Sally Sparrow upturned her coat against the cold and the rain. It didn’t do much good. Her long blonde hair was already soaked and she had the distinct feeling she’d wake up tomorrow with a cold. She shivered and hugged herself. Up ahead, was the house. Wester Drumlins. The house was tall and dark. The lightning flashed illuminating it. Sally shivered. That gave her the creeps. She approached the gates and froze. She’d been looking at the house and, just for a moment, saw movement in one of the windows. She stared for a few moments. When whatever it was didn’t move again, she shook it off as a trick of the light.
The gates barred her way and were locked tight. Multiple signs hung from it with various variations of “Keep Out”, “No Entry”, “Strictly No Admittance” upon them. Sally ignored them and clambered over the gate. It wasn’t hard. She’d done it a hundred times before. Sally dropped on the other side of the gate, landing on her feet. She’d always been quite agile. She dusted herself off and walked to the door. It was old and quite rusted. Sally turned the handle and gave the door the solid push with her shoulder she always did to open it. She entered Wester Drumlins.
Sally loved this house. She used to visit it all the time. She hadn’t been there for a few years now. Work, social life, various reasons. Sally entered the living room. The collapsed chandelier was still where it was. Sally pulled out her camera and snapped a few pictures. A few more to add to the collection. Sally spun, taking pictures of the room. And then she saw it. A statue of an Angel in the garden. It was beautifully carved and seemed to be made of very old stone. The Angel’s hands covered it’s face as if it was weeping. Sally took a picture of it. She didn’t remember seeing it before, but maybe her memory was hazy. Sally then looked at the wall. The peeling wallpaper was beautiful, in a sad way. She raised her camera to take a picture when she noticed something. She walked forwards. There appeared to be writing under the wallpaper. She grabbed hold and pulled. The writing revealed itself.
BEWARE THE WEEPING ANGEL
Sally turned to look at the statue in the garden. Confused, Sally pulled more of the wallpaper off. And more. And more. Until the whole wallpaper lay on the floor and the writing was on full display.
OH, AND DUCK.
NO REALLY, DUCK.
REALLY, I’M BEING SERIOUS. DUCK.
DUCK!
SALLY SPARROW DUCK NOW!
Sally gasped and took a step back. Then she heard movement behind her. Trusting her instincts Sally ducked. A rock flew just where her head was moments before and hit the wall. If Sally didn’t move when she did, she dreaded to think. Sally stood up and looked at the direction where the rock came from. There was nothing but the statue. Sally frowned, confused. She looked back at the wall and noticed a bit of writing she didn’t notice before.
-LOVE FROM THE DOCTOR, 1969
Sally picked up the spare key and let herself into the flat. Kathy didn’t mind. Well, she did but Sally did it all the time so Kathy was just used to it. Sally made her way up the steps. The TV in Kathy’s front room was playing. Sally wandered in and noticed there were multiple televisions of multiple shapes and sizes. On all of them, a grey haired man was sat in front of a plain background. On one of the televisions, a dark haired woman of around Sally’s age leaned in from the side. The man was speaking on one of the sets.
“They’re coming. They’re coming for you. Listen, your life could depend on this. Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast, faster than you believe. Don’t turn your back, don’t look away. And don’t blink. Good luck.”
Sally shivered. Spooky. She headed to the kitchen.
Kathy was woken by her mobile phone ringing. She glanced at the clock and groaned, running a hand through her short black hair. Kathy picked up her phone and answered it.
“Hello?”
“Bit freaked. Need to talk. Making you a coffee,” Sally’s voice came over the phone.
“Sally Sparrow, it’s one in the morning. Do you think I’m coming round at one in the morning?”
“No. I’m in the kitchen,” Sally said as she boiled the kettle. “What’s with all those screens in your front room?”
A toilet flushed. Kathy froze.
“Sally! You’ve met my brother Larry haven’t you?” She hissed quickly.
“No.” Sally said confused.
“Well you’re about to.” Kathy replied.
Sally turned. And stared.
A man about her age was stood in front of her. A bit geeky looking but otherwise alright. And he was completely naked. He looked at her , obviously still half asleep.
“Ok,” he said, “Not entirely sure...but...pants?”
“No.” Sally said.
Kathy groaned. She hung up and dashed out of her bedroom, stooping to grab one of Larry’s many discarded pieces of underwear. She threw it at him.
“Put them on!” she shouted at him. “Put them on! I hate you!”
Larry sleepily walked into the front room and closed the door.
Kathy turned to Sally.
“Sorry. My useless brother.”
She saw Sally’s face.
“Sally? What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
Sally and Kathy clambered over the gates to Wester Drumlins. It was now daytime.
“Okay! Let’s investigate!” Kathy said excitedly. “You and me, girl investigators. Love it.”
She grabbed Sally’s arm excitedly.
“Sparrow and Nightingale! That so works!”
“Bit ITV.” Sally said disinterested.
“I know!” Kathy cried.
Sally shoved open the door and she and Kathy entered. Kathy looked around the dilaptiated house.
“What did you come here for anyway?” she asked.
I love old things. They make me feel sad.” Sally explained as she opened the door to the living room.
“What’s good about sad?” Kathy asked confused.
“It’s happy for deep people.” Sally said.
Sally stared at the writing on the wall. It still made her head hurt thinking about it. Kathy came over to look too. Sally turned and walked to the conservaroty. Everything was as she left it. Even the strange Angel statue was there.
“The Weeping Angel...” she muttered.
“Not bad in my garden!” Kathy called.
Sally smiled and started at the statue. She paused, thinking things through. Something wasn’t right.
“It’s moved...” she said.
“It’s what?” Kathy asked.
“It’s moved! Since yesterday! It’s got closer to the house!” Sally explained. And she was right. The Angel was a good several feet closer than it was the night before. She didn’t like this. Everything about this rubbed her the wrong way and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She didn’t know why, but she had the distinct feeling the Angel was watching her, even though it was covering it’s face.
Sally shook her head and returned her attention to the writing.
“How can my name be here?” she asked, “How is that possible?”
Suddenly the doorbell rang.
Kathy jumped and grabbed Sally’s arm.
“Who’d come here?” She asked.
Sally walked to the door.
“What are you doing?!” hissed Kathy, “It could be a burglar!”
Sally turned to Kathy.
“A burglar who rings the doorbell?” she asked incredulously.
“Okay... I’ll stay here in case of...” Kathy paused.
“In case of?”
“Incidents?”
“Okay.” Sally rolled her eyes and walked to the front door. She pulled it open to find a middle aged man stood before her. He looked hard at her for a few moments.
“I’m looking for Sally Sparrow.” He said.
“How did you know I’d be here?” Sally asked immediately.
The man seemed a little put off by this but pulled forth a letter. It was obviously old. The paper had started to yellow. He held it out to her.
“I was told to bring this letter on this exact date at this exact time to Sally Sparrow.” He explained.
“It looks old.” Sally noted.
“It is old.” He replied. “I’m sorry, do you have anything with a picture on it, like a driving license?”
Sally handed him her provisional license. She only got it for ID.
Kathy jumped. She’d been listening in when suddenly she’d heard a noise behind her. She went to investigate. But saw nothing. Kathy scratched her head confused and returned to listening at the door. Behind her, the Weeping Angel watched through lowered hands...
“I’m sorry, I feel really stupid,” the man said. He stared harder at Sally’s license. “I was told to make apsolutley sure. It’s so hard to tell with these old photographs isn’t it?”
“Apparently.” Sally said, annoyed.
The Weeping Angel was inside the conservatory...
“Well, here goes, I suppose.” The man handed the letter to Sally. “Funny feeling after all these years.”
“Who’s it from?” Sally asked.
“Well that’s a long story actually.” The man began.
The Weeping Angel was behind Kathy. It was reaching for her. Kathy was oblivious. The Angel’s hand creeped ever closer...
“Give me a name.” Sally demanded.
“Katherine Wainwright. But she asked me to tell you that prior to marriage, she was called Kathy Nighingale.”
BANG!
Sally and the Man jumped. Sally spun round. It came from the living room.
“Kathy?” she called.
“Kathy, yes.” The Man said. “Katherine Costello Nightingale.”
“Is this a joke?” Sally asked annoyed.
“A joke?” The Man looked confused.
“Kathy is this you?! Very funny!” Sally called.
Sally walked into the living room. Kathy was gone. The Weeping Angel was still in the garden. It made her uneasy. Sally walked back into the hallway. The man held the letter out.
“Please,” he said, “You have to take this. I promised!”
Kathy stood up, confused. She looked about. She was in a field. Not just any field. A country field. How did she get to the countryside? She was in a house with Sally... how did she get here? She looked about. Nearby was a field with sheep. A young man in a cloth cap was sat on a nearby wall, reading a newspaper and eating an apple.
“Excuse me?” she called.
The man looked up.
“Where am I?” Kathy asked. “I was in London. The middle of London.”
The man grinned.
“You’re in Hull!”
“No. No I’m not.”
This is Hull!”
“No it isn’t!”
The man laughed.
“You’re in Hull!”
“No I’m not!” Kathy insisted. “I’m not in Hull! Stop saying Hull!”
The man smiled and took another bite of his apple.
“Hull.” He said.
Kathy rolled her eyes.
“Don’t have that in London.” The Man said as he passed her his paper. “There’s no call for it. It’s all Hull.”
Kathy read the date.
“1920...” she said shocked.
She walked away.
“Where are you going?!” the Man called.
She heard the man climb down and follow her. She walked faster. He casually strolled behind her. After a few minutes like this she turned.
“Are you following me?!” she shouted.
“Yes!” he called.
“Are you going to stop following me?!” she snapped.
