Disney after Dark

“Me?”

“The five of you,” Wayne said.

Fi

Fi

“Of course I am,” Wayne said. “You see? I knew you were the right one. You’re the leader, Fi

“I don’t have the slightest clue what you’re talking about,” Fi

“Nice try. But of course you do. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You just don’t want to face it. Perfectly understandable. That will change.”

“A fable,” Fi

“The moon,” Wayne reminded him. “Don’t forget the moon.”

I won’t.”

“All five of you. I need you together. Here. All in the same place at the same time. I can explain it to you then. Once. As a group. Just the one time. You can decide—as a group—to help us or not.”

“Us?” Fi

“I’ll explain that as well .”

“This is the weirdest dream I’ve ever had!” Fi

“You’ll get over it,” Wayne said. He raised his right hand—the one carrying the black remote-control fob—and pressed the button with his thumb.

Fi

A dream? he wondered. “Whoa,” he heard himself say aloud. “What a dream!” This time his voice sounded more the way it always sounded, which reminded him of how thin and electronic it had sounded in the park.

“Whoa,” he repeated, just to hear himself say it. He scratched an itch on his head, and another on his belly. That felt better. He lay back down, his head on the pillow, his green eyes wide open to the dark room.

All at once Fi

Fi

Fi

Fi

There, out the window, hanging in the exact same place in the sky, where Wayne had pointed it out to him, Fi

The moon seemed to be laughing at him.

2

The halways of Fi

“He said there was a fable. A story of some kind,” Fi

“That my friends and I are supposed to save the park, or something.” He realized how ridiculous this sounded. “Whatever that means.”

“By ‘friends’ you mean like, me?” Dillard Cole asked. Dillard ate enough for two kids and had the body to show for it.

“He didn’t mean you, Dillard,” Fi

“No way.”

“Way,” Fi

“It was only a dream!” Dillard shouted after him.

Fi

“We’re honored you could join us, Mr. Whitman,” said Mr. Richardson as Fi

He’d lived in the U.S. for twenty-some years, but still spoke with a thick British accent. He sounded like a pompous snob.

Fi

“You’ll sit up front, please,” Mr. Richardson said, indicating an empty chair. Torture on top of humiliation. “For the record, your notoriety pulls no weight in my class. I beg you to remember that when grades are issued. I find the idea of child actors tedious at best.”

“Sorry I’m late,” Fi

He’d taken the job at Disney World somewhat against his will, mostly at his mother’s urging.

At the time she’d had no idea she was making him into a middle-school rock star. He remembered it well.

* * *

“There will be money in it,” his mother had said. “Your father and I can put a little something away for your college.”

“I don’t know, Mom,” Fi

“This is Walt Disney World, don’t forget. You would be a host, like a guide, in Walt Disney World.”

“It’s not exactly me. ”

“It’ll look like you. Sound like you. It’ll seem like you to everyone but you. You’d be there for years, Fi

His mother didn’t know everything, but when she was right she was right. Fi

“You love the Magic Kingdom, and you know it. Besides, the rest of your family would get complimentary passes—several a year, every year, for life. As in, forever. We could basically go whenever we want.”

“Without me.”

“I thought you just said you’re too old for the Magic Kingdom.” Fi

“Tell me about the disguise stuff again,” he said.

“You would only be allowed to visit the Magic Kingdom with prior approval. Once permission is granted, you’d still have to go in disguise. But a hat and sunglasses would be enough. You’d only have to wear them when you’re in the Magic Kingdom. They can’t have two of you ru

It did make sense, but he wasn’t about to admit that.

She said, “It sounds so easy. All you do is let them film you walking and gesturing. You read the script a couple times into a microphone. They process the film, or whatever, and, presto!

You’re a hologram-host at the Magic Kingdom. With a college nest egg and lifetime complimentary passes. Fi

“All I have to do is audition?” he asked, testing her.

“That’s right! They might not even take you.”

“Mom,” Fi