22

The day went without event … so much paperwork and so little time. Ianto kept up the coffee and nibbles, fish and chips for lunch and Owen even got extra onion rings as Ianto now watches him shutting down his workstation for the night.

Owen was leaving early for some talk he wanted to sit in on at the hospital and he nods to Toshiko as she gets ready to go too. Ianto is on night shift, wanting time to think in the dark … he likes the dark. Does a lot of thinking in that stuff ya know.

Owen walks Toshiko to the parking lot and then gets on his bike, waves as he goes to take off then she feels something touch her neck making her squeal as she swings to look around but nothing is there.

Just her imagination.

God, she needs a drink. And sleep.

Really … a good shag would be nice but beggars can't be choosers … she will have to settle for that drink. And a both to soak in maybe … she earned that much yesterday on the beach … right? Still … another noise in the dark recesses of the car park and Toshiko moves quickly for her car now.

Toshiko pulls her door closed. Freaked out. She glances in the rear-view and notices something on her neck. Tilts the mirror down for a better look - to see a dark mark on her neck... where sshe could have sworn she felt something touch her just then. Five long steaks down her skin, a larger smudge at the bottom. It looks like a strange handprint. Toshiko stares. Touches it. Black residue comes off on her fingers. Panic surging.

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Toshiko's car speeds down the deserted late night streets. A heavy condensation has built up on the windshield. Toshiko hits the defrost button just as her cell phone on the passenger seat starts RINGING. Toshiko glances over at the caller ID screen - it's Ianto.

She reaches for the phone just as the light turns red. She hits the brakes and the cell phone sliiides off the seat - slipping into the darkness underneath the passenger seat.!

"Shit."

Toshiko is the only car at the intersection. Engine idles... red traffic light bleeding through the night haze.

Toshiko puts the car in park The phone keeps ringing as she leans over... feeling around under the seat for it. And while she's down... we notice a light pole outside the car slowing starts moving. As if somehow - impossibly - the rest of the world is sliding past the stationary car. The pole keeps moving... out of view. ! Toshiko finally finds her phone, sits up - and something doesn't feel right. She looks out her window to see - THAT HER CAR NOW SITS SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. Moved here without her even feeling it.!

"What... the..."

And as she turns back to the front, Toshiko sees something written in the condensation on the windshield

HI TOSHIKO!

Totally frantic, Toshiko turns. Looking out every window into the empty intersection. Who the hell did that?! She hits the windshield wipers, desperate to get rid of that finger written message. !The wipers squeeak back and forth against the glass - but the letters remain. ! Toshiko reaches out and runs her hand across the words and to her horror... it wipes away. It was written on the inside of the car! Her eyes shoot to the rear-view mirror. Checking the back. Nobody there. Just her coat laid across the back seat... ...but something starts to move under her coat. Toshiko keeps her eyes glued to the mirror. Doesn't dare turn around. She keeps watching in disbelief and horror as something takes form under her coat.

Toshiko fumbles with the door but she can't get out. Stuck in the car. She shoots another glance to the rear-view - as a head emerges from under the coat. Can't see a face. Just a dark awful shape. Toshiko struggles with her door. SCREAMING. Unaware that lights are rising on her from the opposite direction. A fast approaching blare of a horn. Toshiko turns - squints into the blinding light.

SMASH!

Her car is literally swept away! There is sudden an empty space of the intersection... as the night falls quiet again.

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Remnants of the accident catch the lights of the emergency vehicles. Broken glass on the road turning into diamonds, emeralds and sapphires.

Toshiko's smashed car is in front of them still ticking down in the cool evening air.

Toshiko sitting on the curb with Ianto's arm around her shoulders as she tries to stop shaking.

"What if you hadn't got here in time?" she whispers.

"But I did and when have I ever not?" he replies softly, still freaked out himself as he looks over at the SUV half on the curb where he had slammed it into park before racing to open her passenger door and snatch her out of the car while looking with horror at the thing in the back seat.

"Is it still there?"

"No" he replies flatly. The strange creature has fled into the night, taking the answers they need with it.