SIGNAL ~ Doctor Who fanfiction

Chapter 18

Chapter 18 - Farewells and a Confession

Joltea and Olivia twisted the knob and pushed the door open, finding themselves suddenly within a playground, rather than an actual room. The walls were replaced with trees and swings, while the ceiling was replaced with a beautiful morning sky. Children were giggling and laughter echoed through the slides.

Olivia gulped as she recalled this particular incident that happens years ago when she was still young, yet the memory was imprinted on her mind as if it had only happened days ago.

There she was, her younger-self running right past them with a cute little puppy tailing behind her. They ran across the empty field and young Olivia Watson laughed, with Roxy — her puppy — wagging her tail and sticking out her tongue as she followed a few steps behind her owner happily.

It was a habit of theirs. Young little Olivia would go to the park with Roxy every weekend if they had time. It was just a normal morning and everything looked fine until a bike strolled along and cycled towards them and...

"ROXY!"

Her 7 year old self hadn't reacted fast enough, and she still blames herself for this incident even years later. Current-Olivia flinched and looked away, not wanting to re-experience such a memory.

Although she knew what was going to happen next — or rather what already did happen — the bicycle runs over Roxy, blood splattering across the tires and scattering across the pavement right before her eyes. She was still young then — and had never witnessed someone die before.

Children around her were screaming at the sight of blood. The little boy who rode the bike shrieked as well, his eyes widening with guilt and helplessness, not knowing what to say. His mother immediately came and pulled the little boy away from Roxy's lifeless body.

Olivia's parents pulled her away as well, but she resisted. Her hands flailed and she cried and cried, begging them to save Roxy. "But Roxy is dead, Livia," they had told her in a soft tone, covering her eyes and telling her it will all be okay.

Olivia had lived with Roxy since she was only 2 years old. But now she was looking at the little puppy's bloodied body, laying in the middle of a children's playground.

Current-Olivia bent down and touched Roxy's stone-cold body. It's fur wasn't warm like it always was anymore. She knew it wasn't real, that this wasn't happening — it was just a memory. But it felt so, so real.

"I feel exactly how I felt all those years ago. It's like... it's like everything is happening again." Olivia said solemnly.

"You have to let Roxy go, Livia." Joltea bit her lip.

"I know you must think it's silly, crying over a mere puppy." She let out a sad chuckle. "... considering everything you've been through."

"No, it's not..." The Time Lord's voice trailed off. "Hold up — what do you mean, 'considering everything I've been through'?"

"Oh God, I see everything now... glimpses of the future and the past..." Current-Olivia's eyes widened with horror as she glanced towards Joltea. But there wasn't the same innocence and joy in the girl's eyes as earlier before. Olivia's eyes looked so much... older. Wiser.

"It's not as much as what you see... but I see fragments. Only fragments of time. The Last Great Time War..." Olivia looked at Joltea with a comforting expression as the visions swarmed at her.