Chapter 1: Why? Because Bow Tie's Are Cool

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He came to me during the night when I was seven. By then he probably knew all about me whereas he was a complete stranger in my eyes. At seven my memory wasn't so great, but I knew if it was him by his infamous bow tie. Who else would be quirky enough to pull off one of those accessories?

He didn't stay long the first time I met him. I was in my room about to drift off when a strange sound resonated through the darkness. Panic seeped through me as I pulled the covers over my body, instantly giving me a shield of protection. Then the noise grew louder and louder until it stopped and silence was the loudest thing in the room. 

Then a door opened, not my bedroom door but another one. One that was in the room. My first thoughts were that is was the Bogey Man the other girls had been telling me about. He finally came to steal me in the middle of the night and turn me into a bugger so he could gobble me up. I curled tighter into a ball instinctively, I even held my breath hoping it wouldn't be able to find me.

"Here we are!" A man's voice shouted contently. He seemed quiet cheerful considering he was about to have me for dinner. I heard footsteps then, on my carpet. Two pairs of them. I knew I had to do something but I wasn't sure what. Maybe I should have called for someone, or remained hidden in my covers and pretended I was asleep and hope he would go away and gobble one of the other girls up instead, he had plenty of choice. But I didn't. Instead I remained quiet and peered over my covers. 

It wasn't a Bogey man. A man, yes, but not covered in snot like them other girls described. It was dark so I couldn't really make out anything other than a man and a woman was now standing in my room. Then, if that wasn't shocking enough, in the far corner of the room stood a tall squared box with 'Police Box' written at the top radiating with its own light. 

I needed to see what was going on. Quickly, I jumped out of bed and ran for the light before anything else happened. The room brightened instantly. Then I saw a young woman blinking rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the light. The man didn't seem to notice my action and instead looked around the room smiling. 

"Ah. That's more like it. A bit of light. But where are we?" He asked looking at the woman. She gave him a look that looked like she gave that look quite often. The look that says- 

"Wrong place again, Doctor?" She asked her arms folded across her chest.

"Nonsense. It's never the wrong place when we don't know where we're going to begin with." He replied a smile playing on his features.

Then the woman noticed me. Her dark brown eyes widened as she gazed at me.

"Doctor-"

"What a peculiar place, where have you brought me girl?" He said as he looked towards the big blue box that stood even taller than him.

"Doctor?" She tried again.

"It looks like a bedroom. A bit shabby but habitable. Oh look a cute little teddy bear!"

"Doctor!" 

"What is it Clara? Can't you see I'm talking to Mr. Funzy?" He said holding up my brown teddy bear who was actually called Sally. He lifted up its arm with his fingers and animated it so it waved at the brown eyed women. 

She looked over at me and the man’s gaze followed until he noticed me. "Oh" he said standing up straight. He walked over to me slowly a small smile welcoming me. "Hello there little one." He cooed stepping closer, "what's your name?" He asked kneeling in front of me.

In all honesty, I didn't know my real name. Hadn't done for as long as I could remember so I just told him what everyone called me here; "Cali" I answered quietly. I looked at his grey eyes who looked back at my green ones. 

"Sorry for waking you, but can you tell me what year it is?" He asked.

"Um, 2015" I replied, more confidently now. I guess I just trusted him from day one. 

"And where are we?" He questioned.

"At Torchwood Orphanage for girls... Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm the Doctor. And this is my trusty companion Clara." He replied looking over at the woman with brown hair and eyes. She unfolded one of her arms to wave at me before resuming her previous position near my bedside.

"Well Cali. I think its safe to say that were in the wrong place, it happens sometimes, so I won't keep you any longer, here." He said giving me back Sally. 

The pair both walked back to the blue box and opened the door. Before he left I called him. I didn't know why but I couldn't stop it now. He looked back at me waiting for me to say something.

"Whats that?" I asked him pointing my small fingers to the dark red thing around his neck. I had never seen anyone wear something like that before. 

"This?" He exclaimed pointing at it. "It's a bow tie. What do these people teach you now-a-days?" He rolled his eyes and smiled before he closed the door and left me on the other side more confused than ever. 

Then to top it off, the sound came again, from the blue box and before I knew it the box began disappearing and reappearing slowly until it was disappearing more than reappearing and then it faded into nothing and silence fell into the room.

I was completely dumbfounded. What had just happened? I kept thinking to myself. I know I was seven, but I wasn't stupid, things like that didn't happen. Didn't exist. But I had no other choice than to tiptoe and turn the light back off and crawl back into bed and drift back into a slumber. 

When I woke, I told the other with sheer excitement. I couldn't contain myself. But the girls just laughed in my face and pushed me away. I felt so humiliated, I just wanted to cry. 

They told some of the other girls and no sooner than they had found out, I was the laughing joke of the orphanage. Two girls grabbed me and thew me in the smallest cub-board they could find. 

"Maybe this was your blue box!" One of them cackled viciously. They locked me in the darkness, I think they had forgotten about be because I was in their for hours. When they finally released me I was stiff as ever and I had urinated in my pants. 

That only accumulated more laughter. 

"She actually wee'd herself! Oh my gosh! Stay away from her!" They all joined in, pointing and jibing at me. I told them I needed to go desperately but they wouldn't let me out. What was I supposed to do? It was the worst feeling imaginable. The tears poured out, my whole body shook with exhaustion, snot dribbled from my nose. But no one cared. It was all a huge joke to them.

I sprinted away from them, I didn't need to push them out of the way. They would'nt dare touch the freak. The laughing grew distant as I came closer to my room. After entering and changing my pants and underwear, I crawled into my bed and sobbed. I couldn't contain it any longer, I felt ashamed and rejected.  My throat was aching when the tears dried up.

I vowed to never tell the story again. Instead, I forced myself believe it was all just a dream and nothing more.

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