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Dec. 2nd, 2017 08:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
guppy_sandhuGuppy can't sleep. Given a great big scary monster just killed and injured a bunch of people downstairs, this probably isn't much of a surprise. But, true to usual form, once he's finished helping, he disappears upstairs to panic about it all in peace.
Or so he thinks.
The sudden presence of the ghost in his room would have scared the crap out of him, if he hadn't already been curled up in a ball on the sofa anyway. He scrambles up, powered by a further surge of adrenaline, going automatically for his stun gun, not that he's sure it works on ghosts.
"Who are you and why are you in my room?"
"I am the Ghost of the Present." the ghost says. "Put that away, you won't be needing it."
Guppy lowers the stun gun. "You've never heard of knocking?"
"Quiet." the ghost says. "I am here to show you how your life needs to change."
"Let me guess, you want me to miraculously cure all my anxieties overnight and be chilled and eat kale?" Guppy says, sitting back down.
"Why would I show you that?" The ghost asks. "You already know that."
He clicks his fingers, and Guppy is suddenly in another place, a familiar one. In his pyjamas.
"This is my kids' school. They can't see me, can they?"
"No, they can't." the ghost says, leading him through to the classroom of Infants 1. They walk straight through walls, without any students noticing, until they are standing at the back of the class looking at Brooke, who is standing at the front, reading from a sheet of paper about 'My Daddy'.
"'My Daddy is a great big wimp.'"
The class giggles with the uncertainty of children who aren't quite sure whether the reader is going to get into trouble or not, but is interested in finding out. Guppy feels his heart sink.
"That isn't very nice, Brooklyn." Miss Hebblethwaite prompts.
"It isn't, but it's true." Brooke says. "'My Daddy doesn't like anything fun, like making a big noise or making a big mess. He can't do sport or throw or kick a ball. He likes boring things like chess, or doing a su doku. He can't cook and when he tries to fix things he breaks them more. He's scared of fun things like dogs and heights and swimming.'"
"Thank you Brooke, that's enough." Miss Hebblethwaits says, as the class laughs. "Can't you think of anything nice to say about your father?"
The scene freezes. Guppy looks at the ghost.
"I never realised she was so disappointed in me."
"Oh, I think she told you enough times." the ghost replies. "You just didn't take her seriously."
"What does she say next?" Guppy asks. "When asked if she has anything nice to say."
"Well." the ghost replies. "That depends on you, doesn't it?"
The ghost clicks its fingers again. Guppy is back in his room at Milliways, and suddenly, the adrenaline drains and exhaustion kicks in. He drops onto the bed, and is out like a light.
In the morning, he recalls the strange dream, but doesn't put a lot more thought to it.
Or so he thinks.
The sudden presence of the ghost in his room would have scared the crap out of him, if he hadn't already been curled up in a ball on the sofa anyway. He scrambles up, powered by a further surge of adrenaline, going automatically for his stun gun, not that he's sure it works on ghosts.
"Who are you and why are you in my room?"
"I am the Ghost of the Present." the ghost says. "Put that away, you won't be needing it."
Guppy lowers the stun gun. "You've never heard of knocking?"
"Quiet." the ghost says. "I am here to show you how your life needs to change."
"Let me guess, you want me to miraculously cure all my anxieties overnight and be chilled and eat kale?" Guppy says, sitting back down.
"Why would I show you that?" The ghost asks. "You already know that."
He clicks his fingers, and Guppy is suddenly in another place, a familiar one. In his pyjamas.
"This is my kids' school. They can't see me, can they?"
"No, they can't." the ghost says, leading him through to the classroom of Infants 1. They walk straight through walls, without any students noticing, until they are standing at the back of the class looking at Brooke, who is standing at the front, reading from a sheet of paper about 'My Daddy'.
"'My Daddy is a great big wimp.'"
The class giggles with the uncertainty of children who aren't quite sure whether the reader is going to get into trouble or not, but is interested in finding out. Guppy feels his heart sink.
"That isn't very nice, Brooklyn." Miss Hebblethwaite prompts.
"It isn't, but it's true." Brooke says. "'My Daddy doesn't like anything fun, like making a big noise or making a big mess. He can't do sport or throw or kick a ball. He likes boring things like chess, or doing a su doku. He can't cook and when he tries to fix things he breaks them more. He's scared of fun things like dogs and heights and swimming.'"
"Thank you Brooke, that's enough." Miss Hebblethwaits says, as the class laughs. "Can't you think of anything nice to say about your father?"
The scene freezes. Guppy looks at the ghost.
"I never realised she was so disappointed in me."
"Oh, I think she told you enough times." the ghost replies. "You just didn't take her seriously."
"What does she say next?" Guppy asks. "When asked if she has anything nice to say."
"Well." the ghost replies. "That depends on you, doesn't it?"
The ghost clicks its fingers again. Guppy is back in his room at Milliways, and suddenly, the adrenaline drains and exhaustion kicks in. He drops onto the bed, and is out like a light.
In the morning, he recalls the strange dream, but doesn't put a lot more thought to it.