He paused. He took another bite of his apple.
“No I don’t think so!” he replied.
“Who are you?!” Sally asked, angered. “Why are you here?!”
“I made a promise.” The man said.
“Who to?”
“My grandmother. Katherine Costello Nightingale.”
“Your grandmother?”
“Yes. She died over twenty years ago.”
Sally opened the letter. Inside were pictures. Sally examined them. The woman in them looked exactly Kathy.
“So they’re related?” She asked.
“I’m sorry?” The man asked.
“My Kathy and your grandmother.” She showed him the pictures. “They’re practically identical.”
Sally pulled out the letter and began to read.
My dearest Sally Sparrow,
If my grandson has done as he promises, then it will have been mere minutes since we last spoke. For you. For me it has been over sixty years. The third of the photographs is of my children. The youngest is Sally. I named her after you of course.
“This is sick! This is totally sick!” Sally shouted. She threw the letter away and ran up the stairs.
“Kathy!” she shouted. “KATHY!”
Sally stopped. On the landing were three Weeping Angel Statues. Funny place for statues. They were all in different positions, none of them looking at each other. All of them covering their faces. One of them held a string, attached to which was a small metal key. Sally was intrigued. She knelt down and reached for it.
The Angel looked at Sally. It had to stop her. She was meddling too much. It reached for her.
Sally grasped the key and pulled. It fell out of the Angel’s grip and into her hand. She looked at it curiously for a moment. Then she heard the door slam.
“No! Wait!” Sally shouted.
She ran back down the stairs, missing that the Angel behind her had moved...
The Man was walking down the drive. Sally reached the bottom of the stairs and noticed he’d placed the letter on the banister. She grabbed it and ran out of the house. She tried to see which way he’d gone but it was too late. Excellent. Her one link to making sense of all this had walked off. Sally sighed and walked away. She didn’t notice the Angels watching her from the window. All four of them watched her go. And then, in an instant, they were gone.
Sally sat in the cafe. The letter was laid out in front of her along with all the other pictures. She supposed there wasn’t any point in delaying any further. She took a gulp of tea and read.
I suppose unless I live to a really exceptional old age, I will be long gone as you read this. Don’t feel sorry for me. I have led a good and full life. I’ve loved a good man and been well loved in return. You would have liked Ben. He was the first person I met in 1920. To take one breath in 2016 and the next in 1920 is a strange way to start a new life, but a new life is what I’ve always wanted.
Sally was in the graveyard. She stepped towards Kathy’s grave with a sad smile on her face and laid some flowers. She wiped a tear from her eye. Then she saw the dates.
“1902? You told him you were Eighteen? You lying cow!” she giggled.
My mum and dad are gone by your time, so really there’s only Lawrence to tell. He works at the DVD store on Queen Street. I don’t know what you’re going to say to him, but I know you’ll think of something. Just tell him I love him.
With dearest love,
Kathy
Sally left the graveyard. An Angel was watching her.
Sally entered the DVD store. An overweight bearded man was sat at the till watching a nearby TV with great interest.
“Excuse m-“ she began.
He raised a hand to silence her. Then he took his eyes from the TV and turned to her.
“Excuse me. I’m looking for Lawrence Nightingale.”
“Through the back.” The Man said and returned his attention to the TV. Sally walked by him into the back. There was another TV here. On it was the old man from Kathy’s the night before. And the woman as well. She was talking but the man interrupted her.
“Clara!” he said annoyed.
“Sorry.” She murmured and walked off. The man turned his attention to the camera.
“Quite possibly.” He said. “I’m afraid so.”
Larry walked in. He stopped when he saw Sally.
“Oh...err...hello.” he said confused.
“Hi.” Said Sally.
“47!” the man on the TV cried.
“Err, just a mo.” Larry said. He picked up the DVD remote and paused it. He turned back to Sally. “Hang on... we’ve met haven’t we?”
“It’ll come to you.” Sally said with a smile.
Larry looked confused. Then his eyes widened. His hands quickly covered his groin.
“Oh my god.”
“There it is,” Sally said, fighting back the urge to laugh.
“Sorry again about the whole-“
“Message from your sister.” Sally interrupted him.
“Oh! Okay!”
There was a silence. Sally tried to think of what to say. Larry coughed awkwardly.
“So what is it? What’s the message?”
“She’s had to go away for a bit.”
“Where?”
“Just a work think. Nothing to worry about.”
“Okay.” Larry said confused.
“And”
“And what?”
“She loves you.”
“She what?!” Larry laughed.
“She said to say, she sort of just mentioned it, she loves you. There. That’s nice isn’t it?”
Larry’s smile dropped. He went all serious.
“Is she ill?” he asked seriously.
“No! No.”
“Am I ill?”
“No!”
Larry’s smile returned.
“Is this a trick?” he asked looking about for hidden cameras.
“No. She loves you.”
The man on the TV started talking again.
“You pudding brains don’t understand time. It’s not what you think it is.”
Larry paused the TV again.
“Sorry about that. The pause keeps slipping. Stupid thing.”
“Who is this guy?” Sally asked. “Last night at Kathy’s, you had him on all those screens. That same guy. Talking about blinking or something.”
Larry grinned and sat down, in his element.
“Yeah the blinking part’s great! I was just checking to see if they were all the same.”
“If what were the same? Who is he?”
“He’s an Easter egg.”
“Easter egg?”
“Like a DVD extra. You know they put stuff like documentaries on there right?”
She nodded.
“Well sometimes they put hidden ones on and you have to find them. Follow all the clues in the menus and that.”
The pause slipped again.
“Complicated.” The man said.
Larry paused him again.
“It’s interesting actually. He is on seventeen DVDs. Seventeen totally unrelated DVDs. Always hidden away. Always a secret. The publishers don’t know how he got there. I’ve talked to the manufactuers. They don’t even know. He’s like a ghost DVD extra. Just shows up where he’s not supposed to. But only on those. Those seventeen.”
“Well what does he do?” Sally asked.
“Just sits there” Larry said. “He makes random remarks. It’s like we’re hearing half a conversation. Me and the guys have been trying to work out the other half.”
“When you say the guys you mean the internet don’t you?” Sally asked.
“How did you know that?” Larry asked.
“Spooky, isn’t it?” Sally said with a smile.
“Very complicated.” The Man on the TV said.
“Lawrence? Need ya for a sec!” the man on the till called.
“Coming! Be back in a sec.” Larry left the room.
“You pudding brains assume that time is a strict progression from cause to effect. But actually from a non linear non subjective viewpoint it’s more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.” The man on the TV babbled.
Sally laughed.
“It started well that sentence.”
The man paused.
“Yes it got away from me. Thanks for pointing that out!”
Sally stepped back.
“Ok. That was weird. It was like you can hear me!”
“Well I can hear you stupid! I’m not an idiot!”
Sally grabbed the remote and hit pause.
“Ok I’ve had enough. I’ve had a long day and I’ve had bloody enough!”
She turned and saw Larry staring at her.
“Sorry.” She said. “Bad day.”
“Got you the list.” Larry said holding up a sheet of paper.
“What?”
“The seventeen DVDs. Thought you might be interested.”
“Oh yeah. Thanks.” Sally grabbed the list and walked off.
“Go to the police you stupid woman! Why does no one ever go to the police!”
Sally stopped and turned. The man at the till was shouting at his TV. But his words... Sally knew what to do.
“Look I know how mad I’m sounding!” Sally cried.
The policeman on the other side of the desk raised his eyebrows.
“Shall we try it from the beginning this time?” he asked.
“Ok, there’s this house, a big old house, been empty for years, falling apart, Wester Drumlins, out by the estate. You’ve probably seen it.” Sally gasped, barely stopping for breath.
“Wester Drumlins?” The Policeman asked.
“Yes!”
“Could you just wait here for a minute?” He walked away.
Sally groaned and walked to the window. She looked at the church opposite. It was old. The sort of building she liked. Two Angel statues stood on plinths by the Church windows. They seemed to be of a similar design to the ones at the house. Sally blinked. The Angels were gone. Had she imagined them? She was losing it. She can’t have imagined them. They looked so real. She mentally slapped herself. She must have imagined them. What was the alternative? Moving statues?
“Okay cracking up now.” She said.
She heard footsteps. She turned. The policeman was back, along with a young man in a leather jacket. He spoke to the policeman on the desk.
“Hi. DI Billy Shipton. Wester Drumlins, that’s mine.” He waved a hand at Sally. “Can’t talk to you now, got a thing I can’t be late for, so if you could just-Hello.” He saw her.
“Hello.” Sally said. He was quite attractive.
Billy waved a hand at the policeman on the desk.
“Eh, Marcie, can you tell them I’m going to be late for that...thing?”
The policeman shook his head.
Billy opened the door and let Sally in. It was an underground car park. All around them were cars.
“All of them?” she asked.
“Over the last two years, yeah.” Billy nodded. “They all still have personal items in them and a couple still had the motor running.”
“So over the last two years, the owners of all these vehicles have driven up to Wester Drumlins, parked outside and just disappeared?” Sally asked.
Billy nodded. Sally walked among the cars. She turned and saw a large blue box with the words “POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX” written on it. It was wooden and very old.
“What’s that?” she inquired.
Billy laughed.
“The pride of the Wester Drumlins collection. We found that there too. Somebody’s idea of a joke I suppose.”
“But what is it? What’s a police box?”
“Well it’s kind of a special phone box for policeman. They used to have them all over. But this isn’t a real one. The phone’s not patched in properly and the windows are the wrong size. We can’t even get in it. Ordinary Yale lock, but nothing fits. But that’s not the big question. You’re missing the BIG question!” He waved his arms for emphasis.
