Gravel, rain, and galaxies

Lonesome

Minuscule pricks of light blinked across a navy sky. Besides the soft melody of summer's frogs in the background, the air was so still one would say they felt uneasy. Only one pair of eyes sat blinking back. The pair darted back and forth, dotting across the sky as if they were pages on a map. Suddenly a shooting star rocked by, faster than a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. The mind belonging to the eyes thought about what to wish for, and felt sad when they couldn't come up with an answer. Shooting stars always made them wonder what else was out there. Alien or otherwise, the idea of existing as far away from this place as space, both excited and terrified them. They clutch onto their pocket radio and earbuds as they snap their head to the curtained windows behind them, certain they'd find a pair of angrier eyes. Instead it was the realization that it had started raining. Rain pinged off the window panes in heavy pelts, and quickly were thundering on the gravel driveway. Just like that, weather can go from clear starry nights to gloomy rainstorm in a flash. The song on their radio became distorted for a moment, they assumed by the sudden storm. They continued to perch on the rickety wooden porch on a small dwelling in the middle of vast pastures. The frogs' songs became louder, drumming in beat with the rain. Maple leaves became slick and dropped down. Cedar trees threw down their leaves in protest with the wind. The horses whiny in the distance behind their loafing shed. The farm dog woofs. But still on their eyes remained watchfully on the sky, following the clouds, wishing that a star would break through. The music on their radio started to distort again. It started to glitch, then become static as the wind picked up drastically. Far down the driveway, between the fence lines, a bright flashing light appeared. Worried that the light would seep through the curtains and they would be caught, the onlooker dove to the underside of the porch and pulled on a hood to hide. The farm dog woofed again. Suddenly the efface of a box started to appear flashing parallel with the bright light. A soft whirring noise was heard lightly over the drumming rain, singing frogs, and whinnying horses. The light was the only chance for anyone to know what had just happened on a small farm in the middle of nowhere. The onlooker glanced behind them back at the windows, until ultimately deciding to risk it. Jumping out from their hiding place and dodging the fence gate, their quick footsteps slid with a wet crunch on the blue gravel. The blue box fully materializes and just as they are about fifteen feet away the door opens. Gold light spills out directly onto the driveway. Directly in view from anyone in the house who cared to look outside. Directly on a young adult with curly hair skidding to a halt as a young man with hair that stood straight up stepped out of the box.
"Hello," the young man called over.
"You're in the way!" The other hoarsely whispered.
"Sorry?" Said the young man.
"You're in the way!" They hissed, "get behind where they can't see," they added with a nod towards the house. The young man registers the few lights on within the small dwelling and turns back to eye the person again.
"Alright then, where do you want me to park?" He says with an odd accent, jumping off completely and landing with a thud on the road. The box rises silently and hovers a few inches off the ground a foot behind him.
"Follow me."
Slowly they walk down the driveway and behind a field towards the back of the house. The TARDIS settles down to a cozy spot of wild grass and blinks a soft glow of light.
"I'm afraid you awakened anyone," the person said anxiously.
"Who is there to awaken?" He asks.
"My sisters and brothers. My parents." Was the reply.
"Why would we need to worry if they awaken?" He asks in a deep, almost mocking tone.
"Please don't make it harder for me," they snap. "If aliens get to be real they should at least know the dangers of choosing me to be the one they get in contact with." They lower their hood and crossed their arms.
"And what dangers are there?" He asks softer, with a low hum in the back of his throat. He tilted his head as he spoke, looking past the figure and onto the house.
"Only for me. I will get in a lot of trouble," they responded.
"Well then it's a good thing the TARDIS kept her sleeper shield up, so everyone who was asleep will stay asleep, and wake up having dreamt of PINK DOLPHINS!" He shouted, making the other flinch and jerk dramatically in direction of the house. Noticing the man adds, "it's fine, nobody is going to wake up, everyone's asleep. Except you," he finishes with a flair of curiosity. "Why are you awake?"
"Who are you?" They ask instead, rigidly planting their stance.
"I'm The Doctor. I travel. Help out where I can. And you are?"
"I'm Jefferson."
"Jefferson! Brilliant name! Now Jefferson, why are you awake when my space ship's force field is keeping everyone else asleep?"
