June 25, 1986

It was an important day. Johnny and I were turning six-and-a-half that day. Six-and-a-half! And summer had just started!

But mom and dad left us, and our little brother North, with grandma's cousin Eustace two doors down. They'd gone the night before. Dad had some business trip, and mom had gone with him.

My kindergarten teacher was only staying that one school year; to be honest, he wasn't one to stay put for very long.

A few months earlier, I'd figured out that he was actually the Doctor. And if I was going to become a Time Lord like him, like I'd said in class back in October during our "What We Want to Be When We Grow Up" drawings, I might as well go with him.

It was my half-birthday, right? So, this would be my present to myself, right?

The Doctor was packing up the TARDIS and leaving that day, so I had to act quickly.

My brothers and I had it set up like this: We were playing hide-and-seek in the backyard. I'd run off along a trail in the woods to where the TARDIS was, figure out a way to get in if the Doctor did manage to lock the door, and find a place to hide. Then I'd follow the Doctor around and help him. And because the Doctor had a time machine, I hoped he'd have me back before my brothers had to stall too much if our temporary guardian asked about me.

So I opened the TARDIS and found myself in the control room. I didn't want to miss the Doctor coming and going, but I didn't see many hiding spots in this particular incarnation of the control room; it was just the round control tower and a single chair. I managed to lift a floorboard under the chair and squeeze myself into the hole, pulling the latticed metal floorboard back over me just as the Doctor returned.

Soon, we were flying through time and space. Whether or not he knew I was there, I couldn't tell, but I decided I'd insist he let me go with him on the rest of his adventure once we got... wherever we were going.

But things didn't work out as I'd planned.

The TARDIS stopped and the Doctor exited. I had a bit of trouble wiggling and climbing out of my hiding spot, and by the time I was able to follow him out of the TARDIS to try and catch up, the Doctor was long gone.

I was all alone in a great green city, and I was determined to find the Doctor.