Chapter One: The Health Inspector

"I want you gone. I don't care what you say, but you will get in that blue box and disappear forever."

Yesterday, I had never even heard of a man like the one stood before me, screwing around with that goddamn screwdriver as if it wasn't the reason we were in this situation. Two bodies lying at our feet; one of innocent and the other guilty. This was stuff of fiction.

Fairy tales.

It wasn't supposed to be real, and yet...

He was.

Like some sort of dream, he appeared one day with the promise of an adventure. To whisk me away from the nightmare that I called my life. To visit faraway lands and discover forgotten treasures.

But my type of adventure didn't include babysitting an alien.

6 hours earlier...

"Give me one more chance, Mer - I won't let you down!"

I stopped and looked at her. She was desperate for forgiveness, a chance on redemption. I wanted to forgive her like a friend should and move on from this stupid quarrel, but it was all an act.

Jenna Clarince had won best actress three years in a row for a reason. Her bright smile and convincing eyes could talk their way out of any trouble... Including this. I gave her one job - a single thing to do whilst I sorted out the rest - and what did she do? She spent her day hiding out in the old art room.

With the new English teacher, Mr. Jones.

"Mer, come on! Please." She begged, gripping my arm with her yellow acrylics.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, giving in to her wishes. As usual.

"Fine, but the party's on Friday so that doesn't give you much time to mess up or screw around with that teacher." I warned.

Jenna blushed and averted her gaze, pulling down the sleeve of her uniform. At least she had the decency to look embarrassed.

"We weren't fooling around."

I scoffed and hiked by bag further up my arm. One day, I'd graduate and I'd be free of this stupid town and everyone in it. I could do what I want, travel the world! And get as far away as possible from the people that I'd known for my entire life.

I tightened the elastic around my ponytail and, taking a deep breath, began to walk away. Hopefully I'd get some decent people in my life, too. It was as if I was Noah parting the Red Sea as I marched down the hall, people all but jumping to get out of my oncoming path. There was a spark in my eye that yearned to be freed - yearned to take over my entire being.

Chaos.

"Meredith!"

I froze.

A hand closed around my shoulder and I held my breath, my heart racing.

"I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Y-you have?" I squeaked as the form walked around me to lean against the wall, watching me., "I've uh, I've been chasing up, uh... Things for um - no, not for, I mean um... It's not important! How are you?"

"I'm good, yeah!" He grinned, scratching his head, "Mum made me start packing some of my clothes this morning, considering I'll just be wearing this uniform for the rest of the week."

"Oh, that must suck," I mumbled, blushing and looking to my feet, "But at least you won't have to wear it for much longer; I heard the new school has no designated uniform. That's a plus, right?"

James sighed and stood to his full height, towering over me. I wanted to fancy him, like I really wanted to, but I just couldn't. James and I had grown up together, shared baths, learnt how to ride our bikes, broke our first bones falling out of the same tree. Yet, no matter how hard I tried to see the boy in front of me in a romantic way, I couldn't. It was as if the memories that we shared refused to be soured by any romantic involvement.

"It's kind of growing on me now that I'm not going to wear it anymore. Typical."

He walked to my side and grinned, revealing a dimple. With our fingers entwined we began to walk down the hall together, basking in the newly formed silence between us. Neither of us wanted this to end - our friendship, but it had to. He'd meet new people and so would I; there was no use clinging to past friendships when there was nothing left there for us.

"Have you decided what time you'll be leaving on Saturday?" I asked.

"No," He shook his head, "But I think it'll be early in the morning. Maybe I could stay over yours tonight like I used to? Movie night, eat some sweets, get fat together while we still have a chance?"

I laughed and nodded my head, trying to ignore the sudden urge to say 'no'. This was my last opportunity to have a night with my best friend; only an idiot would decline that offer.

"It's a miracle that you're only asking for tonight and not the rest of the week." I said, dryly.

We came to a stop outside room 209 and turned to face eachother. I stared up at my gangly best friend, forcing the smile to stay on my face. Soon, he would be leaving and we'd forget about each other. James took my two hands and held onto them, letting them hang along the gap between us.

