Daydreaming

I'm walking through a forest. There's a slight drizzle. I come across a little hut. The doormat has "Welcome Maui" written on it. Hey...that's my name! I think I'll open the door.

Wait. No thumbs. Hmmm...

Ok, I can figure this out. I have a diploma in something similar to problem-solving. Think.

Think.

Think! Head! I'll knock on the door with my head. And I'll use my dorsal fin. I knew it'd come in handy eventually.

Knock Knock.

Ow.

Crap.

Knock knock.

OW!

Come on...I don't want to have to do this a th...footsteps!

Someone's coming! I wonder who it is? Maybe it's someone from my past? Is it a dog from my past? Dhaja? Kenzo? Winston? YoYo? I wish it could have been Jackson or Wicket or Ishii Or Woofie. Sad.

Maybe its not about the past at all? The future? A fresh face? What if it was someone famous like Obama? I love him. I'm sad to see him go. His waterdog's about the same age as me. I think Bo and I would get along well. But he'd have to change his name because we already have a Bo in our life. Of course, I'd offer to workshop a new name with him.

Footsteps. My lord this is taking a long time. It's not that big of a hut.

Finally.

The door opens. It's a chipmunk. Didn't see that coming.

"Hi Maui. We've been expecting you."

Hmmm...didn't expect that either.

"You're a talking chipmunk!"

"You're a talking dog."

Fair point.

"Maui, we prepared you a snack: chevre-stuffed mozzarella balls drizzled, wrapped in brie and drizzled with melted gouda.

Yup, that just about covers all the cheese groups. Except stinky cheese. But that's okay — my regular food stinks enough as it is. And then, of course, there's the effect.

"Great. Is it snack time?"

"What you think we'd make it that easy?"

"No, but I thought I might do. It's my daydream."

"Clearly you have some unresolved achievement issues you have to work through. Succeeding here may help you address some of them."

"Or it'd get me a bite of chevre-stuffed mozzarella balls drizzled, wrapped in brie and drizzled with melted gouda."

"True."

"OK then, so how do I make it snack time?"

"You have to say the magic word."

"Please."

"Come on."

"Um...ok...um....he's a chipmunk. He's brown with a white stripe. Um...he has big eyes and a bushy tail. Wait! He has buckteeth. No, that's nothing.

Think. This is your daydream. If you were going to give a Chipmunk a magic word, what would it be.

I've got it. I pull the chipmunk closer — close enough to read his name tag. Chip. CHIP?  No way my daydream is that first level. Wait, that's just his animal name code. His name's Horatio. I can dig that. Way better than Chip.

"Ho...can I call you Ho?" I said.

"No."

"Ho, I know the magic word."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do. I know it because I created it. This is my daydream, so the magic word's in my head. Just gotta find it.  Gimme a minute.

...

...

...

I've got it!

"The magic word is "Orange."

"Amazing! How'd you know?"

"The same reason you're now a Chipmunk wearing a pair of khakis, a fedora and a mezuzah around your neck."

"And what reason is that?"

"Because I make the rules here. It's my daydream. And I say it's snack time."

"Well, then it's snack time. Jaques!"

Jaques? There's a Jaques?

Hey! It's the mouse from the cheese tree. Awesome! I was hoping to see him again.

"Maui, let me show you to your table."

Great...it's about time. I can't wait to take a bite out of Téo Leoni.

Huh?

Téo Leoni?

Crap. I'm awake. At least Madam Secretary is on.

Come on...get it back.

Chipmunk. Mouse. chevre-stuffed mozzarella balls drizzled, wrapped in brie and drizzled with melted gouda. Nope. Too hungry to sleep. Maybe

I'll angle for a cheese string. It's not the same. But neither is the real world.