The Insanity Chamber // Thasmin

~ Chapter 5 ~

Quick forenote... Thank you so much for 100 reads! I hope you continue to read and enjoy this story! <3

Yasmin's POV

"Doctor?" I said again slowly, it certainly looked like her, but something was wrong. She stared straight ahead of her, arms by her side, a blank glassy expresion locking her face. I carefully stepped in front of her and waved my hand past her face. It was as if she was asleep, only with eyes open and standing up.

Another cold gust rushed through the room pushing a sharp shiver down my neck and spine, like the cool breath of a phantom. I turned around and nothing was there, the console had disappeared and the room was totally black except for the Doctor stood in front of me. Well- not exactly the Doctor.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" I called out into the dark abyss surrounding me, I don't know if I was relieved or scared that no one replied. I slowly backed away from the Doctor intent on looking for a way out when suddenly her face snapped to face me, "What the hell?" I whispered to myself for the millionth time today. I tried walking in random patterns, forwards and backwards, side to side, her face followed where I walked, deep cold eyes burrowing deep into my mind. My heart was pounding in my throat and ears with fear and anxiety, "Hello?" I called out again.

"Yasmin Khan." Her voice seemed to come from every direction, the voices clashed in a strange harmony of every emotion, anger, happiness and sadness, regret and guilt and laughter all at once. I spun around wildly looking over my shoulders searching for the source of the noise suffocating me.

My hands were sweaty and shaking. Still the only figure in the room was the "Not" Doctor, still staring at me, "Yasmin Khan." She repeated, only a single voice this time, it echoed out loud filling the corners of what seemed like an impossibly big room. She continued, "You are alone." No tone or emotion to her voice, as if she was stating a fact.

"I noticed that." I said with a nervous giggle, still shaking with fear, trying to tell myself to stay calm.

"You always have been alone." She said, this time not filling the whole room but filling my whole head. I heard laughter and turned around rapidly, in front of me in a blurry haze I saw children running around, I hadn't left the room but I was in an entirely new place.

Time seemed to be slightly out of sync, the scene before me in slow motion, children in scruffy school uniforms running round, laughing, playing football and tag, shouting loudly. Some girls were sat in circles on a patch of grass to the right, making daisy chains and chatting about their weekend. Everything had a strange gold blur over it, like I was watching a dream about a sunset or observing through amber glass. I slowly walked forwards, and collided with a thick, invisible wall, it was soft like a mattress, I placed my hands in front of me and pushed through the wall.

Suddenly I fell through into the scene, everything around me came into focus, the sounds sharp and picture clear. I started to walk forwards carefully, no one seemed to notice me. I recognised this place, something felt familiar but I just couldn't place it. I looked to my left and saw a little boy missing his tie running rapidly towards me, just as I went to move out the way, he ran right through me. Like a ghost.

"Doctor?" I called out again, praying for answers, I was so confused. Until I turned around. I looked back to check the way I had entered. There, at the edge of the football court, a young girl stood by herself, she was watching everything unfold in front of her, in a similar way to me. No one seemed to notice her. I walked slowly towards her. My heart plummeted and I felt my stomach flip as everything flooded back to me.

The little girl looked up, looked me straight in the eye, a single tear rolled down her right cheek. She felt so alone, so very alone in the world, no one wanted to be her friend, everyone hated her, they thought she was a terrorist. I stumbled backwards as every memory came into my head like a slap to the face. There stood by herself was little Yasmin Khan, little me. 

A single tear rolled down my cheek now, almost mirroring hers, I felt alone, so very alone in the world. I walked slowly towards the girl, I bent down to look her in the eyes, she seemed to be the only person seeing me, she stared right back at me. I went to place my hand on her cheek to comfort her but as I brushed away the glistening tear, the whole world fizzled away with it.

I was back in the dark room. I shook my hands out in front of me and breathed slowly, shutting my eyes, trying to calm myself down. When I opened them three teen girls stood in front of me, whispering and giggling. It was stupid I know, they must have been only 14 or 15 but I immediately felt self conscious, fiddling with my shirt and tugging on my jacket.

After a few seconds of thought I realised who they were. Ghosts of my memories, Poppy Hillman, the girl who abandoned me when I needed her the most, Taylor Grant, the girl who started the rumour I was a terrorist, and Izzy Flint, the girl who turned everyone against me.

All in unison they called out loudly, "Yasmin Khan, you will always be alone, even she can't save you now." I was confused, who did they mean, before I could even open my mouth to ask a question, they all started glitching in and out of existence into red and green shapes, suddenly replaced by the "Not" Doctor once again.