I can safely say that today was the weirdest and most wonderful day of my life. I truly wish that everyone could meet him, but only some ever get the privilege to.
Why? The universe is unpredictable. I can't say what happened to me will happen to you, or anyone else in the world for, let's say - a hundred million years. You actually should be thankful for that. Whatever happens though, never give up. Never give up hoping for your Hogwarts letter, or the day when your godly parent would claim you. Trust me on this. It doesn't stop there - there's a much bigger picture. Fiction isn't just stories; it's as real as it ever could be.
I'm seventeen years old.
Seventeen years old may not be a long while into a human's lifespan, but I've seen and experienced so much more than you could ever imagine. I've seen creatures of your wildest dreams, and felt the never-ending pain from your darkest nightmares. This was only the beginning, and only one tiny bit of the dark side. Fortunately, there was the good side of the adventures I had, but it wasn't enough to outweigh the evil. I hope that what I did in the end could fix that permanently. With my sacrifice, I hope that in the future, there would be a bit of dark and a bit of light; the ultimate balance of the universe.
My name is Rose, Rose Grayson, and this is the story of how I died.
CHAPTER ONE
I closed the glass doors of the small music store behind me, breathing in the crisp London breeze; the scent of dew lingered in the air. It was a cool August day, and the sun remained concealed behind a wall of white cloud, peeking out at occasional intervals. Lazy day? You bet.
I walked down the main street, smiling brightly. From there, I turned left and crossed the road, passing by an old-fashioned, bright red telephone box. For some odd reason, I kept thinking about a blue police box, and I've always wondered what it meant. Oh well, if it was a blue police box, I'd know if there was something familiar about it. I grinned inwardly. London was so beautiful, and I loved it there. It was such a shame that I could never go back. I think the wind sensed my terrible future, because somehow, the wind wrapped around me, colder than before, making me draw in my coat as tight as I could.
/
As I walked down the side street just minutes from my apartment, my phone beeped. I reached into my bag, hope flashing in my eyes.
'20% sale off all in-game items!' the notification said. I groaned, and just to ruin the moment even more, dust flew into my eye.
"Ow!" I exclaimed, rubbing my sore eye. Instead of putting my phone back into my bag, I tapped on the camera icon and checked my face. Nevermind, nothing in my eye. I looked again at my reflection. Staring back at me was a girl that I now no longer know; she changed, a lot. The girl in the mirror had long, straight, light auburn hair, long lashes, pale but almost tanned skin, and a splash of freckles across her face. Her deep blue eyes carried about a look of innocence. But I knew, for sure, it wasn't going to be that way any longer.
At last, I was at the white doorstep of my apartment. Shoving my phone into the pocket of my jeans, I rummaged around in my bag for my keys. You guessed it - they weren't there!
What?! No… oh come on! It's gotta be in here somewhere, I thought, clearly frustrated. Did I drop them? Or what if I didn't bring them with me in the first place? Either way, I am screwed.
"Of all days…" I muttered aloud, sinking down onto the floor. I contemplated calling the apartment manager, but I didn't see how that would help.
To add more to my surprise, a voice called across the corridor. "You all right over there?"
The voice belonged to a man, with a distinct Northern accent. I glanced up, only to find nothing. By the Angel! If only trolls could troll trolls, I thought angrily. Even then, just so I could get closer to the saving light at the end of the tunnel (or corridor, no pun intended), I decided to reply.
"Um, well, I don't know," I replied. Talk about speaking to a brick wall; practically a hundred years had passed when he spoke again.
"Let me guess… lost your keys?" This time, there was a figure looming down in front of me. The man was wearing a long leather jacket, with an almost comedic expression on his face. From the quick analysis, I assumed the man was in his late forties or early fifties.
"Quit judging me!" He said, adding a smile.
I put my hands up in defeat, then suddenly getting the impression that this man was familiar. I furrowed my eyebrows; he was very familiar, but it was a faint memory.
"Yeah, I lost my keys. Or, I could've just left them, you know." I stood up, facing him. "I-I don't mean to be creepy or anything but… do I know you from somewhere?"
The man gazed at me, his expression thoughtful. "Fantastic, another one of you lot." He rolled his eyes. "Ignore that. Anyway, let's get this door opened for you."
"Wait, stop! Stop. Why would you help me? You don't even-" I looked at him again, shutting my mouth. The daft old face, the comical expression, the long leather jacket called out to me again. Oh my gods… I thought, gasping in surprise. "No… you can't be…"
"No, that can't be right," he answered.
"You don't even know what I'm thinking about?!" I shot back.
"Do I?" He sassed.
I groaned. "I lost my train of thought! Gods, stop being such a bi- Oh, I don't know. Sorry, as you could clearly make out, I'm having a bad day."
"Make out? Are you implying that we should do that?"
"What is with the questions? Fine, that was a question. No, we shouldn't. I barely know you," I sighed.
"I know that. I'm just pulling your leg. I've lost the T-" The man paused, quickly changing his choice of words. "I mean, I've lost the keys to my… car…" He coughed nervously. and continued. "…Quite many times."
I nodded, looking away.
"Oh don't look like that. It ruins the mood!" The man joked. "How about this - you should always bring a-"
"Banana to a party?" I finished his sentence immediately. It was almost as though it was embedded deep into my subconscious, and it was only a few words before it triggered an automatic response.
A look of awe and approval appeared on the stranger's face. "Impressive - didn't think you'd know that."
Because of that, a memory sparked in me again. I eyed the man, wary of why I knew him and who he could've been.
"What, do I have something on my coat?"
"No, uh, do you… carry that stethoscope with you?" It was creepy how I knew that. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
"Now that, is creepy," he said, producing a stethoscope from an inner pocket of the jacket.
I took it, placed the earpieces in my ears, and gently put the resonator on the right side of his chest. I heard his heartbeats clearly - they were beating at a slightly faster-than-normal speed. That's normal, I guess. I moved the stethoscope slightly over to the other side of the man's chest.
'He had two hearts. If you think you have met him, check for his hearts. I know he had two hearts.' I jumped at the voice ringing through my head. It didn't seem to be the man - it was a female voice and he seemed pretty concentrated on my front door. I adjusted the earpieces, and paled at what I could hear. A second heartbeat.
"Did you know her?" I asked quietly.
"Hm? Know who?" The man replied.
"My mother. Teresa Ridley," I said.
"Nope. Never heard of her. Sorry," the man replied.
"Her… voice. Her voice rang through my mind. A-and, you have two hearts," I blurted.
I was grabbed by the shoulders. The man faced me, an unreadable look in his dark eyes. "You know me. You know who I am, and it's impossible," he said.
I felt a fluttering in my mind, as if someone opened a doorway to the deepest part of my brain. It was him, the strange and mysterious man. He seemed to be dragging thoughts, digging deeper until I could remember.
"Remember. Dig deep into your mind, and don't worry about what I'm doing. Please."
The forgotten memory lit my eyes up, filling me with visions of my past. "Y-you're a Time Lord. A Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, located in the constellation of Kasterborous - in fact, you're the last of your kind…" My energy drained, and I was sure to pass out in a matter of seconds.
"Tell me!" The man screamed.
"D-doctor," I choked out before I fell into unconsciousness.