The timer on the television woke me up as it clicked off; the tape whirring to a
stop. I sat up with a start, not remembering what I had been watching. I turned on the TV,
the blue glow filling the room, and pressed play. Oh yes, that day's episode of Pokemon.
One the screen came Team Rocket, James. I had been having dreams about Pokemon
since I had begun watching it and really enjoying it. There was something so entertaining
about it in a non kids cartoon way. What scared me the most was that I started to find
James really attractive. He's a cartoon, I'd told myself again and again. That night as I
drifted to sleep, television still on, I dreamt again.
I was in my room but it was totally dark and smelled of clean air and grass; which
was odd. I knew I hadn't left the window open. I got up to see why it was so dark; I
usually have a night light on so I don't break my neck when I make my middle-of-the-
night trips for a snack. Finding my way to the way, I jiggled the light in the socket but
nothing happened. I fumbled to the door and walked out into the living room, where it
was just as dark. Something lured me to the door, but I thought, why would I open the
front door at two in the morning? My hand grasped the cold knob and turned, revealing to
my senses a world the likes of which could only have been produced in dreams. It was
sunny, brighter than I had ever seen. I squinted and took a second glance, taken a-back
by what I realized: everything was drawn. The colors were vivid and defined, more
beautiful than anything in the real world. Trees and grass, running brooks and huge rocks.
This was a cartoon. And as I stepped outside my apartment and into this parallel land, I
spotted the thing that told me I certainly wasn't home anymore. Perched on top of a rock,
over a few hills spotted with red flowers, sat a pink Jigglypuff, face puffed up and about
to sing. Silly reflexes I didn't know I had made me close my ears and run, or else I'd be
fast asleep.
I ran down a grassy slope and slid into a road, fresh with tire tracks. I followed
them, passing a harmless Bulbasaur on the way. Then I began having all these thoughts:
what if I ran into people from the cartoon? What would I do? This isn't real anyway, I
kept saying. Of course it wasn't. Voices. I heard them and quickly hid behind a group of
trees. I peered out to see a waterfall splashing into a pool surrounded my rocks and
shrubs. It was Team Rocket! Had I really entered a cartoon world? I snuck up carefully to
get a closer look. Jesse was lounging on a chair under a tree. James was floating in the
water. Curiosity got the best of me and I got even closer. I tried to climb on a rock a little
hidden by a shrub so I could observe. However...
My footing let go, the rock being wet and slippery, and I tumbled into the pool,
cold water emersing my body. Suddenly, a strong arm grabbed my torso and brought me
to the surface. I gasped for air and brought my hands to my face, but before I could, the
same hand grabbed mine and squeezed it. I finally opened my eyes and saw him in front
of me. I was now aware of his other hand around me, holding me up.
"When you spy on Team Rocket, try not to get caught."
He lifted me up onto a rock and I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering from the
cold water.
"James? What are you doing?" I heard from yonder. I recognized the voice as Jesse's.
"Nothing. Just.... nothing." he answered, trailing off at the end.
I didn't have any perception of reality as I knew it. I was in a cartoon world and as far as
I could tell, I was not a cartoon. I was not drawn. I looked at my hands, pink and a bit
shriveled, but still human. Then I looked up and saw that James was below me, shirtless
and bobbing around in the water, staring up at me.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I don't know." I answered, exasperated. "I don't know where I am or how I got here."
"Well it's alright now..." he began. And before I knew what was going on, James'
hands were moving slowly up my legs. He stared at me with his emerald green eyes and
at that moment, I let down my defenses and could no longer resist. I slid into the crystal
clear pool with him and, moving a strand of blue hair out of his face, gently kissed his
lips. They felt warm and real; I had not taken notice of that when he had touched me
before. His mouth covered mine, moved from my lips to my neck; his hands roved
downward and touched my thighs through my shorts, under my shorts. My fingers grazed
over his chest, muscles defined and tight. I found myself deep in a fevered kiss with him
and it was nothing like I had ever felt before. My arms wrapped around his body,
touching him with enflamed passion when Meowth came bouncing over from behind the
hill.
"Who's dat?"
Quickly, I jumped out of the water; out from his embrace and ran back from
whence I came. I saw the Jigglypuff and the Bulbasaur. And in the distance, I saw my
apartment door, 707, and I ran harder because behind me, Meowth and Jesse were
chasing after me. It was like the final scene in Alice in Wonderland; the door was ever
farther away and I was slowing down. My persuers were closing in on me. I lunged for
the door and jumped inside, Meowth and Jesse falling away from my feet.
I was back inside the safety of my home. Things were real again. I was alone and
in the dark once more. Returning to my bed and feeling hot and dizzy, I questioned what
had happened.
In the morning when I awoke, I felt woozy and tried to remember what I had
dreamt; because I knew I had. I had that feeling. But I drew a blank. I reached over to
turn my alarm off on the nightstand by my bed and my hand fell onto something soft and
velvety. A single red rose in a tall cut glass vase sat upon it; a subtle reminder that reality
is never as it seems and in dreams, anything can be.
stop. I sat up with a start, not remembering what I had been watching. I turned on the TV,
the blue glow filling the room, and pressed play. Oh yes, that day's episode of Pokemon.