Four days.

"I'll see you tonight?" He asked and I nodded.

"Okay, well..." I didn't know what to say, our relationship had never felt so forced.

"Well...?"

"I'll see you then... Friend."

••••••••

"Jared!"

"Jared, where are you, you little punk?!"

I continued to yell as I ran through the halls, poking my head into other teenager's rooms. The tall brunette wasn't in his room and I was determined to find that little vermin. I turned the corner, nearly slipping and falling over as I whizzed around in just a pair of fluffy socks, and threw my fist against the next door.

The one place other than his room where you'd find the sixteen year old.

The door breezed open to reveal the blue streak that was used to identify him, permanently dyed into the front portion of his hair. With lazy eyes, Jared stared down at me, rolling his nose piercing between his fingers.

"Can I help you?"

The fact that it was practically a yawn seemed to make me more annoyed, forcing me to shove him back and step into the storage cupboard.

"You keep your stash out of my room or I swear to God I will flush it all down the toilet before you can even deny doing it. Understood?"

I threw the small packet at him, his large hands easily catching it. I watched with disgust as he placed it in his pocket, acting as though it wasn't some crime to be smoking pot around children.

"I'll be sure to get rid of it as soon as possible, your highness."

Mockingly bowing at me, Jared snickered and turned away as if the conversation was over.

"I'm not joking, Jared. You can get kicked out for smoking whatever it is that you're smoking - you know the rules! Get rid of it."

Before he could reply, I spun on my heel and left. Three girls - Cody, Ella and Jess - leant against the wall, watching the scene unfold with matching frowns on their faces. The trio was known for acting as though they were God's gift, marching around these halls as if they owned the place. They didn't- they were just dumped here long after everyone else.

"Don't you think Jared's old enough to make his own decisions?" Ella scowled.

"Yeah, you're not his sister even if you act like it." Jess smirked.

"Maybe if you stopped smothering him he wouldn't be such a loser." Chimed Cody.

"Oh, screw off." I rolled my eyes and shoved through them, ignoring their yells of shock and obvious surprise.

I folded my arms over my chest, trying to conceal my Tinkerbell pyjamas from the people milling around in the hall outside their bedrooms. I was one of the lucky ones that hadn't gotten stuck with a roommate, but that was only because I'd been here the longest.

I practically co-owned the home.

My room was basically just a box, big enough to fit a single bed, set of drawers and an old TV that only played DVDs. But it could've been worse. I sighed and sat on the edge of my bed, picking up my clock.

7:02pm.

James was due to arrive at any moment through the window just a metre away, carrying multiple DVDs and bags of gummy treats for us to snack on until we fall asleep. The room was tidy enough for the two of us - hence the reason why I stumbled across a bag of what looked to be drugs inside my knicker drawer. One day, I'd get out of this home.

It couldn't come quick enough.

As I sat there imagining my life free of a care home, I didn't notice the ripples appear in the glass of water beside my bed, or the latch on my window beginning to shake. I jumped when the window slammed closed and looked around. The glass slipped from the table. I gasped and jumped away to avoid the smashed object and panicked, trying to hold down the sheets of paper that threatened to blow around the room.

I was going deaf, I couldn't breathe. A loud whirring infected my mind, vibrating my entire body. I gripped my bed, hoping that it would stop. What was happening?

An earthquake?

I was crying and I hadn't realised it, burying my face into my pillow in a desperate attempt to block out the noise. My mind felt like it was turning to jelly. My heart was going to stop. My blood boiling.

And then, it stopped.

I gasped and slumped further into the bed, not knowing what I had just experienced. Surely, if it was an earthquake someone would have come to help us, or at least it would effect anyone other than me.

Was I going crazy?

"Yes!"

"It worked! Just you wait my girl, we'll be back out there soon enough!"

A creak followed the voice and then... Nothing. Silence.

"A girl's room?! Why would you take me to a girl's room?!" The shriek was back, but now more frustrated than excited, "Honestly, I'm beginning to think you're just messing with me, old girl. Is this because I left you in that fire? Or in that swamp for those horse-sized frogs to play with?"

