'Toons

Fifth story in the Fantastic Dreams collection.

Two boys sat watching a video of cartoons that Buck had bought for them the previous day. The boys laughed when the cartoon villains fell down holes, were squashed by pianos and had other misfortunes. The cartoon heroes always got away unharmed. Buck stood watching the cartoons from the doorway. He loved the cartoons although the rest of Team 7 (except for Chris) were unaware of this. Chris had gone away on urgent ATF business and wasn't expected back until much later.

Finally the video was finishing and Buck went over to turn it off. Neither of the boys had got up to take the video out, so Buck turned toward the sofa where the boys were sitting. The man smiled; they were both sound asleep, JD's head resting against Vin's sleeping body.

Buck turned off the TV, then walked over and carefully picked up JD. The little boy stirred but Buck softly told him he was just putting him to bed. JD went back to sleep with a small smile on his face.

Vin stayed asleep on the sofa, unaware that his brother had been moved.

JD opened his eyes. He had heard a voice saying his name.

"JD, we gotta hide - I can see him comin'," said Vin, now that his younger brother was awake.

The two boys were standing on a narrow road with a forest by the side of it. It was daytime and the sun was shining brightly overhead. JD was surprised that he had been asleep standing up!

"Who's comin'?" asked JD, looking around and trying to see who was approaching.

"Wile E. Coyote of course, but don't worry - Roadrunner already has a plan. Everythin' will be fine long as we hide."

JD saw Coyote coming and quickly rushed to hide with Vin. They watched Coyote put up a board and start to paint on it - his plan was that Roadrunner would run into it thinking it was really a road, which it looked exactly like.

"What's Roadrunner's plan?" whispered JD, from where they hid in the trees.

"You'll see in a minute," answered Vin with a smile.

JD noticed a red 'X' on the road and grinned.

Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared above Coyote and soon after, a huge piano fell on the shocked animal who was too surprised to move away in time.

"D'ya think he's deaded?" asked JD.

"Nah - he always comes back ta life."

The piano was suddenly thrown away by the animal and Coyote stood up dizzily; little tweeting canaries flying around his head.

"Why didn't it make him flat?" asked JD.

"I dunno, it should've."

"That's what happens if he's hitted on the head though!" complained JD loudly.

Coyote saw the two boys looking at him and stuck out his tongue, then suddenly spoke to them, "I've been flattened so many times, gentlemen, that nothing can flatten me anymore. How many of you are there?" He was still dizzy and saw 2 sets of twin boys.

"Oh boy! A weal live Coyote. I always wanted to catch one of them!" said Elmer Fudd as he walked out from behind a tree.

The Coyote's birds disappeared from around his head and he started to run, picking up speed.

"Wow, he sure runs fast when he wants to!" exclaimed JD, watching as the animal sped off down the road.

"I guess I'll just have to go back to hunting wabbits!" said Elmer sadly, hanging his head. He wondered what a coyote would taste like and had really wanted to catch that one to find out.

"Have you two seen any awound here?" said the man looking at them and seeming a bit happier now.

"No, only Roadrunner and Coyote," said JD.

"Oh," said Elmer, looking depressed again.

"We could help you look for one," said JD, trying to cheer him up.

Vin pulled him aside. "JD - Elmer's the bad guy - we can't help him!"

"He's hungry though. We gotta help him find a rabbit."

"He's not eating rabbits," said Vin. He liked rabbits and didn't want anyone to eat them.

"What's up, boys?" asked a familiar voice - after the voice spoke, the boys heard the sound of something being crunched.

The boys turned around to face Bugs Bunny, who had just bitten the carrot he was holding.

"Nothin'," said JD, not wanting to tell Bugs that they were about to help Elmer Fudd find a rabbit to eat.

"A wabbit, oh boy!" said Elmer Fudd upon seeing Bugs Bunny.

"Where?" asked Bugs, pretending he didn't know he was one.

"You're a wabbit!"

"Really?" asked Bugs, still playing dumb.

Elmer decided not to delay any longer, so he pointed his rifle at the rabbit and said, "Say your pwayers, wabbit." He pulled the trigger and a red flag appeared which said 'BANG!' on it.

The two boys laughed loudly, joined by Bugs who laughed maniacally.

"You think that's funny?" asked Elmer angrily, walking menacingly toward the boys.

"Yes, sir," said JD honestly, backing away.

"I'll get you yet wabbit," threatened Elmer, before turning around and walking away into the trees. The boys breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did you like that?" asked Bugs, smiling like a maniac at the two boys.

"That was so funny!" said Vin, smiling.

"Funny's my middle name," said Bugs. Then he nibbled some more of the now very short carrot in his hand.

"D'you think he'll come back soon?" asked JD, fear in his voice.

"Maybe, maybe not," said Bugs, sounding as though he didn't care.

"What kinda answer is that?" asked Vin.

Instead of replying, Bugs finished eating his carrot and skipped away down the road.

"Shouldn't we go home?" asked JD; his dad would be worried by now.

Vin suddenly disappeared and a Tasmanian Devil appeared in his place. It looked at JD, then began to whirl round and round getting faster.

JD started to run in fear, knowing the damage it could cause when it got to full speed.

He found his way blocked by a brick wall and stood against it with nowhere to run or hide. The Devil advanced toward him.

"Nooooooo," he screamed.

Buck stood beside JD's bed, Vin by his side. "JD, son?" he asked. The boy was shaking.

JD opened his eyes. "No, don't let him get me."

Buck pulled JD into his arms and hugged him. "No one's going to get you; you're safe here."

"Can I sleep in your bed, Da? I'm scared," said JD, still being hugged by his dad.

"Of course you can," said Buck, then picked JD up and carried him to his own bedroom. Vin followed him. Buck turned around to face Vin and asked, "Did you have a bad dream as well?"

"Uh-huh," said the boy nodding.

"There's plenty of room for you too," said Buck, pulling the covers back on the other side of the bed for Vin.

Both boys settled down in Buck's bed and cuddled close to him. Not long after, they fell asleep. Buck stayed awake for a while, watching them for signs of bad dreams; but they seemed calm. Eventually, sleep overcame the man as well.

The End
Next story: 'Toons Revisited