“Okay,” Sally asked amused, “What’s the big question?”
“Will you have a drink with me?” Billy asked.
“I’m sorry?!”
“Drink? You? Me? Now?”
“Aren’t you on duty Detective Inspector Shipton?”
He grinned.
“Nope. Knocked off before I left. I told them I had a family crisis.”
“Why?” asked Sally.
“Because life is short and you are hot. Drink?”
“No.” Sally said with a smile.
“Ever?”
“Maybe.”
“Phone number?”
“Moving kind of fast, DI Shipton.”
“Billy. I’m off duty.”
“Aren’t you just.”
Sally pulled out her note book and wrote her phone number down. She ripped the page out and handed it to Billy.
“Is that your phone number?” he asked.
“Just my phone number. Not a promise. Not a guarantee. Not an IOU. Just a phone number.”
“And that’s Sally?”
“Sally Shipton.” Sally said. Her eyes widened. “Sparrow! Sally Sparrow!”
She walked away.
“I’m going now!” she called “Don’t look at me!”
“I’ll phone you!” Billy shouted after her.
“Don’t look at me!”
“Phone you tomorrow!”
“Don’t look at me!”
“Might even phone you tonight!”
“Don’t look at me!”
“Defintely going to phone you, gorgeous girl!”
“You definitely better!”
Sally left the garage and smiled to herself. Billy grinned. He turned and stopped. A bunch of Angel statues surrounded the Police Box. Three of them covered their eyes while the fourth had it’s hands on the handle and appeared to be trying to force the doors open. Billy walked up to one of the Angels. He smirked. This was probably some joke by the guys. He blinked.
Sally ran across the street trying to keep out of the rain. She shoved her hand in her pocket and felt something. She stopped and pulled it out. It was the key she found at Wester Drumlins. She thought about what Billy said. Nothing fit the lock of the Police Box... She turned back and ran back inside the Police Station.
She ran back inside the Underground Car Park... but Billy was gone. She looked around. So was the Police Box. The shutter doors were ripped open.
Billy slid down the wall. He had no idea where he was. He was in an alley somewhere.
“Welcome!” a voice called.
Billy turned. A man in a long crombie coat and white shirt was walking towards him, holding a strange device. A young woman with dark hair followed.
“Where am I?” Billy asked.
“1969.” Said the man. “Not too bad I suppose. There’s the moon landing. Otherwise pretty dull. Well... there was the Silence...”
“The moon landing’s brilliant!” the woman said. “We went four times, back when we had transport.” She gave a look at the man.
“I’m working on it!” the man answered.
“How did I get here?” Billy asked.
“Same way we did. The touch of an Angel. Possibly the same one. Maybe. You ended up here so that suggests so. Maybe. You know, all this is very very familiar. Rings a bell.”
Billy attempted to stand up.
“No, no. Don’t get up. Time travel without a capsule. Not good. Catch your breath. Don’t go swimming for half an hour. And don’t eat any cheese for at least a week. It’ll give you bad gas.”
“I don’t...I can’t...” Billy stammered confused.
“They’re a fascinating race the Weeping Angels. The only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. Quick zap back in time and make you live to death and feast on the energy of the life you would have lived.”
“What in God’s name are you talking about?”
“Just nod when he stops for breath.” The woman said.
“We tracked you with this.” The man held up his device. It was fashioned from an old lunchbox and an eggwhisk. “My timey-wimey detector. Need a better name than that. It goes ding when there’s timey wimey stuff. And it can boil an egg at thirty paces. Whenver I want it to or not actually. I didn’t install that feature. I’ve learned to stay away from hens. It’s not pretty when they blow.”
“I don’t understand. Where am I?” Billy asked.
“1969. Like he said.” The woman replied.
“Normally I’d offer you a lift home,” the Man said “But someone nicked my TARDIS. So I need you to send a message to Sally Sparrow. And it’s going to take you about 47 years. Sorry about that.”
Sally’s phone rang. She answered it.
“Hello?”
“Sally Sparrow.”
“Billy? Where are you?!”
“The hospital.”
“Where?”
Sally walked down the ward. She reached the far bed. An old man was laid there, asleep.
“Billy?” she asked.
He stirred. He looked at the window.
“It was raining when we met.” He said.
“It’s the same rain.” Sally said.
Billy looked at her sadly.
Sally sat looking through Billy’s photos. In one of them, Billy was getting married to a nice young woman.
“She looks nice.” Sally said.
“Her name was Sally too.” Billy noted.
“Sally Shipton.” Sally said with a smile.
“Sally Shipton.” Billy smiled. “I often thought about looking for you before tonight, but apparently it would’ve torn a hole in the fabric of space and time and destroyed two thirds of the universe. And...er...I’d lost my hair.”
“Two thirds of the universe? Where’d you get that from?” Sally inquired.
“There was a man in 1969. He sent me with a message for you.”
“What man?”
“The Doctor.”
“And what was the message?”
Billy leaned back and thought.
“Just this. Look at the list.” He said.
“What does that mean? Is that it? Look at the list?” Sally asked.
“He said you’d have it by now. A list of seventeen DVDs.”
Sally reached in her pocket and pulled out the list Larry had given her. Billy grinned.
“I didn’t stay a policeman back then. I got into publishing. Then video publishing. Then DVDs of course.” He said.
“You put the Easter Egg on!” Sally realised.
Billy smiled.
“Have you noticed what all seventeen DVDs have in common yet? I suppose it’s hard for you in a way.”
“How could the Doctor have even known I had a list? I only just got this!”
“I asked him how, but he said he couldn’t tell me. He said you’d understand it one day, but that I never would.”
Sally smiled.
“Soon as I understand it, I’ll come and tell you.”
“No, gorgeous girl, you can’t. There’s only tonight. He told me all those years ago that we’ll only meet again this one time. On the night I die.”
“Oh Billy...”
Sally took his hand. He smiled at her.
“It’s kept me going. I’m an old, sick man. But I’ve had something to look forward to. Life is long, and you are hot. Oh. Look at my hands. They’re old man’s hands. How did that happen?”
“I’ll stay. I’m going to stay with you ok?”
“Thank you, Sally Sparrow.”
Billy looked out of the window.
“I have until the rain stops.” He said with a tear in his eye.
Sally stood by the window. The rain had stopped. A tear rolled from her eye and hit the list in her hand. She wiped her eyes and looked at the list again. Then it hit her. The connection.
The phone rang. Larry was in the midst of packing his things. He answered it.
“Banto’s.” He said.
“They’re mine!” Sally called.
“What?!” Larry asked.
“The DVDs on the list! The seventeen DVDs! What they have in common is me! They’re all the DVDs I own! The Easter Egg was intended for me!”
Larry paused.
“You’ve only got seventeen DVDs?!” he shouted, disbelieving.
He heard Sally groan over the phone.
“Do you have a portable DVD player?” she asked.
“Of course. Why?”
“I want you to meet me.”
“Where?”
“Wester Drumlins.”
Sally answered the door. Larry walked in. He looked at her for a moment.
“You live in Scooby-Doo’s house.” He said.
“Oh for God’s sake I don’t live here!” she cried.
Larry set up the Portable DVD player. He held up two discs.
“This is the one with the clearest sound. Slightly better picture quality on this one. But I don’t know. If we did it at the flat I have this one on Blu-Ray-“
“It doesn’t matter!” Sally interrupted.
“Ok.”
Larry put in the DVD. The Easter Egg started playing.
“There he is.”
“The Doctor.” Sally said.
“Who’s the Doctor?” Larry asked.
“He’s the Doctor.” Sally said.
“Yes that’s me. Of course it is.” The Doctor said.
“Okay that was scary.” Sally said.
“No it sounds like he’s replying but he always says that.” Larry explained.
“Yes I do.” The Doctor said.
“And that.” Larry said.
“Yes. And this.” The Doctor added.
“He can hear us! Oh my God! You can really hear us!” she cried.
“Of course he can’t hear us! Look, I’ve got a transcript.” He pulled out a sheet of paper. “See? Everything he says. ‘Yes that’s me. Of course it is. Yes I do. Yes and this.’ Then it’s ‘Are you-“
“Are you really going to read that whole thing?” The Doctor butted in.
“Sorry.” Larry muttered.
“Who are you?” Sally asked.
“I’m a time traveller. Or I was. I’m stuck in 1969. You know this really rings a bell...”
A woman leaned in.
“We’re stuck! All of time and space and now I’ve got a job in a shop supporting him!”
“Clara!”
“Sorry.”
Clara walked off.
“I’ve seen this bit before.” Sally said.
“Quite possibly.” The Doctor said.
“So, 1969. That’s where you’re talking from?” Sally asked.
“I’m afraid so.” Replied the Doctor.
“But you’re replying to me! You can’t know exactly what I’m going to say fifty years before I say it!”
“Forty seven!” interrupted the Doctor.
“I’m getting this down.” Larry pulled out a pen and started writing on the transcript. “I’m writing in your bits!”
“How?” Sally demanded. “How is this possible? Tell me!”
“Not so fast!” Larry cried.
“You pudding brains don’t understand time. It’s not what you think it is.” The Doctor said.
“Then what is it?” Sally asked.
“Complicated.” Said the Doctor.
“Tell me.”
“Very complicated.”
“I’m clever and I’m listening. And don’t patronise me because people have died and I’m not happy. Tell me.” Sally demanded.
The Doctor groaned.
“You pudding brains assume that time is a strict progression from cause to effect. But actually from a non linear non subjective viewpoint it’s more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.” He babbled.
“Yeah, I’ve seen this bit before. You said that sentence got away from you.”
“Yes it got away from me. Thanks for pointing that out!”
