Free Like Father by Nick Gifford

18.39BST
    Dahlia says: Welcome, FirstLady.
    On the righthand side, he saw that there were now five of them in the room. He typed a message.
    [Guest03 says to Duckling: how do u know if they’re real people or spirit hosts?]
    [Duckling says to Guest03: real ppl chose stpd namz like Guest03 ;-P ]
    [Duckling says to Guest03: U cant. U lrn 2 spot em. They spell well!]
    FirstLady says: what is this place?
    Moondog says: 1st time here G03? (yr logins a giveaway)
    Moondog says: NE1 here frm th utha side?
    Dizzee enters at 18.41BST
    Dahlia says: Welcome, Dizzee.
    [Duckling says to Guest03: busy 2nite! look 4 nutha rm? jus u&i?]
    Dahlia says: Does anyone have a question?
    Moondog says: NE1 here frm th utha side?
    Dizzee says: I have made the journey to be with you.
    Moondog says: Nutha question.
    FirstLady says: i think i am lost
    Moondog says: i thnk my grlz 2 timing. i need 2 no.
    Danny sat back from the screen. His head was whirling with trying to keep up with the rapid exchange of messages. It was like talking to Cassie, only more so, he realised.
    Outside, the sun had shifted behind the trees. The office was now submerged in a heavy gloom, so that the glare from the screen was dazzling when he looked back at it.
    The flurry of messages had continued.
    Near the top, he spotted a private one to him from Cassie. It was about to scroll off the screen – a few seconds later and he would have missed it.
    [Duckling says to Guest03: i told u no moody silencs!! ask a q]
    He thought.
    Guest03 says: My card said to make a wish. What for?
    FirstLady says: Hinzelmannchen? Is that you?
    Moondog says: corny
    Danny’s head spun. He looked at the long list on the right. The virtual room had become crowded. Lots of conversations going on at the same time, all on the screen before him.
    Headkin says: Wish for what you desire, but be prepared for the consequences.
    FirstLady says: It has been long.
    [Headkin says to Guest03: So what do you want, Danny?]
    [Duckling says to Guest03: make a wish D - go on. i will 2.]
    [Guest03 says to Headkin: I wish some things had never hapened. wish it could be liek before.]
    Then he stopped. He stared at the screen. This “Headkin” had been talking directly to him.
    And he or she had used Danny’s real name.
    He looked at the times of the messages.
    [Guest03 says to Duckling: What’s going on?! What have you said to heakdin?]
    At first he thought Cassie must have been playing games, but her message had been sent only a second after Headkin’s so she couldn’t have entered the chatroom under two names and sent both.
    Headkin says: Guest03 wants to change the past. Can’t do that.
    [Duckling says to Guest03: ??? ]
    Moondog leaves at 18.47BST
    [Guest03 says to Duckling: HK knows who I am! did u tell him my name?]
    [Duckling says to Guest03: i sed zilch - u kidding me?]
    FirstLady says: Make your wish, Danny. You can’t change the past.
    [Duckling says to Guest03: hey! 1st L did 2!]
    Dahlia says: Does anyone have a question?
    Guest03 says: Whats going on?
    Dahlia says: Everyone sees a different slice of reality. The wise see more.
    Headkin says: I can help you, Danny. We can do it together.
    Guest03 says: This isn’t funny. Im off.
    [Duckling says to Guest03: whats happneing? D I don’t like ths. What RU doing? ]
    FirstLady says: Stop teasing him, Hinzelmannchen.
    Guest07 says: how duz this wrk?
    [Headkin says to Guest03: You want things back to how they were, don’t you, Danny? I can help you.]
    FirstLady says: Poor boy. His daddy’s locked away and his mummy’s got a new boyfriend. We have to stop this, don’t we? We have to make things how they were, don’t we?
    [Headkin says to Guest03: Let me help you. We can fix things together.]
    Guest07 leaves at 18.52BST
    [Duckling says to Guest03: answer me!!! ]
    “What is it? What are you doing in here in the dark, Danny?”
    Danny looked across at the doorway. Someone coming in. Short. Pony-tail. It was hard to see as his eyes adjusted from the glare of