Professor Keller, chapter 6
Jun. 3rd, 2015 04:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scripsiTitle: Professor Keller
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: R
Genre: Angst/Horror
Length: Multi-chapter; 7/?
Characters: The Master(Delgado), original characters
Warnings: For this chapter; mind games, character death.
Summary: Alison and Peter Grey are living a charmed life, young, wealthy and in love. Until they meet a professor Keller and they find themselves trapped in a nightmare. Set between Terror of the Autons and The Mind of Evil.
AN: There will be some brief violence in this story, but mostly this is about psychological terror. Though there are both het and slash within the story, neither will be explicit. It will, however, nudging at dubious consent, but not explicit and not violent. As it seems right now, it will also take place off-stage. As the events of this story may be triggering, each chapter will have warnings accordingly.
I always listen to music when I write and often I choose music that fits the mood of my writing. And for this fic I find I return to Elvis Costello over and over. Up to a point that I considered naming the chapters after various Elvis Costello songs. I always vaguely connected his music with Doctor Who, possibly because of Man Out of Time, and because his music is often deceptively upbeat and perky, but when you listen to the lyrics they are often rather dark with unexpected twists. So I have been listening to, in particular; Alison, Harpies Bizarre, Broken, Accidents Will Happen and Party Girl.
And for this chapter especially; I Want You.
It's the way your shoulders shake and what they're shaking for
I want you
It's knowing that he knows you now after only guessing
I want you
It's the thought of him undressing you or you undressing
I want you
He tossed some tatty compliment your way
I want you
And you were fool enough to love it when he said
"I want you"
I want you
The truth can't hurt you it's just like the dark
It scares you witless
But in time you see things clear and stark
I want you
Go on and hurt me then we'll let it drop
I want you
I'm afraid I won't know where to stop
I want you
I'm not ashamed to say I cried for you
I want you
I want to know the things you did that we do too
I want you
I want to hear he pleases you more than I do
I want you
I might as well be useless for all it means to you
I want you
Did you call his name out as he held you down
I want you
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
In season the little Cornish village would bustle with tourists, but now, in the last throes of winter, the locals presided mostly undisturbed. Alison and Peter booked themselves into a small hotel which was almost empty and no one seemed much interested in them. During the days they took long silent walks. Both found it difficult to talk to the other and the ease they had always felt in each other's company seemed to have disappeared. Alison went to the library and read everything she could find about hypnosis, but its effect seemed only a pale shadow to what the Master had done to them and gave her no real answers.
The nights were terrible. They both dreamt nightmares; Alison relived the event in the library over and over, waking up feeling alone and frightened. Peter refused to talk about his, but one night when he woke them both with his screams, he told her that the Professor wanted them to come home now.
“Do you hear him in your sleep?” she asked, but Peter shrugged.
“It was just a dream.”
But Alison didn’t quite think it was.
On one of their walks along the sea, Alison finally found the courage to ask what had been haunting her ever since she saw Peter and the Professor in the library;
“Do you love him?”
Peter stopped abruptly. “No! Perhaps. I don’t know.” He looked earnestly at her. “Not like I love you.”
They sat down on the sand and watched the grey sea. The waves rolled in, one after the other and it was easier to look at them than at each other. After a long pause Peter continued, speaking in a slow and hesitant voice.
“But, yes, I think I kind of loved him. Until the library. Then, when I stood there, just outside the door I couldn’t believe I had left you there with him. I wanted to go back, but I couldn’t make myself. When he came out, and I saw you on the floor, I thought he had killed you. And he looked at me and told me it would have been kinder if I had obeyed him and hit you.”
Peter’s fingertips brushed against hers and she turned to look at him, but he was still staring at the water.
“Would it have been better for you if I had?”
“I think I would have preferred to be beaten black and blue, but not by you. Nothing could have been worse than you beating me.”
He nodded, without turning his head. “But before he hurt you… I can’t explain. It’s not men, it’s him. Only him, do you understand? It felt so fantastic to be with him, I felt like he gave me the world.”
And Alison could see what had happened even if it was painful to acknowledge. The Professor had come and given Peter what he had longed for. He had understood and Peter had thought that meant he cared.
