Okay this is the first chaper. It's a bit tame because it just follows a day of Donna - maybe at the end a bit rushed - but I thought it was good as a introduction. Please tell me what you think about it! The next chapter might take some time due to the lack of time the next days.
Anyway,
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Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Only a muffled groan was heard in the room. It was early, too early. Actually, she had just been up too late, being out in some bar while she wanted to get some distraction from her job. Whatever had caused her to be a part time teacher – a French teacher – Donna had no idea why she had done so.
And today, she had to be in school at 7:00am, preparing everything for the exam her class would write that day.
6:15. Time to get up.
With all the effort it took her, she left her bed and went to the kitchen first. A coffee and then she would start to get ready for school. Strange thought, getting ready for school. When 5 minutes later her coffee was ready and already half emptied (she had really needed it), Donna found herself in the bathroom. No time to waste.
Half an hour later, she was on her way and she would still have some minutes to relax.
At 7:15am, she found herself in the teacher's room, unpacking her things and just took her bag with the exams before she made her way to the class room
7:30. Still some preparations need to be done.
Before the school would start, she placed the exam papers on the tables and looked around the room, checking if everything was alright. No hints for the exams, no solutions, perfect.
Once the students entered the room and sat down, Donna stood in front of her desk, wanting to give the instructions for the exam.
"Bonjour tous les mondes. Je espère que vous avez bien appris pour ce contrôle. D'abord, vous devez résumer le texte, puis vous devez analyser sur la base de moyens stylistiques et identifie l'intention de l'auteur. Si vous avez des questions, je vais les répondre en silence et pas en classe. Ben, Bonne chance!"
Silence spread around the room immediately and Donna sat down on her chair, watching them for some more moments before she went to read her book. After all, she had to pass 90 minutes while she made sure no one tried to cheat.
Thankfully, none of her children had a question. At least that much of peace did she have. But in fact, it would have been nice if there had been questions. It would have been some sort of distraction as well. Her night hadn't been all that well, the nightmares had returned. And she needed to act as if nothing had happened.
Which she managed just fine; so far.
And that was when she realized, it was going to be a long day.
She soon lost interest in the book and instead be began to scribble some things on the blank papers in front of her. Every now and then she would look at her students, making sure they were okay and had no bigger problems before concentrating on the drawing once again. Just when Donna had finished the merely decent drawing, she realized what it was she had drawn: an old police box. The one she had seen before; in her dreams.
A small gasp escaped her and only a few students look at her in confusion about it but concentrated on the exam soon enough.
Ninety minutes later, the exam was finished and she was collection the papers when each student exit the room; some happier than others. Having everything put together, she put the papers in a folder and then in her bag before taking it and leaving as well. Being only a part time teacher, this had been her only lesson. Friday was always her shortest day of the week.
Walking back into the teacher's room, she grabbed her few things, said some goodbyes and then left the school completely, making her way home. It was almost time for lunch so Donna decided to go and grab something on her way home.
Several minutes later, she parked her car and went to get something or lunch. While she was walking down the street, though, she had a feeling as if someone was following her, as if someone was watching her. But that couldn't be, no one was ever watching her. When she looked back just to be sure, she only saw a few people, along a woman with short brown hair and two men chatting. Nothing extraordinary.
Continuing her way, she had her lunch 15 minutes later, making her way back to her car. What she didn't notice was the short haired woman that was still walking after her.
On her way back home, Donna again felt like someone was following her, but this time she knew it was just some paranoia. No one was following her; they probably just had the same way. Though the feeling didn't disappear, she tried her best to ignore it and just keep her mind on the driving.
11:00. Finally at home.
Throwing her bag down next to the door, Donna had her lunch in her bad and walked into the kitchen of her small home. It wasn't much, but more than enough for one person. And the neighborhood was just what you could wish for. Calm and ordinary. Just like her life even though that would have included boringness.
Looking out of the window, she had grabbed a fork and started to eat her lunch, not really paying much attention to it but rather thinking about the feeling of being followed this day. Donna had no idea where it had come from, it had just been there.
But there was no need to spend any more thoughts to it.
The day seemed to get longer and longer the more time she spent without really doing something. Though it was really great to have this little to do on Friday's, she really wanted to do some more. Of course she could have just prepared her next lesson on Monday, but it wasn't much to prepare and she would have the Sunday to do so.
Sometimes she wished her life was more eventful; more adventurous.
Sadly that wasn't the case and would probably never be.
