A New Pet

James woke up with an unexplained hangover. Opening his scratchy eyes, he sat up in alarm. The room, the bed, even his clothes, were not the ones he had gone to bed in. He had the faintest memory of a dream. There had been bright lights, a feeling of weightlessness, and that was all he could remember.

The ceiling above him turned transparent. Looking up, he saw three giant beings, one smaller than the others. The larger of the two were speaking.

“You shouldn’t pamper him. Remember what happened to his last pet.”

“Oh, he learned his lesson.”

“We’ll see.”