oncoming_storms Prompt 52
Luke Smith has a new friend. She lives in the shed at the bottom of his garden.
Her name is Susan Foreman.
Maria and Clyde are fairly certain that she’s imaginary.
***
He found her wandering down Bannerman Road on a cold autumn night, bruised and sobbing. Her clothes were torn and stained with ash, and her eyes - swollen red with tears - reflected the starlight as she stared at him.
“I shouldn’t be here,” she said softly, “I can’t be here.”
She said other things, too, using words like ‘regeneration’ and ‘TARDIS’ and ‘Daleks’. Even Luke struggled with the science involved, although deciding what to do with her was actually rather easy. Sarah Jane was away - investigating a lead in Cardiff and leaving him (rather unwillingly) in the care of Alan Jackson - and it was easy enough to let the girl into his house while Maria and her father bickered over the DVD they should watch.
“It hasn’t changed,” she commented, studying her face in the hallway mirror, touching her swollen cheek experimentally. “I haven’t regenerated.”
“Is that wrong?”
“I don’t know. A lot of things are wrong. I shouldn’t have been able to break through the time lock ...”
“Time lock?”
“Yes, it’s a mechanism which renders an event - or series of events - unreachable by time travel.”
“Creating a fixed point in time by isolating the events from the space-time vortex?”
The girl stared at him for a moment, then - inexplicably - smiled. “Yes, exactly.”
***
“What’s your name?”
They were sitting at the kitchen table and the girl’s cup of tea was growing cold in front of her. Luke wasn’t a doctor, but he thought she might be going into shock. He couldn’t take her to a hospital - her pulse had confirmed that she wasn’t human, although he’d realised that as soon as he’d met her - and Sarah Jane was too far away to do anything. She reminded him of the wild horses he’d seen on a nature documentary a few weeks ago. If he wasn’t careful, she would bolt and that would be very bad indeed.
“I’m Luke,” he added, in case that would help. “Luke Smith.”
“Susan.”
“Just Susan?”
“At the moment, yes.”
That was strange, but no stranger than a double pulse and an alien language.
“You’re safe here, Susan.”
She was smiling at him again. It wasn’t a proper smile - and he didn’t understand what she found so funny - but it stirred up unfamiliar feelings in the pit of her stomach. She was a girl, but her smile was very different to Maria’s. She was very different to Maria. She was a little frightening, actually, but she was also very pretty. Underneath the bruises and the dirt and the fear.
“Do you believe me?” he pressed.
She nodded, picking up her cup of tea and sipping the lukewarm liquid.
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
Another strange smile. “I think so.”
***
“You can stay here, you know.”
It was the third day and Susan was preparing to leave. Sarah Jane had just phoned her son to say she was on her way back from Cardiff and the girl’s reaction had been instantaneous. Her tears had all been shed on the first night. Even her bruises were fading now. She had no belongings to pack and nothing to tie her to London now she could pass as an ordinary girl. Luke knew he wouldn’t be enough, but he also knew that there was no way she could be anything other than extraordinary.
She looked solemn and determined, and, even if Luke still wasn’t entirely sure who she was, he knew he didn’t want her to leave.
“I don’t think Mum would mind,” he continued, helpfully, “She’s quite good with aliens.”
“Good with aliens?” Susan repeated, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, stopping them, mostly.”
“Will she stop me?”
“You aren’t hostile, are you?”
“No, of course not!” she paused, her lips twisting into what he thought was a nervous sort of grin. “Could you really stop me if I was?”
“I’d have to. But I wouldn’t hurt you.”
“I don’t think you could hurt anyone.”
“Neither could you.”
Her face was suddenly closed off, all shadows and angles. She’d been so close to opening up, but he’d said something wrong. Again.
Clyde was so much better at things like this. His friend had been giving him lessons on music and other social behaviour, but he’d never given him lessons on girls.
“I don’t know about that.”
He wasn’t sure what to say next, so he offered to make her a sandwich instead.
***
In the end, Luke didn’t tell anyone about Susan. He wasn’t sure why. He remembered the documentary and reassured himself that it was only because he didn’t want to frighten her.
Then he thought of her smile and wondered if it was really as simple as that.
Science was easy. Romance, however, was truly alien.
He bathed her wounds and held her when she cried, fairly certain that that was what he was supposed to do. He was going to have to ask Clyde’s advice eventually. He’d read a book on King Arthur a few months ago and it had been filled with ideas of chivalry and gallantry. He didn’t have a white charger, but he was able to construct a cosy enough room in Sarah Jane’s shed.
Susan seemed rather fond of it.
“It’s bigger on the inside,” she assured him, laughing musically.
She didn’t laugh very often. Luke savoured it.
***
“One day,” said Susan, “When I find my Grandfather again, you can come with us.”
“Where?”
Luke rolled on to his side, propping himself up on his elbow to study the her face. Susan was still gazing up at the stars - obscured by the clouds, for the most part, but still glittering a little in the murk - and didn’t turn when he spoke. She never said as much, but he knew she missed them. It was the one thing he did know.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she laughed, “Pick a star. Pick a planet.”
“Your planet?”
Her face became suddenly closed off.
“Any planet you want.”
She was lying, but she was lying to make him feel better. Clyde had said that sort of thing was good, so he smiled at her.
Susan smiled back, and that was good too. That was wonderful.
