The Time of Change

The Girl the Doctor Loved

Bonus Material

~~~

There's a lot of noise, and yet none at all. I'm not sure how it could be both at the same time, but then again, I'm not sure of a whole lot of things. I'm submersed in the most complete, impenetrable darkness that I have ever experienced, unable to see the tip of my own nose. I try to breathe, even though I don't technically have lungs yet, to steady myself. How long have I been doing this? Millennia? I suppose. Time gets lost the more you think about it. It's like trying to keep a handful of sand between your fingers, but particles keep slipping out one by one until eventually they're all gone and you have no idea where they went. Time slinks on, leaving no residue in its wake. Just memories.

Suddenly it's as if every bone in my body (do I even have a body at this particular moment?) is being crushed and ground into dust. I attempt to scream out in agony but no sound comes out. Everything twists and turns and bends but nothing breaks; nothing splinters. It feels as if I'm being compressed into a hole the size of an acorn.

After what feels like an eternity, the squeezing sensation ceases and I'm aware of the fact that I can feel my whole body now. I have arms and legs and clothes -- oh, thank goodness I have clothes. No glasses, though. Interesting. I flex my fingers a little before the end of the process commences. I can feel everything around me trembling, quaking, as if the air itself is afraid.

Now, I am a rocket hurdling toward the ground. The utter blackness around me recedes, drowned out in the same way it would be if someone flipped on a lightswitch. I'm momentarily blinded by the clear, brilliant blue sky, and the brighter-than-bright sun. I watch as a skyline rushes into my view; at first glance I can tell I am neither in America nor London. The sidewalk is getting closer by the millisecond, and instinctively I clamp my eyes shut, bracing for impact.

Just before I hit, it seems as if I just disappear altogether. I can still see and feel, but my body is totally gone. A fraction of a second passes before I reappear physically, standing in a narrow alleyway between two tall brick buildings. I lean against the one behind me, sucking in deep, heavy breaths. My chest feels very tight. I groan audibly, but quickly stifle the sound in the hopes that no one heard me.

Smoothing out the denim blue jeans I wear and pulling the baggy peach tee-shirt down over my hips, I step out into the light. The first thing I notice is that there aren't many people walking about. I spot maybe one or two couples, but that's the extent of it. Which is a shame, because wherever I am, it sure is pretty. Directly in front of me is a huge rectangular space that's been sectioned off by horizontal metal bars. It's got to be at least a hundred feet in length, and thirty in width. I hear the roar of rushing water, and realize that it must be a small waterfall or dam. Inwardly I commend the architect of this space; it was a great idea to build around such a beautiful natural landmark. I would think there'd be more onlookers, though.

I start shakily toward the enclosed waterfall, my legs feeling a bit like Jell-O. I cross the couple yards' distance and gently place my hand on the uppermost bar when I reach it. I was right, there's a large gushing stream below me. Jagged rocks line its sides, giving the lovely view a treacherous sort of morbidity. I glance around me, now, looking for anyone at all who I might recognize, when a thought comes to me.

"Okay," I say to myself under my breath, "so I'm in a place I've never been. That's one problem. And I'm supposed to be looking for him, but I have no clue what he looks like now." I sigh, rubbing a hand across my face. "Why am I here?" I add in a whisper, gazing out at the water below.

I think about the last time I saw him. It was messy. Rose certainly didn't help much, either. Even still, I understand why she did what she did; I've done some crazy things to save him, too. But absorbing the time energy that was locked in the TARDIS... that's something I didn't even think could be done, and it was not something the Doctor had planned on. In the same breath, though, neither was Rose.