"That'll be five quid love," the man behind the register mused, as he placed a pack of cigarettes on the counter.
A girl with wild brown curls handed the man some money and shoved the pack of cigarettes deep in the pocket of her leather jacket.
"Thanks," she breathed. The girl turned around and quickly left the store.
A cold breeze greeted her as she stepped outside. She pulled up the collar of her jacket and then grabbed the pack of cigarettes out of her pocket. Taking one out, she turned to face the entrance of the shop, as she tried to light it.
"Oh for god's sake!" she hissed, as her attempt to shield the cigarette from the freezing wind failed. A second attempt proved to be more successful.
Dani McCrae was an ordinary girl on her way to nowhere in particular. With the cigarette between her lips, she walked down the street. She passed a few half-empty stores. Dani used to come here often with her mum. They'd browse each and every one of these stores. Clothes shopping, she used to love it.
Gazing through the window of one of the shops, Dani couldn't help but get an eerie sensation at the sight of the seemingly neglected display. There was a half-dressed mannequin, a pile of folded jeans and blouses next to it. And for some reason, a single leather glove, and that was it. Dani took a step backwards, shaking her head at the sight.
"The hell is up with that?" she breathed, taking the cigarette out of her mouth.
"I know! I had hoped to find a decent hat, but I don't think they'll be selling anything cool here," a voice mused from behind her.
Dani gasped for air, heart thundering in her chest as she looked up. She gazed up at the reflection in the shop's window and saw that there was someone standing behind her. A tall man with brown, slightly messy, hair. He was wearing a long coat and a bow tie. His arms were folded and he now seemed to be looking at Dani, expecting some kind of response.
"You wouldn't happen to know where I can find something cool, would you?" he asked.
Dani turned around and faced the stranger. She brought the cigarette to her lips again, and frowned.
"Who are you?" she said. The lack of hesitation in her voice seemed to surprise the stranger. Yet the surprise on his face quickly converted into a playful grin.
"Let's just say I'm someone that's in need of something cool and new," he mused, as he took a step closer towards the girl. He gazed over her shoulder into the store and hummed. "Something's off," he breathed.
"What are you talking about?" Dani exclaimed, taking a step backwards. "Who are you?"
The stranger looked down at Dani and smiled politely.
"I'm the Doctor," he said.
"Whatever," Dani groaned. She turned and started walking away from the stranger with the bow tie. She wasn't going to let herself get all worked up over some empty stores and a strange guy that had now pressed his nose against the glass, still examining the store's display.
"I'm pretty positive something's off!" the man shouted, tapping his fingers on the glass. He turned his head and threw a glance at the girl. "Don't worry though, I'll figure it out!" he continued, raising his voice so that Dani would still be able to hear him.
Dani slowed down her pace and frowned. What was he yelling about? She didn't quite understand, but again felt no urge to turn back around and ask the stranger what the bloody hell was up with him and the empty stores. The sound of shattering glass suddenly filled the air. Dani gasped for air as she turned around almost instantly. The man who had called himself the Doctor, was lying on the pavement, surrounded by the shattered glass of the shop's window he had been gazing into.
The man let out a groan and pushed himself upright. He brushed fragments of glass off his coat and frowned as he looked up at the store.
"Okay, exploding shop windows," he breathed.
"Are you alright?" Dani asked, as she carefully walked back towards the stranger, who had now gotten back to his feet. The girl with the wild hair came to a halt before the windowless shop and looked at the man with a worried expression on her face.
"I'm fine, I'm fine! I just need t-", rather than finishing his sentence, the man suddenly rushed inside the store.
Dani let out a gasp of air as she saw the man flung himself at the half-dressed mannequin. A loud sound echoed through the building as both the man and the mannequin fell to the floor. Dani took a step backwards and gazed at the store in terror. The man had gone out of sight.
"What the hell are you doing?" she exclaimed.
After a short silence, the man jumped back up, swinging the mannequin's arm victoriously in the air. He stepped out on the pavement again and turned to face Dani, whose gaze was still reading shock.
"Don't worry, false alarm!" the man mused.
"Why'd you do that?" Dani exclaimed.
"Well I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation that you would understand, and it would all make perfect sense,"
"And?" Dani demanded, folding her arms.
"Yeah I might be wrong about that," the man mused, scratching his head with the plastic limb. He turned around and gazed down the street. "Is it always this quiet?"
"Hardly anyone comes here anymore, not since the big shopping center opened, two blocks from here," Dani explained. "But why'd you jump the doll? It doesn't make sense,"
"Ah, shopping centers. Love a good shopping center! From the outside, it hardly ever looks like there's much to it, but for some reason it always seems bigger on the inside," the stranger mused. As he noticed the unsatisfied expression on the girl's face he frowned. "Ah yes, the doll," he breathed, throwing a glance at the plastic arm. "Old friend of mine,"
"That makes even less sense!" Dani groaned.
"Okay. Dolls, bad. Dolls tried to kill people. I stopped them. This doll however, just an unfortunate look-a-like," the man explained, using the plastic limb to gesture with. Dani opened her mouth to protest, but the man gently covered the girl's mouth with the plastic hand. "It's true, now hush, we still haven't figured out how the glass of this window went -boom- , by its self."
"We?" Dani breathed, pushing away the plastic arm.
"Yeah, you, me and mister plastic here," the stranger explained, a wide grin on his face.
Dani shook her head. This was too much crazy for her to cope with. Exploding windows, bow-tie-wearing men and killer mannequins? All of a sudden Dani began to question whether what she had bought at the store had really been just a pack of cigarettes. She tossed the cigarette away, and looked at the man.
"Look, I'm not interested in your kind of crazy. I'll be on my way," she said. Yet before she could turn around, something knocked her off her feet. Letting out a pained groan, Dani slammed against the pavement. The stranger quickly hurried to her side and helped her to her feet.
"Are you alright?" he asked, keeping one arm firmly wrapped around the girl's shoulder, making sure she wouldn't fall over until she regained her balance.
"I'm fine," Dani breathed, squinting her eyes as a stinging sensation shot down her spine. "What the hell was that?"
"Something invisible,"
"Not a doll then?"
The man smiled. "No, this is a different kind of crazy," he mused.
"What was your name again?" Dani muttered, rubbing her head.
"I'm the Doctor,"
"Just-"
"Just the Doctor yes,"