Having tried a story in seven tweets once, I quite liked the challenge. So here’s another for your delectation and delight.

1

The Captain was finishing a coloured picture of a new species of fly. His ship rocked gently under a hot sun.

2

As he added the last brush stroke there was a little pop. He was gone. Just like that. It was as if he had never been.

3

A time and a half later a girl called Xanxy was doing some homework with a history hook and line. She twitched it.

4

‘Stop that at once, said her mother. ‘That’s your Father’s. It’s not a toy. You can cause all sorts of time knots at your age.’

5

She looked inside Xanxy’s collection tank as a bewildered man in a uniform appeared, carrying easel, brush and inks.

6

‘Have I done it right, Mama? It says, Research and illustrate the shipping terms Captain and Shanghaied and present them to class‘

7

‘Don’t ask me,’ said her Mother. ‘Just make sure the poor creature goes back where he came from, once you’ve shown him in the lesson.’