Prompt Friendship
Word Count: 1061
Her name is Susan Foreman.
Maria and Clyde are fairly certain that she’s imaginary.
***
He found her wandering down Bannerman Road on a cold autumn night, bruised and sobbing. Her clothes were torn and stained with ash, and her eyes - swollen red with tears - reflected the starlight as she stared at him.
“I shouldn’t be here,” she said softly, “I can’t be here.”
She said other things, too, using words like ‘regeneration’ and ‘TARDIS’ and ‘Daleks’. Even Luke struggled with the science involved, although deciding what to do with her was actually rather easy. Sarah Jane was away - investigating a lead in Cardiff and leaving him (rather unwillingly) in the care of Alan Jackson - and it was easy enough to let the girl into his house while Maria and her father bickered over the DVD they should watch.
“It hasn’t changed,” she commented, studying her face in the hallway mirror, touching her swollen cheek experimentally. “I haven’t regenerated.”
“Is that wrong?”
“I don’t know. A lot of things are wrong. I shouldn’t have been able to break through the time lock ...”
“Time lock?”
“Yes, it’s a mechanism which renders an event - or series of events - unreachable by time travel.”
“Creating a fixed point in time by isolating the events from the space-time vortex?”
The girl stared at him for a moment, then - inexplicably - smiled. “Yes, exactly.”
***
“What’s your name?”
They were sitting at the kitchen table and the girl’s cup of tea was growing cold in front of her. Luke wasn’t a doctor, but he thought she might be going into shock. He couldn’t take her to a hospital - her pulse had confirmed that she wasn’t human, although he’d realised that as soon as he’d met her - and Sarah Jane was too far away to do anything. She reminded him of the wild horses he’d seen on a nature documentary a few weeks ago. If he wasn’t careful, she would bolt and that would be very bad indeed.
“I’m Luke,” he added, in case that would help. “Luke Smith.”
“Susan.”
“Just Susan?”
“At the moment, yes.”
That was strange, but no stranger than a double pulse and an alien language.
“You’re safe here, Susan.”
She was smiling at him again. It wasn’t a proper smile - and he didn’t understand what she found so funny - but it stirred up unfamiliar feelings in the pit of her stomach. She was a girl, but her smile was very different to Maria’s. She was very different to Maria. She was a little frightening, actually, but she was also very pretty. Underneath the bruises and the dirt and the fear.
“Do you believe me?” he pressed.
She nodded, picking up her cup of tea and sipping the lukewarm liquid.
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
Another strange smile. “I think so.”
***
“You can stay here, you know.”
It was the third day and Susan was preparing to leave. Sarah Jane had just phoned her son to say she was on her way back from Cardiff and the girl’s reaction had been instantaneous. Her tears had all been shed on the first night. Even her bruises were fading now. She had no belongings to pack and nothing to tie her to London now she could pass as an ordinary girl. Luke knew he wouldn’t be enough, but he also knew that there was no way she could be anything other than extraordinary.
She looked solemn and determined, and, even if Luke still wasn’t entirely sure who she was, he knew he didn’t want her to leave.
“I don’t think Mum would mind,” he continued, helpfully, “She’s quite good with aliens.”
“Good with aliens?” Susan repeated, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, stopping them, mostly.”
“Will she stop me?”
“You aren’t hostile, are you?”
“No, of course not!” she paused, her lips twisting into what he thought was a nervous sort of grin. “Could you really stop me if I was?”
“I’d have to. But I wouldn’t hurt you.”
“I don’t think you could hurt anyone.”
“Neither could you.”
Her face was suddenly closed off, all shadows and angles. She’d been so close to opening up, but he’d said something wrong. Again.
Clyde was so much better at things like this. His friend had been giving him lessons on music and other social behaviour, but he’d never given him lessons on girls.
“I don’t know about that.”
He wasn’t sure what to say next, so he offered to make her a sandwich instead.
***
In the end, Luke didn’t tell anyone about Susan. He wasn’t sure why. He remembered the documentary and reassured himself that it was only because he didn’t want to frighten her.
Then he thought of her smile and wondered if it was really as simple as that.
Science was easy. Romance, however, was truly alien.
He bathed her wounds and held her when she cried, fairly certain that that was what he was supposed to do. He was going to have to ask Clyde’s advice eventually. He’d read a book on King Arthur a few months ago and it had been filled with ideas of chivalry and gallantry. He didn’t have a white charger, but he was able to construct a cosy enough room in Sarah Jane’s shed.
Susan seemed rather fond of it.
“It’s bigger on the inside,” she assured him, laughing musically.
She didn’t laugh very often. Luke savoured it.
***
“One day,” said Susan, “When I find my Grandfather again, you can come with us.”
“Where?”
Luke rolled on to his side, propping himself up on his elbow to study the her face. Susan was still gazing up at the stars - obscured by the clouds, for the most part, but still glittering a little in the murk - and didn’t turn when he spoke. She never said as much, but he knew she missed them. It was the one thing he did know.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she laughed, “Pick a star. Pick a planet.”
“Your planet?”
Her face became suddenly closed off.
“Any planet you want.”
She was lying, but she was lying to make him feel better. Clyde had said that sort of thing was good, so he smiled at her.
Susan smiled back, and that was good too. That was wonderful.
Prompt Friendship
Word Count: 1061