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LAKE PLACID

It's night-time and over the dark water the distant cry of a Loon echoes around the lake.

The loon continues its hypnotic call, as the steamy mist lifts off the dark water, which doesn't even ripple. The loon continues her nocturnal cry, as we savour the beauty of the lake, the elegance of the bird, and the haunting echo of her lonely call... until suddenly the bird is crisply pulled under, silenced forever. A lone feather surfaces and floats.

"And they pay you for this? To tag beaver?" a Scottish brogue breaks the silence,

"Yeah, imagine that" Keirin is dressed in a Scottish Fish and Game uniform looking down from a boat.

Next to him is Sherriff Archibald, paunch, disposition of an untipped waiter. "Ask me, what an animal does in the wild is his own business so long as he doesn't do it to man. I think Mark Twain said that."

"I think he didn't. But since you've said it, I guess we're covered." Keirin snorted.

Archie holds a stare. Keirin drops overboard. Archie pulls a Twinkie from his pocket. Begins to unwrap.

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LONDON - MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Ianto Jones, handsome, thirty, as Lisa Hallett, early forties, approaches. "Ianto."

Ianto turned and answers warmly "Lisa, hey."

He beams affection, she exudes a little discomfort.

"Hi. Listen. Could I steal you a second?" Lisa asks.

A great idea according to Ianto's face lighting up "Absolutely."

They enter Lisa's office, she closes the door. "I had a great time last night. Again."

"Me too." Ianto enthuses then reading her look, he suddenly smells it. His face drops. "That's not what you came to say."

"You work for me. I'm not comfortable with- y'know, 'us'..." she says gently and Ianto looks more than a little crushed.

"I was working for you when 'us' started, what's…" Ianto starts but Lisa holds up her hand to stop him.

"I know and I thought I could handle it but work and pleasure along with somebody else, it's a dangerous mix." Lisa shrugs.

"Lisa, as long as we..." Ianto suddenly hesitates "What was that last part?"

Sheepishly Lisa asks "The somebody else part?"

"Yeah, that part. There's...somebody who's um..."

Lisa looks like she feels terrible "Else."

A beat.

"Oh. Oh. That's okay. Well. This uh... this probably wasn't meant to be, y'know. I mean, I'm... God, I gotta be ten years younger and you, you... you're y'know..." Ianto knows he is floundering but is still in shock that this woman he was starting to pin his future on was fucking two timing him?

"A jerk."

"Oh..." Ianto blinks, then stammers "No, no, I'm not angry I'm not, I'm just thrown, I'm... (checks his watch) I actually have an early lunch, so..."

"It's ten after nine."

"Yes, well..." Ianto says smiling "famished."

And he rushes out of the room.

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Keirin dives down, visibility is lousy. Whether it's algae or dense vegetation, the water is extremely murky.

Archie unwraps the second Twinkie.

Keirin continues to swim.

Not much to look at. Then suddenly... no, just a snapping turtle swimming away. Keirin descends a little deeper. He loves it beneath the water, there's a tranquillity he can find nowhere else. Next best thing to meditation. Suddenly, he stops kicking.

An ell, it must be almost three feet in length.

Keirin flippers himself closer, wants a closer look. The snake seems unimpressed. Then suddenly, the eel lunges at him, misses. Shit. Keirin's look says "what the fuck?" A beat. Then the eel swims off. Keirin relaxes. A beat. But then... he looks around, uneasy. He gets this feeling he's not alone down there. Looks about, nothing but murky water. But he's not alone, we can feel he's not alone.

He looks left, right... then... four eels, swimming, hovering, looking back at him. What's with these eels? Keirin decides he'll go back to the boat. Then... BOOM. Something hits him... and it's no eel.

Archie. Oblivious. Waiting. Suddenly- Keirin comes thrusting up with a scream!

"Sheriff!" And Keirin is promptly yanked back under.

"Hey!"

Upon which Keirin surfaces. He swims frantically for a beat before he's suddenly yanked under again. Then he surfaces, thrashing as Archie speeds over with the boat. He takes hold of him and pulls him on board. Actually... what's left of him. There's nothing below the waist. Keirin is just a bleeding torso, though still conscious.

"Jesus Christ." Archie gasps clenching around Keirin's arm.

He knows he's done.

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A T-Rex is angry and out for blood.

Ianto is watching an old classic creature feature. Alone, slowly eating popcorn, rapt, tense... watching the movie. As the suspense builds, his hand freezes halfway between the popcorn bag and his mouth.

The monster pursues its human victim.

Ianto jumps with fear on his face.

The monster makes its final surge, capturing its prey.

Ianto screams with fear and delight. His scream is only partially muted by the shrieks of the other moviegoers.

After a beat, he calms, daring to eat popcorn again. Wearing gullibility, vulnerability all over his face. Then from behind a hand appears, taps his shoulder, causing him to let loose with the most blood-curdling scream of all.

All the moviegoers turn to See Daimen. Thirties, standing mortified; the man who tapped him on the shoulder.

Ianto and Daimen emerge from the movie theatre.

"What do you expect, mugging me from behind?" Ianto demands, really fed up with the day now as most of the popcorn was left on the floor.

"I tapped you."

"Well you shouldn't have. How did you even know where I was.

With a sarcastic snort Daimen replies "Wild guess."

"I don't like to be scared, Daimo mate, I have a thing about fright, don't ever scare me."

"Lisa told me you were upset."

"Really? I never realized she was so psychic, how could she detect that, did she tell you there's somebody else?" Ianto snarls, then glances at his friend who has slowed his walking.

"Well... she didn't have to tell me that part." Daimen says sheepishly.

Ianto freezes. Stares at him. "You?"

"It started before you, Ianto, I never would've—"

" You?"

"It was just a quick thing which we thought was over, and …. and..."

"You and Lisa." Ianto clarifies with horror.

"It wasn't supposed to happen, I don't know what to say..." Daimen splutters as Ianto blinks slowly.

A beat.

"You don't know what to say, lucky for you action speaks louder than words." Ianto snorts, his hurt now coming off him on waves. His friend. His best friend from childhood who only got the bloody job because he spoke up for him and….fucker.

"Ianto—"

"I'm not upset, Daimen, okay. I just never thought of you as a y'know..."

"Backstabber?"

"No."

"Liar?"

"Daimen" Ianto slumps, he has lost his only true friend. He knows this now, his relationship with Lisa has been for over three years, Daimen had only come to London last Christmas. Lisa has played them and chosen the one she wants.

"Shitbutt?"

"I really... I should get back." And Ianto peels off to go on his way. Bumps into a Pedestrian.

He then gives him an angry shove, muttering to the pedestrian "Don't fuck with me!"

And off he goes into traffic without looking, miraculously making it to the other side.

The Pedestrian and Daimen exchange a look.