Five Years Earlier…
"Who are you and what are you doing in my flat?" Mum demanded. The man in the grey military coat turned to face us. It was like he stepped out of a history book.
"This device you have here, it's in very good condition." He said, picking it up. I looked at Mum, confused.
"Who is he?"
"I have no idea." Mum glared at him. "I do not wish to ask you again. Who are you?"
"Captain Jack Harkness." Jack answered. "I'm recruiting."
"Recruiting for what?" Mum demanded.
"Why would I tell you until you proved me that you two are up for the job?"
"Shyla, go and get some rest." Mum told me. "You got a school trip tomorrow."
"Where are you going, Shyla?" Jack asked.

"I'm going to the visitors centre in Cardiff to see Macbeth."
"But, you look too young to be seeing things like Macbeth!" Jack exclaimed. "How old are you, nine?"
"Yes, I'm nine."
"Shyla, bed, please." When Mum talked in that voice, I knew that she was being very serious.

When I was ready for bed, Mum came through. "Sorry about that." She said. "I just had to get him out of the flat."
"Who was he?"
"I have no idea. Come on, Shyla. Settle down, please. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

The next day, the coach drew to a stop outside the visitors centre by the water tower. "Remember," my teacher, Mr White, began. "You are representing the school, so be on your best behaviour." Beside me, Callum Stormarc smiled. Knowing him, he thought about pulling a few pranks. My other best friend, Megan Smith, looked angelic. She was going to be as good as gold.

As we trooped into the theatre, I noticed something odd about the visitors centre. It seemed to be a lot darker than I remembered. The whispering began. "Quiet!" Mr White yelled. He never has a quiet voice, so when he told off Callum for setting off a stink bomb a few days earlier, we heard every word.

As I was getting into the gist of the play, instead of the normal actor for Macbeth walking on, a strange creature raced on in his place. Looking closer, I noticed that it was not a creature you would find on Earth. I stayed calm, knowing that would be the best thing to do, rather than panicking like most of my other classmates. Callum and Megan joined me as we walked down to the stage, where the creature was terrorizing the actors. "Stop!" I yelled. The creature looked at me. It seemed angry. "Can you talk?" I asked.

"Everyone, get out!" Captain Jack just burst in. Everyone ran out except me. I ran onstage and picked up a prop to defend myself with. It was at that point Mum ran in. I hit the creature on the head and it turned to me, snarling. Most normal nine year old girls would run away screaming, but not me. I wasn't normally scared, even at that age. I held the prop up, prepared to strike again. Captain Jack then indicated for Mum to hit him over the head. Mum grabbed another prop and hit the creature over the head, knocking it out. Captain Jack then covered its head so that no one could see it.

We helped him towards a car, which Mum identified as a SUV. We shoved the creature in, when Jack said something startling. "Remember when we met yesterday, I said I was recruiting. It would be helpful if you two were on my team."
"So, is this what you do?" Mum asked. "You catch aliens?"
"I'll tell you both more when we get to your new workplace."
"Workplace?!" I cried. "But I'm still nine! I have to go to school."
"I got it worked out. Just drop out of school and say that you are being home tutored."
"But my friends-"
"Can they keep secrets?"
"Yes."
"Then you can tell them what you do."

Captain Jack drove us to a small tourist centre close by. It was the Roald Dahl plass. He led us in. He pushed a button that was hidden under the desk and went back to get the creature and then he led us through into what he called the hub. "It's amazing." I breathed.
"Well, if I'm going to recruit you two, I'll need your names."
"I'm Suzie Costello." Mum said.
"And I'm guessing that you're Shyla Costello?"
"Yes, that's right." I said.
"Well, Suzie, Shyla, welcome to Torchwood."

That was how everything changed, for the first time.