One the screen came Team Rocket, James. I had been having dreams about Pokemon
since I had begun watching it and really enjoying it. There was something so entertaining
about it in a non kids cartoon way. What scared me the most was that I started to find
James really attractive. He's a cartoon, I'd told myself again and again. That night as I
drifted to sleep, television still on, I dreamt again.
I was in my room but it was totally dark and smelled of clean air and grass; which
was odd. I knew I hadn't left the window open. I got up to see why it was so dark; I
usually have a night light on so I don't break my neck when I make my middle-of-the-
night trips for a snack. Finding my way to the way, I jiggled the light in the socket but
nothing happened. I fumbled to the door and walked out into the living room, where it
was just as dark. Something lured me to the door, but I thought, why would I open the
front door at two in the morning? My hand grasped the cold knob and turned, revealing to
my senses a world the likes of which could only have been produced in dreams. It was
sunny, brighter than I had ever seen. I squinted and took a second glance, taken a-back
by what I realized: everything was drawn. The colors were vivid and defined, more
beautiful than anything in the real world. Trees and grass, running brooks and huge rocks.
This was a cartoon. And as I stepped outside my apartment and into this parallel land, I
spotted the thing that told me I certainly wasn't home anymore. Perched on top of a rock,
over a few hills spotted with red flowers, sat a pink Jigglypuff, face puffed up and about
to sing. Silly reflexes I didn't know I had made me close my ears and run, or else I'd be
fast asleep.
I ran down a grassy slope and slid into a road, fresh with tire tracks. I followed
them, passing a harmless Bulbasaur on the way. Then I began having all these thoughts:
what if I ran into people from the cartoon? What would I do? This isn't real anyway, I
kept saying. Of course it wasn't. Voices. I heard them and quickly hid behind a group of
trees. I peered out to see a waterfall splashing into a pool surrounded my rocks and
shrubs. It was Team Rocket! Had I really entered a cartoon world? I snuck up carefully to
get a closer look. Jesse was lounging on a chair under a tree. James was floating in the
water. Curiosity got the best of me and I got even closer. I tried to climb on a rock a little
hidden by a shrub so I could observe. However...
My footing let go, the rock being wet and slippery, and I tumbled into the pool,
cold water emersing my body. Suddenly, a strong arm grabbed my torso and brought me
to the surface. I gasped for air and brought my hands to my face, but before I could, the
same hand grabbed mine and squeezed it. I finally opened my eyes and saw him in front
of me. I was now aware of his other hand around me, holding me up.
"When you spy on Team Rocket, try not to get caught."
He lifted me up onto a rock and I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering from the
cold water.
"James? What are you doing?" I heard from yonder. I recognized the voice as Jesse's.
"Nothing. Just.... nothing." he answered, trailing off at the end.
I didn't have any perception of reality as I knew it. I was in a cartoon world and as far as
I could tell, I was not a cartoon. I was not drawn. I looked at my hands, pink and a bit
shriveled, but still human. Then I looked up and saw that James was below me, shirtless
and bobbing around in the water, staring up at me.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I don't know." I answered, exasperated. "I don't know where I am or how I got here."
"Well it's alright now..." he began. And before I knew what was going on, James'
hands were moving slowly up my legs. He stared at me with his emerald green eyes and
at that moment, I let down my defenses and could no longer resist. I slid into the crystal
clear pool with him and, moving a strand of blue hair out of his face, gently kissed his
lips. They felt warm and real; I had not taken notice of that when he had touched me
before. His mouth covered mine, moved from my lips to my neck; his hands roved
downward and touched my thighs through my shorts, under my shorts. My fingers grazed
over his chest, muscles defined and tight. I found myself deep in a fevered kiss with him
and it was nothing like I had ever felt before. My arms wrapped around his body,
touching him with enflamed passion when Meowth came bouncing over from behind the
hill.
"Who's dat?"
Quickly, I jumped out of the water; out from his embrace and ran back from
whence I came. I saw the Jigglypuff and the Bulbasaur. And in the distance, I saw my
apartment door, 707, and I ran harder because behind me, Meowth and Jesse were
chasing after me. It was like the final scene in Alice in Wonderland; the door was ever
farther away and I was slowing down. My persuers were closing in on me. I lunged for
the door and jumped inside, Meowth and Jesse falling away from my feet.
I was back inside the safety of my home. Things were real again. I was alone and
in the dark once more. Returning to my bed and feeling hot and dizzy, I questioned what
had happened.
In the morning when I awoke, I felt woozy and tried to remember what I had
dreamt; because I knew I had. I had that feeling. But I drew a blank. I reached over to
turn my alarm off on the nightstand by my bed and my hand fell onto something soft and
velvety. A single red rose in a tall cut glass vase sat upon it; a subtle reminder that reality
is never as it seems and in dreams, anything can be.