The Lost Link: Bluton Destiny

Highwayman

The route from West Ham to Tooting stretched ahead, a journey of no less than an hour by car, only a mere twenty minutes had slipped by. Today's sun was relentless, casting an unusual heat upon the surroundings. The car's dashboard glowed with the evidence of rising temperatures.

Amidst the hum of the engine, his thoughts were a whirlwind of the past day's events. Regret tugged at the corners of his mind as he replayed the scenes. Regret gnawed at the edges of his consciousness, replaying scenes from last night's missed opportunity. The absence at his parents' 25th-anniversary celebration weighed on him like a stone. He had meticulously orchestrated every detail, leaving his mark on the smallest decorations that adorned the event. The idea to serve the guests' cherished dishes had sprung from his imagination. Ethan was inherently forgiving, easily overlooking the flaws of others. Yet, when it came to his own missteps, he held onto them like lifelines, reluctant to release them until time smoothed their jagged edges.

As the university drew closer, fatigue draped itself over him like a heavy blanket. Yet, his hands remained steady on the wheel, and steering the course. Abruptly, the atmosphere within the car transformed. The air grew tense, the temperature escalating, and Ethan sensed a shift, his skin prickling with unease. Instinctively, he rolled down the window, inviting a gust of wind that sliced through the mounting tension. In this vulnerable moment, a speeding car whizzed by, grazing perilously close. Control wavered for a heartbeat before he wrested it back just in time, the road empty ahead. With a quick gesture, he sealed the window shut once more.

But the strangeness was far from over. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a man in a suit emerging from nowhere, signaling for a lift amidst the torrent of the highway. A second wave of pressure hit Ethan, his heart accelerating as he navigated the car through the uncertainty. The man's plea tugged at his empathy, yet his appearance was as shocking as a lightning bolt on a clear day. Determination hardened his gaze as he steered away, resolute in not yielding to the stranger's request.

As the journey continued, the sky above transforming into a canvas of brooding clouds that raced against the wind. Ethan's gaze flicked to the dashboard, perplexed by the divergence between the ominous heavens and the projected weather forecast. An unsettling realization crept in – he was the sole traveler on this usually bustling thoroughfare during peak hours.

Then, another man, clad in an identical suit, materialized before him, seeking a ride in the midst of the storm. Uncanny similarities to the first enigmatic figure ignited a spark of caution within Ethan. He hesitated but swiftly accelerated, his fear intensifying as the enigmatic stranger shrank in the rearview mirror, left behind in a whirlwind of rain.

The rain descended in torrents, wind whipping it into a tempest that engulfed the road. Yet, Ethan remained solitary, a lone presence on a usually bustling thoroughfare during the busiest hours.

A mile down the road, déjà vu materialized once more – an enigmatic man, yet again in a suit, stood in the deluge, sheltered by an umbrella.

Chills raced down Ethan's spine, his foot instinctively veering toward the gas pedal instead of the brake. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he watched the trio – the umbrella-bearer included – chasing his car, their pursuit transforming unease into a gnawing dread. He surged forward, increasing his speed, eyes locked on the winding road ahead.

Suddenly, a figure in a suit appeared before him on the road. Panic surged through Ethan, too late to halt the collision. The impact was jarring, and darkness engulfed his senses with three more impacts followed hitting behind the car, a cacophony of collisions.

In the caverns of his mind, the echoes persisted – a rhythmic refrain of collisions playing in a haunting loop. Gradually, the sounds faded, replaced by a gradual return to consciousness. A knock on the window jolted him, and there stood Mr. Timothy, the university security, his presence a reassuring anchor. Ethan's surroundings came into focus – he was parked in the university car park. Confusion swirled within him, a puzzle he couldn't solve. Rolling down the window, he met Mr. Timothy's reassuring smile, a greeting of "Prof Ethan", he inquired about his well-being, noting Ethan's apparent nap within the car.