[046]
[after seeing some of the trauma on the sphere network, Oliver tries not to fall asleep. he instead focuses on gathering more supplies from the shops. however, after all that time without sleep, a short break to sit down on a bench quickly turns into a nap.]
[his sleep is even more disturbed than usual. he tosses and flails, occasionally crying out incoherently. exactly three hours, three minutes, and three seconds later, he awakens in the ruins of his room in Kepler, but what he sees around him is instead the lounge of a small house--his parents' house. he stands up from his bed--to him, an old sofa--looking in shock at the three people before him]
Oh, Ollie, you're awake! [the first figure steps toward him--a woman, perhaps in her forties, with a head full of dark curls, a wide smile, a Brummie accent, and tears in her eyes. next to her is a tall man, slightly older, with bits of grey mixing with his own dark hair. he, too, is smiling]
Mum? Dad?
Not just them. [a third figure steps up beside the others--a young woman with longish, wavy blond hair. she is smiling warmly] Welcome back, Ollie.
Chloe...
[Oliver takes a step forward, reaching out to her when, suddenly, his body stops. the next voice to speak, to Oliver, is only in his head, but the sphere picks it up as though it's really there]
We'll have to thank the Doctor for bringing me to them.
[Oliver's eyes widen in horror] What? [he is still standing stiffly, one arm reaching forward, as though he can't move. his struggle is clear in his gaze] No! You can't be here! Not anymore!
[the voice begins to laugh--and then suddenly the laughter is coming from Oliver himself, even as his eyes reflect his horror. this continues for several seconds before Oliver appears to step out of his own body. a horrified Oliver is left standing, still reaching. he appears indistinct now, even to himself, although the effect is only part of the illusion]
[a "real" Oliver stands in front of him, sneering at three alarmed and confused family members. his gaze is dark]
Now. Time for Oliver and I to enjoy ourselves.
[his mother's expression turns from joy to confusion--and fear] Ollie? What?
NO!!!!!!!!!
[as Oliver screams, his other self moves forward with inhuman speed, going for his father first, grabbing him around his throat and squeezing tight. in only seconds, there is a snap, and the Puppeteer drops his father's body to the floor]
[Oliver's scream cuts off as he stares in horror] No... [he takes several steps forward, grabbing at himself, trying to pull him back, but the other Oliver simply turns and slaps him across the face, sending him flying into a wall with a grunt]
It's what you want, after all. He never understood you. You want him dead.
[Oliver tries to scramble back to his feet, his face red] I don't! STOP IT!
[but the Puppeteer has already turned back to his shaking mother] For you, I'll make it quick. After all, he wouldn't want you to be left here to suffer alone.
[Oliver throws himself at his other self, but the Puppeteer doesn't even flinch, snapping his mother's neck before pushing Oliver, sending him into the wall again] Wait your turn, Oliver. There's one more to die first.
[Chloe is backing away toward the door, staring at Oliver in utter horror] Ollie, please...what's wrong? What are you doing?
Stay away from her! YOU CAN'T!
[the other Oliver turns to grin at him even as he advances on Chloe] We're going to enjoy this.
[Oliver scrambles to his feet, rushing across the room, trying to step between them. he grabs at Chloe's arm, but he's indistinct, and he seems to meet a wall, unable to touch her. the Puppeteer, however, has no trouble touching him. it grabs his arm, its grip vice-like, even as it slaps Chloe across the face with its other hand, sending her sprawling into the wall, crying out in pain] Just watch. [it uses Oliver's arm to throw him to the ground, right at Chloe's feet. then it bends down itself, reaching out to stroke her cheek. Chloe is shaking and crying, pleading softly with him, with Ollie, to stop. the Puppeteer grins and locks its hands around her neck]
No. NO! NOOOOOO!!!!!!! [Oliver claws at its arms, right there in front of him, but he can't touch them, and the Puppeteer just keeps squeezing, watching Chloe as the light goes out of her eyes and she goes limp. then it drops her on the floor] NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Oliver lunges for her limp body, trying to pick her up, to touch her, to do anything]
[the Puppeteer just laughs, coming up behind him. it calmly reaches out and snaps his neck]
[several moments later, Oliver rises from the sofa in the room to find his family looking at him with smiles]
Oh, Ollie, you're awake!
