"Uh... What's up, Doc?" said a voice that sounded familiar, yet at the same time impossible.
"Who said that?!?! I'm the only one out here, except for one lone rabbit," I thought as I pulled another carrot. It was time to harvest my vegetables, before the rabbit did. I didn't have time for pranks.
"What's up, Doc?" the voice tried again.
"Who's out there?" I asked, as I stood up.
The rabbit hopped right up to me, and stood on his hind legs. "It was me, Doc. I need you to come to Tune Town for the weekend, and help me out with Daffy. He's acting crazy."
I was speechless. A real live rabbit was talking to me! He didn't look like Bugs Bunny, but the voice was perfect.
"I'm dreaming," I said, rubbing my eyes.
"It's not a dream, Wrestlingdesires. Tune Town is real, we are in what you call an alternate dimension. How do you think the cartoons were created? None of you could ever have thought up a place like that," Bugs said chuckling.
"Maybe you're right... We are imaginative, but probably not that much," I admitted.
"It all started when I asked Hugh Harman to come help with Wile E, when he threatened to go on a hunger strike unless we served him roadrunner meat. The guy was a genius, he convinced Wile E that he had to keep up his strength, or he would never know what a roadrunner tasted like. I brought him over several more times, and he never failed to amaze me."
"You called me Wrestlingdesires. How did you get that name?" I asked, confused.
"From Hive. It now straddles both of our dimensions. Something to do with a little accident with a quantum computer, while the programmer was checking her blog! Don't ask, it'll give you a headache."
"What do you need me to do?" I asked.
"It's like I said, Doc... Daffy is acting - well, daffy!
"Isn't that normal for Daffy Duck?" I asked, having regained my wits.
"He is daffy, for sure. But this is different. He's always so serious, and nobody can make him lose his temper," Bugs replied, his little nose constantly twitching.
"Well, I'm free for the whole weekend. Just get me back before Monday morning," I said.
Somehow the whole thing still didn't feel real, but I was eager to go along with it. Even if it turned out to be a dream, how many people can say that they got to see the real Tune Town?
Seconds later, the rabbit led me over to a head of lettuce, which I noticed had some big bites in it. Reaching underneath, Bugs brought out a metal carrot, holding it gently in his teeth.
Placing it on the ground in front of me, he looked up. "You'll have to hold onto me now, but not too tight. Just don't let go,"" said Bugs seriously.
I knelt down and gently put both hands on his back, holding him firmly but not too tight. Taking the tip of carrot in his mouth, he did something with the green part with his paws.
I began to feel funny, not exactly dizzy. I guess you might call it wavy. Bugs' soft fur changed its texture, becoming something between rubber and silk. His body became larger, with his hind legs changing shape to allow for walking upright. I was fascinated by the change. He didn't look like I thought he would, but he was still rabbit like.
My own body had changed too. My bones felt more flexible, and my skin did as well. It also seemed to be a little thicker, and much tougher. I felt my head, and my hair was a similar texture to Bugs' fur.
"Here we are, Doc," he said, as I stood bending over, trying to get my bearings. When I finally straightened up, I gasped.
A skunk in a tuxedo was walking down the street, singing an opera that I wasn't familiar with. High above, looking out of a fourth story window, was a cat. She was wearing a flowered bonnet, held in place with a pink ribbon.
As soon as he was directly below, she shoved out a giant block, with ACME printed on the side in bold, black letters. It landed squarely on the poor creature. Immediately I ran over, and tried unsuccessfully to move it.
Before I was able to call out for help, the sidewalk cracked right down the middle, and the skunk emerged, dizzy but unharmed. And did he stink! I backed away before he could notice me.
"What's up, Doc?" asked Bugs, suddenly next to me, munching on a carrot.
Startled, I jumped, and found myself at least a hundred yards up in the air. Frantically, I looked for anything I could grab hold of. There wasn't anything.
In a panic, I accidentally turned upside down. When I shot back down, I was disoriented. I hit the pavement head first. I heard something crack and saw stars, rabbits, and black ducks circling.
A few seconds later, I stood up - and discovered that it was the pavement which had cracked, not my head.
"What just happened, Bugs?" I asked.
"Your kind can't stay here long without fading, but while you're here, you're like us. We are very hard to injure, and don't age."
"I don't like that fading bit, Bugs. Let's go help Daffy," I suggested.
"Right, Doc!"
We went a short ways out of town, to a small shack by a huge lake, surrounded by trees.
"Hey, Daffy!" Bugs greeted his friend, who was sitting in the sun, putting the finishing touches on an intricate paint by numbers work.
"See what I mean, Doc? The Daffy I know would never have the patience for this," whispered Bugs.
"I heard that, Bugs. Kindly stop telling visitors that something is wrong with me, please," Daffy said politely.
"Hey Daffy, it's a pleasure to meet you, I've loved your work for a long time!" I spoke up, extending my hand.
After brief introductions, I got down to business.
"What made you change your outlook on the world? I understand that you used to be more... Excitable?" I asked.
"I heard on the television that it's healthier to be calm. So now that's me," he said proudly.
"Ah... I like being calm too. Can you please tell me what your worst blow-up ever was? I can see how good it is that you've finally got your temper under control," I said.
An hour later:
"And that's how it happened!" Daffy said excitedly. Then he glowered at Bugs, and said "Now I remember why I've always had a temper... Youuu're deththpicable!”
Bugs and I slowly backed out. "Thanks for that, Doc. I was really worried about him," said Bugs.
"No problem, I was glad to help! Do you think we could take a tour around this place, then get me home before that fading thing starts," I asked.
"Anything you want, Doc," Bugs replied, offering me a big juicy carrot.
Cover image made in Canva using their gallery