“Next thing you’re going to say is, well I can hear you!”
“Well I can hear you stupid! I’m not an idiot!”
“This isn’t possible!”
“No!” Larry said. “It’s brilliant!”
“Well not hear you exactly, but I know everything you’re going to say!” The Doctor said.
“Always gives me the shivers that bit.” Larry said.
“How can you know what I’m going to say?” Sally asked.
“Look to your left.” Said the Doctor.
Sally looked to her left and saw Larry writing.
“What does he mean look to your left?” Larry asked. “I’ve written tons about that on the forums. I think it’s a political statement.”
“He means you.” Sally said. “What are you doing?”
“I’m writing in your bits.” He said. “That way I’ve got a complete transcript of the whole conversation. Wait until this hits the net. This will explode the egg forums!”
“I’ve got a copy of the finished transcript.” The Doctor said. “It’s on my autocue.”
“How can you have a copy of the finished transcript?” Sally asked. “It’s still being written!”
“I told you! I’m a time teaveller! I got it in the future!”
“Okay, let me get my head this round this. You’re reading a loud from a transcript of a conversation you’re still having?”
“Yeah. Wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey.”
“Oh never mind that.” She turned to Larry. “You can do shorthand?” she asked.
“So?” he said.
“What matters is that we can communicate!” The Doctor cried. “We have got big problems now! They’ve taken the TARDIS haven’t they? The blue box? The Angels have the phone box.”
“The angels have the phone box. That’s my favourite. I’ve got it on a t-shirt!” Larry said.
“What do you mean angels?” asked Sally. “You mean those statue things?”
“Creatures from another world.” The Doctor said,
“But they’re just statues.”
“Only when you see them.”
“What does that mean?”
“The lonely assassins, they used to be called. No one quite knoes where they came from. They’re as old as the universe. Or very nearly. They ahve survived this long because they have the most perfect defense mechanism ever evolved. They are quantum-locked. They don’t exist when they’re being observed. The moment they are seen by any other living creature they freeze into rock. No choice. Fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing they turn to stone. And you can’t kill a stone. And a stone can’t kill you either. Then you turn your head. Then you blink. And oh yes it can.”
Sally looked up. There was an angel in the garden.
“Don’t take your eyes off that.”
Larry stared. The Doctor continued to talk.
“That’s why they cover their eyes. They’re not weeping. They can’t risk looking at each other. Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. They can never be seen. The loneliest creatures in the universe. And I am very sorry. But it is up to you know.”
“What am I supposed to do?” Sally asked.
“My time machine. The blue box. There is a world of time energy in there they could feast in forever. But the damage they could do could switch off the sun. You have to send it back to me. You know this is all very familiar...”
“How? HOW?!”
“And that’s it I’m afraid. There’s no more from you on the transcript. That’s it. I don’t know what stopped you talking but I can guess. They’re coming. The angels are coming for you. But listen, your life could depend on this. Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don’t turn your back. Don’t look away. And don’t blink. Good luck.”
The picture froze.
“NO! NO! DON’T! YOU CAN’T!” Sally cried.
“I’ll rewind him!” Larry shouted.
“WHAT GOOD WILL THAT DO?!” Sally screamed.
Then she stopped.
She looked Larry in the eye.
“You’re not looking at the statue.” She said.
“Neither are you.” He said.
They both slowly turned. The Angel was there. Reaching for them, it’s mouth wide open. It’s face was demonic. Sally and Larry jumped away.
“Keep looking at it!” Sally shouted.
“There’s just one right?” Larry stammered. “We’re fine there’s just this one. We keep looking at this one. We’re going to be fine. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“There are three more.” Sally said.
“THREE?!” Larry screamed.
“They were upstairs before but they might have moved.”
“Move?! Move where?!”
“I’m going to look around. I’m going to check. Keep looking at this one. Don’t blink!”
“Who blinks?” Larry said. “Too scared to blink.”
Sally ran to the hallway and checked. It was clear.
“Ok we’re going to the door. Front door.”
She grabbed Larry and guided him backwards to the door.
“Ok we both can’t get to the door without taking our eyes off that thing. Stay here.”
“WHAT?!” Larry shouted.
“I’ll be just around the corner. You stay here!”
Sally ran to the door and grabbed the handle. It wouldn’t budge.
“They’ve locked it! They’ve locked us in!” She shouted.
“Why?!” Larry called.
“I’ve got something they want.” Sally said.
“What?!”
“The key! I took it last time I was here. They followed me to get it back. I led them to the blue box now they’ve got that!”
“Well give them the key!”
“I’m going to check the back door. You wait here!” Sally said.
“Give them the key! Give them what they want! Sally! What if they come behind me?!”
“HANG ON!” Sally shouted.
Larry gulped. He could hear something behind him. Was he paranoid? He had to check. A quick look. Wouldn’t hurt. He turned saw nothing and turned back. The angel was inches from his face.
“Sally please I can’t do this!” he shouted.
Sally tried the back door. No joy. She ran back to Larry but stopped. The cellar door was open.
“Larry?” she called. “They’ve blocked off the back door but there’s a cellar. There might be a way out!”
“Coming! I can’t stay here!” he shouted.
Sally made her way down.
The time machine was there. Three angels stood on guard.
“Ok boys... I know how this works.” Sally said. “You can’t move as long as I can see you... Whole world in a box the Doctor says. He better not be lying because I don’t see how else we’re getting out.”
Larry ran past her. Sally turned. The angel from upstairs was behind them. It’s hand was pointed upwards.
“Why’s it pointing at the light?” Larry asked.
The lights began to flicker.
“OH MY GOD IT’S TURNING OUT THE LIGHT!”
Sally ran to the time machine and pulled out the key. In the flashing lights she struggled to find the lock. Larry tried to keep an eye on the angels, but they were all moving too fast in the gaps between flashes.
“Hurry!” He hissed.
Sally managed to get the key in the lock. The doors opened.
They dashed inside. The machine was much bigger on the inside. A silvery metal room greeted them. A large console was in the centre, with a huge cylinder within it. A warm orange glow illuminated the room. A hologram of the Doctor appeared.
“This is security protocol seven one two. This time capsule has detected the presence of an authorised control disc, valid one journey.” The hologram said.
Larry reached into his pocket and pulled out a DVD. It was glowing.
Sally noticed something.
“There’s a slot! It looks like a DVD player!” she said pointing at the console. Suddenly the room shook from side to side. There was banging on the door.
“It’s the angels!” shouted Larry. “They’re trying to get in!”
“Well hurry up then!” Sally shouted.
Larry shoved the disc in the slot. The machine began to make noises. A slow groaning sound. The ship began to take off. But then it began to fade away.
“What’s happening?!” Larry cried.
“Oh my God! It’s leaving us behind! Doctor no! You can’t!” Sally screamed.
Larry and Sally huddled together as the TARDIS disappeared. The Angels closed in. Sally screamed and buried her head in Larry’s shoulder. The TARDIS vanished. A few seconds passed. Nothing.
“LOOK AT THEM! QUICK LOOK AT THEM!” Sally screamed.
Larry looked about.
“I don’t think we have to.”
He pointed.
“They’re looking at each other! They’re never gonna move again!”
Sally looked about. He was right. The Angels were in a circle exactly where the TARDIS was. They were looking at each other. It was over.
Sally stood at the till of the shop. She pulled out the finished Transcript and placed it in a folder with photos of the Angels and information about Wester Drumlins. She heard footsteps. She moved to hide the folder. Larry walked into the room.
“Can you mind the shop? I’m just nipping next door for some milk.” He said.
“Yeah no worries.” She replied.
Larry moved and grabbed the folder.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Sally, can you let it go?”
“Of course not. How did the Doctor know where to write the words? Where did he get the transcript? How did he get all that information?”
“Some things you never find out. And that’s ok.”
“No it isn’t.”
Larry sighed.
“Ever think this is getting in the way of other things?” he asked with a knowing hint.
“We just run a shop together.” Sally said. “That’s all it is. Just a shop.”
“Anyway.” Larry said awkwardly. “Milk. Back in a mo.”
Sally watched with a little regret. She watched him walk up the street. She felt an urge to say something. Then a taxi pulled up. The Doctor and Clara climbed out. Sally gasped. She grabbed the folder and ran out the door.
“Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!” she shouted.
“Hello. Sorry, bit of a rush. There's a sort of thing happening. Fairly important we stop it.” He said.
“My God, it's you. It really is you. Oh, you don't remember me, do you?”
Clara walked over.
“Doctor, we haven't have time for this. The migration's started.”
The Doctor turned back to Sally.
“Look, sorry, I've got a bit of a complex life. Things don't always happen to me in quite the right order. Gets a bit confusing at times, especially at weddings. I'm rubbish at weddings, especially my own. That was a day. I died. Then I didn’t. Long story.”
Sally gasped.
“Oh, my God, of course. You're a time traveller. It hasn't happened to you yet. None of it. It's still in your future.”
“What?” The Doctor asked.
“Doctor please!” Clara called. “Twenty minutes to hatching!”
“It was me. Oh, for God's sake, it was me all along. You got it all from me.” Sally said.
“Got what?” The Doctor asked.
Sally handed the folder to him.
“Okay, listen. One day you're going to get stuck in 1969. Make sure you've got this with you. You're going to need it.”
“Doctor!” shouted Clara.
“Yeah, listen, listen, got to dash. Things happening. Actually, four things. Four things and a lizard.“
“No worries.” Sally said. “Off you go. See you about some day.”
“What was your name?” The Doctor asked.
“Sally Sparrow.” Sally said.
“Good to meet you Sally Sparrow.”
Larry returned. He stopped and gasped. Sally took his hand.
