Chapter Text
She gazed out the window, eyes unfocused as snow drifted down and flakes gradually piled up on her windowsill. She wore shorts and had a blanket on her lap, wrapped around her crossed legs and tucked around her feet. Her chin rested on the palm of her right hand, and the arm of her festive Christmas sweater fell down to her forearm. She unconsciously sighed and continued to stare, losing herself in the rhythm of the snowflakes, the light rumble of her radiator, and the distant shouts from children constructing fortresses in the snow.
She was alone. She recalled her life one year prior, filled with the festivities of being a senior in college. Friends, parties, and spontaneous get-togethers all seemed to blend into a distant memory. All of the small moments and memories were in the past. No one had stayed in contact with her after tearful goodbyes and well-wishes at graduation, even after she invited them on coffee dates and hikes, things that they would have undertaken with vigor in college.
The moment continued. The thin wall of snow on her windowsill began to obstruct her view of the street and she blinked, refocusing her eyes and drawing herself back to reality. She slipped the blanket off of her legs and let it fall to the floor. For a brief second, she allowed herself to feel the goosebumps build before standing to find a pair of sweatpants in her apartment.
As she slowly stepped towards her bedroom, she heard a faint whirring noise from her kitchen. She paused, and the sound grew louder. Still standing motionless in her living room, she rubbed her ears and listened again. Definitely in her apartment. Reluctantly, she turned and cautiously approached the doorway to her kitchen, hugging the wall. Just before she peered around the corner, a final sound reverberated throughout her apartment and seemed to settle in the air.
Cautiously, she stuck her head around the wall, fumbling to grab a broom to use as a sort of defensive weapon. In front of her, a large, blue police box blocked the path to her refrigerator. She stood still, taking small, shallow breaths. Her hands clutched the broom as she tried to process what had happened. Then, a man stepped out of the box.
“Aw, well this is certainly a situation!” Although she couldn’t see him, a man’s voice came from the opposite side of the box, and she could hear his British accent as he paced around her kitchen.
“Now why did you take me here? Nothing special about this place. Proper kitchen. I like a proper kitchen.”
She stood, completely frozen. Not happening. This was not happening.
“Oh, now that’s the problem! Can’t get a good view when I’m blocking the door, can it!” The man stepped back into the box and the door creaked shut before the whirring noise overtook her apartment. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the box vanished.
She remained still. Maybe she was hallucinating. After a minute, she let her shoulders drop and peered around the corner again, half expecting someone to still be there. When she saw the kitchen was empty, she let out a shaky sigh of relief and made her way to her cellphone. She picked it up and stared at the black screen. Who could she even call? She blinked a few times, attempting to comprehend what had happened. Before she could make a decision, she heard the same mysterious noise coming from behind her. Not again.
The box reappeared in the center of her living room, and the girl spun around, arming herself with the broom in both hands as she dropped her phone on the hardwood floor.
“Much better! Nothing like a brief visit with Jack to get me back on track.” The man scanned her apartment, pulling his glasses out of his trenchcoat and adjusting them on his nose before clearing his throat. “Now where was I? Ah yes. The kitchen.”
As he moved around his blue box to walk back towards the girl’s oven, he caught sight of her. “Oh! Hello there!” He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. “My name’s the Doctor. What’s yours?”
The girl said nothing, raising her broom to a defensive position across her chest. “How- how are you here?” she stuttered as her knuckles turned white. “I- I locked the door and no one else has a key. I- I’ve already called the police!”
The Doctor feigned shock, slapping his right hand to his left heart. “Really? Well, I must say I’m frightened. I do apologize for my timing, but I don’t typically have much control over that thanks to a few faulty pieces of equipment on the TARDIS here.” He gestured behind him at the blue box. “Love her to death, but she does have a mind of her own. Anyways…”, the Doctor continued, slipping his hands into the pockets of his trenchcoat and assuming a less threatening slouched posture, “I know you haven’t phoned the police. Unless you did. But I know you didn’t. What was your name, sorry? I don’t believe you've said.”
She said nothing.
The Doctor waited a moment before filling the silence. “Alright, let’s start over. My name is the Doctor. I’m not sure who you are, but you must be important. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t supposed to be.” He walked over to her and stuck out his hand for a handshake, wiggling his fingers and offering a grin. “What’s your name? I didn’t catch it the first time.”
The girl took in a deep breath and glanced down at the Doctor’s outstretched hand. After a moment of silence, she released one sweaty hand from her deathly grip on the broom and wiped it on her sweater before gingerly accepting his handshake. “My name’s Alice.” She said, her voice still unsure.
“Alice! Now that is a good name. Like Alice in Wonderland! Loved the novel.” He firmly gripped her hand and gave it a shake. “Now, allow me to show you the TARDIS. You seem like the kind of person who would appreciate her.” He let go of her hand and smiled again, and they locked eyes as Alice took a slight step backwards. The Doctor continued talking. “This seems like it would be a good time to mention that I can travel through time. And space. That’s what TARDIS stands for. Time and Relative Dimension in Space. A rather clever acronym, wish I could say I came up with it myself. The TARDIS is alive, you know. And she likes you.”
...TO BE CONTINUED...