(no subject)

"And the mummy bear said 'Somebody's been sleeping in my bed!'"
"And the baby bear said 'Somebody's been sleeping in my bed', and she's still here! It's a little girl!"
"And the daddy bear went 'Rrraaarrrggghh!'"
Guppy laughs and scampers around the bed with his pyjamas to get away from the big daddy bear, who scoops him up into a big cuddle.
"Time for little boys to go to bed."
"Please Dad! Can't I stay up, just this once?"
"No, four-year-olds who have school tomorrow must get their sleep."
"Please!"
His father's expression changes. He stares at his son coldly.
"Fine, stay out all night."
He grabs Guppy by the arm and drags him out of the door. The front door slams. Guppy howls and batters on the door until it is opened by his mother.
"We are ashamed of you. Go and never come back."
The door slams again and the child Guppy bangs on it hard. He can hear a beeping noise coming from inside. The house bursts into flames. The beeping continues, more and more persistantly as the house burns to the ground.
The beep is louder now, more insistant. Guppy opens his eyes and picks up his pager. Then he looks at his watch.
I only went to sleep an hour ago.
He stumbles out of bed and attempts to find some clothes. His throat aches.
I hope I'm not coming down with something. Not convenient.
He fumbles through the drawer until he finds some throat lozenges, which he shoves into his mouth. A book on Maternal Bonding falls off the cabinet. He looks at it for a moment. He'd been reading it before he went to bed. He picks it up.
How can my mum be breaking that bond? She carried me inside her, like the future Faith is carrying her child. Even from the outside, that feels fantastic. How can she abandon me after that?
He drops the book and shoves another throat sweet in his mouth before heading out of the door.