DW Fic: Event Horizon

[intrikate88]

Title: Event Horizon
Author: intrikate88
Rating: G
Pairing: Doctor/Rose
Spoilers: Post-Doomsday
Word Count: 418
Summary: Lonely beach, lonely Rose. A stream-of-consciousness reflection piece.

Afterwards, hours later when her father has ceased to attempt reasoning with her and her mother has stopped trying to console her, Rose stands at the top of the cliffs overlooking the beach. The cliffs neatly surround the beach; only the steeply-sloping trail they drove down allows access to the place she had stood with him, for those two minutes he could stay.

There are a lot of things you need to get across this universe, but you know the thing you need most of all? he had asked her, not that long ago. Only a lifetime ago. He’d answered his own question. You need a hand to hold.

The coldness of the metal railing bites through her knitted armwarmers. She is grateful for this strange sensation against her palms; it is something that she can observe from the empty, echo-y place inside her, as if she is someone else. Would she like to be someone else right now? Wind whips her hair across her face, and she does not move to tuck it away: why restrain it now, when she never has before?

But nothing is like it was before, she doesn’t let herself think. And some part of me should be free even if I’m left behind and stuck here. Those thoughts aren’t the ones she wants to have, and they don’t belong to the person she’s grown to be. That’s old, shopgirl, bus-riding Rose. She couldn’t be that girl again if she tried, not after meeting the whole wonderful world face-to-face.

The ocean pounds against the beach, a few hundred feet below her. The tide is coming in, filling up the cove and bringing water to leap over the rocks and find the hidden crevices below. It occurs to her now that she doesn’t know how far this ocean extends, or what’s on the other side of it- Greenland, perhaps? Or somewhere else altogether? Momentarily distracted, she wonders how far she could go if she borrowed her father’s lorry and picked a road to drive down at random. Rose turns; the rocky coastline of Norway extends as far as she can see in either direction, the ocean behind her and a road in front of her.

Rose steps away from the railing, onto the road. It curves away, out of sight, and she doesn’t know where she’s going, but maybe around some near or distant bend, somewhere away from this shrinking beach, that hand that fit hers so well will slip into it once again.

Comments

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

*le sigh* Excellent work on this one. But I think I told you that already. :)

[kayling.livejournal.com]

Ooh is this the one you wrote for class? I likey!

[intrikate88.livejournal.com]

Why yes it is! I'm glad you likey! :D

[intrikate88.livejournal.com]

Well it's always fun to be told so again! *HUGS*

[ninamazing.livejournal.com]

Oh - I love seeing Rose like this.

What I liked the most about this piece was the reminder that for most of us, the world is a big enough place to explore. I doubt anybody needs a TARDIS to keep things exciting, but all too often we forget that. Thanks so much for bringing that feeling back. <3

[intrikate88.livejournal.com]

<333

YES AND YES. Cause Rose is awesome, and learned some awesome things from traveling with the Doctor, so it's NOT necessary to feel trapped in a giant fabulous new universe to explore, even if she does miss him. I'm glad you liked this. :D

[hippiebanana132.livejournal.com]

That was lovely, especially the last line and this one: She couldn’t be that girl again if she tried, not after meeting the whole wonderful world face-to-face.

[intrikate88.livejournal.com]

Well, y'know. Alliteration kicks ass.

Thanks for commenting! I'm so happy you liked it!

[intrikate88.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'm so glad you liked this. Thanks!