Dreams Will Find You
Hobbes pulled the blanket tighter around his shivering form. The ice on the window glimmered as the afternoon sun shone through, but no warmth penetrated into the room. Occasionally he would fall asleep, lulled by the sound of cars passing on the road outside. Sometimes he would read Captain Napalm comics, removing them from the plastic bags that Calvin has always kept them in.
Most days he delved on the adventures of the past, the glorious summer days spent in the woods, exploring new things, finding peace and tranquility at heart. Days when he and Calvin would stalk Susie, throwing barrages of water balloons and rotten apples. Or when they would play Calvinball in the backyard.
But those days were past, a mere glimmer in the eye of an old tiger that lived in the room upstairs. It had been five years since Calvin had left. Hobbes had remained hopeful, but knew that his chances of seeing his partner again were slim. Sometimes he thought of going out on adventures of his own, but he knew it would not be the same. He missed his friend, and it hurt to think of the things they had once done. Shutting his eyes, he would curl up in a ball, fall asleep, and start the cycle all over again.
It was a cold January day when Calvin came home. He greeted his parents, had supper, talked, and then had retired to his old room upstairs. As he laid down on his bed, he remembered his old companion, the stuffed tiger. Frantically, he searched the room. Finally, as he opened the closet door, a pile of old blankets fell out. He stared down in shock at what he saw. In the middle of the blankets was a pile of stuffing, with a few shreds of orange and black material mixed throughout. Next to it was a note.
My deer frend. I am afrad that
My tim has com, and that I wil
Not b seeing you agan. I wish
U the best of luk.
-yur frend, Hobbes
Calvin could not believe his eyes. He fell on his bed, and cried himself to sleep.
When he woke, Calvin slowly lifted himself up on one elbow, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He remembered having some kind of strange dream in the night, but it was nothing to occupy his mind this morning. Sliding to the floor, he opened his door and started down the hall for the stairs. Suddenly he was knocked to the ground by a blur of orange and black. "Why you mangy, flea infested…" he snarled at the large tiger that sat over him. "Come on, its SATURDAY!", Hobbes roared. Once again the big cat leaped off of his friend and started for the stairs. Shaking his head, he got to his feet. "Its hard to stay mad at someone when they've been waiting for you to get up.", he mumbled.
Soon, the two friends were racing down the stairs, ready for a bowl of Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs, and an eyeful of Saturday morning cartoons.