Just Imagine...

It's Always the Little Towns

Ianto practically jumped out of his skin when there was another loud knock at the door.
"Steady on there, Ianto," Mrs Watkins murmured, "are you expecting someone?"
"No," Ianto answered, "no one at all."
The pounding came again and Ianto managed not to react this time. Whoever it was, they were knocking louder than Mrs Watkins.
"I wonder if it's the M-" Mrs Watkins began.
"IANTO FOR THE LOVE OF THE SPIRITS LET ME IN! I'M FUCKING FREEZING!!"
Ianto sighed loudly, rolling his eyes.
"Sam Bloody Ryder..." he muttered under his breath.
"What's that then?" Mrs Watkins asked, but Ianto had already opened the door.
Sam practically tumbled in, bringing with her a heavy dusting of snow. She shook herself violently.
"Took ya long enough," she scoffed, "were ya on the shitter or somethin'?" 
"Sam, what are you doing here?" Ianto sighed patiently.
"I came to check in on you." Sam answered, as if it were obvious.
"You didn't need to do that."
"I know. But I wanted to. You're welcome. Jesus, I come all this way in the middle of a snowstorm and I don't even get a hug?"
"Maybe after you warm up, I don't like the idea of hugging a frozen body."
"And who's fault is that?"
"This one must be your girlfriend," Mrs Watkins spoke up, "bit of a loony, isn't she?"
"Girlfriend?" Sam echoed, offended.
"Sam's not my girlfriend," Ianto cut in, "and even if we were together, she'd be my joyfriend. She's genderqueer."
"Oh." Mrs Watkins mused, looking Sam up and down as Sam raised an eyebrow.
"She's my... boss' parent." Ianto added, giving Sam a pointed glare, "Sam, this is Mrs Watkins. She was the one who I rented this place from."
Sam responded with a look that clearly said 'you can tell her I'm genderqueer but you can't tell her you're dating my son?'. Ianto resisted the urge to flip her off. He figured Mrs Watkins wouldn't appreciate rude gestures.
"Goodness, your boss must be quite young!" Mrs Watkins exclaimed, "she's not much older than you!"
"Teenage pregnancy," Sam said immediately, "a very young teenage pregnancy."
Ianto slowly lowered his head into his palm, repressing a sigh.
"I, uh..." Sam went on awkwardly, "I'm also a little older than I look."
The three of them all jumped when there was yet another knock on the door.
"What now?" Ianto sighed, exasperated, "did you bring somebody with you??"
"No!" Sam exclaimed, "it's just me! I dunno who that is!"
"It's the Mari Lwyd!" Mrs Watkins spoke up, looking excited.
Sam looked at her like she was having a very difficult time processing what she'd just said, and Ianto tried not to snicker.
How was it that she never failed to make him laugh, even when she wasn't trying to be funny? It reminded him too much of Jack for his liking.
"I... the what now?" Sam demanded after a moment of silence.
"Ah, you're not Welsh, dearie, are you?" Mrs Watkins asked, and Sam gave Ianto a 'is she fucking serious?' look. Ianto chuckled.
"The Mari Lwyd is a Welsh folktale," he explained, "every year at Christmas the men from the village take a horse's skull and an old sheet and make a... puppet of sorts, and take it around to every house. Mari asks to come in for food and drinks, and the person inside has to convince her to go away."
"Stop stop stop," Sam interrupted, "I did not just hear you say 'horse's skull'."
"Oh don't tell me you don't do obscure things in Colombian culture for Christmas."
"Okay, first of all, rude. Second of all, no. Nothing that involves breaking and entering with a dead animal."
Sam jumped at another loud knock.
"They're pretty damn persistent!" She exclaimed.
"It's all part of the game," Mrs Watkins murmured, "you want to try?"
"I would probably butcher any Welsh you tried to teach me." Sam admitted.
"I wasn't too great at it either," Ianto assured her, "then again I was only five and cowering behind my Gran while my sister and brother laughed at me." 
Mrs Watkins opened the door and Sam jumped back with a muffled shriek.
"JESUS!" She exclaimed, "you guys weren't kidding, that's definitely a horse skull. Why does everything around here have to be so weird? We just have fireworks and lighthearted games for Colombian Christmases!"
"Sam, this is a lighthearted game." Ianto murmured patiently.
"That is a dead animal's head." Sam hissed, pointing at the Mari Lwyd.
"C'mon then, Jim," Mrs Watkins said, "are we starting or not?"
"Starting... what?" Sam whispered to Ianto.
"Whoever is carrying the Mari Lwyd is supposed to sing a song asking to come inside," Ianto responded, "then whoever's at the door convinces them to go away. If they can't, the Mari Lwyd gets to come in and eat their food and drink their alcohol."
"So this is just a very elaborate way of saying 'can I steal your booze?'."
