Until We Burn | Dr Who

Chapter One Hundred and Four: Transported

TW// Panic attack

—

I walk alone. The Tardis corridors span out in front of me and, with each step, seem to stretch further and further. I think nothing of it.

"Inara."

The voice is familiar. It carries a recognisable sneer. I gasp, looking over my shoulder. There is no one there.

"Inara."

I turn again. Still, I am alone. In the far reaches of the corridor, a light goes off. Frowning, I step closer, peering into the shadows left behind. The next one along flickers out. Then the next. Getting closer and closer.

There is no question. I break into a run. My feet pound against the mesh floor, the sound resonating in my head with my heartbeat. The two rhythms merge into four beats repeating over and over. Ba-ba-bump-bump. Ba-ba-bump-bump. Ba-ba-bump-bump.

The doorway to the console room appears in my sight. I press on, moving faster than before as the darkness continues to chase me. It is slow, though. Slower than me. A glance over my shoulder confirms this, as it's almost lost around the corner. From here, I can see the Doctor at the console. My hand reaches for him despite the distance. It closes around the doorframe just as I am grabbed from behind.

A scream drowns out the drumming. I try to push away my attacker, crying out for the Doctor to help. A rough pull forces me around, coming face to face with a dead man.

The Master grins. He takes my face in his hands, cradling it with unnerving strength. "You should've taken me up on my offer, my sweet, fiery, Inara."

Then he transforms as I had seen him do so many times, his smile turning to a glare. He takes me by the arm, shoving me back. Back down the corridor, towards the dying of light. I start to scream again. I manage to push myself away only to hit the ground, feeling no impact but realising with dread that he has started to drag me back by my ankles. My fingers claw against the floor, trying to secure a hold in the meshwork to stop myself. Blood stains them with ease and I watch helplessly as it forms a trail before me.

"Doctor!"

His receding form does not react. He doesn't look up from the console. There is no indication that he even heard me.

The Master cackles and gives me a harsh pull. The light is already fading around us. "When will you learn? Your precious Doctor can't save you. Not from me. Certainly not from yourself."

"Doctor! Doctor, help me! No!"

Still, I scream. I don't stop, not even when the drumming and laughter grow so loud that I can't hear myself. Not even when I am plunged into the pitch black that I return to every night.

"No! Please, no! No!"

"Inara? Wake up, Inara." Feeling someone start to shake me, I frantically push against them, still screaming at the top of my lungs. It takes time to recognise the voice. Even then, I squirm when a pair of hands cup my face. They recoil. "Open your eyes. Inara, please. I won't hurt you. Please. Open your eyes."

Realising the cause for the persistent darkness, I cautiously open them. I see the crystal lampshade on my bedroom ceiling and the bright light that surrounds me. The Doctor sits beside me. He watches me with what I realise to be fear. The same emotion keeps me paralysed.

Memories of my nightmare keep my mind captive, playing it over and over like it was real. And it was real. It happened and I can never escape it. My breathing remains rugged, and when I realise, it worsens. I gasp, dragging air into my lungs, but it doesn't sustain me. There isn't enough oxygen. My heart pounds in my ears and the noise blurs into that same rhythm. I try to free myself but the duvet tangles around me. My brain interprets it as yet another attack. Whimpering, I writhe and kick, trying to free myself. I can't see past the blur of tears, nor the haze of my own panic.