5th March 2005 - 6.29pm - London, Oxford Street

Chilly, the night did seem. Unseasonably cold weather had licked it's way across London all day, but never did it stop the mass of hurried shoppers from leaving Oxford Street. As was always on a Saturday night, Clara and Ellie Oswald had some mother-daughter time, seeing the shops, buying clothes and enjoying each other's company. Dave, their husband/father, was at home preparing their tea, which was a feast of Mexican food. Back to Oxford Street, where for about five minutes, Clara stopped for a break: the cold taking it's toll on her breathing. Ellie, however, had eyed up a dazzling shirt which she so desperately wanted, and so told Clara she would be in the shop a few doors down. Eventually, her breathing normalised, and Clara readied herself for another burst of frenzied browsing. One by one, she passed stores, not one with Ellie inside. Finally, after much jumping and barging, she saw her mother, in the middle of a heavily packed sales clothing rack in the eighth store down from where she stopped: she knew her mother wouldn't stop.

*SQUEAK*

'What was that?' some unknown voice asked, male, frightened: as to be expected in the claws of a women's department store.

*CREEEAK*

'Mum, what's that noise?' pondered Clara, now reunited with Ellie. Both of them looked around, noticing that other people near the front windows were doing exactly the same as them.

*BANG. SCREAMS. MULTIPLE BANGS*

All hell broke loose. As Ellie made a final sweep of the shop, something caught her eye: a manikin angling it's head around, facing a lady who was oblivious. Watching on in awe, she saw the manakins hand reach up to touch the lady: Ellie gaping wide at these now 'movable' manikin's.

That was when the hand opened up, and made a hole in the woman's neck.

Ellie, grabbing her 16 year old daughter, ran out of the shop in a flow of more than 300 people, through two doors only wide enough for three people to fit through. Once outside, the scene of devastation continued. Cars began crashing into shop windows, other cars, people. Shop window dummies were walking out onto the streets and shooting people down like they were plastic targets. She didn't notice when her daughter's hand got lost in the crowd.

'Clara? CLARA?!' Ellie screamed out in desperation, fearing for her daughter's life. She ran against the tide of fleeing customers, pushing into people. The faint sound of Clara's voice rings through the pandemonium like singing. Smiling with relief, Ellie sees her daughter, still in shock, slowly making her way towards her. Just as Clara's face melts back into blissful relief, something hits Ellie in the small of her back.

Like candle wax, the fabric and skin around the heat melts and singes noisily. Rigidly, Ellie falls forward, landing face first onto the ground. The sound Clara makes, is inhuman.

March 29th 2005 - A Funeral.

'Not one person stopped to help us, that was the thing that bothered me most. Everyone was trying to save their own life, too frightened to think of anything else. I don't remember a single person ever looking down at us, me sitting there cradling her while she whispered to me, about how she loved me, loved my Dad. I couldn't cope, the noise of those manikins firing at innocent people, I never took notice to them once she was hit. All those days of hers, them days she aspired to do, now gone. […] She- she never hurt anyone. In fact she saved my Dad, a long time ago. In a way, I thank her, because if it wasn't for her bravery, I wouldn't be here now. She was the purest of hearts, inspiring me to travel the world. And, with all the might I can muster, I will make sure I do just that. Goodbye Mum.'

As the memorial service ended, only Clara and Dave stayed, looking down now at the grave. Clara, still cradling her mother's book of 101 Places to See, couldn't bear to look anymore. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she turns.

Who is that man hiding behind the tree?

The Rings of Akhaten, two minutes from devourment.

'There are millions and billions of unlived days, for every day we live. An infinity. And these are all my mum's.' Clara finally felt like she was doing her mother proud, saving the Seven Worlds, saving Merry, even now her mother was looking over her. One thought passed through her mind.

'Now I will make those stars my own.'