I'm Going Ghost....

An Astronaut's Dream * Prelude

   The boy sat staring up at the night sky, the stars reflecting in his eyes. "What do you think's up there?"

   "Probably ghosts," his father grinned, "That's true, Danny, the unknown traces of the ghostal kind are scattered throughout the night sky."

    "Oh, Jack," Maddie put her hand on her husband's shoulder, a smile adorning her lips.

     Turning to her son, she said, "Who knows what's up there, dear. Maybe you'll be the first one to find out."

      "Really?" asked Danny before looking up to the starry sky, "People really can go up there?" 

      "Of course," commented his sister, "they're called astronauts, right Mom?"

      "Yes, Jazz, m'dear."

      "Then I want to be an astronaut!" the boy cried up to the stars.

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     "Danny, you have to work on your homework."

     "But, Jazz, none of this makes sense. How do you divide five by four hundred seventy-five?" Danny retorted as the two of them sat around the kitchen table. 

     "Three thousand, four hundred seventy-five," mused their father who had just come into the kitchen, "Maybe that's the missing link!"

      He rushed back into the basement while his children shook their heads at his antics.

      "Where's your father?" Maddie asked, walking into the kitchen.

      Jazz pointed to the door beside the fridge which led to the basement. She didn't understand why her father had designed the house that way, and she would add that to the increasing list of things which she would do differently once she was old enough.

      "Mom," Danny called before his mother could descend, "Why do we have to study?"

       Maddie stopped then, "Study? study what?"

       "It doesn't make sense," Danny expounded, "What's the point of math and history?"

       "Hmm, astronauts have to train very hard to be ready for going into space, Danny. I think studying is worth it for achieving your dream."

       Danny looked back to problem 7 of the set, a little crestfallen, "You're right, but that doesn't change how little sense this makes."

        Maddie kissed her son's forehead from which he backed away and waved to her daughter, "I need to help your father with a ghost nullifier, but Jazz looks happy to help."

       Danny looked back to Jazz who looked thoroughly miffed.

       "Always too caught up in their own work to give time to their children," she huffed.

        "Yeah," Danny laughed, "I've never even seen a ghost," -turning back to his homework- "Are you sure this is solvable?"

        "Of course. To start, it's four hundred seventy-five divided by five."

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      "Dad, I'm trying to study." Danny tried to sit comfortably, holding a high school biology textbook in his lap.

      "Oh, I'm so excited," Jack couldn't contain himself, after banging into the living room from the kitchen.

      "What is it Mr. Fenton?" asked Tucker who was likewise studying for their first biology test.

      "I'll prove to you all that ghosts exist!"

      "Haven't you done that already?" Sam asked, looking up from her history textbook before exchanging a knowing grin with her friends. Tucker rolled his eyes while Danny shook his head and resumed studying.

      Jack remained unfazed, "This time, I'll leave you speechless. Your mom and I have been working on a Ghost Portal in the basement which will give us access to their world so that we can systematically be rid of them. Come on! Maddie's waiting."

     After Mr. Fenton left the room, Sam sighed in good humor toward Danny, "Are you ready to have your socks blown off by a not-discovery?"

     Tucker hopped up, "I'm always ready for a good intrigue."

     "It can't hurt," Danny granted putting down the textbook.

       "Ghost have a certain mystique to them," Sam tried to encourage him as they headed towards the kitchen.

        "I suppose so, but they have nothing on the wide expanse of space."