A World Beyond

"Uhh, let me sleep, just five more minutes." Ash felt a sudden licking sensation on his cheek. He grumbled. The licking persisted, causing Ash to grow increasingly frustrated. "I said let me sleep!" he yelled. However, the sensation persisted.

"Ahh, who keeps disturbing me while I'm sleeping?" Ash called out as he finally opened his eyes. Ash said as he eventually opened his eyes. Positioned before him was a pliable, canine-sized being with sizable eyes and an extensive drooling tongue.

"Ahh, what the hell is that thing? How did it get in my room?" Ash screamed. The creature, frightened by Ash's sudden outburst, jumped away. Ash looked around, realizing he was not in his room. "Wait, what the... where am I? This isn't my room!"

Ash realized he was atop a steep hill, encircled by vivid colors and extraordinary plants. Glancing skyward, he observed something unexpected. "Since when were there two moons?" he wondered, bewildered. As he uttered those words, an enormous dragon soared overhead, far away in the sky.

"Yup, I must still be drunk from last night," he said to himself out loud. I must be seeing stuff," Ash mumbled.

"I should go back to sleep. I don't have time for this; I have to prepare for my next interview today."

Ash closed his eyes for a few seconds and peeked his eyes open to see if he stopped dreaming, but nothing had changed. So he got up and slapped himself in the face; nothing changed.

"Guess that wasn't strong enough", so this time he punches himself in the face; still nothing changes. Ash as a last act of desperation screams at the top of his lungs and runs at a tree full speed, "AHHHHHHHHHH".

"Hihihihihihih, now I see small pigs with wings flying above my head," Ash said, stumbling around dizzy. He collapsed, out of energy. Gets up again, and feels the grass beneath his feet and the breeze blowing through his hair. "Could this actually be real?"

Ash sat down and started mumbling all the different possibilities that could explain his arrival in this strange new land. "Is this a virtual reality simulation? No, it looks too real to be virtual. Wait, did I die of alcohol poisoning and reincarnate? That sounds the craziest, but it's the only thing that can explain this situation I'm in."

"I often fantasize about waking up in another world, but never truly believed it could happen," Ash said. With a sigh, his thoughts turned to his loved ones, aspirations, and the place he called home. "Am I just supposed to forget about everything and start a new life here?"

"Send me back, whoever it is that sent me here!" Ash screamed, but no response came. Defeated, he flopped to the ground, asking sadly, "What do I do now?"

The creature that had licked him earlier approached Ash and barked. Ash didn't respond. It barked again, and still, Ash remained silent. Frustrated, the creature took a huge breath and vomited gallons of slime onto Ash.

Drenched in slime, Ash looked at the creature and suddenly laughed, "HAHAHAHAH".

Ash kneeled to pet the creature, saying, "Thanks, buddy, for cheering me up." The creature barked and licked Ash in excitement. Ash stood up and said, "I got this....I think."