The Fate of Persephone (10/OC) (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter Six: Back to the Search

            The Doctor set out once more for the alleys of London, sonic screwdriver in hand.  He had scanned his bruised temple for unrecognized signatures and was able to isolate the one of the girl who had punched him.  Now, it wasn't like a criminal fingerprint database, where he could look up exactly who she was and her history, but he could download the information to his sonic screwdriver, thus giving him a scanner that would allow him to trace her biological signature. 

*Blip....................... blip.........................*

         The sonic immediately began playing a game of hot and cold with him, blipping slowly when Persephone's signal was low (and thus far away) and beeping with increasing rapidity the closer he got.  So he turned and picked a direction, listening intently for any variation in the sonic's tones.  When, for an instant, the beeps grew more frequent, the Doctor would bolt in the direction the sonic had been facing until it inevitably slowed down once again, signifying that he had lost her once more.

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~

         Persephone was shaken to her core after the events at Jackie's house.  The thought of some random stranger coming to meet her sent chills of terror splashing over her back like a bucket of ice water.  At the point where she had fled, her vision was so tunneled that she had not even seen who it was that she had lashed out and punched.  She didn't even know if it was a person at all, and she didn't look back to find out!

            What she did know was that she had been a fool in becoming so familiar with Jackie and Mickey.   Because of them, she was back on the streets but without her hoodie to keep her warm, which was beginning to take a toll on her.  She resolved that if the temperature didn't rise soon or if she didn't find another jacket (both of which were unlikely) she would go into a café and stay there for a few hours. 

         But for now, she was much too terrified to even think about going anywhere where there would be people in a confined space!  Therefore, she wrapped her arms around her bare shoulders and tried to ignore the numbness growing in her toes through her shoes. 

        She was being gingerly cautions with her right pointer and middle fingers, however, which she had crudely bandaged with a strip of dirty cloth she had found.  The knuckles on these two fingers were split and swollen purple and were excruciating to the touch.  No doubt, she knew, she had broken them punching the person on Jackie's doorstep. 

She didn't know where she was going or even if there was someone following her, she just had the itch-- the nagging instinct-- to just keep moving.

          And so she did-- block by block, hour by hour until she came across a chain link fence separating her from crossing to the other side of an alley.  It was secured in place simply by a bit of twine, so Persephone figured she could cut it with her knife and be on the other side in no time.

She reached to her side to pull out her knife.... Only to grasp thin air!

'Where's my knife?!'

           She immediately began to panic, throwing down her backpack and dumping out the contents, rifling through her pockets and whirling around in circles to see if she had somehow dropped it anywhere.  But it was gone!  That knife, that switchblade, was one of the few objects Percy possessed that she truly treasured (along with her converse).  There had been a street vendor several years ago who was selling tactical gear and weapons.  He was a traveling merchant, so he packed up and moved every few weeks.  One week, he packed up and moved, but forgot a single switchblade, which had fallen behind some empty bins.  Persephone had found it and kept it, teaching herself how to use it.  It was her only mode of self defense and it had saved her life against thugs, savage dogs, and general criminals many times.  It had also saved her from escaping predicaments where she found herself trapped, as she used it to cut ropes, start fires and other such things.

          But now it was gone and she felt strangely naked (and it had nothing to do with her actual lack of proper clothes.)  She thought back to where she could have possibly left it.  Could she retrace her steps all the way back until she found it?

And then a thought struck her which made a weight like an elephant settle on her chest:

She had left it at Jackie's house!