“Goodbye Doctor.” She said with a smile. The two walked back inside their store; Sparrow and Nightingale, antiquarian books and rare DVDs.
The statues watched from all around.
Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don’t turn your back. Don’t look away. And don’t blink. Good luck.
Happy Halloween!
The gates barred her way and were locked tight. Multiple signs hung from it with various variations of “Keep Out”, “No Entry”, “Strictly No Admittance” upon them. Sally ignored them and clambered over the gate. It wasn’t hard. She’d done it a hundred times before. Sally dropped on the other side of the gate, landing on her feet. She’d always been quite agile. She dusted herself off and walked to the door. It was old and quite rusted. Sally turned the handle and gave the door the solid push with her shoulder she always did to open it. She entered Wester Drumlins.
Sally loved this house. She used to visit it all the time. She hadn’t been there for a few years now. Work, social life, various reasons. Sally entered the living room. The collapsed chandelier was still where it was. Sally pulled out her camera and snapped a few pictures. A few more to add to the collection. Sally spun, taking pictures of the room. And then she saw it. A statue of an Angel in the garden. It was beautifully carved and seemed to be made of very old stone. The Angel’s hands covered it’s face as if it was weeping. Sally took a picture of it. She didn’t remember seeing it before, but maybe her memory was hazy. Sally then looked at the wall. The peeling wallpaper was beautiful, in a sad way. She raised her camera to take a picture when she noticed something. She walked forwards. There appeared to be writing under the wallpaper. She grabbed hold and pulled. The writing revealed itself.
BEWARE THE WEEPING ANGEL
Sally turned to look at the statue in the garden. Confused, Sally pulled more of the wallpaper off. And more. And more. Until the whole wallpaper lay on the floor and the writing was on full display.
OH, AND DUCK.
NO REALLY, DUCK.
REALLY, I’M BEING SERIOUS. DUCK.
DUCK!
SALLY SPARROW DUCK NOW!
Sally gasped and took a step back. Then she heard movement behind her. Trusting her instincts Sally ducked. A rock flew just where her head was moments before and hit the wall. If Sally didn’t move when she did, she dreaded to think. Sally stood up and looked at the direction where the rock came from. There was nothing but the statue. Sally frowned, confused. She looked back at the wall and noticed a bit of writing she didn’t notice before.
-LOVE FROM THE DOCTOR, 1969
Sally picked up the spare key and let herself into the flat. Kathy didn’t mind. Well, she did but Sally did it all the time so Kathy was just used to it. Sally made her way up the steps. The TV in Kathy’s front room was playing. Sally wandered in and noticed there were multiple televisions of multiple shapes and sizes. On all of them, a grey haired man was sat in front of a plain background. On one of the televisions, a dark haired woman of around Sally’s age leaned in from the side. The man was speaking on one of the sets.
“They’re coming. They’re coming for you. Listen, your life could depend on this. Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast, faster than you believe. Don’t turn your back, don’t look away. And don’t blink. Good luck.”
Sally shivered. Spooky. She headed to the kitchen.
Kathy was woken by her mobile phone ringing. She glanced at the clock and groaned, running a hand through her short black hair. Kathy picked up her phone and answered it.
“Hello?”
“Bit freaked. Need to talk. Making you a coffee,” Sally’s voice came over the phone.
“Sally Sparrow, it’s one in the morning. Do you think I’m coming round at one in the morning?”
“No. I’m in the kitchen,” Sally said as she boiled the kettle. “What’s with all those screens in your front room?”
A toilet flushed. Kathy froze.
“Sally! You’ve met my brother Larry haven’t you?” She hissed quickly.
“No.” Sally said confused.
“Well you’re about to.” Kathy replied.
Sally turned. And stared.
A man about her age was stood in front of her. A bit geeky looking but otherwise alright. And he was completely naked. He looked at her , obviously still half asleep.
“Ok,” he said, “Not entirely sure...but...pants?”
“No.” Sally said.
Kathy groaned. She hung up and dashed out of her bedroom, stooping to grab one of Larry’s many discarded pieces of underwear. She threw it at him.
“Put them on!” she shouted at him. “Put them on! I hate you!”
Larry sleepily walked into the front room and closed the door.
Kathy turned to Sally.
“Sorry. My useless brother.”
She saw Sally’s face.
“Sally? What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
Sally and Kathy clambered over the gates to Wester Drumlins. It was now daytime.
“Okay! Let’s investigate!” Kathy said excitedly. “You and me, girl investigators. Love it.”
She grabbed Sally’s arm excitedly.
“Sparrow and Nightingale! That so works!”
“Bit ITV.” Sally said disinterested.
“I know!” Kathy cried.
Sally shoved open the door and she and Kathy entered. Kathy looked around the dilaptiated house.
“What did you come here for anyway?” she asked.
I love old things. They make me feel sad.” Sally explained as she opened the door to the living room.
“What’s good about sad?” Kathy asked confused.
“It’s happy for deep people.” Sally said.
Sally stared at the writing on the wall. It still made her head hurt thinking about it. Kathy came over to look too. Sally turned and walked to the conservaroty. Everything was as she left it. Even the strange Angel statue was there.
“The Weeping Angel...” she muttered.
“Not bad in my garden!” Kathy called.
Sally smiled and started at the statue. She paused, thinking things through. Something wasn’t right.
“It’s moved...” she said.
“It’s what?” Kathy asked.
“It’s moved! Since yesterday! It’s got closer to the house!” Sally explained. And she was right. The Angel was a good several feet closer than it was the night before. She didn’t like this. Everything about this rubbed her the wrong way and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She didn’t know why, but she had the distinct feeling the Angel was watching her, even though it was covering it’s face.
Sally shook her head and returned her attention to the writing.
“How can my name be here?” she asked, “How is that possible?”
Suddenly the doorbell rang.
Kathy jumped and grabbed Sally’s arm.
“Who’d come here?” She asked.
Sally walked to the door.
“What are you doing?!” hissed Kathy, “It could be a burglar!”
Sally turned to Kathy.
“A burglar who rings the doorbell?” she asked incredulously.
“Okay... I’ll stay here in case of...” Kathy paused.
“In case of?”
“Incidents?”
“Okay.” Sally rolled her eyes and walked to the front door. She pulled it open to find a middle aged man stood before her. He looked hard at her for a few moments.
“I’m looking for Sally Sparrow.” He said.
“How did you know I’d be here?” Sally asked immediately.
The man seemed a little put off by this but pulled forth a letter. It was obviously old. The paper had started to yellow. He held it out to her.
“I was told to bring this letter on this exact date at this exact time to Sally Sparrow.” He explained.
“It looks old.” Sally noted.
“It is old.” He replied. “I’m sorry, do you have anything with a picture on it, like a driving license?”
Sally handed him her provisional license. She only got it for ID.
Kathy jumped. She’d been listening in when suddenly she’d heard a noise behind her. She went to investigate. But saw nothing. Kathy scratched her head confused and returned to listening at the door. Behind her, the Weeping Angel watched through lowered hands...
“I’m sorry, I feel really stupid,” the man said. He stared harder at Sally’s license. “I was told to make apsolutley sure. It’s so hard to tell with these old photographs isn’t it?”
“Apparently.” Sally said, annoyed.
The Weeping Angel was inside the conservatory...
“Well, here goes, I suppose.” The man handed the letter to Sally. “Funny feeling after all these years.”
“Who’s it from?” Sally asked.
“Well that’s a long story actually.” The man began.
The Weeping Angel was behind Kathy. It was reaching for her. Kathy was oblivious. The Angel’s hand creeped ever closer...
“Give me a name.” Sally demanded.
“Katherine Wainwright. But she asked me to tell you that prior to marriage, she was called Kathy Nighingale.”
BANG!
Sally and the Man jumped. Sally spun round. It came from the living room.
“Kathy?” she called.
“Kathy, yes.” The Man said. “Katherine Costello Nightingale.”
“Is this a joke?” Sally asked annoyed.
“A joke?” The Man looked confused.
“Kathy is this you?! Very funny!” Sally called.
Sally walked into the living room. Kathy was gone. The Weeping Angel was still in the garden. It made her uneasy. Sally walked back into the hallway. The man held the letter out.
“Please,” he said, “You have to take this. I promised!”
Kathy stood up, confused. She looked about. She was in a field. Not just any field. A country field. How did she get to the countryside? She was in a house with Sally... how did she get here? She looked about. Nearby was a field with sheep. A young man in a cloth cap was sat on a nearby wall, reading a newspaper and eating an apple.
“Excuse me?” she called.
The man looked up.
“Where am I?” Kathy asked. “I was in London. The middle of London.”
The man grinned.
“You’re in Hull!”
“No. No I’m not.”
This is Hull!”
“No it isn’t!”
The man laughed.
“You’re in Hull!”
“No I’m not!” Kathy insisted. “I’m not in Hull! Stop saying Hull!”
The man smiled and took another bite of his apple.
“Hull.” He said.
Kathy rolled her eyes.
“Don’t have that in London.” The Man said as he passed her his paper. “There’s no call for it. It’s all Hull.”
Kathy read the date.
“1920...” she said shocked.
She walked away.
“Where are you going?!” the Man called.
She heard the man climb down and follow her. She walked faster. He casually strolled behind her. After a few minutes like this she turned.
“Are you following me?!” she shouted.
“Yes!” he called.
“Are you going to stop following me?!” she snapped.
He paused. He took another bite of his apple.
“No I don’t think so!” he replied.
“Who are you?!” Sally asked, angered. “Why are you here?!”
“I made a promise.” The man said.
“Who to?”
“My grandmother. Katherine Costello Nightingale.”
“Your grandmother?”
