'd promised her a beautiful forest. A rain forest that would make the Amazon seem pale in comparison. More colors than the human eye could resister, but not the timelords of course, they could see all the colors. The point was, the Doctor had spent all morning painting her a picture of paradise.

This place was anything but.

It was a forest, her alien friend had gotten that much right at least. It just wasn't beautiful. In fact, it was downright creepy.

No light showed through the canopy hundreds of feet above, the densely packed trees creating a wall of black leaves above her. The trunks were enormous, farther around that ten Claras could wrap her arms, dark and knotted, twisting high into the air. The ground was covered in fog, making it hard to see the dirt underneath, though the small bits she could see were obviously dead.

This planet was about as uninviting as it could get.

Trip to a beautiful planet. Not check.

"Right. Time to leave. Already had quite enough of this planet."

Once she found the Doctor, Clara was going to make him take her to the proper forest.

She spun on her heel, walking back to the time machine. Just as the familiar whooshing noise of an ancient engine started up.

"No no no no!" Clara yelled, scrambling back to the door, her petite body practically slamming against the wood as she shoved the door. It wouldn't budge.

"Open! What are you doing!?"

She hit the door, shoved it, kicked it, and knocked frantically in an attempt to get it open. All while yelling incoherently at both the TARDIS and its pilot.

"Doctor! Doctor I'm outside! Let me back in! Don't leave!"

"DOCTOR!"

It was fading, that blue box, becoming more insubstantial by the moment. Clara could feel it, her hands feeling less wood beneath her fists with every hit.

Then it was gone, leaving its shocked and panicking passenger behind.

The Doctor was gone.

"This is why I shouldn't wander off."