❝ i did say it was a funhouse, didn't i? ❞
☽ .* ･ ｡ﾟ
WALKING TO THE CONSOLE room with a coffee cup in hand she jumped down the steps to her friend situated at the screen as always. Sipping her drink Katie eyed him as he didn't register her being there immediately. "Coffee machine in the console room would make everything easier."
"Not happening, it would spill."
"You've redecorated everything else," Katie continued as she took a look around the brightly colored space, "I miss your grunge days." Joining his side she looked to the screen before he switched it to a loading stage. Giving him a glance in suspicion the Doctor said nothing of this as he pulled a lever down to get them started.
Instead he was growing more lively than usual in account of preparation for what was ahead of them. "I've picked up some peculiar readings, we're going to investigate."
"What makes them peculiar exactly? Is it alien?" Katie asked with a laugh as she sat in the lone seat of the console room.
Seeing the Doctor go to work she held her mug carefully over the bumpy measures they took on their arrival. Still he made time to go over to face her properly to show his offense to her response. "Why is your first assumption is that it's alien?" Katie didn't say anything and only gestured a hand for him to look around at where they were. "Point taken."
Taking the cup from her hands she looked to him offended, not having a chance to say anything as he grabbed her hand to pull her towards the doors. "No time for a break, we have things to do, research to take." Laughing at his enthusiasm, the Doctor pushed open the doors for Katie step forward first to look around the infrastructure amazed.
The clear, iridescent walls stared back at her as the TARDIS stood out with its pop of color. Katie did a small spin as she gathered in the feel of the place, while the Doctor waited patient by the doors with a small grin. "You've always got that look when we go somewhere."
Bringing her back down to reality, she still had a grin plastered on her face even as she tilted her head to him confused. "Do I?" He nodded, shutting the doors for Katie to extend a hand out to him cheerfully. Taking it they made quick strides on their way with the Doctor taking the lead to direct them on where the strange signals had been coming from. "I can see it's alien after all."
"Don't get smart with me now."
"As if that'd be anything new." As they passed through the empty halls Katie continued to look puzzled. The area was strangely empty, quiet other than the pair's footsteps as they continued on their pursuit. "What is this place anyways?"
The Doctor said nothing for a second and stopped at the hallways that had split in front of them. Taking out the sonic he directed the object around eventually leading down the path on the right. From there, he focused his attention back onto Katie happily. "Place seems to have loads of mirrors, looks like it was an entertainment center. Just a grand hall of mirrors, a maze."
Katie scoffed as he explained this. "Hall of mirrors, that feels like a repeat. Remember the angels on Flora? We barely got out of there."
"No, this is different. This is more like a funhouse, like a carnival."
"Shouldn't it have people here then?"
The Doctor pointer a finger to her knowingly over her observation. "Which is why we're here. Readings were funny, two of us were in the area. It made sense to pop in and check what seemed to be the problem."
As they continued through the center Katie was able to see what the Doctor had meant. The walls had now blended into the mirror, her reflection staring back to confirm this. She'd recalled being taken as a group to the local fair when it had passed through the home as an outing. Katie held onto the Doctor's hand tighter over the sick feeling that came over with the memory. He looked over to her concerned as she turned back to where they had come. "You said this was a maze?"
"Basically a maze. Sure it's not too much trouble though, we'll be fine."
Looking at him unconvinced the Doctor didn't fade in his attitude towards the situation as he led them easily through the path. The worry still came over Katie as she looked behind her again from where they had been going. "Something's wrong."
"Of course something's wrong or else we wouldn't be here."
"Other than that, I mean right now. Something isn't right." Up ahead farther from the point they were at Katie could make out the shadow of a figure. Judging by their appearance it looked to be a child, which she was quick to mention to the Doctor. "There's someone here."
Pulling her back with a hesitant look she looked over to him frustrated as she tried to make her way over. "We should be careful not to split up." At this Katie lifted the chain holding her key which the Doctor didn't appreciate as he looked to her unamused. "I told you not to be smart with me."
"And I told you: this isn't anything new." As she stared him down the pair heard the sound of footsteps ahead of them indicating there was in fact someone if not something with them. Holding onto him tighter, Katie let out a nervous laugh over the situation. "Alright, I'll stay put."
The Doctor continued to take the lead at this point with Katie following close behind him, looking past his arm to see what was coming out for them. Another rush of footsteps came behind them accompanied by laughter for the two to turn to the sound in surprise. "Maybe there's some trouble. Nothing we can't handle right?"
At this the maze began to shift, the pair losing their balance and gripping to the mirrors on the sides of them over the change. "What's going on?"
"I did say it was a funhouse, didn't I?"
"Then why isn't it fun," Katie emphasized behind him, as she tried to get herself back on her feet. Looking to the mirror she was holding on the reflection looked back to her except it didn't feel right. She was looking at herself but something was off, something was missing. Her suspicions were confirmed when the reflection smiled back to her when she was not smiling herself. "Doctor, it's the mirrors."
She looked ahead of her to see a wall had closed off where her friend was and placed her hand on the glass. "Hart!" The Doctor's voice was muffled on the other side along with the sound of the sonic screwdriver he was using to assess what had happened. "Don't move, just stay there. The maze may change as a means of keeping patrons inside to have that unexpected factor. Certainly would be fun under different circumstances."
"Exactly, which is why we need to get out of here."
Remember what she had seen to looked down to her key she could easily use to call for the TARDIS, but her idea was dismissed by the Doctor on the other side. "You can't bring the TARDIS in here, that may be what it wants. I'll find you, I promise."
Taking a breath Katie nodded, taking her hand away from the mirror expecting he'd left after he said this. Once she turned back, however, the various reflections of herself felt intimidating as she looked around to him in fear. "Fantastic," She muttered under her breath. The thing that took her attention away from the situation was the appearance of the child darting past her. Knowing at this point it was the maze pushing her away from the Doctor her curiosity still took over as she shook away the fear that was previously building up. "I'm fine, this'll be fine."
Following the direction where it seemed the child had went to, Katie looked around cautiously at the surrounding structure she was in as she made her way through the maze. The mirrors didn't seem to be a threat at this point though she made sure to not grow too comfortable in case anything dangerous were to arise. Eventually the child had stopped just in front of her for Katie to raise a hand to her to show she wouldn't show any harm. "Are you alone? I can help you if you come with me."
"You can't help me." The tone of her voice echoed in the halls for her to step back at the realization. "You can't save yourself."
She straightened at this, questioning what the child meant by this. Judging by their appearance they looked to be no more than 6 though Katie could hardly recall what she meant. Until she remembered her photos from the children's home and froze in fear. The reflection seemed to recognize the reaction as they grinned up to her. "You can't even remember it can you? What happened to you?"