Broken: A Time Lord's Story (Doctor Who Novel)

Chapter 23 Why

A hot breeze swept through the field sending ripples through the tall, red‭ ‬grass spreading like gentle waves around the boy. He stood in the middle of the deep red grass with his arms out and his eyes closed while shivers of delight pulsed through him as the stalks tickled his skin.‭ ‬With his face turned up to the dual suns, he spun in a circle, slowly at first, and then faster and faster until the dizziness overrode his senses and he collapsed to the ground panting.

He blinked at the bright sunlight as he tried to gaze up at the glowing, deep orange sky. The deep heat of the twin suns washed over him, warming him to his very core. He wasn't sure how long he just laid there, lost in his mind, but before he realised, the call of home tugged at his heart, forcing him back to his feet. He wasn't that far from the house. The house wasn't that far way, tugged safely into the crags of the side of a mountain. He pushed his way through the thick grass toward the snow-capped mountains that rose in front of him.‭ Home stood out as the dun coloured castle seen at the foot of a jagged face of Mount Lung That's where he would find peace, inside the walls of his father's compound.

His growing excitement proved too much, he finally took off at a dead run, covering the last few hundred yards in just minutes.‭ ‬At any moment, he would burst through the kitchen doors where Nala would have dumplings, ‭ ‬dripping in honey and kona nuts, waiting for him.‭ ‬A grin spread across his face at the idea of popping one of the cook's desserts in his mouth.

Fifty yards from the edge of the field and house, the sound of haunting voice singing brought him to a stop.‭ ‬She was calling, ‭ ‬begging him to come to her.‭ ‬He searched the meadow for the a song that grew louder, more intense: it seemed to penetrate his very soul, ‬forcing him to turn from his destination. He finally spotted her standing at the very edge of the meadow, at the foot of the cliffs. Her torn clothes ‬and black unruly hair hanging around her face gave her the wild appearance of a mad-woman.‭ ‬Ribbons of energy flowed in and around her.‭ ‬Tendrils of golden energy reached out towards him, ‭ ‬reeling him in towards her.‭ Despite her tousled look, ‬she was‭ ‬--‭ singularly ‬-- ‭the ‬most beautiful woman that he'd ever seen.

‭She fascinated him. Her incredibly mysterious song bewitched him, drawing him towards her like a magnet. Just a few steps made in confusion at first, then he shifted to a full run toward her.‭ ‬Just as he reached the edge of the meadow, ‭ ‬she disappeared.‭ ‬Turning in place, ‭ ‬searching for her, ‭ ‬everything that he could see erupted in flames.‭ ‬The place where she stood, ‭ ‬the meadow, ‭ ‬the house, ‭ ‬even the mountains vanished, ‭ ‬leaving behind nothing but mounds of ash.

 

"Hank!" Thete yelled as he jerked awake, breathing heavily momentarily confused by the dream.

He blinked rapidly for several seconds as his eyes adjusted to the darkened room. The only sounds came from beeping monitors and the gentle blowing of his air bed's blower. He'd had the strangest dream. Strange, but nice. A woman was singing to him and then .... The whole not remembering thing was seriously getting old. He lifted his head to look for Hank only to  a wave of pain shoot through his shoulder, prompting him to drop his head back. The moment of panic at being alone passed when the door opened followed by a wonderful Kentucky accent that belonged to the person who could always make him smile.

"Hey, Cowboy," Nan called, "'bout time you woke up." She and Sarah walked through the door, each carrying a fresh cup of coffee and wearing broad smiles.

"Nan, Sarah -- where's Hank?" His throat was so dry he barely managed to croak the words. He'd pay anyone for a nice cuppa.

"I sent him home to make some calls and deal with his angst," Sarah answered gently.