Matthew
I sat at the head of a large table, at an important business meeting. All eyes were on me, waiting for me to speak.
"I don't like it." I said sternly. A few men at the table sighed in disappointment. It's not that their idea wasn't good, it just wasn't what we needed. A mascot in a cape and spandex was not what this company needed, no matter how much Alfred pushed it. "Any other bright ideas?"
One man stood up. He was tall and stood at least a foot above everyone else, including me.
"I do, sir."
"Yes, Ivan?"
"Well, I believe we need a union. A way to get the employees to work together as more of a unit, instead of individual pieces."
"That sounds brilliant. How do you suppose we go about doing that?"
"Well, sir, I… um… I don't really know."
"You don't know? So, you pitched an idea, without an idea? Am I the only one who sees the flaw in that logic? Come on, people. This isn't difficult. Just make this company run smoothly. Jeez. You should all be more than capable of doing your jobs. So why is nothing running smoothly? Why is nothing ever done as planned?" I sighed, slumping in my chair.
"Sir?" someone piped up.
"What?"
"Um… Are you alright?"
"Am I alright? You should be worried about yourselves. Or better yet, your jobs. This company is not alright. We may seem stable, but we are slowly crumbling, and none of you can come up with a good way to fix it. Think about that. Don't worry about my wellbeing. Worry about your damn jobs, and do what you're supposed to do for once."
Silence ensued and I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"You can all go. Meeting dismissed."
The sounds of paper shuffling and shoes tapping their way toward the door filled the room. After everyone cleared out, I sat there for a few moments. Then I heard a small noise, and opened my eyes, turning my attention to the door.
A small white polar bear stood in the doorway. It padded it's way toward me, and cocked its head to the side.
"Who are you?" it said.
And then I woke up. I looked at little Kumajirou in my hands, and snuggled him closer.
"You silly, bear. You know who I am." I sighed, and rolled over.
"I'm Matthew."