DISCLAIMER: I do not own Doctor Who. This is a nonprofit fan fiction.
Author's Note/Warning: The beginning of this chapter doesn't have much of the Doctor, but I promise he shows up at the end and he'll be much more prominent in following chapters! XD Enjoy.
Chapter 1: Who's That?
I'm chained to a brick wall, something out of a horror film about the prehistoric middle ages. No matter how much I struggle against my shackles, it's useless. I hear footsteps echoing in the claustrophobic halls, each step taking the own closer and closer to my prison cell. In the back of my mind, I know that it's my tormenter, back for more of me. Back to spill more of my blood.
Frantically, I struggle against my restraints, futilely fighting for some form of escape. The cold metal cuffs dig deeper and deeper into my flesh with their rusted edges. Tears from pain silently trace down my cheeks and I watch as a ring of blood circles my wrists.
Behind me, I hear the metal-barred door squeak and grind against its hinges. I look up through the blur of my tears to see my attacker.
It's him. Caleb. Suddenly, I'm choking on air; I'm so relieved that it's him.
A smile brightens his face like the brightest star I've ever seen, and his sapphire-blue eyes sparkle in the dim lighting.
"I'm still here."
Be-Beep! Be-Beep! Be-Beep!
Absently, I throw out my hand, slamming it against every button except Snooze. Frustrated, I grab the stupid alarm clock and fling it across the room. It shatters against the wall, but not in my line of sight.
I just lay there, unmoving. Awake and breathing, yet so far from being alive. The sharp, pulsing ache in my chest that has become my constant companion greets my snidely. I just want to stay in this spot and disappear. When I close my eyes, all I see is his face. His beautiful, angelic face. His light skin and bright, ocean-y eyes. His soft, blonde hair.
"Come on, Maddie. They'll be serving breakfast soon." The image in my mind shatters into a million pieces, reminding me of what I lost. I suck in a breath as a tremor of pain snakes it's way through me.
I don't say anything back, can't say anything back. I'm frozen in time, unable and unwilling to do or say anything.
"Maddie? Madison!" Zara, my roommate yells, but I have no energy to respond. All I can think about is Caleb and the memory of his lips pressed against mine. And it kills me.
I feel the bed dip down behind me, and I don't have to turn around to know that it's Zara. Her hand gently combs through my hair. "Why don't you get dressed and then we'll go get breakfast. It will make you feel better."
She grumbles when I stay perfectly still. I mimic the motionlessness of a corpse because that's how I feel; dried out and lifeless. All the marrow has been sucked clean from my bones.
Zara gets up, ready to leave, and finally I can function again; or at least I'm capable of movement. She looks down at me with concerned eyes. I look over her features, memorizing every green scale on her face. At first, I was leary of the Silurian, but then she turned out to be one of the best people I had ever met. She and I became good friends almost immediately.
Somehow, I found myself dressed and sitting in the mess hall. When I think about it, I vaguely remember getting out of bed, but then I realize that I don't really care how I got here. I stare down at the steaming food on my plate.
Thankfully, I was able to scrape up enough money to get a better ticket for the ship. This means that I get a better room, better food, and more access to the ship's recreation center. Scientists figured that we only had about thirty more years before the sun burned out and destroyed the Earth in the year five billion, so I decided it was finally time to move to a new galaxy.
Originally, I planned to move to Landor, a planet in the Adelphine Cluster, with Caleb. A day before the ship was supposed to leave, he ended up confessing that he never planned to go to Landor with me. I shoved the thought aside and tried to ignore the fact that he was in another ship in the fleet of seven starships, each heading for a different galaxy.
Zara catches me staring off into oblivion, which is a sign that I'm sinking back into the mute world the heartache leaves me. Sometimes, I wonder if it will ever go away.
... ... ... ... ...
At dinner, a tall man walks over to our table, asking if he can join us. We all just sort of stare at him for a while before making room. He sits across from me, allowing me to get a good look at him.
Although most of the trip I've been in a heart-broken stupor, I'm more than certain I've never seen him before. On each ship, the levels are divided by everyone's destination planet, and the mess halls are divided by class. Everyone has a certain table that they sit at, just like high school. It's weird that I haven't seen him around before.
When he notices me staring, I feel the skin on my face stretch into a smile before looking away.
"I'm sorry, but who did you say you were again?" Zara asks, being the only one bold enough to voice everyone's question. Or maybe she's just the only one that cares.
"Oh, right, sorry. I'm the Doctor." I look up at the man to catch his smile. Something inside of me stirs, just enough to loosen the vice-like grip of pain in my chest, if only for a second. But feeling the wound Caleb left jolt and burn, I look away again.
"Doctor who?" Asks Ryan, the man sitting beside Zara.
"It's just The Doctor."
What kind of weird name is that? I look up at the man again, taking in his gravity-defying hair that matches the same brown shade of his eyes.
When I see his eyes, I feel a sense of familiarity. There are dark smudges just under them from too many sleepless nights. The expression within the depths of those eyes is haunting, just like what I see in my own every time I chance a glimpse in the mirror. This self-proclaimed "doctor" catches me looking at him again, and immediately I can tell that he sees the same thing in me that I see in him—loss.
Author's Note: This was inspired by an amazing dream I had last night. Hopefully this story will turn out to be just as awesome! XD Please review!