"Would you like to borrow the painting Private?" asked Marlene
When Private heard those words, the penguin ecstatically said yes, he took the painting from the wall hanging in Marlene's habitat. For Private the penguin, opportunities like those were hard to find and he wasted no time in getting his hands on the prized portrait.
"This," Marlene said with a smile "was a gift from a friend. I've forgotten all about it until I found it in one of my storage boxes the other day. I've never been fond of paintings but since this was a gift from a friend years ago, how could I resist not having it."
"Ooooh, I would definitely like to borrow it Marlene, thanks" said Private, holding the portrait in his flippers.
"Oh here, let me wrap it before you take it to the HQ, remember Private I want the painting intact when you return it. Okay?" asked the Otter, warning the penguin to take care of it properly.
"No problem Marlene, I promise I'll return it the next morning" promised Private. It was easy for him to keep his word because he was never a promise breaker, he would always keep his word down to the last punctuation mark.
After thanking his friend, Private went straight home to the HQ. He unwrapped the painting and hung it on the wall near the bunks. Skipper, Rico and Kowalski had just returned from a completed mission—unclogging massive simian hair in the drainage system again. They noticed Private trying to hang a portrait on the wall and ask him questions.
"What you got there young Private?" asked Skipper with a friendly smile. The leader was becoming intrigued by the hanging portrait.
"Oh hello Skipper, it's a painting. I got it from Marlene's wall" replied Private
"Private you know how I feel about unwanted decorations in the HQ, this is unauthorized. Take it down now and return it back to Marlene. That picture doesn't belong here." Said Skipper, ordering Private to return the portrait immediately.
"But Skipper this is a rare opportunity for me, I don't get to see this kind of portrait very often. Besides it's just for a day, I'll return it to Marlene tomorrow. Please Skipper, can it stay here for just one day" said Private, desperately pleading to Skipper to let it stay in their habitat for just one day. Private was glaring at Skipper with his puppy sad eyes just to make him say yes.
"Alright Private you got my attention, I'll let stay in the HQ for now. But promise me you'll return it back tomorrow morning. Understand soldier?"
"Yay" Private lightly clapped his hands in utter excitement. "I won't let you down sir; I'll give it back to Marlene the next day, thanks Skipper"
Eyeing the portrait, Skipper orders Kowalski to examine it very closely. It usually takes a few minutes for Kowalski to explain the portrait's artistic design to the whole group. "Kowalski analysis, what can you make of this portrait?" Kowalski gave a dead silent response.
"Well Kowalski, do you have something to say about the painting?" asks Skipper.
"Well from what I can conclude, generally I can say that the painting depicts a scene of a typical seemingly normal festival, nothing unusual from what I can see besides the humans painted here." says Kowalski.
"Hmmm, interesting observation Kowalski" replied Skipper.
The painting depicts a scene of a festival. Colourful streamers were hanging all around, a large wooden table filled with sumptuous meals amidst the folks celebrating. In one corner, some couples were dancing to the beat of the acapella singers. The children were trying their luck at the games being held. Overhead, the setting sun gave the painting an overall feeling of flushed excitement.
The faces in the portrait were full of joy except for one. The man's face was gaunt and he looked more at home at a funeral than a fiesta. He wore a dark brown jacket, which made him stand out amongst the crowd. Private thought it was strange that such a dreary man was included in the painting.
Suddenly, the television in the penguin's habitat turned on by itself. Out of fear, Private hid behind Skipper and peered out slowly from behind Skipper's shoulders examining the television at a safe distance. Private's thoughts of the strange man in the portrait vanished from his mind.
"Sweet mother of mayhem, who turned on the television? Anybody? Rico? Kowalski? Private?" asked Skipper.
They all answered the same thing—each penguin gave definite response, No.
All were in denial of saying it; in fact no one was near the television, they were all too occupied looking at the painting. "Would someone please shut down the telly" said Private, now trembling in fear. Skipper immediately orders Rico to turn it off.
Rico regurgitates the remote and tries to turn off T.V. But to this dismay, the television was just resistant to being turned off, no matter how hard Rico presses the off button; the T.V. was still turned on. Someone or something is trying to prevent the telly from shutting down. Rico babbled to Skipper that the telly can't be turned off via remote. So Skipper turns to Kowalski for options.
"Kowalski any suggestions to turn off the T.V?" asked Skipper.
"I suggest you pull the plug from the socket, that way you can be sure it will be turned off Rico" says Kowalski.
Rico follows Kowalski's suggestion to pull the plug. But as soon he grabbed it; Rico makes a startling discovery that it isn't connected to the television at all. He was becoming confused as to how the television turned on by itself despite the fact that the plug is not connected to the socket.
"Blarrgh, aballarblurgh" mumbled Rico, telling Skipper that the T.V. is already disconnected but still has not turned off.
"What? Are you sure Rico? How is that even possible" said Skipper, almost not believing what Rico had just blabbed.
"Maybe the telly's cursed Skipper" said Private as his fear intensified.
But Kowalski, being a man of science, dismisses the idea that inanimate objects such as the television are incapable of being possessed and are less likely to be invaded by a ghost.
"Don't be ridiculous Private, technically it's impossible that the television can be possessed with some unexplained source. There is simply a logical explanation as to why it turned on by itself." Said Kowalski "I'm sure the television is just fine."
"Well I guess, but that certainly doesn't explain how the telly powered itself without electricity" said Private
"Oh Young Private, you don't need to worry, I'm sure Kowalski could solve that mystery. Besides the television could have been damaged from too much use. I assure you my word, no ghosts"
"Oh, ok Skipper" said Private "But I still believe it was a ghost" muttered to himself in a low voice.
"Kowalski how soon can you fix the television?" asked Skipper
"By my calculations, it could be days. Oh my mistake, I forgot to carry the five, it could be a week— from now" said Kowalski
"Ok, ok, so that means no television for a week. In the meantime, we have to find some other hobbies we can do while the T.V. is in the repairing stages. Alright men, time for bed, it's getting late. Said Skipper
Rico, Skipper and Kowalski all prepared for bed except for Private who stood motionless, still glaring at the strange man who wore a dark brown jacket.
"Private, time for bed soldier" called out Skipper to the youngest soldier.
"Oh sorry Skipper, I was just taking a last look at the picture" said Private.
"Well hurry up soldier, we have training tomorrow morning. And you need to wake up early to return the portrait to Marlene. Remember, the early bird catches the worm" said Skipper
"Right Skipper" said Private as he waddled to his bunk and went to sleep.
"Lights out everyone" commanded the leader, after a few minutes they all fell asleep simultaneously in their individual bunks.
That night, Private had a strange dream...