“Yes. She died over twenty years ago.”
Sally opened the letter. Inside were pictures. Sally examined them. The woman in them looked exactly Kathy.
“So they’re related?” She asked.
“I’m sorry?” The man asked.
“My Kathy and your grandmother.” She showed him the pictures. “They’re practically identical.”
Sally pulled out the letter and began to read.
My dearest Sally Sparrow,
If my grandson has done as he promises, then it will have been mere minutes since we last spoke. For you. For me it has been over sixty years. The third of the photographs is of my children. The youngest is Sally. I named her after you of course.
“This is sick! This is totally sick!” Sally shouted. She threw the letter away and ran up the stairs.
“Kathy!” she shouted. “KATHY!”
Sally stopped. On the landing were three Weeping Angel Statues. Funny place for statues. They were all in different positions, none of them looking at each other. All of them covering their faces. One of them held a string, attached to which was a small metal key. Sally was intrigued. She knelt down and reached for it.
The Angel looked at Sally. It had to stop her. She was meddling too much. It reached for her.
Sally grasped the key and pulled. It fell out of the Angel’s grip and into her hand. She looked at it curiously for a moment. Then she heard the door slam.
“No! Wait!” Sally shouted.
She ran back down the stairs, missing that the Angel behind her had moved...
The Man was walking down the drive. Sally reached the bottom of the stairs and noticed he’d placed the letter on the banister. She grabbed it and ran out of the house. She tried to see which way he’d gone but it was too late. Excellent. Her one link to making sense of all this had walked off. Sally sighed and walked away. She didn’t notice the Angels watching her from the window. All four of them watched her go. And then, in an instant, they were gone.
Sally sat in the cafe. The letter was laid out in front of her along with all the other pictures. She supposed there wasn’t any point in delaying any further. She took a gulp of tea and read.
I suppose unless I live to a really exceptional old age, I will be long gone as you read this. Don’t feel sorry for me. I have led a good and full life. I’ve loved a good man and been well loved in return. You would have liked Ben. He was the first person I met in 1920. To take one breath in 2016 and the next in 1920 is a strange way to start a new life, but a new life is what I’ve always wanted.
Sally was in the graveyard. She stepped towards Kathy’s grave with a sad smile on her face and laid some flowers. She wiped a tear from her eye. Then she saw the dates.
“1902? You told him you were Eighteen? You lying cow!” she giggled.
My mum and dad are gone by your time, so really there’s only Lawrence to tell. He works at the DVD store on Queen Street. I don’t know what you’re going to say to him, but I know you’ll think of something. Just tell him I love him.
With dearest love,
Kathy
Sally left the graveyard. An Angel was watching her.
Sally entered the DVD store. An overweight bearded man was sat at the till watching a nearby TV with great interest.
“Excuse m-“ she began.
He raised a hand to silence her. Then he took his eyes from the TV and turned to her.
“Excuse me. I’m looking for Lawrence Nightingale.”
“Through the back.” The Man said and returned his attention to the TV. Sally walked by him into the back. There was another TV here. On it was the old man from Kathy’s the night before. And the woman as well. She was talking but the man interrupted her.
“Clara!” he said annoyed.
“Sorry.” She murmured and walked off. The man turned his attention to the camera.
“Quite possibly.” He said. “I’m afraid so.”
Larry walked in. He stopped when he saw Sally.
“Oh...err...hello.” he said confused.
“Hi.” Said Sally.
“47!” the man on the TV cried.
“Err, just a mo.” Larry said. He picked up the DVD remote and paused it. He turned back to Sally. “Hang on... we’ve met haven’t we?”
“It’ll come to you.” Sally said with a smile.
Larry looked confused. Then his eyes widened. His hands quickly covered his groin.
“Oh my god.”
“There it is,” Sally said, fighting back the urge to laugh.
“Sorry again about the whole-“
“Message from your sister.” Sally interrupted him.
“Oh! Okay!”
There was a silence. Sally tried to think of what to say. Larry coughed awkwardly.
“So what is it? What’s the message?”
“She’s had to go away for a bit.”
“Where?”
“Just a work think. Nothing to worry about.”
“Okay.” Larry said confused.
“And”
“And what?”
“She loves you.”
“She what?!” Larry laughed.
“She said to say, she sort of just mentioned it, she loves you. There. That’s nice isn’t it?”
Larry’s smile dropped. He went all serious.
“Is she ill?” he asked seriously.
“No! No.”
“Am I ill?”
“No!”
Larry’s smile returned.
“Is this a trick?” he asked looking about for hidden cameras.
“No. She loves you.”
The man on the TV started talking again.
“You pudding brains don’t understand time. It’s not what you think it is.”
Larry paused the TV again.
“Sorry about that. The pause keeps slipping. Stupid thing.”
“Who is this guy?” Sally asked. “Last night at Kathy’s, you had him on all those screens. That same guy. Talking about blinking or something.”
Larry grinned and sat down, in his element.
“Yeah the blinking part’s great! I was just checking to see if they were all the same.”
“If what were the same? Who is he?”
“He’s an Easter egg.”
“Easter egg?”
“Like a DVD extra. You know they put stuff like documentaries on there right?”
She nodded.
“Well sometimes they put hidden ones on and you have to find them. Follow all the clues in the menus and that.”
The pause slipped again.
“Complicated.” The man said.
Larry paused him again.
“It’s interesting actually. He is on seventeen DVDs. Seventeen totally unrelated DVDs. Always hidden away. Always a secret. The publishers don’t know how he got there. I’ve talked to the manufactuers. They don’t even know. He’s like a ghost DVD extra. Just shows up where he’s not supposed to. But only on those. Those seventeen.”
“Well what does he do?” Sally asked.
“Just sits there” Larry said. “He makes random remarks. It’s like we’re hearing half a conversation. Me and the guys have been trying to work out the other half.”
“When you say the guys you mean the internet don’t you?” Sally asked.
“How did you know that?” Larry asked.
“Spooky, isn’t it?” Sally said with a smile.
“Very complicated.” The Man on the TV said.
“Lawrence? Need ya for a sec!” the man on the till called.
“Coming! Be back in a sec.” Larry left the room.
“You pudding brains assume that time is a strict progression from cause to effect. But actually from a non linear non subjective viewpoint it’s more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.” The man on the TV babbled.
Sally laughed.
“It started well that sentence.”
The man paused.
“Yes it got away from me. Thanks for pointing that out!”
Sally stepped back.
“Ok. That was weird. It was like you can hear me!”
“Well I can hear you stupid! I’m not an idiot!”
Sally grabbed the remote and hit pause.
“Ok I’ve had enough. I’ve had a long day and I’ve had bloody enough!”
She turned and saw Larry staring at her.
“Sorry.” She said. “Bad day.”
“Got you the list.” Larry said holding up a sheet of paper.
“What?”
“The seventeen DVDs. Thought you might be interested.”
“Oh yeah. Thanks.” Sally grabbed the list and walked off.
“Go to the police you stupid woman! Why does no one ever go to the police!”
Sally stopped and turned. The man at the till was shouting at his TV. But his words... Sally knew what to do.
“Look I know how mad I’m sounding!” Sally cried.
The policeman on the other side of the desk raised his eyebrows.
“Shall we try it from the beginning this time?” he asked.
“Ok, there’s this house, a big old house, been empty for years, falling apart, Wester Drumlins, out by the estate. You’ve probably seen it.” Sally gasped, barely stopping for breath.
“Wester Drumlins?” The Policeman asked.
“Yes!”
“Could you just wait here for a minute?” He walked away.
Sally groaned and walked to the window. She looked at the church opposite. It was old. The sort of building she liked. Two Angel statues stood on plinths by the Church windows. They seemed to be of a similar design to the ones at the house. Sally blinked. The Angels were gone. Had she imagined them? She was losing it. She can’t have imagined them. They looked so real. She mentally slapped herself. She must have imagined them. What was the alternative? Moving statues?
“Okay cracking up now.” She said.
She heard footsteps. She turned. The policeman was back, along with a young man in a leather jacket. He spoke to the policeman on the desk.
“Hi. DI Billy Shipton. Wester Drumlins, that’s mine.” He waved a hand at Sally. “Can’t talk to you now, got a thing I can’t be late for, so if you could just-Hello.” He saw her.
“Hello.” Sally said. He was quite attractive.
Billy waved a hand at the policeman on the desk.
“Eh, Marcie, can you tell them I’m going to be late for that...thing?”
The policeman shook his head.
Billy opened the door and let Sally in. It was an underground car park. All around them were cars.
“All of them?” she asked.
“Over the last two years, yeah.” Billy nodded. “They all still have personal items in them and a couple still had the motor running.”
“So over the last two years, the owners of all these vehicles have driven up to Wester Drumlins, parked outside and just disappeared?” Sally asked.
Billy nodded. Sally walked among the cars. She turned and saw a large blue box with the words “POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX” written on it. It was wooden and very old.
“What’s that?” she inquired.
Billy laughed.
“The pride of the Wester Drumlins collection. We found that there too. Somebody’s idea of a joke I suppose.”
“But what is it? What’s a police box?”
“Well it’s kind of a special phone box for policeman. They used to have them all over. But this isn’t a real one. The phone’s not patched in properly and the windows are the wrong size. We can’t even get in it. Ordinary Yale lock, but nothing fits. But that’s not the big question. You’re missing the BIG question!” He waved his arms for emphasis.
“Okay,” Sally asked amused, “What’s the big question?”
“Will you have a drink with me?” Billy asked.
“I’m sorry?!”
“Drink? You? Me? Now?”
“Aren’t you on duty Detective Inspector Shipton?”
He grinned.
