Disgruntled Ghosts

Back in the ghosts' office, Past was still sitting on the couch, nursing his seventh whiskey, when Present returned. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her. She simply replied "I see what you mean" and sat down heavily on the couch next to him. Without a word, Past handed her his drink. She drank it immediately whilst he poured them both another.

"He's just so - I mean, he -" Present spluttered. Not being able to find the right words, she gave up and finished with a frustrated growl.

Past nodded with a quiet "yes" and handed her the second whiskey glass. She took it and downed that one too.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Present exclaimed angrily,"That man!"

Behind them, Future had remained transfixed by her screens, her aura now deepest black. Whilst Present had been away, she had searched with increasing desperation for some kind of change, some improvement, some sign that Mr Brittas' future, and the futures of those around him, were growing less bleak. There was nothing but she continued to search, hoping beyond hope to find something to work with on her trip to Mr Brittas's world.

Present's angry outburst broke her concentration and, realising her colleague had returned, Future drifted over the couch, desperate for some good news. However, Present's defeated expression told her everything she needed to know. The anxiety that had been building for the past hour burst out, her aura becoming a flare of violent magenta as she shouted, "I'm not doing it! I'm not going!"

Her voice, normally so faint and child-like, echoed around the room, causing the other two ghosts to jump with shock, not immediately realising that she was the one speaking.

"I know you have both done so much work this evening and I'm sorry to let you down but I can see nothing to work with here. There's just nothing I can do. He's a lost cause!"

Past and Present shared a look of despair but could think of no reason to disagree with her.

"I think we should cut our loses and try another one instead. There's always that mogul we were considering - we've still got time before dawn!" Future was almost pleading now.

Past groaned, "Oh no, I can't face another one tonight. Not after that."

"Neither can I," Present added.

Future's aura becoming a sickly yellow, "Well, I'm not going. I can't risk making the future even worse. We'll just have to consider this one a loss."

Past slumped. "Our first failure in 150 years."

Present, however, wasn't quite ready to give up. She pointed to the screens. "Maybe you could just show him this, tell him he caused it, and tell him to change, or else!"

"I can't go near that much fire. Not with him. I'll evaporate!"

"We could bring him here and show -"

"No!" Future replied vehemently.

"Absolutely not!" added Past.

"Well, I still think we need to try something…"

"Such as?"

"I don't know," Present conceded. "I just wish he had some obvious moral failing we could use but morally, he's sound. Murderers, narcissists, sociopaths, we can handle, but this…"

As Present trailed off, Future sank down onto the couch, her aura returning to black. A despondent silence settled over the three ghosts.

There was a faint pop and an unassuming middle-aged man in a cardigan appeared on the other side of the room. He was Henry Parkes, a senior member of the Hope Restoration Division of the ghostly administration corps. The ghosts were immediately cheered at the sight of him.

"Henry! What are you doing here?"

"We weren't expecting to see you until after Christmas!"

"Oh no, you haven't had a bad one too, have you?"

Henry ambled over to them. "No, no, rather a good year. Crumbled as soon as I showed him how much his dog would miss him. A bit of easy one, if I'm honest. Would have preferred more of a challenge. It's left me at a bit of a loose end back in the office, so Mr Odbody suggested coming along and seeing how you were getting on. He's got quite the interest in your case this year. We've received a lot of work from hopeless souls in Whitbury Newtown in recent times."

Past gave a cynical snort of laughter, "That doesn't surprise me."

"It's not going well, then?" Henry asked, as he realised how thoroughly unhappy the team of Christmas ghosts looked.

"No," they responded in unison.

Future gestured at the screens. "This is the current state of his projected future after Past and Present have done their work."

Henry turned to study them. He was silent as he took everything in. "And there's been no improvement at all?" he asked, after a few minutes.

"No."

"I think we made it worse, if anything."

Henry sat down at the desk and looked across at them with a serious expression. "You'd better tell me all about it."

For the next ten minutes, he listened as the ghosts recounted the events of their visitations so far.

"He just doesn't seem to be able to link the outcomes to his own actions," Present finished.

"Hmm, I wonder…" said Henry. He looked at Future, whose aura had flashed between the red of anger and the black of despair as they'd told their tale, and asked, "Would you have any objection if I took over your visitation of our Mr Brittas? I have an idea."

A ripple of green relief passed through Future's aura at the thought, but guilt prevented her from immediately agreeing. "Are you sure?"

"Oh, I'd love the challenge, and I think our department's methodologies may well prove insightful."

A pleasant green flooded Future's aura and she said, with a smile, "Oh then, yes, of course!"

"Good!" Henry also smiled. "Then I shall see you all anon." And with a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

Relieved of her duty, Future sank into the couch, relaxing for the first time since Mr Brittas' case file had landed on their desk. Next to her, Past and Present shared a worried glance. What was Henry letting himself in for?