Soul's Shadow

Teen
None
Action/Adventure, Character Study

"Master," I brought out dumbfounded and a pleased expression went over his face.

My body froze and went nuts at the same time, my muscles stiff as stone, but my pulse suddenly racing madly, my heart drumming against my ribcage. Everything from the previews weeks fell off my shoulders in an instant, all my doubts, all my depressive thoughts of never leaving this place, of staying alone in a world that didn't want me.

Slowly a smile widened on my face, probably the first one since the Doctor had left, and a soft laugh crept its way up my throat.

"You have no idea, how badly I have to keep myself from hugging you. Seriously."

This definitely was not the answer the Master had awaited, nor was my exalted behaviour. He narrowed his eyes at me, the corners of his mouth, though, twitching up a little.

"You wouldn't survive that."

I giggled. "I know." There was just no way to make that stupid grin vanish from my face. "So, you escaped him again?"

Finally I pulled the door shut behind me and gestured towards the stairwell, simply leading the way outside, when the Master didn't budge. I sure as hell didn't want him inside my apartment.

"And there I thought the Doctor would have given you quite the speech about how dangerous und untrustworthy I am," he stated rather dramatically when we stepped into the sunlight.

"Oh, he did."

"Then why are you so happy to see me?"

Was I imagining it or was he really sulking? I stopped and turned to face him, ready to give him a taste of unexpected. So often I got into trouble because of how different I thought about the world. Uncounted were the arguments about what others considered as fact, as moral, as good or bad. Only for me to poke around in their fixed world view, twisting their truth with cold logic.

People don't like that. At all. But it seemed, no matter if the logic proved otherwise, the opinion of the mass is always right. And when you can't see it the same way, they tend to hate you bitterly.

Right now, though, the fact that the Master was here at all already brought me into deep shit. So, no need to hold back.

"It's boring. This whole stupid planet and its people. And I don't even belong anywhere." I shrugged. "Always thought if I were ever to meet some aliens I'd beg them to take me away."

"Aaaaaw, did the Doctor dump you?" the Master mocked. "Too bad he is fully occupied with taking care that I don't run around and do bad things... oh, wait."

That completely took the wind out of my sails, his words sinking like a stone into my stomach, where they sat and hurt.

"No... I..." I gritted my teeth, feeling so stupid and useless again for not having asked. My voice suddenly faltered slightly. "I didn't think he'd take one like me with him."

By now we had left the building and were heading down the road into town. I didn't pay much attention to the way. If I had, it probably would have occurred to me how idiotic it was to just drag the Master around with me. Only when his hand landed on my shoulder did I stop and looked up at him.

"Where the heck are you going?" he asked with a scowl that showed clearly he wasn't going to follow me around.

"Eh... I... uh... dunno." I stopped. "Just my usual way. It's... muscle memory I guess. What? What is it? Why are you looking so annoyed!"

"You're supposed to be scared!" he whined suddenly and pointed an accusing finger at me. "I thought you would tremble in fear when I show up. I thought you were sooooo relieved that the Doctor saved you from me!" He ended with an even deeper scowl and slightly pursed lips.

Perplex I blinked at him a few times, trying to wrap my head around what the meaning behind his outburst was. There is, of course always the actual words people use, but having a way too literal mind had taught me to always be on the lookout for any kind of additional meaning between the lines.

"How about... scare someone else?" I suggested, shrugging.

He scrunched up his nose and folded both arms in front of his chest. "Don't like unfinished business. And you were fun."

"Great," I huffed.

"No, seriously! You don't often find humans that are fun to play with."

"I feel soooo honoured, Master." Even though my words had been meant sarcastic I noticed a pleased expression on his face for a moment. "You got out already, how about you steal this TARDIS ship and just fly somewhere with more interesting people?"

"Don't need to steal it," he grumbled. "The Doctor just left. No idea where too and I don't care at all. But he forgot to lock me in..."

My head tilted to the side as I suspiciously watched him over the rim of my glasses. Too many thoughts at once shot through my head, far too many to grasp a single one until all the threads slowly combined themselves to a somewhat greater picture. It probably took about ten seconds, in which the Master only grew more impatient.

"So," I started, dragging out the word, "You have a machine that can fly everywhere you want. You could simply leave the Doctor stranded here and never return." His face lit up a little at the thought. "Instead you went through the trouble of finding my address and coming all the way here... Just to scare me a little? Sounds like the dumbest thing you could have come up with, honestly."

As dumb as speaking to him the way I had just done.

His eyes filled with rage, and danger was suddenly radiating from him in a way I had never felt before. His hands were on my collar in the blink of an eye and he almost lifted me from the ground. My back and head painfully thumped against a wall. The Master leaned in close, his eyes only inches away from mine, burning with an all-consuming force.

I swallowed, which was hard in this position, as was looking away. So I didn't, kept staring into those pools of almost black madness. Slowly a smirk tugged the corners of his mouth upwards.

"You shouldn't talk to your Master like that."

Right in that moment I wasn't able to speak anyway, my mouth too dry, my heart hammering too fast against my ribcage. And Still...

His hands released my collar, my feet finally sat down to the ground again. But instead of backing away the Master put his forehead against mine, making me inhale sharply and twitch back. I only hit my head at the wall, however could barely feel the pain. I didn't like people so close. Not at all. The fear in my gaze must have been visible as his eyes glinted satisfied. Then his fingers were at my temples, almost tenderly slipping under the stems of my glasses.

The touch broke my stupor and I tried to shove him away, to duck to the side, to somehow get out of his reach. I didn't even want to know what he was trying to do there. His hands left my head and grabbed my shoulders, then my arms, slid to my thrashing hands to grip them firmly.

"Ah, there it is," he said sweetly. "See? It wasn't so stupid to find you again." With a chuckle he locked eyes with me. "Got what I wanted."

Words fled my mind. Fight or flight never did the trick for me. Instead I only froze, unable to do anything at all. His grip on me sent a nasty shiver down my spine, I could no longer look into his hungry eyes and closed mine.

"Please don't," I muttered.

A low chuckle was all I could hear. Eyes pressed shut I waited, knowing I was too weak to slip away or even think about defending myself. I heard the Master shift, his hands releasing me. A second later a shadow moved in front of my closed lids and I felt how my glasses were carefully slipped from my face.

"Open your eyes, lil' lumin."

His voice suddenly was deep, commanding, irresistible. My lids crept open for a second, before I instinctively squinted, unable to see sharp. But his face was so close, I barely had trouble seeing. Against I winced backwards.

"Tell me, you're scared," he demanded with a wicked smile.

"I... I am." A lump sat in my throat, every fibre of my being begging for more space. "Don't..."

"Don't what?"

"Don't... touch me," I breathed.

"No?" He chuckled and pushed a finger under my chin to make me look up. His grin widened a little. "Well, torturing you wasn't on my mind, anyway." His hand vanished from my chin and instead I could feel two fingers on my left temple. A weird tingling sensation spread through my head. "Sleep."

His voice cut through my mind, dimmed my consciousness like a candle flame.

And the world went black.