Peeling my face away from the pillow, I slowly rose to stand on the carpeted floor. A box? A giant, blue box! I swallowed thickly. I was going insane - that was the only reasonable explanation!

"I apologised, or at least I think I did." He sighed, "It's nothing personal, girl, I never try to abandon you! Here's this, we go somewhere sunny - I'm thinking the planet of palm trees - and we'll just spend the day relaxing, out of trouble's way for once?"

I slowly approached, biting my lip in anticipation. I didn't know who or what was on the other side of this box. A robber? A murderer? A mad scientist?

"Right, let's try this again. Planet of Palm trees here we co- girl!"

The man shrieked and jumped back, knocking into my drawers. He span and began attempting to catch some of the falling objects, frantically placing them back on the surface where they belonged. I continued to wield my can of hairspray as if my life depended on it.

"Who are you?!" I demanded.

The man turned to face me, rubbing his head. I tightened my grip.

"I'm the health inspector!" He grinned, clapping is hands together to search his pockets for something, "Surprise visit and all, just doing my job!"

He whipped out a small black notebook of sorts and began flipping through it, as if searching for something. He grinned and, in triumph, turned it for me to read.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"What do you mean, 'what?'" Glancing back down at the paper, he frowned as the bright smile began to slip away, "This is my ID - proof that I'm a health inspector. Don't you people like proof? I thought you strived off things like this!"

I lowered the can of hairspray, scowling. Was this some kind of sick joke? Shaking my head, I ripped the leather pocket from his grip.

"Is this some kind of joke?! Did Jared put you up to this? That idiot, I swear I'll call the police on him if he keeps doing this to me." I scowled.

The man looked confused, taking a step back and raising his hands in surrender.

"This is a blank piece of paper."

I threw the pocket back at him, watching it hit his chest and drop to the floor. Turning away from the strange man, I walked across my room to my bed. From underneath, I pulled out my ID.

"This is an ID."

He took the piece of plastic from my hand and began inspecting it, humming as he began to read what it said. Normally, I wouldn't hand out my ID to anyone, but a friend of Jared's couldn't be more dangerous than a sleeping puppy - plus, his converse and trench coat didn't scream 'stranger danger' to me.

"Meredith Jones." He muttered, nodding to himself as if deciding that he approved, "Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor."

When I didn't take his outstretched hand he slowly pulled it back, keeping the smile intact. I scowled in response.

"Get out of my room."

His mouth dropped open.

"What do you mean?!" At my bored expression he groaned and ran around me to the giant blue box, "Aren't you the slightest bit curious as to who I am? What this is?"

"You're the Doctor, and that's a phone booth." I folded my arms across my chest, watching him with a raised brow from a distance.

"Well," He scoffed and walked back over, placing his hands on my shoulders to shake me, "it's not just a phone booth! It's the TARDIS! A time machine!"

Slowly, my head began to nod and, moving at an equally slow pace as if not to spook him, I peeled him hands off me and took a step back. Maybe he'd escaped from the hospital? That would explain his lack of matching clothes.

"I've never been taught how to deal with people like you, so... Why don't you sit down and I will get someone to help. Okay?" I walked him over to the bed, watching as he sat on the mattress, staring up at me with a frown.

My feet moved on their own accord, padding across my room until I reached my door. I gasped when I was suddenly shoved with my back to the wall, a body covering mine and two wide eyes staring down at me with a frantic look in them.

My heart stopped.

"You can't go out there." The Doctor whispered, his voice barely even reaching my ears, "There's something out there."

Ella, Cody and Jess (they certainly didn't count as people).

"It's a care home, there's more than just me." I muttered, shoving the man back, "And if you think they're a problem, you can get back into your blue box and disappear."

Before he could stop me, my hand was wrapped around the handle and I yanked it open.

To come face to face with a gun.

"Run!"

A hand grabbed mine and I was pulled along with the Doctor, nearly slicing my foot open on the broken glass. A loud bang echoed behind me and I realised then what it was.

