It was a quiet day in the tiny town of Black Eagle, Montana. Well, every day really was quiet. The sun rose and fell on each and every indifferent day. The morning light came, casting shadows where the trees blocked the sun's path, and the fat old rooster crowed his screechy song. Midday came without any real hassle; the horses were fed, along with all the livestock, and the cats did their feline things, while the dogs went to do doggy thing. The people went with the routine, going to their day jobs and lounging the horses that weren't out to pasture.
Until the blue wooden police box showed up.
Of course, the 930 residents of Black Eagle thought it was a prank, and the box was towed away to the local junkyard. Well, before the box disappeared and somehow ended up just as it started; in the middle of town, right next to Borrie's. That's about the time that the rumors started. "The blue box downtown? I heard it was a spaceship. I dunno, that's what people have been saying," some of the younger citizens said.
A spaceship? What a ridiculous idea.
"Clara? Where are you?!" yelled a tall, dapperly dressed man with a breaking wave of dark brown hair. He was in a control room of sorts; the walls were coated in silver, and the top of the blue pillar was spinning around rapidly. The centerpiece had a thousand different buttons and devices attached to it.
The man sighed, once again yelling, "Clara!" He brushed the flop of hair out of his eyes, resting both hands against the pillar.
"Here! Sorry, Doctor. The TARDIS wouldn't let me open the door to my room. What do you think?" said a petite, brunette girl behind him. Once he turned, she spun around in a high to low red dress. The Doctor bit his lip nervously, not sure what to reply, before saying, "Perfect. Are you ready to go to the best restaurant in the whole universe? Even the Sycorax give it a 6 out of 5 star rating. That's saying something, Clara." He smiled, giving her his arm, and trotted down to the TARDIS door, before something happened that even he had no explanation for.
The whole machine started to rock from side to side, making the whirring noise of the TARDIS travelling through the time vortex. Everything started to rapidly shift, and the windows of the TARDIS door shattered. The room was filled with red reflections and a voice that said, "DANGER. DANGER. SHIELDS EXHAUSTED. DANGER." Finally, everything stopped moving, and the two friends lay on the floor, side by side. Clara sat up with a shocked look on her face, before shakily saying, "Doctor?"
"Doctor, what was that? Where are we?"
The Doctor quickly jumped to his feet, sending a wave of nausea through his stomach. "I'm not sure, Clara. I think⦠I think the TARDIS ran into something in the time vortex. But what? What could live in the time vortex? It's just not possible!," he exclaimed, running his hand through his hair and pulling out his sonic screwdriver simultaneously. He stroked the console of the TARDIS, murmuring words of comfort and smiling at the soft sound that the TARDIS replied with.
"Um.. Doctor? What's out of the doors?"
He spun around, running to her and putting his hands on her shoulders. "There's only one way to find out, Clara. Don't be scared; I'll protect you." He smiled at her, a gleeful, stupefied grin that transformed his weary face into one of a young boy.
"Are you ready?"
Clara looked at him for a second, before smiling a small half smile and saying, "As ready as ever."
