[charloft] (THURS) Ficlet: Bedtime Story
“Poppa? Tell me a bedtime story?”
Gregory Karras sighed, regarding his six year old son dubiously, then glanced over his shoulder to make sure his wife was far from earshot. He probably should’ve just pressed Tommy to sleep, but already he was six and he’d only seen his first magic trick when he was four. The boy needed more energy in him if he was going to grow up right…
“All right, Tom Tom…but you have to promise not to tell your mom I told you this story, okay? Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, that’s all fine…but tonight? I’m telling you a special story. Pinky swear?”
Solemnly, eagerly, Tommy’s tiny hand came from beneath the covers and linked with Gregory’s bigger one as he nodded so hard his thick, too long hair bounced with the motion. “Pinky swears. What’s it called?”
“The story is called The Power…and it begins with a little boy that had just that: a magic power.” Gregory replied, perching on the edge of Tommy’s bed. “He was just like other children, except that he had a special gift. He couldn’t fly or fight or even see through the side of buildings, that’d be too easy. But this little boy was powerful because if he believed that someone could do these amazing things? Then someone in the world really could do them.”
Tommy’s dark little eyes went wide as he scooted further beneath the covers. “He could give people magic powers?”
“If I’m lyin’, I’m dyin’. If he believed people could fly, somewhere in the world a little boy or girl would start to rise right up into the air by magic. If he thought someone could leap over tall buildings in a single bound, then the next day a man or woman would go out and spring over the Empire State Building.”
“The big one Auntie Zephyr showed me?”
“That’s right, bub.”
Tommy’s features crinkled thoughtfully for a moment before he pushed the blankets down just enough for his mouth to show.
“Poppa…am I the little boy?”
Smiling, Greg leaned over and kissed Tommy’s forehead. “You’re better than that kid, superstar. That little boy probably sits next to you at school. You, Tom Tom? You’re the other one, the kid who can fly…you’re the one that little boy’s thinking about.”
Satisfied that the story was over, Tommy beamed as he hugged his father good night and went to sleep dreaming about soaring through the heavens just like Superman while somewhere below, another child stood with his eyes shut tight, believing.
* * * * *
“Mommy? Tell me a bedtime story?”
Agatha Karras hesitated over tucking in her six year old son, feeling a small pang of guilt. She knew what her husband was, what her son was by default, and it had been her choice to ask Gregory to leave the order. It had been for her he had agreed to keep Tommy safe from the life he once led by keeping him unaware of his true nature.
Still, she saw the way Greg handled a pack of cards and stared into space sometimes, remembering…
Biting the inside of her cheek, she sighed and perched on the edge of Tommy’s bed, nodding.
“All right, Tommy, just…do me a favor? Don’t tell your daddy.” She whispered, making sure Greg was out of earshot. It would raise too many doubts, too many questions if he knew. “I want to tell you a special story tonight.”
“Pinky swears.” He offered soberly, reaching up with one tiny hand. “What’s it called?”
Smiling fondly, she accepted Tommy’s pinky gamely with her own. “It’s a very special story your Daddy told me once called The Power…and it begins with a little boy that had just that: a magic power…”
Tommy Karras
Original Character
Gregory Karras sighed, regarding his six year old son dubiously, then glanced over his shoulder to make sure his wife was far from earshot. He probably should’ve just pressed Tommy to sleep, but already he was six and he’d only seen his first magic trick when he was four. The boy needed more energy in him if he was going to grow up right…
“All right, Tom Tom…but you have to promise not to tell your mom I told you this story, okay? Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, that’s all fine…but tonight? I’m telling you a special story. Pinky swear?”
Solemnly, eagerly, Tommy’s tiny hand came from beneath the covers and linked with Gregory’s bigger one as he nodded so hard his thick, too long hair bounced with the motion. “Pinky swears. What’s it called?”
“The story is called The Power…and it begins with a little boy that had just that: a magic power.” Gregory replied, perching on the edge of Tommy’s bed. “He was just like other children, except that he had a special gift. He couldn’t fly or fight or even see through the side of buildings, that’d be too easy. But this little boy was powerful because if he believed that someone could do these amazing things? Then someone in the world really could do them.”
Tommy’s dark little eyes went wide as he scooted further beneath the covers. “He could give people magic powers?”
“If I’m lyin’, I’m dyin’. If he believed people could fly, somewhere in the world a little boy or girl would start to rise right up into the air by magic. If he thought someone could leap over tall buildings in a single bound, then the next day a man or woman would go out and spring over the Empire State Building.”
“The big one Auntie Zephyr showed me?”
“That’s right, bub.”
Tommy’s features crinkled thoughtfully for a moment before he pushed the blankets down just enough for his mouth to show.
“Poppa…am I the little boy?”
Smiling, Greg leaned over and kissed Tommy’s forehead. “You’re better than that kid, superstar. That little boy probably sits next to you at school. You, Tom Tom? You’re the other one, the kid who can fly…you’re the one that little boy’s thinking about.”
Satisfied that the story was over, Tommy beamed as he hugged his father good night and went to sleep dreaming about soaring through the heavens just like Superman while somewhere below, another child stood with his eyes shut tight, believing.
* * * * *
“Mommy? Tell me a bedtime story?”
Agatha Karras hesitated over tucking in her six year old son, feeling a small pang of guilt. She knew what her husband was, what her son was by default, and it had been her choice to ask Gregory to leave the order. It had been for her he had agreed to keep Tommy safe from the life he once led by keeping him unaware of his true nature.
Still, she saw the way Greg handled a pack of cards and stared into space sometimes, remembering…
Biting the inside of her cheek, she sighed and perched on the edge of Tommy’s bed, nodding.
“All right, Tommy, just…do me a favor? Don’t tell your daddy.” She whispered, making sure Greg was out of earshot. It would raise too many doubts, too many questions if he knew. “I want to tell you a special story tonight.”
“Pinky swears.” He offered soberly, reaching up with one tiny hand. “What’s it called?”
Smiling fondly, she accepted Tommy’s pinky gamely with her own. “It’s a very special story your Daddy told me once called The Power…and it begins with a little boy that had just that: a magic power…”
Tommy Karras
Original Character