13 Novella 1

Heart

You walk purposefully along a corridor unstoppingly even when you begin to hear people calling your name.

You ignore them, they are insignificant to your task.

"(Y/n)! Oh I'm so glad I found you! The Doctor is just down here, it's ok I won't touch you just come with me" someone says breathlessly behind you.

The panic at not knowing exactly how far they are is overshadowed by your goal. To pour the Tardis' energy into the book and release your people. This vessel will have to do.

"Doctor I've found her!" Calls the girl again, and you smile ominously as you hear the Time Lord approach.

"(Y/n) it's ok they're gone just come with me" she says calmly.

"No" your mouth forms, not yet turning to face them. Whatever is using your voice, it isn't you.

"(Y/n) please I won't let anyone hurt you"

You turn slowly to face them and watch both their faces drop.

"Doctor, her eyes, they're red..." whispers Jenny and you laugh coldly.

"Well observed" the pilot of your body hisses.

"(Y/n) can you hear me?" says The Doctor quietly, eyes trained on your face.

"Don't bother, she can't hear you." You find your mouth saying, as you try desperately to separate yourself.

But you can hear hear her! You can, you can... "I can!" you yell, startling the pilot.

"Doctor...please..." you manage to say before the pilot takes back over.

"It's ok (Y/n)" The Doctor says as the voice snarls in disbelief.

"She is mine now, but I will not hesitate to destroy her and everyone who stands in my way should anyone refuse my orders" the pilot says, furious that you managed to get some words out.

"Who are you. Not (Y/n). You, using her body" asks The Doctor.

"I am omniscient and omnipotent" the pilot replies with your mouth and you listen quietly.

"But she can hear us" says The Doctor.

"She's semi-aware of you're presence, yes" agrees the pilot unbothered "but she is also weak" it adds. "Her body as a vessel for my needs is necessary, but rather unpleasant. Dear dear the things inside this ones head..." they mock and you freeze from your cell inside your own head.

"She certainly doesn't value her own life, so I doubted she would mind me borrowing her body then helpfully disposing of it for her, don't you think?"

"(Y/n) I know you can hear me, you need to listen to me carefully. While you may not care about what happens to you, plenty of people do. He can't remain in your head while it is a place of sanctuary. You need to believe me, and see the value in your life"

A single tear rolls down your cheek and the pilot swipes it off and stares at as if in confusion.

"What is this liquid?" They ask perplexed.

"Tears" replies The Doctor quietly. "She's fighting back"

You focus all your energy on searching for a happy memory, but are distracted by the arrival of Yaz. In sheer bad luck, she has come from a corridor behind you. In one movement you lash out an arm and pull her into your body, arm securely holding her neck to your chest.

"I swear I will kill her" the pilot hisses and Yaz whimpers. You try desperately to release your arm but it is beyond your control. "All I need is you to take me to the Tardis' energy source and I'll release the girl."

"And (Y/n)? What about (Y/n)?" says Jenny desperately, but your mouth only smiles for you.

"Ok calm down" says The Doctor in a voice of forced calm. Yaz cries again as your arm strengthens its grip on her throat.

The Doctor begins to panic as Yaz's face slowly whitens.

"(Y/n) I need you to listen to me, right now. A happy memory, a happy thought, anything good at all. He can't touch you while your mind is focusing on something pure and beautiful- it would be agony because he is so full of malicious intent. (Y/n) please" she begs in panic and you close your eyes for you both and think hard... a happy thought?

The Doctor! Yes travelling with The Doctor, no you ruined that and betrayed her trust with your pathetic mental health. There had to be something, pure and beautiful and whole. A memory or a person.

"(Y/n) please" someone else whispers and it clicks. Jenny. Pure, brave and compassionate Jenny.

You flood your mind with the image of her extending her hand to you, helping you out The Tardis at the lake. Yes.

You feel your grip on Yaz slacken and The Doctor rushes forward to catch her into the safety of her arms.

She is gasping but alive and The Doctor lowers her to the ground in an intense hug. Jenny kneels down to help and The Doctor rises, facing you.

"That's two of my friends you've hurt." She says coldly.

"All I want is energy form the Tardis core and nobody else has to get hurt" he is calm but you feel his panic.

You make your face smile and both him and The Doctor look surprised.

"She's too strong for you" observes The Doctor with a growing smile. "You chose her because you thought she was weak. What you failed to realise was she wasn't weak. She is bruised from survival. And stronger than any of us standing here. So (Y/n), when you're ready, I say you take back your mind."

With that you are thrown to your knees and you feel a sense of withdrawal from your head. You clamp your hands over your temples and scream in pain as the pilot leaves your body with the sensation of poison being sucked from a wound.

With a zap of her sonic the grey mist changes direction and she leads it back down into the book in your hands, snapping it shut when the last of the grey fog had been absorbed.

She breathes out and looks down at you, Running worriedly to your side. You wince and shake your head.

"Yaz?" You manage to say.

"She's fine (Y/n), look she's right here" soothes The Doctor and you look up into Yaz's calmed eyes.

"I'm so sorry Yaz I didn't mean to hurt you, and you Doctor, the book, I tried to get away but it followed me" you say in a tangle, tears pouring down your cheeks.

It is then that Jenny strides forward and wraps her arms around you. You flinch in alarm but she holds you securely and safely, and for the first time in what feels like several years, you relax into the arms of another person.