"He has a gun! A gun!" I screamed.

The Doctor clambered out the window before reaching back in for me. Without thinking, I reattached our hands and joined him outside, my socks immediately becoming soggy from the damp grass. I stared across at the strange man, trying to figure out why he looked so calm for someone being shot at.

Another bang rang out.

"Come on, Meredith! This is a life or death situation!" He yelled.

We soon came to the edge of the garden, breaking through the shrubbery as we gasped for breath. For a moment, we were hidden. So I turned to the Doctor, my eyes panicked and my breath short.

"What's going on?" I whispered.

I was close to tears, feeling them build up behind my eyes, awaiting the perfect moment to be released. The Doctor frowned again but didn't say anything. He just stared at me as if trying to solve a difficult puzzle. A whistle snapped me from my daze and I peeked above the shrubbery to find the source of the noise.

Strolling across the garden with a carrier bag swinging in his hand was , walking straight towards him, was Jared. Holding a gun.

"Jared, what's up?" James approached Jared, unaware of the immediate danger.

The sixteen year old wasn't himself; his skin ashen and his eyes... Black?! They held no white or the familiar green, only a blackness that couldn't be described. It was as though he'd been possessed by something and was out to kill me. His finger twitched on the weapon and, as though it happened in slow motion, he raised the gun and applied pressure.

"James!" I screamed.

His body dropped as agony painted his features, the bag slipping from his grip to spill across the ground. I wanted to run to him, but the Doctor held me back as if knowing my next move. Jared's head turned and we locked gazes.

Monster.

"Stay back." The Doctor warned me.

There was that feeling inside me, crawling up my entire being; starting at my toes and trailing it's way up through every nerve and every vein. I held my breath in an attempt to contain it. A quiet whirring filled the deafening silence.

Jared dropped to the floor.

I was on fire, my entire body burning up. Pure torture. My best friend.

"Meredith?"

The Doctor approached me and placed his hands on my shoulder, forcing our eyes to connect. My breathing returned to normal, my heart rate stabilised and the blistering feeling disappeared.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"What just happened - and don't you dare lie to me, Doctor." I demanded, shoving his hands away.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "A bounty hunter was sent from the future to kill me."

I stepped back from him.

"I lost it somewhere around 2026AD but when the TARDIS experiences difficulty it must've found me." The man explained.

"So you caused this?" I asked, looking up at him in horror.

There was no time travelling, no future bounty hunters - yet here we were. Stood over my best friend's dead body, refusing to look as it so his death wasn't real.

Wasn't permanent.

"I'm truly sorry, Meredith. I really am." He took a step closer to me, but I matched it by stepping back, "I can help you figure out who did this - take you with me and we'll find the true killer... Together. I know, I can't save your friend, but I will help you get through it."

I didn't acknowledge his words.

"Or we can go on an adventure, wouldn't that be great? To the world of Palm trees..."

This wasn't real. A man hadn't appeared out of nowhere in a blue box, he hadn't travelled time, the drug addict, Jared, wasn't some futuristic bounty hunter and my best friend wasn't dead. I was dreaming.

James and I had fallen asleep watching some sort of sci-fi movie, causing me to have this dream.

It wasn't real.

But one look at the man beside me and I knew the truth.

"I want you gone. I don't care what you say, but you will get in that blue box and disappear forever."

The Doctor nodded solemnly and quietly stepped back, the same frown on his face. As if he hadn't just caused the death of my best friend. And he walked away.

The loud whirring filled the night as I watched through my bedroom window, the blue box disappearing to leave an empty room. It was only when I knew that he was truly gone that I let it escape. That burning sensation. The infuriating tingling in the back of my mind.

A strong wind emanated from my body, rattling doors and shaking trees. A drop landed on my cheek followed by another until the rain beat mercilessly against the ground - his body.

And I walked away.

A/N

Can I get a HELL YEAH?! No? Okay.

I'm not an amazing writer as you can probably tell, but any feedback would be great (whether it's any criticism or advice it's all appreciated :) and any tips!) xx