SPACEMAN AND THE MOON ― doctor who

thirty three ; daleks in manhattan part one

chapter thirty-two : daleks in manhattan

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LUNA SHIVERED VIOLENTLY IN THE CHILL OF HER ROOM, EYES WATERING AS SHE FORCED BACK A BLINK.

Something was in the room with her.

Luna wanted to move, to get up from the blankets and turn on her lamp. She wanted to make out the shadow in the corner of the room, but she her limbs wouldn't cooperate.

A scream grew the bottom of her throat, begging to be set free, but her mouth wouldn't open. She was frozen.

Swallowing her fear, a lump grew, starting in her stomach, slowly crawling upwards and nestling in her throat.

Her breathing shook unevenly, coming out in jagged gasps. Luna's fingertips trembled, and she clutched the blanket in her fists tightly.

The figure blurred around the edges, moving closer slowly, menacingly, creeping across the room to her.

Luna shrank into herself, wishing she could disappear into the bed, quiet pleads falling from her lips in hoarse whispers.

She couldn't make out the face, just a blurry humanoid shape coming towards her, beckoning her. But what for? Who was this person?

Blinking, Luna squeezed her eyes shut and open again. It had to be a dream. A nightmare. It was only a nightmare. She'd wake up any minute. She'd be safe on the TARDIS, and she would reach out and feel the Doctor next to her.

A sinking feeling settled in her body and she remembered the previous night's events. They'd broken up. The Doctor wouldn't protect her — he was in his own room, and she in hers. They'd grown accustomed to sleeping next to one another, even if they'd never gone further, and now she was alone in her room on the TARDIS, without him.

The figure was coming closer, closer, closer. Her heart beat faster, in a rhythmic drumbeat, terrified, nearly leaping out of her chest. What if she died tonight? Would the Doctor find out who did it? What if the blurry person hurt him too?

She could make out fingers and long hair on the blurry figure, but she still couldn't see the face. Luna leaned back against the bed, shaking her head.

"No, no, no, no," she whispered, begging the monster. "Please leave me alone. Please."

But it kept coming closer, limping, stumbling, like a toddler just learning how to walk. Dark and intimidating, the tall shadow of the creature followed every step. Luna could hear the soft footfalls, the scraping of a shoe against the carpet.

Shhhhhick. Shhhhick. Shhhhick.

Each step closer, Luna's senses seemed to heighten. She could hear the figure's breathing, the heartbeat in it's chest -- she wondered for a second how such a creature could even have a heartbeat, but after everything she'd seen with he Doctor, she shouldn't be too surprised -- feel the blanket against her skin, and the sweat caking her arms.

But she still couldn't move.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

Luna jumped at the noise, and the shadow-figure turned to the door, quickly, faster than it had been the past few minutes, before disappearing entirely.