Hey y'all if you've chosen to read this Thank you! tis is one of my first fics that I've ever written and I know its not really that great. But I would love if you could give me constructive criticism or comment. Please tell me how I can improve but please don't flame this. enjoy :) (no beta all my own mistakes)
I hear it sometimes, late in the night when no ones around and the shadows are at their darkest, I hear it. like a whisper upon the wind almost a promise. A promise to help those in need, but children seem to be the only ones to hear, the only ones who hear what I hear. A name long lost, a promise on the wind lined in the stars and in the hearts of the desperate. For those in need
*young girl and her friend walking down a road*
"Now I'm telling you Sarah, he's real its not just a story! HE is a real being who has saved this earth more times than I, than anyone can count. It's not just in my book" a young girl exclaims as she pointed to a book in her hand " It was written in the stars and no one can see it!" the girl gripped her book tight as she explained her theories for what felt like the hundredth time to her friend. But Sarah kept on walking as the girl turned and started walking backwards a bit in front of her.
"Now Tara I know you are absolutely obsessed with that stupid book but I will tell you again and again. IT. IS. NOT. REAL. Not a word of it, its all a story that you decided was real that you wrote up. A stupid story about a weird guy and a box who goes around saving people. A person like you using that huge imagination to make up stories. Its a fantasy you made up. Get it through your thick head." Sarah bit out in annoyance as she sped past her friend Tara, spinning her around. Sarah march on, tired of having the same conversation over and over again with her friend. A friend who would just not drop the stupid story. But Tara proved incapable of dropping the subject as she turned and ran to catch up to her friend, a smug smile plastered to her face.
"HA" Tara exclaimed, "so you do listen when I talk about him! I knew you listened and you said you didn't care" she turned and began walking backwards once again, a grin splashed across her face.
Sarah frowned at Tara as they walked down the road.
"Of course I listened, I really don't have a choice when its all you ever talk about. Yapping on and on and on about an IMAGINARY man."
Tara huffed " Well fine if thats how you feel I will stop talking about it. You could have just said how much you didn't like it."
Tara turned and began walking forwards again a bit upset that her friend didn't seem to care for her theories about the mad man and his blue box. And it really did sting even though she tried hard to hide it. Because thats how it always seemed to be, everyone dismissing her theories even though there was the evidence all over the earth, all over TIME. The man really did exist, his scars of his adventures spread across the earth, across the sky, forgotten.
But not by Tara, she found it all through history. She wrote it all down, the story of the man with changing faces and loving companions. Who has a old yet new blue box who he calls sexy but never in the presence of others. The man who hides so much pain and anger and is almost drowning in sadness. Behind the exterior of a man who runs and smiles like he has no better thing to do in the world. The man who no matter who cries for help will come running. And an ordinary girl named Tara found it all and recorded it in her journal.
Though no one really believes her because they think that all of her drawings, all her stories are just that stories. Just like what happened to one of his companions Amelia or Amy pond as she like to be called. He was her imaginary friend but she got everyone to believe he was real. But not Tara because no matter how hard she looks no matter where she searches, she can't find him.
The two girls passed house after house in silence Tara thinking once again about her mad man, Sarah more along the lines of her English homework due the next day. Sarah slowed to a stop near an ordinary house, Tara almost continuing if Sarah hadn't grabbed her arm. Jerking to a halt Tara looked about seemingly confused before catching her friends eye.
"We're here" Sarah said as she raised her eyebrows in a silent question of 'are you okay?'
Tara lips turned up in response but she still seemed distracted.
"Hey" Sarah grasped Tara's arm "you okay? You look a bit down, are you sure you don't want to stay over? I mean we could work on our homework together?"
Tara shook her head slightly in response
"Nah I was gonna go back to my mural back at school see if I can get a bit more done."
Sarah rolled her eyes but had a glimmer of worry hidden in their depths
"Alright but don't you spend too long over that way alright? Heaven knows that you spend too much time on that thing anyways. I have no idea what the art department was thinking letting you paint that huge thing"
Tara smiled at her friend as she turned and strolled up her walkway with Tara heading back the way they came, mind wondering away to far off places. Remembering all those in her little book who seem lost to time. A tear makes its way down her cheek but she stubbornly wipes it away and starts to skip down the road in her blue converse. A small giggle escapes her as she round the corner and arrives at the school she had left only minutes ago. Students long gone form the grounds, but near the back of the school none the wiser was a master piece in the making, paints waiting in a small shed at the edge of the forest behind the school.
