My friend Barney

Chapter 1- Imagination

    Josh sat at his desk, in his office with his head in his hands. He couldn't handle the stress anymore he was ready to give up. The mess he had gotten into at work was rather complicated, but he promised his boss a great idea for a new toy by tomorrow.

  "Hey Josh, how's the toy sketch coming?" Lauren asked as she approached his cubicle.

  "It's not going," Josh admitted, "I'm out of ideas and running out of time. I just can't figure it out, usually it just comes to me."

  "It will, just don't worry about it too much. Great ideas come to you when you relax and let your imagination run free. Why don't you take the rest of the day off? Go set your imagination free! When was the last time you had a good time using your imagination?" Lauren replied.

  "I honestly can't remember, I haven't seen more than my house and the office in a long time. Maybe getting out of here would help." Josh said as he gathered his things.

  "I'll see you tomorrow, and remember relax and use your imagination." She said walking back to her office.

  Lauren was the bosses daughter, she was also the assistant manager of the division of the company Josh worked for. She loved nothing more than to see her crew succeed in their work. She was a kind person, but if you got on her bad side there would be hell to pay.

  Josh walked out of the front doors of the office and into the crowded streets of San Francisco. He passed by several families with young children, he remembered that when he was a little boy his family would take him for walks along the pier. So he headed down the street toward his house so he could change out of his work uniform and into his street clothes. As he walked he noticed lots of kids humming a familiar tune, but he couldn't quite place it.

  Where have I heard that song before, he wondered as he walked up to the door of his house and found a box on the doorstep.

  "Oh mom, what did you send me now?" He said to himself as he unlocked the door and picked up the box and carried it into the den where he cut it open.

  In the box there were a lot of things from his childhood, toys mostly, and there was a note in the box as well. "Just a little inspiration" it read on it. After digging through the contents of the box Josh pulled out a toy that brought back many memories. It was his old Barney doll, the one friend he had growing up that was always there for him.

  Josh thought back to a part of his childhood that he had forgotten about until just then, and he knew why the song sounded so familiar. Barney used to sing it to him every night before bed. Josh started to smile and hum the intro of the song.

  "I love you, you love me,
We're a happy family,
With a great big hug,
and a kiss from me to you,
Won't you say you love me too!" Josh sang and he began to smile.

  He wished that Barney would appear like he did when he was a young boy. To him Barney wasn't just a stuffed animal, but his best friend. To Josh, barney was real, there was nobody that would ever take his place. Josh hugged the doll tight.

  "I wish you could talk to me like you used to Barney, I could really use your help finding my imagination again." Josh said to the doll and it didn't do a thing just sat there with the smile Barney always had.

  Josh sat the doll down on the coffee table and went to his room to change, he kept thinking about the last adventure they had before Barney had disappeared all those years ago. They had gone to the moon and played with a Martian. Although it was all in Josh's imagination, it all seemed so real to him. So did Barney, he remembered Barney as a six foot tall dinosaur, not a doll at all.

   Josh changed his shirt and walked back out to the den where he had left barney on the coffee table, but when he returned, Barney was gone. Josh searched around and under the coffee table, but Barney just wasn't there. Just then Josh heard the sound of the backdoor opening and a jolly laugh echoed through the house, a laugh Josh knew very well.

  "Barney?" He questioned as he ran toward the back door.

  Josh looked out his back door and saw Barney standing there looking back at him. He was as tall as ever. Josh stood there face to face with his childhood best friend just staring in amazement. All Josh could think of was how any of this was possible.

"Joshie," Barney said, "it's been awhile! How are you?"

"Uh, it's just Josh now. I don't understand, how are you here? The last time you appeared to me was when I was six, and I swear it was all in my head." Josh said and Barney giggled.

"Well, you asked for my help and here I am. Although I don't understand exactly what you wanted, but I'll do my best to help! And if I was only in your head I wouldn't be able to do this!" Barney said as he walked up to Josh giving him a big hug.

"Why did you go away? What happened?" Josh asked and Barney sighed.

"I didn't," Barney said softly, "you did. One day we were playing and then you stopped believing in me. When you did I just sat on the shelf in your bedroom until your mom packed me in a box all those years ago. Then the next thing I knew I was here and somehow you brought me back."

"I'm sorry Barney, but I had to grow up. How many grown adults do you know who still have imaginary friends?" Josh said and he realized that he was speaking to Barney the dinosaur.

"Growing up doesn't mean leaving your imaginary friends behind, we are always with you throughout your whole life. Even after you leave us behind. Although, I am questioning why I'm here now talking to you now that you're all grown up." Barney said and Josh ran his hand through his hair.

"You're here because I'm losing my marbles. I'm standing in my backyard talking to a six foot tall purple dinosaur, and you're wondering why. Honestly, I have no clue either, one second you're a doll on my coffee table and the next I'm having a full conversation with you in my backyard." Josh said walking into the house and to the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out an ice pack.

"Are you going to be ok?" Barney asked as he shut the back door and followed Josh.

"You're from my imagination so you tell me." Josh said pressing the ice pack to his forehead.

"Do you want anything?" Barney asked.

"My life to get back on track, and for this new toy design to come to me." Josh said.

"What happened that your life is messed up?" Barney asked and Josh looked up at him.

"How long do you have?" Josh asked and Barney giggled.

"I've got all night." Barney said and Josh began telling Barney all about who he was in his adult life.