Timeless .•:Doctor Who:•.

Prologue

Prologue

Eloise watched as the strange man skulked in the shadows of the alley.

She didn't know why she was staring at him. Had it been any other day, she would've kept walking and ignored what wasn't her business.

But some inexplicable reason, on that extremely unimportant day, outside the mouth of that insignificant alley, Eloise Mabel Burkett decided to let go of her mothers dress and watch the man.

The man himself took no notice of the little girl as he checked every corner and crevice of the alley.

"Alright, I thought this was where I left you." He whispered to the open air.

Eloise cocked her head curiously at him. She didn't understand who he could possibly be talking about, as there was no one else there.

"Darling? Darling, you can come out know."

The young girl froze in guilty surprise. She had been sure he hadn't seen her and the man hadn't turned around.

"Darling? Come on, I'm sorry that I crashed you."

The man walked around with arms outstretched in front of him, as if he were blind.

"Please Sweetheart, I really didn't mean it. It's just that I got . . . distracted."

A wheezing, groaning sound filled the air making the man wince.

"Of course I care about you, don't be ridiculous."

Eloise didn't realise that she had crept further into the alley. She knew that she shouldn't be acting so silly. That she shouldn't be walking into an alley with a weird man she'd never seen before was talking to thin air. That she shouldn't be intrigued by the unfamiliar groaning sound. That she shouldn't want to approach either the man or the sound.

But someone else might as well be controlling her, because she she couldn't stop even if she wanted to.

"Sweetheart, you're being childish. Just come out." The man continued to plead.

He started to turn on the spot and Eloise stumbled behind the dumpster, kicking over cans in her haste. With a wince she pressed herself to the side of the bin, not knowing why she felt the need to hide.

"Hello?" The man questioned.

Eloise stayed silent as she heard his footsteps crunch in her direction, her breath sounding very loud in her ears.

"Who's there?"

She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Doctor?" A woman's voice called out. "Doctor, I've been looking all over for you. You can't just run off like th-"

"I know you're there."

"Doctor, what are y-"

The man ignored his companion. "Why don't you come on out, eh. Promise we won't hurt you."

The was a pause where no one spoke.

"Come on." The man coaxed again. "All we want is to have a nice little chat. How about that. A little chat with little ol' Rose and me."