The Beginning
It was another rainy day in London, at least it wasn't at a down pour I thought to myself as I was running down the street towards the old bookstore. It surprisingly still got decent customers; the old bookstore is owned by Mrs. Byrne who is a sweet old lady who just needs help with dusting, organizing, and running the store as she isn't getting any younger these days.
I reached the old wood door and pulled it open hearing the all too familiar squeak of an old wooden door. Mrs. Byrne was taking her post at the register checking out a customer's purchases. "Thank you come back soon." She said as she placed the books inside a brown paper bag and handed to the customer.
Faye had moved out of the way as the customer headed towards the door. Mrs. Byrne gave her the look. The look of 'why on earth are you late?'. "Care to explain yourself Ms. West?" the old lady chided. Faye gave her a tight smile.
"I may or may not slept passed my alarm." Faye said with a nervous chuckle and wringing her hands.
"Oh Faye, what am I going to do with you?" Mrs. Byrne chuckled. "You're lucky I'm good friends with your mother young lady."
"I know I know." Faye said still wringing her hands nervously. Mrs. Byrne walked up to her and grabbed her hands stopping her. "And why are you always so nervous Faye?"
"I really don't know Mrs. Byrne. I-I guess I'm just a very nervous person." Faye said.
Mrs. Byrne looked at her skeptically. "Nah, I'd say you're more of an 'easily' nervous person. And you have nothing to be nervous about my dear. Now why don't you go start up in the attic while I go get us something to eat. How about that?" Faye nodded in silent agreement. She quickly headed up the stairs in the back of the store to the old dusty attic.
Once I got to the top of the stairs and looked over the vast attic space that was covered in old boxes filled with nick knacks and other junk collected over the years, I had no idea where to begin. I knew Mrs. Byrne really wanted this attic to be cleaned and each box have gone through.
Lining the walls of the attic were old bookshelves covered in dust and cobwebs that were filled with books. "Nothing but older books." I said with sigh to myself. I ventured farther into the mess leaving footprints in my wake, this attic really needed a thorough cleaning. As I was looking through all the junk, I spotted something that attracted my attention.
It was a rock the size of my palm sitting on a plate display on a small bookcase out in the open. The rock had white carvings in the middle. It looked like just a bunch of different size circles on top of each other. Yet somehow, I felt the urge to pick up the rock. I tentatively reached to touch the rock and as soon as my fingers grazed the smooth surface, I no longer was in Mrs. Byrne's attic. I was somehow transported to the middle of the woods.
I frantically looked around at my surroundings, "W-Where am I!" I called out, my voice carried an echo into the distance. "Where the hell am I?" then I noticed right through trees I saw a clearing. I carefully walked towards it and in the middle of the opening stood a stone dial. I carefully looked around again as I hesitantly walked towards it. As I got closer, I started to hear whispering in my ears, but I couldn't make out what they were saying.
When I reached the front of the dial a woman with red-fiery bouncy curls wearing a maroon and black tunic and leggings appeared out of thin air startling me backwards away from the dial. Her tunic on the bottom left had those same circle symbols from the rock etched in gold and it shimmered where she stood.
"Faye West." The woman said making me gain eye contact with her. I realized that her eyes were a bright amber color, it's almost as if her irises were glowing. It gave off a not so friendly vibe.
"H-How do you know my name?" I stammered nervously wringing my hands.
"You are chosen my dear." She said creepily sending a shutter down my spine.
"C-Chosen for what?" I asked taking a step back only for her to put her hand up, palm towards me and I froze in place. I couldn't move anything from my neck down. She walked towards me slowly as if I were her prey. To be fair I probably was. I started to breath heavily thinking of my mom and poor Mrs. Byrne all alone in that old bookstore, probably wondering where I am.
"Faye West you are chosen to be my bait." The woman said with a sick grin growing across her face. I started to feel nauseous just looking at her. She didn't look ugly or deformed, she was quite beautiful but something about her was giving off some sort of energy that was making me feel ill.
"B-Bait for who?" I asked nervously trying not to let my stomach get the better of me.
She chuckled looking down at the ground then looked back up to me. "You are the bait for the Doctor." I didn't even get a chance to understand who the 'Doctor' was before she placed her hand on my upper right arm and squeezed. I then felt a burning sensation, it grew hotter and made me cry out in pain, and I still couldn't move from my spot. She then released her grip on my arm, and then I wasn't in the middle of the woods; I was back in the attic.
I looked around frantically, I was back in the attic as if nothing even happened. I immediately took notice that my arm still had the sensation that it was burned, and it began to throb painfully. I gingerly pulled up my sleeve and saw the same symbols on the stone and dial were now burned into my skin. The skin around the marks was bright red and blistered.
"What the hell?" I whimpered out and carefully pulled the sleeve down over the burn as to not irritate it any more than it already was. I quickly turned on my heel and headed down the stairs to the main level of the store and saw Mrs. Byrne's about to leave the store all dressed out in her raincoat.
"Faye?" Mrs. Byrne's asked with concern laced in her voice. I didn't even realize that I was cradling my right arm afraid of anything hitting it would hurt the burn.
"I-I got to go. I've s-suddenly not feeling w-well." I said trying to hold back any further whimpers to escape my lips.
"Would you like me to phone your mum? You look awfully pale my dear." Mrs. Byrne's said now shrugging off her raincoat and rested it on a desk.
"T-that won't be necessary," I said hastily heading towards the door. "I-I'm sorry Mrs. Byrne's."
"Feel better Faye!" She called out as I pulled the creaky wooden door open and ran out into cold rainy London. Except as soon as the door closed behind me, I wasn't outside the bookstore anymore. I was on an empty coastline, except for the huge rock formation, it looked more like a building. And there was a huge billowing cloud of smoke coming out of it. "Something crashed, but what. And where the hell am I!"
I carefully pulled up my sleeve again to inspect the burn, sure enough it was still a throbbing reminder that it was there and everything that had happened today was real. Or maybe I'm dreaming. I closed my eyes tightly for a few seconds only to open them and there was a man with floppy brown hair, tweed coat and sporting a bow tie standing in front of me with a big grin on his face.
"Faye! So good to see you!" he exclaimed joyfully.
"Whoa!" I screamed and stumbled backwards. "W-who are you and w-where am I?" I said anxiously.
The man clasped his hands together and rubbed them. "Ah, you're new. It's okay Faye, I'm the Doctor and I'm your friend. We are friends." He said indicating between us. "And as for where we are, to simply put it we are not on Earth anymore."
"WHAT!" I yelled in shock.