[Oliver sinks to the floor, horrified]
[his sleep is even more disturbed than usual. he tosses and flails, occasionally crying out incoherently. exactly three hours, three minutes, and three seconds later, he awakens in the ruins of his room in Kepler, but what he sees around him is instead the lounge of a small house--his parents' house. he stands up from his bed--to him, an old sofa--looking in shock at the three people before him]
Oh, Ollie, you're awake! [the first figure steps toward him--a woman, perhaps in her forties, with a head full of dark curls, a wide smile, a Brummie accent, and tears in her eyes. next to her is a tall man, slightly older, with bits of grey mixing with his own dark hair. he, too, is smiling]
Mum? Dad?
Not just them. [a third figure steps up beside the others--a young woman with longish, wavy blond hair. she is smiling warmly] Welcome back, Ollie.
Chloe...
[Oliver takes a step forward, reaching out to her when, suddenly, his body stops. the next voice to speak, to Oliver, is only in his head, but the sphere picks it up as though it's really there]
We'll have to thank the Doctor for bringing me to them.
[Oliver's eyes widen in horror] What? [he is still standing stiffly, one arm reaching forward, as though he can't move. his struggle is clear in his gaze] No! You can't be here! Not anymore!
[the voice begins to laugh--and then suddenly the laughter is coming from Oliver himself, even as his eyes reflect his horror. this continues for several seconds before Oliver appears to step out of his own body. a horrified Oliver is left standing, still reaching. he appears indistinct now, even to himself, although the effect is only part of the illusion]
[a "real" Oliver stands in front of him, sneering at three alarmed and confused family members. his gaze is dark]
Now. Time for Oliver and I to enjoy ourselves.
[his mother's expression turns from joy to confusion--and fear] Ollie? What?
NO!!!!!!!!!
[as Oliver screams, his other self moves forward with inhuman speed, going for his father first, grabbing him around his throat and squeezing tight. in only seconds, there is a snap, and the Puppeteer drops his father's body to the floor]
[Oliver's scream cuts off as he stares in horror] No... [he takes several steps forward, grabbing at himself, trying to pull him back, but the other Oliver simply turns and slaps him across the face, sending him flying into a wall with a grunt]
It's what you want, after all. He never understood you. You want him dead.
[Oliver tries to scramble back to his feet, his face red] I don't! STOP IT!
[but the Puppeteer has already turned back to his shaking mother] For you, I'll make it quick. After all, he wouldn't want you to be left here to suffer alone.
[Oliver throws himself at his other self, but the Puppeteer doesn't even flinch, snapping his mother's neck before pushing Oliver, sending him into the wall again] Wait your turn, Oliver. There's one more to die first.
[Chloe is backing away toward the door, staring at Oliver in utter horror] Ollie, please...what's wrong? What are you doing?
Stay away from her! YOU CAN'T!
[the other Oliver turns to grin at him even as he advances on Chloe] We're going to enjoy this.
[Oliver scrambles to his feet, rushing across the room, trying to step between them. he grabs at Chloe's arm, but he's indistinct, and he seems to meet a wall, unable to touch her. the Puppeteer, however, has no trouble touching him. it grabs his arm, its grip vice-like, even as it slaps Chloe across the face with its other hand, sending her sprawling into the wall, crying out in pain] Just watch. [it uses Oliver's arm to throw him to the ground, right at Chloe's feet. then it bends down itself, reaching out to stroke her cheek. Chloe is shaking and crying, pleading softly with him, with Ollie, to stop. the Puppeteer grins and locks its hands around her neck]
No. NO! NOOOOOO!!!!!!! [Oliver claws at its arms, right there in front of him, but he can't touch them, and the Puppeteer just keeps squeezing, watching Chloe as the light goes out of her eyes and she goes limp. then it drops her on the floor] NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Oliver lunges for her limp body, trying to pick her up, to touch her, to do anything]
[the Puppeteer just laughs, coming up behind him. it calmly reaches out and snaps his neck]
[several moments later, Oliver rises from the sofa in the room to find his family looking at him with smiles]
Oh, Ollie, you're awake!
[Oliver sinks to the floor, horrified]