Tara made her way over to the shed, taking the paints and brushes she needed for her session today. Nine men already painted along the wall each surrounded by companions and monsters, each depiction a different man a different era, a different chapter. Her latest section finished, swirling colors depicting a sad frown of a man who dare not use his chosen name, a box with strange markings on it behind him with a big red ruby button shining off of the top. A woman stands behind him leaning against his worn box out of time too early yet still connected to the man slightly scruffy blond hair a name spread across the universe yet not the name of the woman.
A being using her body, a thing, an idea, A Bad Wolf. And the monsters in metal armor behind her almost looking like salt shakers with plungers and whisks yet the threat of them shown in the chaos surrounding them. Things with no love, no since of purpose other than to destroy, those who know only destruction shown behind the man and the woman leaning on the box. Fire and destruction, shadows of people running about in terror, if you look long enough its almost as if you can hear their screams echoing across the skies. and in the burning heart of it all two dark shadows peaking from behind the box a blue and green light shining dimly.
But young Tara was finished with that portion of him, of her memory to him now she worked on this new man yet the same man. She worked on the tenth or really ninth because the man of war did not believe he was worthy of his title. This ninth man with his leather jacket and bald head going around with his sad, sad smile and anger simmering in his heart. The man with large ears and who only tries to help after causing such hurt yet can't let go of his internal agony.
Tara paints like she is dancing, depicting plastic mannequins, large green monsters, dangerous gas creatures, a stretched thing with a face of a woman a young woman and a little boy with a gas mask. All of it slowly came together as Tara painted what she saw in her mind. A figure of a man who was out of time who breathed in a never ending breath of life, a young maid who could see into the riff of the world, a blond man who died before knowing his daughter and woman who worries for her daughter who runs with a strange man into danger, a young colored man with a sad smile decorating his face as he looked upon the same yet different woman with longing, the same woman from the chapter before. Yet this woman seemed younger, brighter not a big bad wolf, just a girl standing next to the new and sad doctor.
Tara worked for hours loosing all sense of time as she painted out the images in her head the story weaving its way onto the surface of the building. Swaying to a tune only she could hear her brush strokes told a story of a boy who stole a box and ran away. His adventures being pushed into every brush stroke. Swirl after swirl monster after monster yet she kept going chaotic edges surround the setting almost like a mirror of the mans internal conflicts.
But this man was short lived, he sacrificed himself to save the young girl, who became the bad wolf. He saved her from burning just as she saved the never dying man. As she had looked into the time vortex he took it within himself. A new man emerges. With hair oh such hair and a smile so large yet hides the quickest of temper. A man who loved and lost and lost and lost. A man with converse and a trench coat.
Tara giggles as she painted the new man seeing as she worked her converse because of him. She leaned down to dip her brush in the paint getting ready to start on the most wonderful machine debating on weather or not to paint her with her doors open or shut. Tara already thinking about the skinny mans companions. The dear rose he lost to the metal men yet saw again the the way of the universe were collapsing. A girl named Martha, a doctor herself who left the man in fear for herself and her family. A ginger bride turned investigation with an attitude to match the man and keep him from going to far.
The skinny man with the most companions, but just before Tara could begin on the big blue box a sound came from behind her. Like leaves crunching and twigs snapping from someone walking quickly. Tara set down her brush and quickly walked towards the noise. The sky was darkening with the last light of the day. A fact that surprised Tara for she hadn't realized she had been out here so long. But that fact didn't matter, what mattered was the figure disappearing into the shadows of the forest.
Tara took a step towards the forest seeming to hesitate before taking off into the trees. The forest looking different in the last light of day. Maybe a bit more scary than usual but Tara wan't going to let that affect her. She heard another sound not too far off from her current position.
Her breath came in harsh pants as Tara seemingly chased shadows. Wondering aimlessly now Tara chaos to sit down. The sun find have set and the chill of the night shaping into the clothing Tara was wearing. She started sniffing eyes watering in destress but she scrubbed at her eyes refusing to let the water fall. Tired, cold and lost Tara didn't know what to do. Then she heard it on the wind a whisper
Like a forbidden fruit, floating on the wind. It slowly beckoned Tara to come near.
