It begins.

Dave forgot what he had to say.

Rachel was looking at him, waiting. Her freckled forehead creased as red lips scrunched up in frustration. Blue eyes rolled, she shook her head. Ringlets of orange shook too.

"Earth to Dave," she said. "Anyone there?"

"Huh, what?" Dave asked.

He tried to concentrate on what she was saying. It was a struggle to look down at her face, a face he usually had trouble looking away from. A bright green, digital display that counted down. 00:00:00:00:01:53. 52. 51. The numbers floated mid air, and turned with her head as she tilted it.

"What... What's that?" Dave asked.

"What?"

"The number... thing." Dave motioned, "Is that some new fashion?"

Rachel was quiet for four seconds. They weren't long seconds, they weren't short.

00:00:00:00:00:25

Rachel shook her head, giving a grunt of frustration. Even as freaked out as he was, Dave still found that little motion cute.

00:00:00:00:00:15

So torn by all of this confusion, Dave didn't stop her as she turned. She had work to get back to, of course. Work across the busy road.

00:00:00:00:00:10

The numbers were flashing now. Each new flash took away another second. Fear gripped Dave, cold fingers wrapping around his heart. A weight settled into his stomach.

Rachel stepped onto the road, shaking her head in frustration. A fiery redhead if ever he knew one.

00:00:00:00:00:05

She turned back towards him, her forehead still creased in annoyance.

She wasn't looking. She didn't see.

00:00:00:00:00:00

The bus hit her with an almighty thud. Red covered the road.

Dave shook in sympathy. He dropped to the ground and expelled his lunch. Again and again he tried to expunge the fear, the panic.

Screams erupted around him. Cars screeched to a halt. People were running.

Someone stopped by Dave, putting a comforting arm around him. The touch of another human brought him some warmth. Already his mind was unravelling the cognitive dissonance - surely it was just something he imagined, something he made up after the fact.

Dave shuddered once more and looked up to the helper. The beginnings of a smile froze in place as his eyes were drawn upwards, to a point above the helpful man's head.

05:23:07:13:37