AWAKE Chapter 1

Awake

Awake. She was awake, but she couldn’t recall what had happened to her before. Yes, she was a Time Lord- or Lady. She was from Galifray, six years old when she left. It felt like a century since she was sent away secretly; actually a century and three years to be more exact. At a hundred and nine you’d think she’d be considered pretty old, but she was terribly young for what possibilities she could have for a long, long time. Even with her age, she only looked about 19 the last time she checked.

As she sat up, the girl clutched her throbbing head, wincing in the pain. The farthest back she could remember was spiraling through the deep emptiness that was space at the edge on the universe. It seemed like a deep sleep now, but she could clearly remember her parent’s faces as she was hidden in a time capsule- or at least what she thought was a time capsule. A horrible time war had raged the realities as they knew it, but for some reason she was sent away. Her parents hadn’t told anyone about it and they made sure she was hidden from minds and trackers with the pocket watch that currently sat in her front vest pouch. Bigger on the inside, she thought to herself lovingly.

Checking further signs of her whereabouts, she noted she was on rough and rocky sand, night shown above her as she checked for familiar stars: not one star seemed comforting. In her closed mind she felt alone and distant. She must be very far from home. When she refocused on herself, she quickly checked two arms, two legs, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hair, ten fingers, good. Thinking over her body, she also did a check on her possessions watch, extra strength hair band, clothes, her vortex manipulator, and finally the untouched dead-locked bandage around her leg strapping the sonic screwdriver to her. Breathing out deeply, she finally realized she wasn’t alone here.

In front of her was a large dinosaur-looking whale cat thingy- yeah some kind of alien of course. It seemed like a simple creature with little intelligence, it certainly wouldn’t be speaking to her. Clearing her throat quietly, she spoke in a gentle monotone voice, "Hello?"

Its calm outer appearance quickly dissolved as it screamed in an eerie howl, showing it’s many later of teeth and drool. ‘’Wonderful…’’ the girl said to herself, jumping up and starting a mad dash away. As it sped up to its full speed, she knew she couldn’t outrun it or hide for there was nothing here but hills and hills of this dark grey sand. If I can’t outrun it, and I can’t hide, then my only option now is- No. She’s never attempted to use it before, what if it didn’t work? She had to at least try.

Whipping around to face the creature as it pounced for her she pressed a button on the vortex manipulator that sent sparks about her as she quickly faded out of sight. The creature, looking dumbfounded, collapsed on the ground right where she had been. It looked up, searching for its prey that was nowhere to be found.

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A bright yellow light quickly sprang into existence if only for a second, then a human shape took form and the light was gone. The girl sat up again, cradling her head in her hands. "Ow owow ow, why does it have to hurt my head so much?" she whined. After a few seconds the pain dissolved and she looked up and around. "Where- ohhhh that can’t be good. Nope. Wonderful.." she murmured aloud, staring up at the night sky and Eiffel Tower towering over an old Victorian version of Paris, France. Sighing, the girl got up and looked around her closer surroundings. At this point, she finally noticed the little girl standing not far from her, staring in awe.

"Who a-are you?..." The small girl asked nervously, standing completely still other than her body shaking from fright. The older girl looked at the child and smiled, walking over slowly, ‘’It’s ok, shh I’m Sidney, what’s your name?’’ The child looked up smiling, though her big sad eyes contradicted her smile.
"My name’s Vicky. Vicky Galaxie." The girl held out her small fragile hand in a friendly gesture. Sidney took the girl’s hand and shook it carefully, inspecting the girl. She was young and skinny, but not by choice Sidney thought as she saw the girl’s old and worn clothes and dirty appearance. She had light brown hair that was braided into two side braids that lined her face, and had deep green eyes.

"Galaxie, huh? French for Galaxy, but I guess that’s pretty obvious." Vicky looked up in amusement, laughing playfully, "Yes Galaxy and Galaxy are the same word, but I don’t know what you mean by ‘French For’ Madame." Sidney looked up and around, thinking about it, then back down at Vicky, "Where am I right now? What time is it?" Vicky looked around as well, then stated, "Well madame, it’s about three o’clock in the morning, April 15th, 1764."

Sidney’s head snapped back at the girl when she recited the date. Worry flooded her eyes as the child looked up questioningly, "Something wrong? Are you late for something?" Sidney shook her head, and then looked down at her vortex manipulator, taping the screen. When it lit up again it confirmed the date. Sidney pulled out her pocket watch and checked the time as well, then put it back. "Wow.. I actually did it." Sidney smiled and started a nervous laugh, then looked back down at the confused kid, "I traveled in time!" She yelped.

"You sure you’re ok?" Vicky inquired further. First, this person speaks jibberish about galaxies and her last name, then she pulls out various lights and watches and says she’d time traveled: something was obviously very wrong with this woman.
Sidney laughed harder, and then stopped immediately as she looked at the kid, "Oh more than ok, this is, this is wonderful!" Vicky couldn’t help but laugh at the woman’s excitement, even if she was mental. Sidney jumped around the cobbled road, looking every which way and taking in the scents, tastes, sounds, and sights of this new world. After a little while the out of breath girl walked back to the kid and sat down on the ground, leaning against the brick building that was to the side of the road. Vicky walked over and smiled, sitting next to the woman.

"So Vicky, do you live here?" Sidney asked, looking up at the brick building. Vicky shook her head slightly, a distant and sad look taking over her green eyes. "No, I’m just staying here for the night. There’s a nice family inside that agreed to let me stay here until dawn. Then I’m heading over to the city." Sidney nodded slowly, taking in her words, "Is your family staying here too?" Vicky deeply sighed, her emotional scarring still all too recent for this to ever be easy. The little girl hugged her knees close to her as she whispered almost inaudible, "No, I’m all alone."

Sidney was taken aback by the sad child’s response, "So, are they in the city then? Is that why you’re going there?" Vicky started to sob almost silently to herself, "N-no. I’m going to the city because my entire town was taken by the sickness. It took my parents and friends and neighbors but for some reason it didn’t get me, so I came here hoping to find somewhere I can b-be of u-use." Sidney frowned, rubbing Vicky’s back as she bawled next to her. Slowly she wrapped her arms tightly around the child, as Sidney looked out into the distance thinking of her own family and friends and neighbors. Here she was who knows how far away from home, and all by herself. Her mind felt alone as well, like there was no one else out there; it also felt locked. The child slowly cradled herself in Sidney’s lap and fell asleep. Not wanting to wake her, Sidney sat there and let the poor child sleep.