Calvin sat in his backyard, propped up against a tree, his wild blond hair sticking out in every direction. Beside him sat Hobbes, his loyal tiger companion—well, at least when no one else was looking. To the rest of the world, Hobbes was just a stuffed animal, but to Calvin, he was alive, mischievous, and full of wisdom (when he wasn’t tackling him to the ground).
“Bored,” Calvin groaned, tossing a rock across the yard. “Utterly, completely, painfully bored.”
Hobbes stretched lazily. “You could always do your homework.”
Calvin shot him a glare. “Okay, painfully bored is still better than homework bored.”
The Plan
Then, like a lightbulb flickering on in the most mischievous part of his brain, Calvin sat up. “I’ve got it! We need an adventure. A real, dangerous, world-changing adventure.”
Hobbes raised an eyebrow. “Does this involve pain or consequences?”
Calvin grinned. “Probably both.”
Hobbes sighed. “Alright, I’m in.”
Mission: Outer Space
Calvin ran inside and reappeared moments later with a cardboard box—his trusty Transmogrifier, Time Machine, and Spaceship, all in one.
“This,” he declared, “is going to take us to Planet Zog, where we will defeat the evil Zorgatrons and save the universe!”
Hobbes climbed in reluctantly. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Calvin smacked an imaginary button. “Liftoff in 3…2…1… BLAST OFF!”
Suddenly, they were no longer in their backyard. Stars streaked past them. Their ship rocked through an asteroid field. Alarms blared.
“Brace for impact!” Calvin yelled as they crash-landed onto the surface of Planet Zog—which, strangely, looked a lot like his mom’s flowerbed.
Hobbes dusted himself off. “So where are these Zorgatrons?”
Calvin pointed ahead. “Right there!”
Hobbes turned and found himself staring at Rosalyn, the babysitter. She had just arrived and was standing on the porch, arms crossed.
“Oh no,” Hobbes whispered. “The Zorgatron Queen.”
The Great Escape
“Calvin,” Rosalyn called, “your parents said I’m in charge tonight.”
“NEVER!” Calvin yelled, grabbing Hobbes and sprinting toward the treehouse. “Quick! To the escape pod!”
Rosalyn sighed, pulling out her phone. “Five bucks says you’re down in ten minutes for dinner.”
Calvin stopped mid-run. “What’s for dinner?”
“Spaghetti.”
“…We surrender.”
Hobbes groaned. “Some adventure.”
And just like that, the greatest space mission in history ended with a plate of spaghetti and an early bedtime.
