#awyr

1.1:

Anariel curls up on the scratchy train seat, her eyelids droop as if bearing burdensome weights, and yawns into her blanket. The raven-haired adult stares outside the window, her vision blurry, through her black-rimmed glasses into the darkness of the night.

Her amethyst eyes flutter shut, hiding them from the world, a lock of disheveled hair grazes her delicate cheekbones and parted lips as her head leans against the cold window- listening to the hum of the train- everything around her slowly goes quiet.

'Can't keep his hands off me, love.' Grace says to Karl, spotting Anariel snug asleep and smiles.

'Behave yourself!' Graham whispers, seeming embarrassed.

'Never!' Grace grins and looks back at Graham, she nudges him and points her face at Anariel.

He smiles.

Moments later, the train comes to an abrupt halt, throwing Anariel, Grace and Graham, and Karl forward.

She jerks awake and looks around in fright, spotting Grace walking past her as she fixes her wonky glasses.

'You stay here.' Grace instructs her in a firm tone, 'Can't let you get hurt, Ariel.'

'Neither can I, Nan.' Anariel pushes herself up and glances at Graham, nodding at him before stubbornly trudging after Grace.

'Stay behind me.' Grace whispers to her knowing Anariel was behind her.

Anariel blinks away the tears in her eyes as the eerie absence of lighting keeps her on edge and cranes her head past the older woman's shoulder.

Her head pokes out the train door and sees that all the doors up along the train are open. Her eyebrows furrow as she lowers her line of sight to look at the track and squints.

That's a big jump... She pulls her head back inside. Seeing as there's no platform.

She watches Grace scan the other side of the train, presuming nothing is there- until she hears rushed footsteps.

'What're you doing?! Don't go on the track, it could be live!' Grace calls out.

Anariel looks outside again and sees about three or four people jump down- one stops and turns to Grace.

Anariel takes a step back, spotting the show of fright on the man's face.

'Get off of there!' he shouts, infecting Grace with his fear.

Anariel hears a clank and fixes her eyes on the door handle in alarm. She feels panic bud when Grace's attempt to open it fail, the sound of the handle rattling enter her ears.

'Graham! The doors just locked, we're shut in. I can't get them open.'

Anariel chews her lip as she hears Graham and Karl rush to them, their footsteps disordered as she remains quiet.

'Something's wrong.' Grace utters.

Her eyes dart to the door connecting the carriage and drags her body closer to the door.

Anariel squints her eyes as she bends down, stretching her neck for a clearer look and her lips part to speak , 'There's definitely another person on the train who wants something to do with us and—'

She takes another step forward, her forehead against the glass window of the door as she peers through. Her eyes wander to the various seats in the other carriage, looking deeper and stills.

'—I can see them. They're coming down the train.'

Anariel stares into the darkness, a bit longer, jolting in fright at the sudden spark. It was an electric-like light, followed by a brighter and bigger spark, illuminating the interior of the train.

The light pierces her eyes as if to hypnotise her- and the pain from the light intensity strikes Anariel awake as she rubs her eyes, her back hunched.

'Right, get away from the door,' Graham pulls Anariel away, surprising her, 'Grace, get to the back of the carriage. Get to the back!'

She jumps and hurriedly shuts the door, spinning around to sluggishly run to the other end. Anariel slows down when she sees Grace pick up her phone to do something- soon knowing she was making a call.

'Ryan, love.' Grace says quickly.

Anariel furrows her eyebrows as she helps Graham, barging the door with her shoulder.

She hisses in pain as she rubs her shoulder, rolling it a few times.

'Grace, Ariel, get back.' Graham demands in a worried tone when Grace moves away from them. Anariel sneaks after her, struggling to maintain a clear head as she bites her bottom lip.

She holds back a whimper when the creature breaks through the door with another spark, flinging the debris of the train towards them.

Anariel weakly tugs Grace's sleeve, her face pale, and positions herself in front of her- she hates how she feels so frightened- her gaze land on the creature, flinching when she saw its appearance in deeper clarity.

In front of her hovers a writhing ball of thin black tentacles, similar to a groups of snakes- like Medusa's hair in legends- all coiled together lashing out their sharp fangs and unnerving tongues. The crackling of what seems to be electricity brought it a heightened sense of danger.

She stares at it, her eyes shaky as she hears Grace retreat, relief washing over her.

'What is it?' Graham stares at it from behind the bar, his face illuminated.

'I've no idea,' Grace replies with fear laced in her voice.

Anariel takes a small step back, tripping over nothing onto the shattered glass just after the others get into a small huddle with Graham trying to open the door.

She releases a sharp gasp, feeling a piece of glass gash her hand and she desperately pushes herself up while wiping the blood onto her jeans.

...Hurts. Anariel whimpers, soon questioning her hearing when she hears an incoming yell.

She looks up just in time to see a figure crash through the roof of the train. They crash onto the floor face down with a thud as material is flung everywhere.

She freezes, it's as though her heart has stops beating once her eyes lands upon the figure- a she- who jumps up. Her stunning face fills her sight as she looks at her, her green eyes leave Anariel frozen in place.

Theta. A strange voice speaks in her head, it sounds like hers.

