The Hour of Cute

The Dream

While another segment was finishing, a middle-aged, poised woman stood near a green and lush area in a town, designed as a park to engage in outdoor activities. She straightened her tan and brown skirt suit and prepared a polished smile when she heard the producer's voice in her earpiece.

"I'm here in the usually sleepy town of Nestling, and we have something so unexplainable, it just might keep you awake from bewilderment for the rest of your life. Thanks to patrons of the discreet town's family-owned shops through word of mouth, we've become aware of this unexplainable event and ELW4 has the exclusive."

The anchor lifted her channel's mic closer. While slowly moving her high heels past a brightly painted fire hydrant, her polished nails gesticulated to the vacant, serene scenery.

"The surprising phenomenon occurred all over this community, including this small but immaculate park. Precisely last week at eleven a.m., the entire town of Nestling was... overrun with hundreds of eighteen-inch, robotic plush toys that harbored animatronic properties. No one knows how these mysterious plushies arrived. However, residents confirmed a nearby online retailer that sold children's items by the name of Cube Bee's Toys. We contacted the founder, Barry Hoffman. Regrettably, Mister Hoffman was unavailable for comment and is currently filing for bankruptcy.

"None of these realistically detailed, stuffed animals have the usual 'tush' tag. Whether any labels were removed or were never sewn on is unclear. But by these toys' designs, our conclusion is they must be highly animated versions of the toy mascots, referred to as the Smiling Critters. A line made back in nineteen eighty-nine by the obsolete giant manufacturer of the self-proclaimed toy innovator, the Playtime Company.

"We have never seen anything so convincingly alive before. For toys crafted in the twentieth century to have such an A.I. capability is outstanding, and we'd love to learn how this was achieved. Unfortunately, all of Playtime Co.'s proprietors have seemingly ghosted, and there hasn't been any information about the mega toy factory for thirty years. So, how and why this toy horde arrived will most likely forever stay as an enigma."

The anchor came across activity and considering it an appropriate backdrop for the coverage, she halted her gradual pacing, fronting forward once more.

"But for the following, pleasant people of Nestling, who testify to bear witness to some of the toys that had led the... assault, don't seem to mind the intrusion in the slightest."

Behind vast amounts of paintings, a tall and clean-cut man, wearing a speckled smock, looked straight ahead.

"I found this little Picasso marveling at my work. She's quite the marvel herself."

Cradled in the nook of the artist's arm and beaming shyly, CraftyCorn waved her custom Velcro banded hoof with a damp paintbrush.

"This picture right here is her masterpiece. Tulips are my Prism's specialty... Oh, excuse me."

Smiling, the artist took out a handkerchief and began cleaning the red splotches from the plush equine's white nose, causing it to wriggle.

"Achoo! Tee-hee!"

-"My Bubbie makes sure that all of my students' homework is in alphabetical order," proclaimed a formally dressed woman. "And he's great at sniffing out cheat sheets."

Behind her and sitting atop a desk, Bubba Bubbaphant dutifully lifted papers with the tip of his prehensile nose.

"I taught him to do that with his trunk..." The teacher giggled. "It helps when one doesn't have any fingers."

-A happy elder sitting on a loveseat, gazed at the rumbling red and pink-trim critter on his lap.

"This little ball of love jumped onto my ol' Santa belly. My grandkids adore her. How can they not? Just look at her!"