was something familiar bout him… “ Baloo scratched his head, attempting to recall the child’s face, but failed. “Any-who, I dreamt that I spent the whole day with him, had a good time, and then I woke up just as I was tucking him in.”

 

Rebecca smirked. “Maybe this is your subconscious mind’s way of telling you to stop lazing about and think about doing your job, and settling down with a wife and raising kids of your own?” She laughed, trying to imagine Baloo as a father figure.

 

Baloo frowned at her. “Hey, I happen to be real good with kids.”

 

“You should be,” Rebecca agreed. “You have the same maturity as them.”

 

“HEY!”

 

Rebecca laughed, and continued with the reports on her desk, while Baloo helped out with the filing.

 

The dream wasn’t really such a big deal, but he would have preferred it if Rebecca had listened to him with some interest at least. Then again, he supposed he couldn’t blame her for not paying too much attention, as he wasn’t the most serious of people. She probably thought he was just joking, as he usually did.

 

The truth was, that dream about the baby was the fourth dream that he had had this week. None of them had been bad dreams, nothing serious. It was just that Baloo hadn’t been known to dream much. He had always been too lazy to dream, just sleep.

 

The first two dreams were not at all interesting. They involved him being at work mostly. The first one involved him walking about the office, and hearing strange noises, but seeing no one there. That was all.

 

The second had again been set at work, but instead of walking, he had been sitting down in his favourite chair. Nothing unusual there, except that the chair had been making a lot of noises, almost as though it was crying or screaming. Oh, and it also had a new orange cushion on it for some reason.

 

The third dream had almost seemed completely normal. If it hadn’t been for one minor thing he would have thought nothing of it, and might have even assumed that the dream was actually a memory. The only thing was that everyone in the whole wide world… was him.

 

Everywhere he had looked, from Becky in Cape Suzette, to even Louie on his island… Everyone had all looked, talked and acted just like him. Even Rebecca's little girl, Molly, and Kit had looked just like him when he was a kid, with the exception of the pink bows and the green jumper (green had always been his worst colour).

 

Even stranger was that everyone had even answered to his own name and no one, not even he, had noticed anything weird about it? Both he and everyone else had just gone on about their… or should he say… his daily routines, acting as though everything was hunky dory. The whole planet was populated, literally, of just millions of him.

 

He remembered, in the dream, waking up and noticing that his alarm clock was saying 1030AM, which meant that he had overslept again. He had been a bit alarmed, as Becky was never one to let him oversleep, not when there were deliveries to do. He had practically chucked himself out of bed, changed into his shirt and cap, before racing to his door. He almost didn’t notice that his favourite song, The Banana Boogie Woogie Blues, was playing, which was something else that Becky would never ever allow?

 

When he realised what had been playing, he began to wonder if perhaps someone had broken in, captured Becky and the others, and were holding them hostage. Because Becky had told him often enough that if he ever played that dratted song again, she would smash that record down on his head.

 

With that in mind, he had tiptoed out of his room, across the landing… and then saw four other versions of himself all dressed up in Becky, Kit, Molly and Wildcat’s clothes, all of whom were partying in the rooms downstairs. With the exception of Becky who, like Baloo would do, was snoozing in her chair with her/his feet up.

 

By Nicholas Killpack

 

Baloo had been surprised at first, but that shock was more direct at the fact that no one had gotten him up for the party. He hadn’t even noticed the fact that everyone had been turned into a clone of him. After which, he had just gone straight downstairs, grabbed the nearest burger he could get for breakfast, and then began cutting the rug with a Baloo-ified Kit.

 

Baloo wiped his brow. ‘I better lay off the midnight snacks,’ he thought. ‘If I keep having dreams like these, I’m gonna end up in the nuthouse.’

 

* * * * *

 

The Iron Vulture; Karnage’s Quarters; One Hour Later:

 

After about an hour, the Genie reappeared in Karnage’s quarters. He had decided to leave for a while, to give Karnage some time to mellow.

 

“Sooo… how you feeling?” he asked slowly.

 

Karnage glared at him, and then said silently. “In reference to your earlier question… Yes, I did learn a few new things today. Things like… getting my bottom smacked, having a needle jammed up my tail, getting force-fed!!!”

 

The Genie’s eyes bulged a little when he said that. “Is that some new way of interrogating undercover agents?” he asked.

 

Karnage snarled. “No, it most definitely is not! Because of you, and your stupid magic, I have just spent the day revisiting my childhood! And allow me to tell you… after today, I am certainly glad that my childhood ended a long time ago!”

 

The Genie floated further away, as Karnage came closer.

 

“Well, surely it couldn’t have been as bad as all that?” the Genie said hopefully. “I mean, how many get to relive their childhood days, eh?”

 

“Do you have any idea of what I’ve been through today?!” Karnage snapped. “It was humiliating enough being reduced to infancy, but to spend the day with none other than my biggest enemy, with him as my caretaker… I will be in therapy for the rest of my natural days.”

 

“Well, what happened?”

 

“I’ve been hugged to the point of suffocation,” Karnage temporarily forgot his anger towards the Genie, more intent on complaining about his days mishaps. “Taken to the doctor’s for my booster shot, which I might add I did not need! I happen to take great care when concerning my health, thank you very much… I have been forced to eat disgusting vile chunks of green smashed up mush, which they dare call food. Speaking of which, should I ever have children of my own someday, remind me never to buy ready-made baby-food… I’ve been held over someone’s knee, had my backside spanked, and my dignity taken, and… “ He shuddered.

 

“What?” the Genie asked, genuinely interested. If this was a show, then what he had just told him would make a great comedy.

 

“There were two things out of the whole day that were enough to fully scar my mind with all manner of nightmares and bad dreams for the rest of my days and nights to come.”

 

“What?”

 

Karnage shuddered again. “The first thing… was… Baloo took me out for a bike-ride.”

 

Genie cocked his head at him. “What’s so wrong with that? You got to go out, get some fresh air… “

 

“And see the sights! Yes, I know,” Karnage finished for him. “What is it with people and getting out, inhaling the air that is fresh, and seeing the sights?!”

 

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that.” The Genie wondered. “What was the problem?”

 

Karnage glared at him. “Let’s just say I didn’t see as much as the sights, as I would have wanted.” Karnage shivered.

 

The Genie was about to ask something, but stopped, as Karnage was not finished with his current complaint.

 

“If Baloo should ever have any children,” Karnage continued, “then I, Don Karnage, pity them most of all, especially if he takes them out for ‘bikie-rides’, as Baloo calls them. They’ll probably grow up scarred for life, or marry a Sumo Wrestler, and everyone will wonder why?”

 

The Genie blinked. “I… don’t get it?” he said finally.

 

Karnage shivered again, adjusting his collar uncomfortably. “You have heard of the old phrase ‘bottoms up’, I trust?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Well, when you’re below 20 inches tall, strapped to a seat with a gigantic bear sitting right in front of you, that phrase is taken most literal!”

 

The Genie blinked again, and shifted in the air. “Umm, what was the other thing that you most disliked?”

 

Karnage wiped his cheek furiously. “It would have been a long time before I would ever be finished in washing my cheek, if you hadn’t brought me back when you did. Baloo apparently plays the part of the loving, if not overbearing, parent very well indeed.”

 

The Genie looked confused, but didn’t say anything. “Well, umm, sounds like you had one hectic day there? How’s about a drink, on the house?”

 

“Yes!” Karnage laid down on his couch. “Make it so. I have not had a decent drink all day. That

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Next page