Child of the void (Doctor Who)

Part IV - Betwixt

In one moment there was almost only darkness and the vague impression of something that was not nothing. We flew, that much lingered. The place that was no place faded away the brighter it got. I heard a voice too, but its words refused to make much sense.

Eternity passed. A dreamless slumber from which emerging felt like crawling out of thick mud. I managed, eventually. And the words made sense and my eyes caught sight.

I gasped in some air, looking around without orientation. Trees, a creek, falling leaves.

And two men.

It shocked them when I asked who they were and they exchanged puzzled looks. Concerned ones too. Probably. I had never been to good at reading facial expressions. But one thing was clear, however.

They expected me to know them.

"I am the Master," the man who held me spoke. His tone was suddenly dark, commanding.

I blinked stupidly at him and wriggled out of his arms. It felt too strange to be held by someone I had no memory of. And what kind of name was that even supposed to be?

"I'm the Doctor," the other one said.

"A Doctor and a Master," I muttered and shook my head. "From a university? I don't remember going to one... And we're in a forest anyway... and..." I blinked my eyes shut and listened inside myself. "Why do I feel like I'm tipsy? 'N why do I wear clothes like some sailor? And where are we?"

My head spun. None of this made any sense. I tried to scramble to my feet and away from those looks they gave me. Should I run? Had they drugged me? As soon as I was on my feet I dropped to the ground again, too shaky to keep myself upright.

"Hey, slow, Lucy. We're not going to hurt you. We're friends." The one in the pinstripe suit held his hands up and took a step towards me. A pair of old school 3D glasses hung out from his chest pocket.

"What's the last thing you remember?" The other one again. He looked my age, somewhere in his early thirties. A neatly trimmed goatee sat on his face, giving him a serious look. His eyes pierced into mine, hazel in colour and full of... I couldn't tell. Disappointment? Anger?

I focused on his question and tried to recall whatever I could gather from the moment before I had awoken here. "I... there is... uhm..."

There were too many images, scenes that blurred into another without any coherence. Yesterday? A week before? Was it a year or even more? Faces, places, occurrences...

"I was at school. No, no, that's not possible. Too long ago. That was... ten years? I was... my Dad, no, my Mom." I groaned and buried my head in my hands, groaning. "'S all scrambled. I don't know. My flat... I was chatting with a friend and... I think I wanted to meet up with someone? Oh right...' s probably on my phone. Lemme check WhatsApp and..." It wasn't there. My smartphone was not in any of the few pockets the pants had. I felt panic arise. I needed that phone. How else would I get back home? How would I contact anyone? There was no way I could afford a new one and...

"It's in your room."

The voice of the man who called himself the Master tore me out of the fear and I released a breath. But wait... "My room? You mean my apartment? Why didn't I take it with me and... I still don't know..."

My body was clearly against being conscious and awake. A cold shiver ran down my spine and every bone seemed to freeze. I let out a groan and pinched my eyes shut.

"I think you should get some sleep and tomorrow we'll see," the Doctor offered, reaching a hand out towards me.

"Sleep?" I glared at the offered hand in disbelief. "How could I ever sleep now when I have no clue what's going on or if I'm even safe and where am I anyway and-"