The Man With The Box (Doctor Who Fanfiction)

Chapter 2

"Take me back!" Clara yelled. She had woken up minutes earlier with a terrible headache and a sore back. To her shock and horror, she had found herself not in her bedroom at the Maitland's, but in her bedroom on the TARDIS.

"Clara, calm down." The Doctor seemed confused by her angry outburst. He was sitting in the console room, reading a thick, leather bound book. Clara' heart fluttered as he met her gaze. "Go back to sleep. You look tired."

"I don't want to go back to sleep!" Clara cried. Clara was, in fact, both exhausted and irritable, and the Doctor certainly wasn't helping.

"Right. Well, how about we take the TARDIS for a spin? We could go to the planet Alvega. Great place. Some strange life forms, though..." The Doctor paused and spun on the ball of his foot to face the TARDIS console. "Or, we could go to Chronos. But, last time I was there, it was overrun by Cybermen, so maybe not the best idea for a day trip. Oh! How about Jalian 17? Woo! Now they know how to party!" He flipped some switches.

"Doctor-"

"Maybe we could go to Magla? Though, strictly speaking, it's not actually a planet- just a very large amoeba. Makes for an interesting vacation. I know! Let's go to Phobos! Very good if you like extreme sports. Or, there's always Lim-"

"Doctor!" Clara yelled.

"Hmm? Oh. Sorry. Got a bit excited for a minute..." He turned to face her. "Right, then. Earth, 21st century, Chiswick, England... What year is it?" Clara shot him a look.

"2013, Doctor." She sighed, exasperated.

Yes, yes I know, Clara." She rolled her eyes. The Doctor tripped clumsily around the console, flipping switches, pulling levers, pushing buttons. The TARDIS started to dematerialize.

"Here we are! C'mon!" The Doctor grabbed Clara's hand and dragged her out the doors. He turned and locked the doors behind him.

Clara felt a wave of dread as she surveyed her surroundings. The air was thin and moist, and the grass was a brilliant emerald green. It sparkled as if the bright blades were covered in a fine crystalline powder. They were perched high upon a cliff face. The exposed rock was burnt orange, bright against the aquamarine sky. Cotton ball clouds drifted aimlessly across the blue expanse, and Clara could hear the twinkling sound of falling water from somewhere nearby. She sighed and tapped the Doctor, who was still fumbling with the TARDIS key, on the shoulder. He startled, sending the silver key flying into the air, glinting in the bright sunlight. It tumbled in a graceful arc, falling until it winked out of sight, vanishing over the cliff face.

"Oops." Clara reached up, cold and expressionless, and slapped the Doctor hard across his face.

"...not entirely uncalled for," he muttered weakly. Once again they were stranded, with no idea where they were. Brilliant.