Like her mother would say: "Don't be ridiculous, what should ever happen? Nothing extraordinary happens to this family." Well, she could at least dream. And who said her mother was always right? She was wrong more often than she would admit. It was unbearable to even try and discuss it with her.
Donna was used to her mother not really believing in her and in her having a better life someday.
It was the doorbell that pulled her out of her thoughts and made her stand up, walking to the door to see who was visiting her; Probably just someone who wanted to sell her whatever.
When Donna opened the door, she was quite surprised to see her Gramps standing there, obviously happy to see her.
"Gramps, what are you doing here? I didn't expect you to come around."
"Hello, Donna dear, I was around and since it has been a few days since you've visited I thought I would just come around myself. Am I disturbing you?"
"You'd never disturb me, come in."
Leading him inside, they sat down in the living room after she asked him if he wanted a tea or something, which he declined.
"Tell me, Gramps, what's the matter?"
"Oh it's nothing. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You seem a bit exhausted, are you okay?"
That was how she knew her Gramps, always worried about her. It could be really annoying sometimes, but she knew he only meant well. This time though, she was quite glad he had asked her.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just a bit tired; my class had an exam today and I didn't sleep that well."
Before she could add anything else, he immediately interrupted her.
"The nightmares again? I thought they had stopped. What was it this time, dear?"
It would worry him even more if she told him about her dream, but then again, it would be worse if she didn't. Whatever way she reacted, it wouldn't be too good in her opinion. Why did she even have to have those dreams? They made no sense, not to her. Sometimes she would think Wilf knew what was going on but didn't tell her.
"There were people everywhere. They were so scared and pleading for help. It was terrible. I tried to help them, I really tried, saving them from the flames and ashes – it was like Pompeii, you know – but I couldn't do anything. And then there was this man again. That man with the blue box. It was different, though. It seemed as if he was real, as if he wasn't part of my imagination. I don't understand it, Gramps."
In his face Donna saw that he seemed to know something, his eyes betrayed him. But he said nothing; he just looked at her, worried about her nightmares. It was so frustrating. She wanted to actually yell at him to tell her what was going on, why she had those dreams, but then again, she couldn't. It was her grandfather, she couldn't just yell at him because of some stupid dreams that probably didn't mean anything.
"You are just stressed, Donna. It's your nerves. You shouldn't work so much. "
"But I don't work much. I'm a bloody teacher." She sighed. "Maybe you're right; I just need some more sleep than just a few hours."
"I should leave you to rest. Do me a favor and go sleep a bit, will you?"
Even though she would rather have done something else, she supposed it was the best to do just that. Some sleep and she would feel better.
"Okay, but can you do me a favor first?"
When Wilfred nodded, Donna rose to her feet and walked to her bag to grab the drawing she had done during the exam. Walking back, she handed it to him.
"This is it, this box. I've never drawn it before until today. Have you seen it before?"
There was silence, longer than she would have liked, and he only said: "No, no I've never seen it before. I- I really need to go now. Get some rest, dear."
After she said goodbye to her Gramps, she closed the door behind her, and leant against it for some moments. From where she was standing, she was still able to see the drawing on the table and got lost in her thoughts once more.
It made no sense. Why this man? Why this box? What did it mean?
Maybe she was really just so exhausted, it was a bad idea to think about it some more. Without a second thought, she went into her bedroom, falling down on her bed and it didn't take her too long until she was fallen asleep. This time without any dreams at all.
Just when it was starting to get dark outside, Donna woke up once more; still tired, but at least a bit more relaxed.
Going to grab some tea, she went into the kitchen boiling some water as she was standing at the window once more.
Donna loved the stars. It hadn't been always like this, but since she couldn't remember two years of her life and had spent a lot of time with her Gramps, she had started to fall in love with them. They were so far away, yet they seemed so near to her.
An hour later she would herself in her bed again, almost falling asleep again until she heard a faint sound.
Vroosh. Vroosh. Vroosh.
Her eyes widened for a few seconds as if she was remembering that sound. But then she closed them once more as if nothing had happened and fell asleep once more.
Her weekend was rather boing, only correcting the exams so she could return them on Monday, and visiting her mother on Sunday.
When Donna entered the school on Monday morning, there was a new teacher, she noticed her right away. And as if she had done the same, the new teacher walked towards her, offering her a hand and introduced herself.
"Hello, I'm the new English teacher. Clara Oswald."