“You thought he loved you too.”
“Yes. Yes, I thought he did.”
There was another long silence between them; the only thing that could be heard was the sea and the wind. Alison thought it was not easier just because they had both done the same thing. Mutual betrayal didn’t make the treachery null and void. She didn’t doubt Peter loved her and she knew she loved him still, but she wasn’t sure they would be able to repair the damage done to them. But perhaps the fact they were finally talking was a first step to make it better. So as slowly as Peter and with many pauses, she told him how the Professor had made her feel, spellbound and longing and about the lust and how scared she had been and still was. Alison spoke and watched Peter watching the sea until she was finished. Then he finally turned his head, looking so sad it broke her heart.
“We haven’t done much to be proud over, have we?”
Still, things got better after that. Their nightmares waned and sometimes everything felt perfectly normal between them and they could talk with each other without strain. They even made love one night. It was uneasy and brittle, each touching the other as if they were afraid the touch would break something. Alison could feel the presence of the Professor throughout it and she thought Peter did too, but it was also filled with love. Alison started to feel hopeful they would be able to mend it between them and Peter seemed happier as well.
But they couldn’t stay in their haven forever. Their abrupt departure had left a lot unsettled and bills needed to be paid. They talked about it and they decided that they would go back to London just to make certain they could go away for an even longer period. They both felt it would be safest to travel far, to leave England for as long as they felt they needed it. So Peter called his solicitor to set up a meeting, and they returned to London with a good deal of reluctance and a mutual agreement to not stay any longer than the absolutely needed. Peter went to his meeting and Alison stayed home to pack their bags and make sure Maria would continue to look after their house in their absence.
But long before she had finished with her tasks there was a call from the solicitor, asking why Peter hadn’t come to his appointed time. Alison didn’t know what to do, she was certain that Peter wouldn’t have done anything else than going straight to his meeting. She couldn’t imagine where he could have gone otherwise, and she didn’t dare to go out looking for him because he might come back any minute. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach and she couldn’t keep the worry away. Something must have happened to him, but surely someone would have contacted her by now if there had been an accident?
And then the Professor came, silent as a cat he walked into the living room just as Alison had almost decided that she was going to go out to look for Peter. The sight of him was a shock that rendered her unable to talk or move. But he did not seem angry, instead he took one of her hands in both of his and his voice was very warm and concerned.
“Where have you been? I have been beside myself with worry. Your charming neighbour across the street was kind enough to call me when she saw you had returned. And I’m very glad to see you safely home. Where is Peter?”
“I don’t know where he is!”
Everything poured out of her. She couldn’t help herself; despite it all she felt such a relief to tell the Professor. He would know what to do; he would take care of things. After listening he led her to a sofa and sat down with her.
“I’m sure there is no cause to worry. Peter probably met an old friend and forgot the time. He will turn up again any minute.”
Alison tried to recapture her hand, reminding herself what had happened the last time they met. “Peter wouldn’t do that to me. He knows I would be worried.”
But the Professor didn’t let her go. Instead he made her look at him and when Alison tried to turn away he grasped her chin quite harshly to hold her still.
“You always struggle so, little one. You have to agree with me that your behaviour have been both reckless and inconsiderate. I ought to be very vexed with you, but seeing the state you are in, I suppose I will have to forgive you.”
And Alison nodded and agreed. She tried to pull herself together, but he sounded so reasonable and she found herself soothed by his demeanour. She fell asleep on the sofa, curled up with her head in the Professor’s lap. He caressed her hair and talked to her in a low voice and she relaxed and slipped away and didn’t wake until several hours later when the doorbell rang. Outside were two policemen, and they had come to tell her that Peter was dead.
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: R
Genre: Angst/Horror
Length: Multi-chapter; 7/?
Characters: The Master(Delgado), original characters
Warnings: For this chapter; mind games, character death.
Summary: Alison and Peter Grey are living a charmed life, young, wealthy and in love. Until they meet a professor Keller and they find themselves trapped in a nightmare. Set between Terror of the Autons and The Mind of Evil.
