Small Places : Nick L Belardes [67 of 128]

• I manage to flip a tricycle. I lie on my back wondering if it's the Christmas spirit I see in the wondrous eyes of children laughing at me.
• A store worker steps over me as if this is normal. A kid gives me the stare of toyshop shame,
• grabs the bike and pedals toward LEGO central. As the chaos comes into focus I notice a man standing next to the giant pink wall
• of Barbies. He has two buxom beauts out of their packages. It's Milt Butterlink. He's got a Barbie fetish. Making them talk,
• he's playing with them in the store. I have to hear what he's saying. When I wake on Christmas,
• I realize that being in the toy store was just a nightmare. I finished my shopping on time. Milt wasn't there.
• Besides, there are no Milt Butterlinks creative enough to play with Barbies in toy stores. If only I would have dreamed they came to life.
• Imagine, Barbies hungry enough to devour a sour marketing manager? Entire shelves of Star Wars action figures might get jealous.