Open Doors (AUDIO Story)

**Open Doors** is the first episode of the DWA series.

## Summary

The newly regenerated 14th Doctor crashes down to modern-day Earth with a bang, upheaving the tattered life of Jason Whittaker, a gay, homeless teenager looking for reasons to keep on going. Both are soon thrown into a darkened conspiracy, a town plagued by shadows, stealing people away in the dark. But who is the Unknown Shade? How do they know the Doctor? And can she rediscover herself to save the day before the world is engulfed in shadow?

## Plot

(To be added)

Jason Whittaker tells a story of his life, living on the streets of Stockton.

> *"Being homeless isn’t what you’d think. You’d assume it’s all begging and knife crime, but it’s worse than that. It’s a constant reminder, day in, day out, that you have nothing. That’s where I was. No family. No friends. Nobody who cared for me. All I could trust to look out for me was myself. And then... I met a woman called the Doctor."*
>
>

Nearby, the TARDIS is crashing. Frantically, the newly regenerated Time Lord rushes to see her new appearance while arguing with her time machine for control. A mysterious figure watches on as they land, acknowledging the Time Lord's arrival. Jason is jolted awake by the crash to a dark shelter, illuminated slowly as Bernie lights the candles that they have lying around. In the distance, Jason hears eerie whispers but the old man brushes them off as his imagination.

The town centre is buzzing with activity: a street performer is singing, a charity worker raises money for the rainforest and a preacher declares his beliefs to anyone who would listen. Jason wilfully asks passers by for any loose change they can spare with little to no luck. A families face appears, Damien; the two share an awkward second before he hurries away into the crowd. Tommi and Wilson join their friend, declaring that they haven't had any luck either. A girl threw her coffee in Wilson's face which he considers a success, especially since the beverage was cold. He suggests pickpocketing someone to get money, using Oliver Twist references to feign subtlety, and his friend's suggest the nearby Preacher. Jason confronts the man and the two discuss 'the decline of society': progressive attitudes such as abortion and LGBTQ+ lifestyles. Jason audibly winces when homosexuality is mentioned and counters by saying that there are worse social issues such as homelessness though his oponent claims that while he agrees, he is not in a position to fix this. The homeless boy makes a lewd comment about alter boys which riles up the Preacher enough to make him aware of Tommi and Wilson taking his wallet.

The three run away, splitting up to avoid being caught. Once Wilson believes that he is safely out of sight, he stops for a breath likening his pickpocket skills to the Artful Dodger. He has found himself in a dark alleyway which wouldn't have caused any concern if not for the rumours of people disappearing and being swallowed by their own shadows. Wilson tries to convince himself that they're just stories until he sees his own shadow a few feet away from him in the alley. The shadow moves towards him and overcomes him, leaving no sign of Wilson. Tommi runs past, calling for her friend who is now nowhere to be found. While searching, she stumbles upon the Tardis which has crash landed in the middle of Elhart lane. She pushes the doors open, amazed at the size of the interior.

Back in the town centre, a beggar asks Jason for any change; he points out that he also has no money but gives her what he has, knowing that he'd appreciate the gesture if the roles were reversed. He recommends Bernie's shelter to the lady but she declines, saying that the shelter is 'full of crazies'. Jason returns to the shelter and asks after his two friends but Bernie says they must still be 'running from the coppers', aware of the illegal things the trio do to make what money they can. Jason doesn't care whether he ends up in a cell as it'd be a good way to get a good night sleep, not like the police care about the homeless. At that moment, Tommi rushes in, unable to find her friend but not letting anyone spot her worry. She tells her friend about the TARDIS and suggests returning to empty the place out, much to the disapproval of the old man. Once Bernie is out of sight, the pair head over.

As they walk to the time machine, the pair joke about one of Jason's memories of his childhood of watching a television show with skeleton monsters and being afraid that his own skeleton was going to kill him in the night. His Dad had attempted to reassure the panic-stricken 8-year-old by saying that he'd be dead long before the skeleton could kill him which did not help to ease the child's worries.

They reach the TARDIS and push through the open doors, revelling in the technology around. Jason notices that the shape of the room is different to the shape of the building that they initially believed to be behind the doors but Tommi brushes him off, having just discovered the unconscious Time Lord. Jason realises that she's alive but notices something unusual about her pulse, the irregularity caused by her two hearts. Scared of getting caught, Tommi flees the scene. Her friend tries to run after her but the Doctor awakes and the TARDIS doors slam shut before he can escape. He pulls out his switchblade to defend himself but is told to put it away by the unphased woman. She does not respond positively to the trespasser but is distracted by an overwhelming sense of nostalgia and a craving for poached eggs. Checking her reflection in the monitor, she notices that a hostile alien presence has been detected outside and the pair rush out to investigate.

Outside the TARDIS, the Doctor calls out to the life form but as she steps out, the doors lock behind her. After pleading with the machine, to no avail, they spot the shadow of a hand. The Doctor tries to identify the entity using her sonic screwdriver but the shadow takes and absorbs it. While the Time Lord protests, Jason flees, bumping into Tommi who was waiting around the corner. Jason tells her that he saw a shadow and that the rumours are real before noticing that Tommi's shadow is missing a hand.

They return to the shelter to find the Doctor waiting for them. Surprised as to how she knew where to find them, the Doctor claimed that she recognised the kindred spirits and naturally gravitated to the shelter. She asks about the shadow, picking up on the fact that Jason seemed to know what he was facing. He explains the rumours about missing people and that there are claims that the shadows are swallowing people

## Characters

* The Doctor
* Jason Whittaker
* Bernie McTighe
* Tommi Davies
* Wilson Stevens
* Unknown Shade
* Damien Drake
* Charity Worker
* Preacher
* Homeless Woman
* Sheila
* Wayne