It was a beautiful day now that the rain has stopped. Jerry saw an opportunity to unleash his inner child. He took and old newspaper and folded it into a little boat. Beth was upstairs having a nap, Morty was at school, Rick was off on another adventure. Nobody (he knew) was around to mock him.
Jerry set the newspaper boat down on a stream of rainwater that ran outside the house. The boat started off—a little faster than Jerry had anticipated. He ran off after the boat. As he did so, either the boat was growing bigger, or he was getting smaller and younger. Finally, the boat stopped at a storm drain, and fell in.
"NO DUMPING, DRAINS TO WATERWAYS" read the inscription on the metalwork. There wasn't enough space for Jerry to fit his whole arm in and grab his newspaper boat. Matter of fact, it was too dark to see what was going on there, and the rushing rainwater from the stream was obstructing his view.
Jerry was about to stand up and leave, when he heard an unfortunately familiar voice.
"HIya, J...URP...erry!"
It was coming from the storm drain. Jerry, none the wiser, looked inside again, and saw a clown. He was not unlike the clowns from his youth that filled his heart with whimsy and joy, and that somehow made Jerry feel a little safe.
"Huh!" said Jerry, as the storm drain was the last place to meet a clown.
"Is this yours?" the clown asked, "You want it back?"
"Uh...sure! Thanks!"
The clown slipped the boat back up through a slit in the storm drain. Jerry picked up the boat, and set it out of the way of the rainwater's influence. Unbeknownst to him, he was lulled into a false sense of security.
"A little Mort...uh...birdie told me you like the circus," said the clown, "Don't you, Jerry?"
"Well sure, why not?" said Jerry, "But I am surprised that a clown like you is down there instead of over there. Do you need me to you help you out?"
"Never mind how I got here," the clown snapped, "But I appreciate the offer. Anyway, you like the circus. Do you like clowns? How about balloons?"
"Err..." said Jerry, turning uncomfortable, "Where are you going with this?"
"I got something for you, Jerry."
"Oooooookay?"
The clown held up a bright red balloon next to his face.
"You like it? You want it? Take it! It's yours!" he chuckled.
Jerry, foolishly, reached his arm out to take the balloon from the clown. But the clown didn't let go of the balloon. He tried to pull Jerry into the storm drain. Jerry tried to pull back, but he eventually lost his grip and fell backward onto the road. In front of him, the storm drain started to shake, as did the sidewalk above it, and a bit of road in front of it. It broke open, revealing the clown's true size, true colors, and true shape—one that involved a familiar looking spiky head of hair and a unibrow.
"I'M CLOWN RIIIIICCCCCKKKKK!"
Jerry was scared out of his wits like you couldn't believe. Scrambling to his feet, Jerry made a break for it as fast as he could. But his father-in-law grew followed, growing in size.
"Come on, Jerry," said Rick, ominously, "Let me kill you. Nobody will URRP ever know!"
"NO!" Jerry screamed as he picked up speed, "Get away! Please! NO!"
Salvation came in flock of giant rising balloons, not unlike the ones he used to pop on his favorite video game. Jerry jumped on the next one that came his way. The balloon took him upward, past Rick, and well out his reach. Jerry sighed in relief, and relaxed on his balloon, ready to go back to unleashing his inner child again.
But suddenly...
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
The balloons that surrounded Jerry were being popped left and right, just like his favorite game. And then it dawned on him...Jerry was in his favorite game! He turned around, and there Rick, his giant head towering over him, through the screen of Jerry's tablet. Balloons continued popping at the touch of Rick's giant finger.
"I'm sorry, Jerry," said Rick, "But this is for your own good."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jerry screamed, as his happy place was bring destroyed around him.
But before Rick's finger could get close enough to pop Jerry and his balloon to oblivion...
"GAH!"
Jerry's eyes snapped open as he shot himself upright in bed. That's right—his bed. He was safe and sound, at home, with his beloved Beth. Jerry sighed in relief. As he did, unbeknownst to him, a small device fell out from his ear, and onto the bed comforter.
Beth slowly opened her eyes to see what was the matter.
"Jerry?" she asked groggily, "Is anything wrong?"
"Nothing," Jerry said happily, "Now."
"Good," said Beth, "Go back to sleep."
The strange device that fell out of Jerry's ear did not go unnoticed by Beth. Jerry was already out before she had a chance to ask about it. Out of curiousity, she put the device into one of her own ears before dozing off herself.
Beth was as happy as a child. She was in her beloved Froopyland with no adult telling her what to do, no Jerry to pacify, and no worries to worry about.
But then, suddenly...
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUU..." a familiar voice yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Dad?" Beth turned in his direction.
"Beth?" Rick asked, feeling embarrassed.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was wondering that myself. The only theory that comes to mind is that the inceptor that I slipped into Jerry's ear fell out and you foolishly put it in yours."
An accurate explanation if any, Beth thought.
"Were you trying to pull a Freddy Krueger on Jerry?" she asked.
"Uh..." Rick couldn't answer. Jerry may be an idiot that deserves to die, but he could never stand the thought of his beloved daughter being mad at him. After all, this is a Rick who loved his daughter (which, in all honesty, is a common breed.)
He gave Beth a hug.
"C'mon," said Rick, "Let's enjoy Froopyland together."