“Nope. Knocked off before I left. I told them I had a family crisis.”
“Why?” asked Sally.
“Because life is short and you are hot. Drink?”
“No.” Sally said with a smile.
“Ever?”
“Maybe.”
“Phone number?”
“Moving kind of fast, DI Shipton.”
“Billy. I’m off duty.”
“Aren’t you just.”
Sally pulled out her note book and wrote her phone number down. She ripped the page out and handed it to Billy.
“Is that your phone number?” he asked.
“Just my phone number. Not a promise. Not a guarantee. Not an IOU. Just a phone number.”
“And that’s Sally?”
“Sally Shipton.” Sally said. Her eyes widened. “Sparrow! Sally Sparrow!”
She walked away.
“I’m going now!” she called “Don’t look at me!”
“I’ll phone you!” Billy shouted after her.
“Don’t look at me!”
“Phone you tomorrow!”
“Don’t look at me!”
“Might even phone you tonight!”
“Don’t look at me!”
“Defintely going to phone you, gorgeous girl!”
“You definitely better!”
Sally left the garage and smiled to herself. Billy grinned. He turned and stopped. A bunch of Angel statues surrounded the Police Box. Three of them covered their eyes while the fourth had it’s hands on the handle and appeared to be trying to force the doors open. Billy walked up to one of the Angels. He smirked. This was probably some joke by the guys. He blinked.
Sally ran across the street trying to keep out of the rain. She shoved her hand in her pocket and felt something. She stopped and pulled it out. It was the key she found at Wester Drumlins. She thought about what Billy said. Nothing fit the lock of the Police Box... She turned back and ran back inside the Police Station.
She ran back inside the Underground Car Park... but Billy was gone. She looked around. So was the Police Box. The shutter doors were ripped open.
Billy slid down the wall. He had no idea where he was. He was in an alley somewhere.
“Welcome!” a voice called.
Billy turned. A man in a long crombie coat and white shirt was walking towards him, holding a strange device. A young woman with dark hair followed.
“Where am I?” Billy asked.
“1969.” Said the man. “Not too bad I suppose. There’s the moon landing. Otherwise pretty dull. Well... there was the Silence...”
“The moon landing’s brilliant!” the woman said. “We went four times, back when we had transport.” She gave a look at the man.
“I’m working on it!” the man answered.
“How did I get here?” Billy asked.
“Same way we did. The touch of an Angel. Possibly the same one. Maybe. You ended up here so that suggests so. Maybe. You know, all this is very very familiar. Rings a bell.”
Billy attempted to stand up.
“No, no. Don’t get up. Time travel without a capsule. Not good. Catch your breath. Don’t go swimming for half an hour. And don’t eat any cheese for at least a week. It’ll give you bad gas.”
“I don’t...I can’t...” Billy stammered confused.
“They’re a fascinating race the Weeping Angels. The only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. Quick zap back in time and make you live to death and feast on the energy of the life you would have lived.”
“What in God’s name are you talking about?”
“Just nod when he stops for breath.” The woman said.
“We tracked you with this.” The man held up his device. It was fashioned from an old lunchbox and an eggwhisk. “My timey-wimey detector. Need a better name than that. It goes ding when there’s timey wimey stuff. And it can boil an egg at thirty paces. Whenver I want it to or not actually. I didn’t install that feature. I’ve learned to stay away from hens. It’s not pretty when they blow.”
“I don’t understand. Where am I?” Billy asked.
“1969. Like he said.” The woman replied.
“Normally I’d offer you a lift home,” the Man said “But someone nicked my TARDIS. So I need you to send a message to Sally Sparrow. And it’s going to take you about 47 years. Sorry about that.”
Sally’s phone rang. She answered it.
“Hello?”
“Sally Sparrow.”
“Billy? Where are you?!”
“The hospital.”
“Where?”
Sally walked down the ward. She reached the far bed. An old man was laid there, asleep.
“Billy?” she asked.
He stirred. He looked at the window.
“It was raining when we met.” He said.
“It’s the same rain.” Sally said.
Billy looked at her sadly.
Sally sat looking through Billy’s photos. In one of them, Billy was getting married to a nice young woman.
“She looks nice.” Sally said.
“Her name was Sally too.” Billy noted.
“Sally Shipton.” Sally said with a smile.
“Sally Shipton.” Billy smiled. “I often thought about looking for you before tonight, but apparently it would’ve torn a hole in the fabric of space and time and destroyed two thirds of the universe. And...er...I’d lost my hair.”
“Two thirds of the universe? Where’d you get that from?” Sally inquired.
“There was a man in 1969. He sent me with a message for you.”
“What man?”
“The Doctor.”
“And what was the message?”
Billy leaned back and thought.
“Just this. Look at the list.” He said.
“What does that mean? Is that it? Look at the list?” Sally asked.
“He said you’d have it by now. A list of seventeen DVDs.”
Sally reached in her pocket and pulled out the list Larry had given her. Billy grinned.
“I didn’t stay a policeman back then. I got into publishing. Then video publishing. Then DVDs of course.” He said.
“You put the Easter Egg on!” Sally realised.
Billy smiled.
“Have you noticed what all seventeen DVDs have in common yet? I suppose it’s hard for you in a way.”
“How could the Doctor have even known I had a list? I only just got this!”
“I asked him how, but he said he couldn’t tell me. He said you’d understand it one day, but that I never would.”
Sally smiled.
“Soon as I understand it, I’ll come and tell you.”
“No, gorgeous girl, you can’t. There’s only tonight. He told me all those years ago that we’ll only meet again this one time. On the night I die.”
“Oh Billy...”
Sally took his hand. He smiled at her.
“It’s kept me going. I’m an old, sick man. But I’ve had something to look forward to. Life is long, and you are hot. Oh. Look at my hands. They’re old man’s hands. How did that happen?”
“I’ll stay. I’m going to stay with you ok?”
“Thank you, Sally Sparrow.”
Billy looked out of the window.
“I have until the rain stops.” He said with a tear in his eye.
Sally stood by the window. The rain had stopped. A tear rolled from her eye and hit the list in her hand. She wiped her eyes and looked at the list again. Then it hit her. The connection.
The phone rang. Larry was in the midst of packing his things. He answered it.
“Banto’s.” He said.
“They’re mine!” Sally called.
“What?!” Larry asked.
“The DVDs on the list! The seventeen DVDs! What they have in common is me! They’re all the DVDs I own! The Easter Egg was intended for me!”
Larry paused.
“You’ve only got seventeen DVDs?!” he shouted, disbelieving.
He heard Sally groan over the phone.
“Do you have a portable DVD player?” she asked.
“Of course. Why?”
“I want you to meet me.”
“Where?”
“Wester Drumlins.”
Sally answered the door. Larry walked in. He looked at her for a moment.
“You live in Scooby-Doo’s house.” He said.
“Oh for God’s sake I don’t live here!” she cried.
Larry set up the Portable DVD player. He held up two discs.
“This is the one with the clearest sound. Slightly better picture quality on this one. But I don’t know. If we did it at the flat I have this one on Blu-Ray-“
“It doesn’t matter!” Sally interrupted.
“Ok.”
Larry put in the DVD. The Easter Egg started playing.
“There he is.”
“The Doctor.” Sally said.
“Who’s the Doctor?” Larry asked.
“He’s the Doctor.” Sally said.
“Yes that’s me. Of course it is.” The Doctor said.
“Okay that was scary.” Sally said.
“No it sounds like he’s replying but he always says that.” Larry explained.
“Yes I do.” The Doctor said.
“And that.” Larry said.
“Yes. And this.” The Doctor added.
“He can hear us! Oh my God! You can really hear us!” she cried.
“Of course he can’t hear us! Look, I’ve got a transcript.” He pulled out a sheet of paper. “See? Everything he says. ‘Yes that’s me. Of course it is. Yes I do. Yes and this.’ Then it’s ‘Are you-“
“Are you really going to read that whole thing?” The Doctor butted in.
“Sorry.” Larry muttered.
“Who are you?” Sally asked.
“I’m a time traveller. Or I was. I’m stuck in 1969. You know this really rings a bell...”
A woman leaned in.
“We’re stuck! All of time and space and now I’ve got a job in a shop supporting him!”
“Clara!”
“Sorry.”
Clara walked off.
“I’ve seen this bit before.” Sally said.
“Quite possibly.” The Doctor said.
“So, 1969. That’s where you’re talking from?” Sally asked.
“I’m afraid so.” Replied the Doctor.
“But you’re replying to me! You can’t know exactly what I’m going to say fifty years before I say it!”
“Forty seven!” interrupted the Doctor.
“I’m getting this down.” Larry pulled out a pen and started writing on the transcript. “I’m writing in your bits!”
“How?” Sally demanded. “How is this possible? Tell me!”
“Not so fast!” Larry cried.
“You pudding brains don’t understand time. It’s not what you think it is.” The Doctor said.
“Then what is it?” Sally asked.
“Complicated.” Said the Doctor.
“Tell me.”
“Very complicated.”
“I’m clever and I’m listening. And don’t patronise me because people have died and I’m not happy. Tell me.” Sally demanded.
The Doctor groaned.
“You pudding brains assume that time is a strict progression from cause to effect. But actually from a non linear non subjective viewpoint it’s more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.” He babbled.
“Yeah, I’ve seen this bit before. You said that sentence got away from you.”
“Yes it got away from me. Thanks for pointing that out!”
“Next thing you’re going to say is, well I can hear you!”
“Well I can hear you stupid! I’m not an idiot!”
“This isn’t possible!”
“No!” Larry said. “It’s brilliant!”
“Well not hear you exactly, but I know everything you’re going to say!” The Doctor said.
