Smoke my Gouda!

Smoke my Gouda!

Dip me in red wax!

I threw the Elmo doll across the room. Sparks flew from his head. "Operators code access granted: Function Menu: A. Subliminal Control B. Surveillance C. Parental Submission

D. Master Control Program E. Revert to cuddle-me-Elmo cloak mode. "Whaa?" After initial shock discovering my Elmo doll was a means of surveillance & control I reprogrammed Elmo to

sweetly whisper government secrets. From behind cold, dead eyes I heard of alien abductions, and spies shot in exotic locations. Elmo was my ticket to someplace else, someplace w

ild and free of these padded walls. Already it seemed the clouds were being swept away. I sniffed, and the air was sweet. I asked my new-found, fuzzy, red friend, "Can you tell me

how to get out of here?". "You'll have to swim", he replied. "Swim? But there's no water." "No? Are you sure?", he asked. Before I could respond, I plunged headfirst into the

air and felt the streams of the current rippling against my body. I swam in the air, back stroking, spiralling up a thermal until I could see him far below me looking up at me, a

dot in the big blue that slowly shrank in reverse accretion, itself becoming a dot as well, worlds & stars passing by my back stroke, a scream of light gradually filling my vision.