A/N: So chapter two, where the story really starts.

I don't own Doctor Who.

When Burnham Wood Comes Up To Dunsinane

Chapter Two

Frowning slightly, Ella Marlowe blinked twice to wake herself up properly. Her room was still dark but there was a quality to it that assured her that if she opened her curtains sunlight would stream in. None peeked round the corners though, this was the sort of place that had black out material covering each window.

It annoyed her, a lot, and she often felt claustrophobic, preferring to walk in the grounds than stay in the house. She didn't open the curtains yet though, she was trying to think.

She'd had the dream again last night. The same one she had again and again, night after night. She knew she had, although she could never remember it she knew it was always the same.

She remembered feeling scared and frustrated with someone, but also oddly content and happy. And the fear she felt was more basic and instinctive than the one she felt now. Here she had a constant, stomach dissolving feeling that something wasn't right, that she wasn't supposed to be here and that she was missing someone, someone important. Or perhaps it was her that was missing, she was never quite sure.

There was a darting elusive memory just outside her grasp and she knew that if she could get it everything would be alright.

A soft knock at the door and it was immediately opened, before she could respond.

"Hello, Miss Marlowe. How are you feeling this morning?"

She was a friendly enough looking nurse, much younger than the others, though older than Ella. With Ella, however, it was hard to guess her age. There was something about her eyes that was ancient and unnerving in her youthful face, though that too had aged. Now she was scowling heavily at Nurse Mitford as she went to open the curtains. Ella knew this wasn't how she was supposed to wake up. So gently and with no chat and no coffee.

"What day is it?"

"Thursday."

This seemed strange. Time was tricky though and it didn't really matter what day it was, she'd be somewhere else soon. But what was it that made her think that?

"How long have I been here?"

"Three weeks."

"Why?"

"You're finding it difficult to remember things and we're trying to help."

The Nurse was looking at her sadly now and there was a rehearsed quality to her words that made Ella wonder if she'd asked and been told before.

"Now, are you going to get up?"

"Maybe." Ella sounded uninterested in the prospect of being up and doing.

Nurse Mitford seemed to take this as acquiescence enough and left the room. Ella lay still for some time but it was hard to think of the dream with the curtains open. By the time she got out of bed to shut them again she figured that she was already up so she may as well get dressed.

She didn't see anyone else for several hours, the silence and loneliness oppressive to her. She was sure she was used to action and adventure. She stumbled through the morning routine of making her bed and eating breakfast. There was a constant prickling of the hairs at the back of her neck to indicate she was being watched.

When someone came to find her she was sitting on the stone steps by the front door, reading. She loved to read, devouring whole books in a day, but she would never go to the library to get another one. She had an apparently irrational fear of libraries.

"Come on, Miss Marlowe, the Doctor would like to see you." It was Nurse Mitford again.

"The Doctor?" something flashed in Ella's mind at those words and a vague picture began to form to match the name, because it was a name, not a title.

"Yes, this way."

Ella hurried after the Nurse, through the corridors until they reached a heavy wooden door. Nurse Mitford stood aside and, without hesitation, Ella pushed down the handle and went in.

The man who stood up from behind the desk surprised her. He was nothing like the picture in her head though that had suddenly floated away and she couldn't really remember it any more. He was short, round, with a shiny bald head and glasses perched on the end of his nose.

"Hello, Ella. Why don't you sit down?"

Suddenly, through her unexplainable yet poignant disappointment that he wasn't who she thought he should be, she was very angry with him. She sat down with her arms and legs crossed and stared fiercely at him.

"What do you want?"

"I just want to talk to you."

There was a long silence that Dr Roberts finally broke when he realised Ella would not.

"Have you had your dream again?"

Her eyes flashed anger at him.

"No." she said shortly, staring out of the window.

"Are you lying to me Ella?"

He was leaning forward now, watching her closely. She raised one eyebrow at his question and curled her lip slightly in distaste. Mimicking his attitude, she leaned forward and lent her elbows on the table.

"You're a patronising bastard aren't you?" she asked cordially before getting suddenly to her feet. "I'm going now."

She spun on her heel and exited the room, slamming the door behind her and leaving him speechless.

A/N: I hope you liked it. Please review to let me know what you think and with any questions. I'll try to update soon.