"Kind of, yeah."
"That makes so much more sense."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Jim?" Mrs Watkins asked, "what's going on with you?"
Ianto suddenly froze and walked closer to her, putting a hand on her shoulder to pull her back.
"I don't think that's Jim." He murmured, just as the figure in the doorway let out a screech and extended its arm towards Mrs Watkins.
"GET BACK!" Sam shouted, grabbing her and yanking her away from the creature. Ianto immediately slammed the door shut and pressed his back against it, struggling to keep it shut as the beast outside tried to push it back open. Sam gritted her teeth and pushed her shoulder against the wood, hoping her slightly greater weight and strength would help.
The thumping and scratching from outside abruptly stopped as all the lights went out.
"Wha-?" Sam began breathlessly.
"I told you so," Mrs Watkins murmured, "frog in the wiring."
"A what in the what?" Sam asked flatly.
"Oh, never mind," Mrs Watkins sighed, then winced, "my hand, where that thing touched me-"
"Is it scratched?" Ianto asked, immediately moving to examine her. Then he frowned, gently lifting Mrs Watkins' hand closer to his face.
"What is it?" Sam asked nervously.
"It's frostbitten." Ianto murmured, dumbfounded.
"I-I don't understand," Sam said, starting to pace, "I thought you guys said this was a game."
"It's supposed to be," Ianto responded, "I don't know what's going on here, but that's not how the game is supposed to go."
"Oh, great, I was hoping whoever's out there was gonna yell '¡inocente!' and we'd all get to have a good laugh."
"What?"
"That's Colombian Christmas. We play pranks on each other. Mostly after Christmas but I mean, no one's expecting it before then, makes it way more fun."
"That explains so much about you, Sam."
"And what's that supposed to mean??"
"No time. Mrs Watkins, we need to look after your hand. Sam, I need you get me a bowl of warm water - not too hot."
"On it."
Sam made her way into the kitchen as Ianto examined Mrs Watkins' hand further, leading her to a nearby armchair so she could sit.
"What could've caused you to get frostbite?" He asked quietly, sounding more like he was talking to himself.
"The Mari Lwyd - or whatever that thing is out there - touched it." Mrs Watkins answered.
"Then it must be..." Ianto began.
"Must be what?" Mrs Watkins pressed anxiously.
"Here," Sam cut in, returning with the water, "dip your hand in this, it'll help."
"You two must be nurses." Mrs Watkins chuckled, wincing slightly as the warm water touched her damaged skin. Sam laughed loudly.
"As if!" She exclaimed, "I can hardly put a bandaid on a skinned knee. That's my wusband's department."
"Sam, stop degrading yourself," Ianto scolded gently, "it's not helping."
"Well sorry! When I'm stressed I default to self-deprecating humour, it's my coping mechanism!"
"Well it's not funny and it's not a healthy coping mechanism."
"Oh yeah. You get to say that."
"What do you mean?"
"You hardly ever talk to any of us! We're supposed to be your friends, Ianto, but the minute a holiday comes around you run off to the middle of nowhere! That worried me, and I'm not the only one who feels that way!"
"I told you all, I am fine. I just wanted a break."
"I don't believe you! What are you hiding from, Ianto? What are you keeping from us? What are you keeping from me?"
"Nothing! Leave me alone!"
"Oh yeah, that's reassuring! 'Leave me alone!' You said that before too!"
"Before what?"
"Before you-know-what with you-know-who... Lisa."
"How dare you talk about Lisa-"
Their argument was abruptly cut off as the door swung open again. Sam immediately attacked the figure that stumbled inside, pinning them to the ground as Ianto rushed to close the door.
"WHO ARE YOU?" Sam barked.
"Daniel?" Mrs Watkins asked, shocked.
"Get off me!" The newcomer exclaimed, struggling against Sam's hold, and Sam recoiled in shock when she saw it was a young man - he couldn't possibly be older than twenty.
"Sorry!" Sam exclaimed, "don't barge into people's homes, kid! I could've killed you!"
"Who even are you, you freak?" The boy demanded.
"Daniel, calm down," Mrs Watkins cut in, "this is my guest, Ianto, and his friend Sam."
"I-I'm just visiting and got caught up in more than I bargained for." Sam supplied awkwardly, helping the boy - Daniel - to his feet.
"More than you bargained for?" Daniel echoed, "what're you on about?"
"Did you not see the terrifying horse-skull puppet thing outside?"
"The Mari Lwyd?"
Sam sighed heavily.
"Why is it always the little towns that are like this?" She groaned, covering her face.
"It's not the Mari Lwyd," Ianto said, "well it is, but it's not. Something else is controlling it. I think. Something dangerous."
"Is this a joke?" Daniel asked.
"Believe me, son, I really wish it was." Sam said.