AN: There will be some brief violence in this story, but mostly this is about psychological terror. Though there are both het and slash within the story, neither will be explicit. It will, however, nudging at dubious consent, but not explicit and not violent. As it seems right now, it will also take place off-stage. As the events of this story may be triggering, each chapter will have warnings accordingly.
I always listen to music when I write and often I choose music that fits the mood of my writing. And for this fic I find I return to Elvis Costello over and over. Up to a point that I considered naming the chapters after various Elvis Costello songs. I always vaguely connected his music with Doctor Who, possibly because of Man Out of Time, and because his music is often deceptively upbeat and perky, but when you listen to the lyrics they are often rather dark with unexpected twists. So I have been listening to, in particular; Alison, Harpies Bizarre, Broken, Accidents Will Happen and Party Girl.
And for this chapter especially; I Want You.
It's the way your shoulders shake and what they're shaking for
I want you
It's knowing that he knows you now after only guessing
I want you
It's the thought of him undressing you or you undressing
I want you
He tossed some tatty compliment your way
I want you
And you were fool enough to love it when he said
"I want you"
I want you
The truth can't hurt you it's just like the dark
It scares you witless
But in time you see things clear and stark
I want you
Go on and hurt me then we'll let it drop
I want you
I'm afraid I won't know where to stop
I want you
I'm not ashamed to say I cried for you
I want you
I want to know the things you did that we do too
I want you
I want to hear he pleases you more than I do
I want you
I might as well be useless for all it means to you
I want you
Did you call his name out as he held you down
I want you
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
In season the little Cornish village would bustle with tourists, but now, in the last throes of winter, the locals presided mostly undisturbed. Alison and Peter booked themselves into a small hotel which was almost empty and no one seemed much interested in them. During the days they took long silent walks. Both found it difficult to talk to the other and the ease they had always felt in each other's company seemed to have disappeared. Alison went to the library and read everything she could find about hypnosis, but its effect seemed only a pale shadow to what the Master had done to them and gave her no real answers.
The nights were terrible. They both dreamt nightmares; Alison relived the event in the library over and over, waking up feeling alone and frightened. Peter refused to talk about his, but one night when he woke them both with his screams, he told her that the Professor wanted them to come home now.
“Do you hear him in your sleep?” she asked, but Peter shrugged.
“It was just a dream.”
But Alison didn’t quite think it was.
On one of their walks along the sea, Alison finally found the courage to ask what had been haunting her ever since she saw Peter and the Professor in the library;
“Do you love him?”
Peter stopped abruptly. “No! Perhaps. I don’t know.” He looked earnestly at her. “Not like I love you.”
They sat down on the sand and watched the grey sea. The waves rolled in, one after the other and it was easier to look at them than at each other. After a long pause Peter continued, speaking in a slow and hesitant voice.
“But, yes, I think I kind of loved him. Until the library. Then, when I stood there, just outside the door I couldn’t believe I had left you there with him. I wanted to go back, but I couldn’t make myself. When he came out, and I saw you on the floor, I thought he had killed you. And he looked at me and told me it would have been kinder if I had obeyed him and hit you.”
Peter’s fingertips brushed against hers and she turned to look at him, but he was still staring at the water.
“Would it have been better for you if I had?”
“I think I would have preferred to be beaten black and blue, but not by you. Nothing could have been worse than you beating me.”
He nodded, without turning his head. “But before he hurt you… I can’t explain. It’s not men, it’s him. Only him, do you understand? It felt so fantastic to be with him, I felt like he gave me the world.”
And Alison could see what had happened even if it was painful to acknowledge. The Professor had come and given Peter what he had longed for. He had understood and Peter had thought that meant he cared.
“You thought he loved you too.”
“Yes. Yes, I thought he did.”
There was another long silence between them; the only thing that could be heard was the sea and the wind. Alison thought it was not easier just because they had both done the same thing. Mutual betrayal didn’t make the treachery null and void. She didn’t doubt Peter loved her and she knew she loved him still, but she wasn’t sure they would be able to repair the damage done to them. But perhaps the fact they were finally talking was a first step to make it better. So as slowly as Peter and with many pauses, she told him how the Professor had made her feel, spellbound and longing and about the lust and how scared she had been and still was. Alison spoke and watched Peter watching the sea until she was finished. Then he finally turned his head, looking so sad it broke her heart.
