Flashing cameras, lights, glitz and glammer, HG Wells held the attention of every eye in Leicester Square as she waltzed along the red carpet towards the large London Odeon cinema playing her latest movie. It was premier night. Ms Well's favourite night post film production. The red carpet itself was a bit of a drag, she had to be on best behaviour and smile for at least two hours solid but once she was sat in the cinema screen that was when her night really began.

As the lead in the movie she would be offered the best premier seat but she always turned them away and requested the very back corner in the auditorium. To her it was the best seat in the house as she could sit back and watch her audience unnoticed. It intrigued the actress to see just how people really reacted to her latest film. Watching each person's facial expression inch by inch she could tell if they truly enjoyed her latest piece.

HG could get absorbed in studying and analysing human behaviour. Not many people realised but HG Wells hadn't always longed for the life of fame and fortune. Her mind was brilliant, genius in fact; as a child she had always thought she would become a criminal psychologist, inventor, novelist or even an astronaut. Her life however was not to follow her childhood dreams. As a child her parents had pushed herself and Brother Charles into the limelight. It started off with adverts for microwave chips and a few television dramas, and then eventually she got her big break in a local made movie 'The Time Machine.' It was a small low budget production, but with her wistful charm, dashing and beautiful looks the big movie producers of the USA couldn't help but pay attention. Soon the young actress just 17 was the most wanted on every film directors list.

Ms Wells took a moment on the soft red outdoors flooring to glance up at the stars. The flashing lights and the smog of London City hid her favourite constellation. She knew she shouldn't be ungrateful, that wasn't the right word for it, she had more money than she knew what to do with, she could pick and choose her jobs , in fact if she wanted to she never had to work again. HG sighed inwardly; she couldn't even explain to herself what was missing. She looked back at the crowd and gazed at the smiling public reaching out to her. After signing a dozen more autographs she swooped back her hair, swished her long black dress and posed characteristically. The actress glances down at her diamante watch, only another 45 minutes and she would be in the darkness of the cinema room.

…..

Pulling her scarf tighter around her neck Myka Bering shivered against the cool summer breeze. It had been a long day at work and the trek across the city from the Natural History Museum to home was proving impossible. The underground was packed due to a fault on a major line and Myka's bicycle was still at the shop waiting to be fixed. She had left her bike on the road side while she nipped into a local bookstore at Portabello and when she came back out the frame had been crushed by rubbish removal truck. The bike store owner had said it was irreparable but Myka still had hope her beautiful duck egg blue bicycle could be fixed. Her father had given into her when she moved from America to England 15 years ago. He had warned her about the roads and given her the gorgeous little town bike to help her make her way through the new busy city.

Myka had always disliked crowds. A crowded waiting room, post office, train carriage, and anything a like, she couldn't bare it. She preferred the brisk air and cool breeze of a vast open field whenever possible. On her free weekends she would quite often catch the earliest train out of London into the Sussex countryside. She would pack a book, small lunch and flask and find the most secluded place to herself for an entire morning and afternoon.

Stepping onto the cobbled streets of Leicester square Myka glanced at the nearest tube station and was glad she had opted to take the half hour walk across town to get home, the station seemed even busier than usual with the queues practically backing out onto the road from the staircase leading down to the trains.

A few more paces and Myka could see exactly why. Leicester Square was filled to the brim with reporters, screaming members of the public and local police enforcement doing their best to reign in the crowds. Myka shook her head, of all the days she had to choose a premier night to walk home. If she had realised she would have taken the 15 minute detour.

Ducking down Myka decided to brave it. She just had to get past the theatre stretch and the crowds would part. Ducking and weaving in between scantily clad onlookers desperate for a peak at their favourite star Myka dodged the crowd. Glancing up she found herself surrounded, somehow she had ended up right in the throng of it. Out the corner of her eye she spotted space. Like a moth to a flame she squeezed passed the cajoling public and headed for freedom. Darting from gap to gap she was almost there, she was so close….then she spotted it, a red roped barrier stretched the length of her escape. Unknowingly Myka Bering had stumbled into the centre of the hive; the space had not been freedom but the red carpet itself. Throwing her hands out to stop her momentum it was too late, so eager to get out of the hubbub Myka found it impossible to stop herself from falling into the barrier. It was if she were moving in slow motion, horror plastered across her face she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable thud as she was about to hit the floor. Nothing.

Suspiciously opening one eye Myka looked up to see what had happened and found herself looking up into surprised, wide, black sparkling eyes framed by a curtain of glossy midnight hair.

…

Trailing the final few metres HG Wells eyed the front doors of the cinema and then glanced at her watch; 10 minutes and she would be in. Signing a few more autographs HG gracefully floated along the red carpet to her destination until suddenly with no warning at all a young women with a head of thick brown curly hair stumbled and began to fall just a few inches away from her. HG knew she should do nothing. Security always told them not to approach anybody who passed the barriers. HG held back at first, security had already spotted the girl but they would never get there in time to stop the fall. Without another thought and with extraordinarily fast reflexes HG Wells reached out and caught the falling young woman with ease.

Suspiciously the brunette slowly opened her eyes revealing a bright brilliant green that pierced the actresses and immediately HG knew she had done the right thing. She watched amused as relief, horror and embarrassment flushed across the young brunettes face all at once.

'Hello there.' HG spoke to a very shocked Myka in her smoothest warming tone.

Before Myka could reply security had run from the side lines and hooked the brunette up and off the actress by her elbows.

Quickly HG signalled for security to stay before they dragged the shocked woman away and out of sight.

'Please. I don't think we need to make a scene it was just an accident.' HG waved the guards off and touched her hand against the dazed brunette's shoulder.

'But…Mam. It's our duty to protect you from …'

HG interrupted the guards before they could finish their sentence.

'I'm fine and so is Miss….' HG gestured for Myka to speak.

'Bering.' The brunette practically whispered. She felt tiny next to the stunning women now surrounded but a myriad of flashing lights. Clearly her disturbance was beginning to be noticed.

'Miss Wells. I must protest.' Security began to speak in unison and received only a cold response from the actress.

'Mr and Mr Security people please do not try my patience. We are not the police. This young lady merely tripped and I do believe we should be more concerned with her wellbeing than anything else. In fact please get me a glass of water for Miss Bering.' The no nonsense gaze from the actress was enough to send the young men scarpering.

'Miss Bering are you quite alright?' HG turned to face the blushing young woman.

Myka nodded meekly words refusing to leave her lips.

'Shall we go inside? I fear these cameras are dazzling you as much as they are me.' Gently HG placed an arm supportively around the brunette's waist and guided her towards the cinema doors. Ms Wells smirked imagining the photos in tomorrow's gossip magazines, her agent Mrs Frederickson was going to kill her.