Jefferson blinked at the Doctor.
"I don't know, I was already awake. Some nights I like to sneak onto the porch and watch the stars."
The Doctor looked up at the sky, the rain had slowed to a light drizzle. Thick clumps of clouds lazily stretched over the night sky, like a tattered blanket being pulled slowly overhead.
"Hard to see any tonight," the Doctor commented.
"It rains a lot here. You take what you can get," Jefferson responded.
"Who are you Jefferson?" He asked reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out what looked like a strange flashlight.
"I'm Jefferson Beeley, I live here with my family," they say fearfully.
"Do you know who you are Jefferson?" The Doctor asks as they point the flashlight at Jefferson's body. The device starts whirring and glowing as the Doctor scans up and down.
"Yes?" Jefferson replied anxiously. Staring at the strange flashlight, the Doctor doesn't register what they just said.
"You Jefferson, are the only person awake on a tiny island on a farm in the middle of nowhere," he says evenly, meeting Jefferson's eyes. "That can't be a coincidence."
"Well I don't know what to tell you," Jefferson spits out, "you were the one who made everyone fall asleep."
"Quite right, fair point," the Doctor agrees quickly, then stuffs his device back into his pocket. "Might as well make the most of it," he adds. "Jefferson, have you seen anything strange lately? Any discoloration in the sky? Stars going out? People in town not waving friendly to each other anymore?"
Jefferson blinked at the man.
"No, I don't go into town much," they uneasily answer. They didn't like being asked many questions. The Doctor's face lit up darkly.
"Jefferson there is something in the ocean," he grimaced as he registered Jefferson's face. "And you've seen it."
"Felt it, not seen it," Jefferson clarified, relieved to have someone to talk with about this.
"What do you mean felt? How did you feel it?" His device is back in his hand as he now circles Jefferson, pawing into his trench coat pockets and yanking on a pair of black framed glasses.
"I just, whenever I go near the water I can feel it. Or I feel like someone is watching me. That's why I stopped asking to go with into town," They stammered, turning around in flush with the Doctor's circling. Realizing this and suddenly looking a bit sheepish, the Doctor looks back up into Jefferson's dark eyes and twitches his lips.
"So it wants a staring contest?" The Doctor asks loudly to no one in particular, and steps back into the blue box he called his space ship. The door opens into a large room, creating an optical illusion. He paces around a circular helm, punching his finger onto screens and buttons. Suddenly he looks up and outside, to where Jefferson remained standing, planted still.
"Are you coming or what? Get in there's a draft."
Jefferson thought for a moment, if everyone was asleep that left a good nine hours to do anything they wanted without anyone knowing. There were a few things they were thinking of, blasting music, controlling all the monitors, riding their horse into town and going to the beach. But as soon as they thought of the beach they remembered the looming dread that pierced into their heart every time they looked at the waves for the past three months. No, they'd just have to be sneaky some other time. With quick steps Jefferson mounted the lip of the box and sprang into the large room. The golden light beamed gently, pulsating from the circular walls. Turning their head, Jefferson took in the space for a moment, before marching smartly up to the Doctor at the helm.
"Yes, yes, it's bigger on the inside!" The Doctor chimes still looking down at his console. When he didn't hear a response, he looked up and saw Jefferson staring straight at him less and than two feet away. He jumps back, startled.
"Okay we're going to have to work on the whole 'I am unimpressed i'm on an alien spaceship' thing, because while I would understand that for most spaceships, mine is cool," he scoffs, his ego immediately taking offense. "This is the TARDIS. It can travel to anywhere in time or space, but we are going about 5,900 feet that way," he nods, and flips a switch. Immediately the light flashes madly again, and the whirring noise was much louder. The floor shook, the walls hummed, and the Doctor dashed around the circled helm, and then the sound quieted and light dimmed. Not a minute had passed. "Go on, open the door," the Doctor said, looking past Jefferson to the only door. Jefferson turned around, then walked casually to the door and swung it open. Instead of the farmhouse, a dark beach was before them.
"Now the only cosmic entity sitting alone at the bottom of the ocean with no one able to sense its presence," the Doctor rambles behind them, catching up and closing the TARDIS' door behind them. "It must be-"
"Lonesome." Jefferson finished.