Poetica Mundi

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - The Doctor 

Gandalf spun around and began to walk away when he stopped abruptly. He turned his head towards me and his smile had been replaced with a grave expression. 

"Rosa - be careful. And good luck," he said in his rich voice which was accompanied by an ominous tone. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash and Gandalf evaporated into the air. 

I sat down and tried to process all that I had just been told. I was lost my rapt of thought when I was interrupted my a loud, wailing noise that could only mean one thing. The TARDIS! I looked up and saw the blue box sitting on the pavement, looking magnificent and magical. I used to watch Doctor Who when I was about five and admire Rose and The Doctor whilst they ran around, fighting aliens and exploring time and space. But I had to stop watching it once David Tennant became The Doctor because my mum thought it was to scary for me. 

The blue doors of the police box swung open and a man stepped out. He was dressed in a navy-blue suit with a burgundy tie and a long, brown coat. Not to mention the red converse. His chestnut hair was sticking up at the top in a quiff but combed down at the sides. His face lit up when he saw me; a vibrant smile spread across his face, flashing his teeth. 

"Rosa. I've been looking for you,' he said re-entering the TARDIS. 

I ran after him and stopped before going through the doors of his time machine. I braced myself and slowly walked in, gasping in admiration at the beauty and alien specularity of it. The whole room was spherical, with panels all around the edges, that were decorated with an orderly pattern of hexagons. There were several odd shaped pillars dotted around, one which was draped with The Doctor's brown coat, which he had taken off. In front of me was a ramp that led from the door to the hexagon shaped platform in centre of the room. On the platform was the control panel that rotated around a long, transparent cylinder (that seemed to go into the ceiling). There were wires draped from the ceiling and a few chairs around the control panel. The whole thing was glowing gold with  bits of turquoise complimenting the colour. The Doctor was now running around the control panel flicking switches and turning nobs.  

"Just been dealing with a runaway bride, boy she was hard work. Giant spider ate her husband, she got a bit feisty!" he chirped animatedly. "Anyway, then I get a message from Gandalf telling me to take you to modern day Poetica Mundi,"

"-Poetica what?" I interrupted.

"Poetica Mundi. It's a parallel world - identical to earth - except all the countries are fictional settings, located in the exact places they are in the stories; so I'm taking you to Scotland, but Poetica Mundi Scotland, to a little place called Hogwarts. It's all very complicated, but really it's just...a big ball of... wibbly-wobbly...timey-wimey stuff. Yeah, that's a good way to explain it, I should use that more often." He was talking so fast I could barely figure out what he was saying. "All these places and characters you thought only existed in your dreams are alive and well - it's fantastic, you'll love it!"

He grabs a lever and pulls it down as he shouts, "Allons-yyy!" He runs around and chirps so passionately, you can't help but feel excited and delighted by him. "Wait - you don't know anyone called Alonso do you!?" I shake my head and he shrugs. 

"Oh well...Oh, and tell Hagrid I said 'hi' if you get a chance! Speaking of bearded old men; Gandalf told me to give you a message, he said to give you this paper and you'll know what it means." He reaches into his pocket and brings out a small piece of paper. 

I open it and see, written in black ink, the riddle 'It glows a luminous blue, and drives any screw, it opens any door, you need no more." AH CRAP! The object I was supposed to collect; I had completely forgotten about it. The Sonic Screwdriver. How the hell am I going to get it off him? My eyes clasp on the screwdriver in his blazer pocket. Not now. Wait until last minute. I see The Doctor looking at me suspiciously so I quickly change the subject.

"So where's Rose?" I ask. I remember her being in the old episodes but I couldn't see her anywhere. His face drops and his eyes are occupied with a dark, anguished pain. 

"Bad wolf," He mutters quietly as he stares absent-mindedly into space. The passionate, chirpy man has gone now. All I can see is a broken, lonely man and I can't help but feel guilty for mentioning Rose. All of a sudden, he inhales sharply and snaps out of his daydream. He starts moving around again and then pulls one final lever and announces, "OK, Hogwarts, here we are! And then I believe I've got to go and see a doctor about some abdominal pains." His face is plastered with a faint smile but it doesn't mask the tears in his eyes and the breaking of his voice. 

He runs to the door and opens it. "A whole other world for you to explore. Are you ready?"

I take a deep breath and nod, facing the open door. I walk to him and hug him tightly. "Will I ever see you again, Doctor?" 

"I don't know. Hopefully. But it has been a pleasure Rosa Husselbee," he says graciously. 

"Thank you Doctor," I nod.

"Good luck." 

"You too, old man." 

I'm walking out the door when I remember the riddle. So I spin around, grab the sonic screwdriver and shout "Allons-yyy!" as I run out of the TARDIS doors and into a new world...

Catrin, I'll see you on Tuesday!