Tara followed the whisper deeper into the forest not knowing what else to do. In the dark she had trouble keeping her footing but the call of the whisper was too much to ignore. The farther she walked the louder the voices seemed to get. They seemed to be calling a name but she couldn't understand what it mean nor how to properly announce it. Yet as she turned around a corner or a tree a soft glow entered her vision. A glow she had seen many times before.
Tara stood dumb struck as she stared at the big blue box from her dreams. The one spread across history is a never ending story. A brand-new ancient blue box. But the real question was where was her thief. The man who drives her with the parking break on and who threw her instruction manual into a super nova.
Tara circled around the box, gliding her hands over the blue outer shell. A warm buzzing hum seemed to welcome her or maybe even saying hello. The two wooden doors stood their teasing Tara with a sign that says pull to open. She giggled knowing the mad man always pushed the door inward. While marveling at the outside of the box the two doors clicked open and Tara gasped. She looked in awe at the small opening as if she couldn't believe that the box had opened for her.
As she pushed the door open a bit more the interior of the box seemed to come alive. And oh was she so much bigger on the inside. It was like she almost never ended.
'But that might also be true seeing as she is time lord tech' Tara mused inside her head
Turning in circles she failed to see the man in the upper decks his face hidden behind a book. The whisper from before singing in the back of Tara mind warning her of the one with the name they spoke. A man she had searched for, one who proved almost impossible to find. She turned and took measured steps to the second level, knowing the man behind the book was a forgetful man. His curly grey hair and only just visible eyebrows peaking over the top of the book. Which he seemed to be reading upside-down, Tara looked at him strangely then smiled a small smile, like one would when entertaining the whims of a small child.
She walked up to him but he seemed to not see her as he kept reading his upside-down book. Tara took a deep breath and the man looked up and scowled. Tara seemed taken aback at the cold greeting but the doctor stood started scanning her with this ever present tool before she could get a word out. His sonic screw driver made quiet whirring sounds as he waved it about. Though when he stoped scanning Tara he didn't seem happy with the results he got. He started muttering under under his breath and walked out the door of the box. Hot on his tail Tara took another deep breath but before she could speak a word the man was in her space holding a finger to his lips. It was like he didn't want to break the silent spell between the two.
As the older version of the man dredged on through the forest Tara did her best to keep up but when you have short leg its kinda hard to keep up. As the edge of the forest come upon them Tara recognized the shed in the distance. She sped ahead of the man remembering how she had left her paints out in the open. She came around the shed and made a beeline to her supplies. Then man though opened the shed and got out the industrial lights that were in the shed left over from construction workers. He started to fiddle with the lights as Tara set about cleaning her brushed and closing al of her paints.
Then all of a sudden Tara was blinded with a large bright light with the strange older man standing behind it with a grin on his face, already setting to work on the other lamp. Tara shook her head and made her way back to the shed all of her supplies closed up and cleaned off. As Tara set her things down the man seemed to have gotten the other lamp working. He stood looking contemplative about Tara painting, like he was puzzled why it was there. And truly the mural that covered the back wall of the school was quite puzzling. But not to those who knew the man in the pictures.
Tara decided to be brave once more and took a deep breath, when all the man did was look over she found the courage to speak.
"This is what I see you know, every time I close my eyes to sleep. All I see is you and your adventures across time and space. A never ending story echoed in my head like the whispers that tell me seat nothings, but at the same time tell me the most forbidden knowledge. I know about who you are, I know who you have loved and who you have lost. The impossible decisions you have had to make and the heartbreak you have had to endure. I have your history your life written down in a journal, I have it bouncing around in my head. I give it life through art. My painting here", Tara shoves a hand at her almost complete painting " is of your whole life, though its not yet complete. I know you like I know the back of my hand." By now Tara was heaving in great big breaths over come with emotion
The man be now had turned to Tara and faced her fully, an indescribable look in his eyes. She waited in baited breath for that deep Scottish accent to hit the air but he mealy looked away. But Tara was determined to get the answer to the one question she has had for years.
"Pleas I beg of you at least answer me this, are you really truly the war hero of Gallifrey the man who proclaimed No More and saved millions. Are you really truly …. The Doctor?" Tara looked imploringly at the Man she believe was The Doctor
He opened his mouth and asked a question in a thick Scottish accent that floored Tara
"What would you do if I was?"