oracle [doctor who]

prelude

She was running.

Every time her feet hit the pavement, a new wave of pain ricocheted throughout her shins. The cuts on her face stung with every new tear that found its way down her cheeks. Her lungs were devoid of oxygen but she didn't slow down. The breeze pushing against her was cold and bitter. Her hair had long since fallen from its high ponytail and now fell into her eyes every chance it could. Her arms pumped at her side, her fists clenched so tight her knuckles blushed white. Snot dribbled from her nose as she tore a familiar path through the woods. Her brain wasn't working right. It was all white noise and the same question over and over (Why? Why? Why?) but her body knew exactly where to take her.

She stumbled to a hasty stop by the rope ladder. She climbed the rungs, her muscles and lungs burning. Once she made it to the top, she threw herself forward, off the ladder and onto the flimsy pile of blankets she'd molded into a poor excuse for a mattress years ago. She laid on her back, fighting to catch her breath. Her hands hurt from the weathered rope. She rolled onto her side and met the eyes of the teddy bear she'd left there a few months ago. She reached out and knocked it over so it couldn't look at her anymore.

Satisfied, she grabbed the spare blanket and pulled it over her small frame. Soon she'd be too big for it, but for now, it worked. She curled up, pulling her knees up to her chest, and buried her face into her knees. It wasn't until her eyes closed that she realized how long it'd been since she last slept. Three days, four? It was hard to sleep with all the screaming.

She sighed, her breath billowing out into visible clouds. It was particularly cold that night and she hadn't had a chance to grab a jacket. She started thinking she was going to freeze to death in that shamble of a treehouse presumably built by a loving father for a family that abandoned it before she was even born. The thought of dying there curled up like that didn't scare her as much as it should. It would be a better fate than the one she was sure to meet if the screaming got worse.

Her eyelids were growing heavier and heavier and she thought she might actually get some sleep. She always slept better in the treehouse than at home. The treehouse was quiet. No one could bother her at the treehouse. No one could hurt her. There was no screaming. It was just nature and bitter cold and a lack of light that used to scare her but now brought her comfort. The darkness would wrap itself around her in an odd sort of hug and it would defend her from the world. Others her age hated the dark, avoided it at all costs. She didn't have that luxury. She embraced the dark back and thanked it for its hospitality because on days like this, it was all she had.

And just as she was about to fall asleep, the shadows cuddled up next to her, an all-consuming light swept into her field of view.

She sat up, holding a hand up to her eyes to shield them from the blinding light. The light swept over her, then carried on. It danced in a half-circle, returning to her every now and then. She scowled and climbed down from the treehouse. She had to find out what that light was and turn it off so she could get some sleep. She walked towards the source, head held high and shoulders back. She wasn't afraid of the dark and she certainly wasn't afraid of the light.

Finally, she came to a clearing. The light was being cast by some kind of crystal embedded in the earth. She approached the crystal. The light was bright white but the crystal itself was a myriad of colors. It glowed softly, the light beaming from a crack that ran most of the crystal's side. It looked like the light that had woken her up was escaping from the crystal. She fell to her knees by the crystal's base. Delicately, she ran her fingers over the disturbed dirt, her fingertips centimeters away from touching the strange crystal itself.

She wanted to touch it. Its glow beckoned her, implying a warmth she desperately longed for. She licked her lips. What was the worst that could happen? With a slow sort of nod, as if agreeing with her own flawed logic, she reached out and traced the crack in the crystal. The blinding light swallowed her fingertip and arced up her arm like lightning. It was so warm. She hummed, a smile overtaking her chapped lips, placed a hand on either side of the crystal and-

Woke up in the treehouse. The teddy bear sat with its face on the ground just as she'd left it. Her blanket had been kicked off while she slept. The cuts on her cheeks were healing and the flesh under her left eye had darkened and swelled. New bruises littered her skin, but that was to be expected. With a soft groan, she got up and clambered down the rope ladder. Her feet hit the forest floor, inviting a new wave of pain that ricocheted throughout her shins. She bit her bottom lip, dismissed the crystal as a bizarre dream, and headed home.

If she'd had a mirror, she would've been able to see the fleeting glint of silver in her eyes. She might've even noticed the new mark behind her ear. But with no way of seeing her reflection, she simply walked home, blissfully unaware of the hurricane brewing in her veins.

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phoebe tonkin as nora cross

brie larson as tris

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