'What?' The Doctor asks her, confusion evident in her voice as she snaps Anariel out of her stupor.

Anariel grabs the blonde's arm, pulling her closer, noting her wonderful voice, at the same time turns the Doctor around to see the creature looming in front of them.

She furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

Who's Theta?

The Doctor looks up to spot cables hanging down from the hole she created. She grabs a hold of a sparking cable and shoves it at the creature.

Anariel stares at woman, open-mouthed, as the cable shocks and fizzes it before it shoots back a few feet, squealing in pain.

Her feeling towards the Doctor leaves her stood motionless with countless questions.

Is she Theta?

'Should buy us a few seconds,' the Time Lord speaks to them, turning around and looks at Anariel at her injured hand, her gaze lingering on her puzzled amethyst eyes for a moment.

Anariel meets her gaze and recalls how the shorter woman entered the train- her eyes moving up to glance at the hole in the roof, still wondering about the voice.

'Oh, yeah. Long story,' she looks around, 'Tell you later. Doors?'

'Locked shut.' Anariel watches her, noticing the tattered suit.

Where did she come from?

'We'll see about that,' the Doctor responds, her hand reaches into a pocket, reaching deeper as she checks her other pockets with both hands, alarmed.

Anariel gazes worriedly at the Doctor, concern blatant in her eyes.

'No sonic!' The Doctor mutters.

Why do I feel so pathetic? So useless?

Anariel's lip trembles as she feels an unpleasant feeling emerge in her heart towards herself, like waves bombarding the shore.

'Empty pockets. Oh, I hate empty pockets!'

Anariel's eyes jump to the creature to find it creeping up, 'It's back up!

The Doctor spins around, seeing it writhe and fizz.

Anariel's attention is caught by the fascination the Doctor has towards the creature, fear wracking her heart as the Doctor nears closer- the thought of losing her just after finally finding her almost frightens Anariel to death.

Finally finding her.

'What are you?'

She furrows her eyebrows, her confusion and panic growing bigger and glances back to see Grace at the back with Graham- good.

'OK, you don't like questions, more of the private type, I get that.'

Relief washes over her as the Doctor ducks under the creature as it looms towards Karl. He retreats to the side of the train on the seats, his back against the window as he turns his head to the Doctor.

Anariel retreats to Grace and Graham, guarding them with her taller stature, eyeing the creature with her sharp stare.

'Get it away from me!' He screams in fear.

'All of you, stay very... still.' She commands in a cautious manner.

'It's gonna kill us.'

'It could've done so already, you ungrateful wanker.' Anariel retorts, she stills when she realises what she has said.

'Oi!' the lady whispers, 'She's right though, it could've killed us already.'

'Nan!'

Anariel squints to see a young man and a police officer run into the other end of carriage via the blown-out connecting door.

'Ryan! Stay away!' Grace shouts.

Ryan! And that's Yaz! Anariel's eyes widen.

'Oh my god!' Yasmin exclaims at the sight of the creature.

'Yaz!' Anariel calls out, immediately returning her sight to see the creature dart from the man, crackling angrily, 'Get awa-'

Strikes of fierce white energy fly out from the centre of the creature, hitting all of them in them collarbone area before whooshing through the whole the Doctor created, like a terrifying spectre, outside, vanishing into the sky.

‘You four, relax, but stay put,' the Doctor turns the man, Grace and Graham, I'll check out the rest of the train,' she strides past Yasmin and Ryan, 'fat load of use you two were.'

'Hey!' Yasmin runs after her with Ryan right after.

The Doctor strides purposefully down the train as Anariel stands still, blinking in surprise when she feels a hand hold her shoulder.

'You okay, love?' Grace turns her around and inspects her face.

'Yeah. Thanks nan, gramps.' Anariel looks at Graham and Grace, pausing when she feels the ring hung on her neck pulse.

Anariel furrows her eyebrows when she fishes the scratched ring with her finger, it's small crystal dim with a soft green light.

Anariel holds the ring in her hand, her eyes prying the cracks and scratches on the white crystal.

'It's warm...' She mutters as she turns to Graham, confusion cloud her eyes and looks at Grace.

'It's never happened before...' Anariel's gaze returns to the ring and she removes the silver chain from the her neck.

She lowers her head and looks down the gangway at the direction Ryan, Yasmin and the Doctor went off to before looking back at the couple, completely lost.

'Should I?...'

They both spot the uncertainty in Anariel's voice and Graham opens his mouth to speak.

'There was a note with the envelop with the ring in,' he speaks softly, 'it said to only tell you when your ring lit up.'

Anariel stares at him, patience deep in her bones, wondering what his next words will be.

'It's when you meet your soulmate.' He looks into Anariel's bright eyes with a small smile.

'So... her?' Anariel looks down the train before looking back at Graham.

So that's why I felt like that...

'What if... she doesn't want to be with me?' Anariel notices her voice crack as she speaks, worried.

'You haven't even tried yet!' Graham exclaims, 'Daft girl, why think of the worst case scenario when you can think of the best?'

'Then... I'll go now!' Anariel nods, beaming with determination and stuffs the ring in her pocket just as the lights turn on.

Graham quickly removes Anariel glasses and nudges her playfully, 'Go on.'