I looked through the door into eternity and saw what I could have lost.

…and I howled.

…and for a little while, I saw everything that was, everything that is, and all that could ever be. I had perfect clarity, perfect understanding, perfect power. I looked through the door into eternity and I saw what I could have lost…

…and I howled…

oOo

The Wolf stood at the glass doors…

“But I’m gonna miss my bus if I don’t go right now. The lottery money needs to get to Wilson. Do it for me? Just this once? Please?”

“Come on, Rose, you know I hate it down there! Wilson is so weird.”

“He is not! He’s a nice old man. I’ll re-stock returns for you tomorrow…”

“Oh alright. Hope you make your bus.”

Rose flashed a smile at her irritated friend and hastily said goodnight to the doorman as he locked the glass doors behind her…

…and She howled.

But as soon as she met the cool London air, she knew she had already missed it.

Glumly, Rose leaned against a poll at the bus stop on the south side of the store. The next one wouldn’t be along for another half an hour.

A man in black leather came careening around the corner like a bat out of hell. He grabbed her by the shoulders. His ice-blue eyes bore straight into her heart.

“The building’s gonna blow! Run!”

He offered his hand, and of course, she took it…

The Wolf stood at Wilson’s door…

…and She howled.

“Wilson, you there? Wilson?”

“That you Rosie? I’m down the hall around the corner. Bugger these old wires!”

“Got the lottery money here.”

“Thank ya’, love. How much you in for this week?”

“Ten quid. Got a good commission when I sold a bunch of ties to a really fit bloke in a brown suit.”

“Good for you… but more important, did you get his number?”

“Wilson...”

“Sign of someone goin’ places in the world, a good suit is… Aww, don’t look at me like that. Where’s your smile? Gaw, there it is. You know I’m just teasin’ ya, right love?”

“Blimey! Is it really five ‘til? My break’s almost up. Gotta get back on the floor. Bye.”

Wilson knocked off early that night, and popped into the One Stop across the street from Henrik’s. He bought 122 one quid lottery tickets and a bag of licorice. His next stop was his favorite pub. His drinking mates greeted him with pats on the back and best wishes, considerin’ he didn’t have a job to go back to.

There’d been an explosion at the store.

He ordered a second pint, and then a third. For the first time in 38 years of employment at Henrik’s, Wilson the chief electrician would have a weekday lie in.

With a grin, he pushed the pub door open…

…and She howled.

When the lottery numbers were announced on the telly, he hollered.

“Allo Love! You’ve always been nice to this old man, so I’m callin’ you first. Don’t worry about sellin’ ties to cute blokes no more. We won! Meet up at the One Stop tomorrow morning at eight o’clock sharp.”

The next morning, Rose held a shapely plastic leg as she waited for Wilson, Ivy and the rest of the lottery winners to arrive at the One Stop where Wilson had purchased the tickets the night before.

“Whaddya got that leg for?” A man in black leather grabbed it out of her hand and jabbed it with a silver wand.

“Hey, gimme back my leg. I was gonna keep that as a souvenir. I used to work there, you know, until my job blew up last night. This thing must’ve been blown out of the building or somethin’.”

“Well it’s no souvenir. It’s good for you that I came along when I did. What’s your name?”

“Rose Tyler.”

“Nice to meet you Rose Tyler.”

The Wolf stood at the basement door…

…and She howled…

It was impossible, but the shop window dummies were moving. She laughed a bit, accused students of pulling a sick joke or a prank. But when they didn’t stop scaring her despite her protests, she became nervous, so she ran away as fast as she could.

“Hey! Anybody! There’s somethin’ goin’ on in there! Help me!”

The Wolf heard her pounding desperately on the door…

…and She howled.

Rose smelled leather and engine oil. Strong arms were cradling her, and whoever was carrying her was running. The man carrying her fell forward, but protected her all the way down until they both hit the pavement. He covered her with his own body, shielding her from a massive explosion.

“I found you in the basement… Heard you screaming. What were you doin’ down there?”

“Deliverin’ the lottery money…”

“One of those shop window dummies hit you on the head, you know.”

“What? It wasn’t some dream?”

“No. Not a dream. What’s your name?”

“It’s Rose. Rose Tyler.”

“Nice to meet you Rose Tyler, I just saved your life.”

The Wolf stood at the cat door…

…and She howled.

“You deserve compensation! If I have to drag you down there myself I will.”

“Mum… just stop with the compensation would you?! I don’t deserve any money. No one did anything to me. It just… it just sort of happened. I was lucky that I traded shifts with Ivy. I still can’t believe she’s gone.”

“Best not to think about ‘what if’ Sweetheart. Let me treat you to some chips. How does that sound?”

“Fine.”

“And then we’ll go to the police and demand to find out how to get somethin’ for your ordeal.”

“Mum!”

“I’m starvin’. Hurry up, Rose, or I’m leaving without you.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.”

A man in black leather looked up at the flat from below. The residents of the flat were finally leaving. The readings indicated that there was a trace of… something… He needed to find out what it was and why it was in there.

The Wolf heard the door to the modest flat slam shut.

…and she howled.

“Oh bugger! I forgot my purse. Wait here Mum. No sense you climbing all the way back up there with me…”

Rose ran back through the courtyard and took the stairs by twos. She rounded the corner and found a man in black leather on all fours peeking through the cat door.

“Whaddayo doin’ here?”

“I live here!”

“Well what’d you do that for?”

oOo

“…you could come with me…”

“…I can’t…”

He closed the door to his magic blue box.

Relentlessly the Wolf howled until he surrendered his pride.

The blue door opened a second time.

“By the way, did I mention? It also travels in time.”

…and She howled in victory.