“Always gives me the shivers that bit.” Larry said.
“How can you know what I’m going to say?” Sally asked.
“Look to your left.” Said the Doctor.
Sally looked to her left and saw Larry writing.
“What does he mean look to your left?” Larry asked. “I’ve written tons about that on the forums. I think it’s a political statement.”
“He means you.” Sally said. “What are you doing?”
“I’m writing in your bits.” He said. “That way I’ve got a complete transcript of the whole conversation. Wait until this hits the net. This will explode the egg forums!”
“I’ve got a copy of the finished transcript.” The Doctor said. “It’s on my autocue.”
“How can you have a copy of the finished transcript?” Sally asked. “It’s still being written!”
“I told you! I’m a time teaveller! I got it in the future!”
“Okay, let me get my head this round this. You’re reading a loud from a transcript of a conversation you’re still having?”
“Yeah. Wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey.”
“Oh never mind that.” She turned to Larry. “You can do shorthand?” she asked.
“So?” he said.
“What matters is that we can communicate!” The Doctor cried. “We have got big problems now! They’ve taken the TARDIS haven’t they? The blue box? The Angels have the phone box.”
“The angels have the phone box. That’s my favourite. I’ve got it on a t-shirt!” Larry said.
“What do you mean angels?” asked Sally. “You mean those statue things?”
“Creatures from another world.” The Doctor said,
“But they’re just statues.”
“Only when you see them.”
“What does that mean?”
“The lonely assassins, they used to be called. No one quite knoes where they came from. They’re as old as the universe. Or very nearly. They ahve survived this long because they have the most perfect defense mechanism ever evolved. They are quantum-locked. They don’t exist when they’re being observed. The moment they are seen by any other living creature they freeze into rock. No choice. Fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing they turn to stone. And you can’t kill a stone. And a stone can’t kill you either. Then you turn your head. Then you blink. And oh yes it can.”
Sally looked up. There was an angel in the garden.
“Don’t take your eyes off that.”
Larry stared. The Doctor continued to talk.
“That’s why they cover their eyes. They’re not weeping. They can’t risk looking at each other. Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. They can never be seen. The loneliest creatures in the universe. And I am very sorry. But it is up to you know.”
“What am I supposed to do?” Sally asked.
“My time machine. The blue box. There is a world of time energy in there they could feast in forever. But the damage they could do could switch off the sun. You have to send it back to me. You know this is all very familiar...”
“How? HOW?!”
“And that’s it I’m afraid. There’s no more from you on the transcript. That’s it. I don’t know what stopped you talking but I can guess. They’re coming. The angels are coming for you. But listen, your life could depend on this. Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don’t turn your back. Don’t look away. And don’t blink. Good luck.”
The picture froze.
“NO! NO! DON’T! YOU CAN’T!” Sally cried.
“I’ll rewind him!” Larry shouted.
“WHAT GOOD WILL THAT DO?!” Sally screamed.
Then she stopped.
She looked Larry in the eye.
“You’re not looking at the statue.” She said.
“Neither are you.” He said.
They both slowly turned. The Angel was there. Reaching for them, it’s mouth wide open. It’s face was demonic. Sally and Larry jumped away.
“Keep looking at it!” Sally shouted.
“There’s just one right?” Larry stammered. “We’re fine there’s just this one. We keep looking at this one. We’re going to be fine. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“There are three more.” Sally said.
“THREE?!” Larry screamed.
“They were upstairs before but they might have moved.”
“Move?! Move where?!”
“I’m going to look around. I’m going to check. Keep looking at this one. Don’t blink!”
“Who blinks?” Larry said. “Too scared to blink.”
Sally ran to the hallway and checked. It was clear.
“Ok we’re going to the door. Front door.”
She grabbed Larry and guided him backwards to the door.
“Ok we both can’t get to the door without taking our eyes off that thing. Stay here.”
“WHAT?!” Larry shouted.
“I’ll be just around the corner. You stay here!”
Sally ran to the door and grabbed the handle. It wouldn’t budge.
“They’ve locked it! They’ve locked us in!” She shouted.
“Why?!” Larry called.
“I’ve got something they want.” Sally said.
“What?!”
“The key! I took it last time I was here. They followed me to get it back. I led them to the blue box now they’ve got that!”
“Well give them the key!”
“I’m going to check the back door. You wait here!” Sally said.
“Give them the key! Give them what they want! Sally! What if they come behind me?!”
“HANG ON!” Sally shouted.
Larry gulped. He could hear something behind him. Was he paranoid? He had to check. A quick look. Wouldn’t hurt. He turned saw nothing and turned back. The angel was inches from his face.
“Sally please I can’t do this!” he shouted.
Sally tried the back door. No joy. She ran back to Larry but stopped. The cellar door was open.
“Larry?” she called. “They’ve blocked off the back door but there’s a cellar. There might be a way out!”
“Coming! I can’t stay here!” he shouted.
Sally made her way down.
The time machine was there. Three angels stood on guard.
“Ok boys... I know how this works.” Sally said. “You can’t move as long as I can see you... Whole world in a box the Doctor says. He better not be lying because I don’t see how else we’re getting out.”
Larry ran past her. Sally turned. The angel from upstairs was behind them. It’s hand was pointed upwards.
“Why’s it pointing at the light?” Larry asked.
The lights began to flicker.
“OH MY GOD IT’S TURNING OUT THE LIGHT!”
Sally ran to the time machine and pulled out the key. In the flashing lights she struggled to find the lock. Larry tried to keep an eye on the angels, but they were all moving too fast in the gaps between flashes.
“Hurry!” He hissed.
Sally managed to get the key in the lock. The doors opened.
They dashed inside. The machine was much bigger on the inside. A silvery metal room greeted them. A large console was in the centre, with a huge cylinder within it. A warm orange glow illuminated the room. A hologram of the Doctor appeared.
“This is security protocol seven one two. This time capsule has detected the presence of an authorised control disc, valid one journey.” The hologram said.
Larry reached into his pocket and pulled out a DVD. It was glowing.
Sally noticed something.
“There’s a slot! It looks like a DVD player!” she said pointing at the console. Suddenly the room shook from side to side. There was banging on the door.
“It’s the angels!” shouted Larry. “They’re trying to get in!”
“Well hurry up then!” Sally shouted.
Larry shoved the disc in the slot. The machine began to make noises. A slow groaning sound. The ship began to take off. But then it began to fade away.
“What’s happening?!” Larry cried.
“Oh my God! It’s leaving us behind! Doctor no! You can’t!” Sally screamed.
Larry and Sally huddled together as the TARDIS disappeared. The Angels closed in. Sally screamed and buried her head in Larry’s shoulder. The TARDIS vanished. A few seconds passed. Nothing.
“LOOK AT THEM! QUICK LOOK AT THEM!” Sally screamed.
Larry looked about.
“I don’t think we have to.”
He pointed.
“They’re looking at each other! They’re never gonna move again!”
Sally looked about. He was right. The Angels were in a circle exactly where the TARDIS was. They were looking at each other. It was over.
Sally stood at the till of the shop. She pulled out the finished Transcript and placed it in a folder with photos of the Angels and information about Wester Drumlins. She heard footsteps. She moved to hide the folder. Larry walked into the room.
“Can you mind the shop? I’m just nipping next door for some milk.” He said.
“Yeah no worries.” She replied.
Larry moved and grabbed the folder.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Sally, can you let it go?”
“Of course not. How did the Doctor know where to write the words? Where did he get the transcript? How did he get all that information?”
“Some things you never find out. And that’s ok.”
“No it isn’t.”
Larry sighed.
“Ever think this is getting in the way of other things?” he asked with a knowing hint.
“We just run a shop together.” Sally said. “That’s all it is. Just a shop.”
“Anyway.” Larry said awkwardly. “Milk. Back in a mo.”
Sally watched with a little regret. She watched him walk up the street. She felt an urge to say something. Then a taxi pulled up. The Doctor and Clara climbed out. Sally gasped. She grabbed the folder and ran out the door.
“Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!” she shouted.
“Hello. Sorry, bit of a rush. There's a sort of thing happening. Fairly important we stop it.” He said.
“My God, it's you. It really is you. Oh, you don't remember me, do you?”
Clara walked over.
“Doctor, we haven't have time for this. The migration's started.”
The Doctor turned back to Sally.
“Look, sorry, I've got a bit of a complex life. Things don't always happen to me in quite the right order. Gets a bit confusing at times, especially at weddings. I'm rubbish at weddings, especially my own. That was a day. I died. Then I didn’t. Long story.”
Sally gasped.
“Oh, my God, of course. You're a time traveller. It hasn't happened to you yet. None of it. It's still in your future.”
“What?” The Doctor asked.
“Doctor please!” Clara called. “Twenty minutes to hatching!”
“It was me. Oh, for God's sake, it was me all along. You got it all from me.” Sally said.
“Got what?” The Doctor asked.
Sally handed the folder to him.
“Okay, listen. One day you're going to get stuck in 1969. Make sure you've got this with you. You're going to need it.”
“Doctor!” shouted Clara.
“Yeah, listen, listen, got to dash. Things happening. Actually, four things. Four things and a lizard.“
“No worries.” Sally said. “Off you go. See you about some day.”
“What was your name?” The Doctor asked.
“Sally Sparrow.” Sally said.
“Good to meet you Sally Sparrow.”
Larry returned. He stopped and gasped. Sally took his hand.
“Goodbye Doctor.” She said with a smile. The two walked back inside their store; Sparrow and Nightingale, antiquarian books and rare DVDs.
The statues watched from all around.
Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don’t turn your back. Don’t look away. And don’t blink. Good luck.
Happy Halloween!