“We haven’t done much to be proud over, have we?”
Still, things got better after that. Their nightmares waned and sometimes everything felt perfectly normal between them and they could talk with each other without strain. They even made love one night. It was uneasy and brittle, each touching the other as if they were afraid the touch would break something. Alison could feel the presence of the Professor throughout it and she thought Peter did too, but it was also filled with love. Alison started to feel hopeful they would be able to mend it between them and Peter seemed happier as well.
But they couldn’t stay in their haven forever. Their abrupt departure had left a lot unsettled and bills needed to be paid. They talked about it and they decided that they would go back to London just to make certain they could go away for an even longer period. They both felt it would be safest to travel far, to leave England for as long as they felt they needed it. So Peter called his solicitor to set up a meeting, and they returned to London with a good deal of reluctance and a mutual agreement to not stay any longer than the absolutely needed. Peter went to his meeting and Alison stayed home to pack their bags and make sure Maria would continue to look after their house in their absence.
But long before she had finished with her tasks there was a call from the solicitor, asking why Peter hadn’t come to his appointed time. Alison didn’t know what to do, she was certain that Peter wouldn’t have done anything else than going straight to his meeting. She couldn’t imagine where he could have gone otherwise, and she didn’t dare to go out looking for him because he might come back any minute. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach and she couldn’t keep the worry away. Something must have happened to him, but surely someone would have contacted her by now if there had been an accident?
And then the Professor came, silent as a cat he walked into the living room just as Alison had almost decided that she was going to go out to look for Peter. The sight of him was a shock that rendered her unable to talk or move. But he did not seem angry, instead he took one of her hands in both of his and his voice was very warm and concerned.
“Where have you been? I have been beside myself with worry. Your charming neighbour across the street was kind enough to call me when she saw you had returned. And I’m very glad to see you safely home. Where is Peter?”
“I don’t know where he is!”
Everything poured out of her. She couldn’t help herself; despite it all she felt such a relief to tell the Professor. He would know what to do; he would take care of things. After listening he led her to a sofa and sat down with her.
“I’m sure there is no cause to worry. Peter probably met an old friend and forgot the time. He will turn up again any minute.”
Alison tried to recapture her hand, reminding herself what had happened the last time they met. “Peter wouldn’t do that to me. He knows I would be worried.”
But the Professor didn’t let her go. Instead he made her look at him and when Alison tried to turn away he grasped her chin quite harshly to hold her still.
“You always struggle so, little one. You have to agree with me that your behaviour have been both reckless and inconsiderate. I ought to be very vexed with you, but seeing the state you are in, I suppose I will have to forgive you.”
And Alison nodded and agreed. She tried to pull herself together, but he sounded so reasonable and she found herself soothed by his demeanour. She fell asleep on the sofa, curled up with her head in the Professor’s lap. He caressed her hair and talked to her in a low voice and she relaxed and slipped away and didn’t wake until several hours later when the doorbell rang. Outside were two policemen, and they had come to tell her that Peter was dead.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2015-06-06 12:17 pm (UTC)And for the nitpick:
"the ease they had always felt in each other company": each other's
"he looked at me and told me it had been kinder if I had obeyed him and hit you.": it would have been kinder?
“Would it had been better for you if I had?”: would it have been
"she was certain that Peter wouldn’t have done anything than going straight to his meeting": anything else than/anything but?
"Where if Peter?": is
"You have to agree with me you both have been behaving very recklessly and rather inconsiderate.": inconsiderately?
no subject
Date: 2015-06-06 03:00 pm (UTC)It's a rather hellish story, I'm afraid. It isn't exactly going well for Alison, poor girl.
The nitpick is, as always, most welcome!
no subject
Date: 2015-06-09 12:29 pm (UTC)Indeed. I'm rather curious what you've got in store for her next ;)
Glad it helps! :)
no subject
Date: 2015-06-09 01:49 pm (UTC)Well, the next chapter is up, so you'll see soon. :)
no subject
Date: 2015-06-12 06:40 pm (UTC)Yay :) ♥
no subject
Date: 2015-06-13 09:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-06-17 05:14 pm (UTC)