"Yes Doctor," you bowed politely and got dressed.
You really needed to share this all with Zoey... You thought back to the circus tent with Zoey, of the animal mascots, most just wearing glow in the dark fur paint, a leopardess, a lion, a tiger, and a white pony, performing wild acrobatics with glowing rings hanging from the ceiling. The lion and cheetah actually jumped and fell... and landed squarely on their feet without any injury in spite of having been multiple stories up that should have broken their legs. The crowd cheered wildly at the show, and made you envy Zoey a little for getting to perform in this section of the park. You wondered if it was possible to request a transfer. Maybe you could've asked Dr. Z that when you saw her.
You stepped out of the office and they called for "T-Rex, Tex!" And the t-rex mascot passed by you, the two of you waving as you did so.
"Hey, ready to go kiddo?" Asked the cheetah security cat waiting for you, still only wearing a vest with the word 'security' and a belt for her walkie-talky and the like.
You bowed like a proper lady should. "Yes Madam."
"Call me Chelly... So new girl. Have any of the guests been mean to you?"
"Some teens said mean things to me." You admitted lowly.
Cheetah Chelly put a paw-hand on you shoulder. "Well, if they keep being mean to you, let Security Sally or any of our pack know, and we'll make sure those bullies don't bother you again."
You nodded. "Thank you."
"Hey, what is family for?"
"Family?"
"Of course. We all play different roles, but we're all family, all mascots."
"That's nice," you admitted.
"So you've now met Dr. Z... She seems off doesn't she? Some of my sisters think she was created first and is our prototype. Others think she IS the one who invented us and she wanted to be closer to us and things didn't quiet work out. And THEN there was the idea she's an alien from outer space! Or an alien from outside time and space. You get the idea."
You giggle a bit at Chelly's quips, so you don't notice all the spooky settings of the Halloween section of the park.
"Lucy!" You stopped dead in your tracks. Before you was a little girl mascot, made to look more like an anime girl than a western cartoon. Big blue eyes, long blond hair, ski-jump nose, triangle mouth. And every bit of it adorable. She wore a blue cape and a pointy hat that was a size too big for her that just made it more cute. And it was like you were falling. Sinking into a deep deep ocean.
Blurry images came to you. Of you, yourself, from your point of view, signing a contract with the words 'Nondisclosure agreement' with the blue wolf mascot Legal Ludwig. And being handed a stack of 100s by a poodle mascot you knew to be Payments Patty. You hide it comfortably and perfectly out of sight in your shirt.
Then a confusing sense of seeing things from two points of view. Hearing a cheerful voice telling you to wake up, and walk forward, and you doing so without a thought or feeling in your head. In front of you is the little witch in a blue cape. You're told to stop in front of a raised platform out of a old science fiction movie mixed with fantasy setting props. You are told to get on the table, you reach up and put yourself sideways on your belly.
The Guest laughed at you, you felt nothing.
"Ugh! You see? This is why we need to pay donors," barked an high pitched female voice.
"Don't be mean to her, she doesn't have a soul after all, yet," Said the little witch you obeyed.
"On behalf of Whimsy World, we thank you again for agreeing to transfuse half your spiritual essence to one of our mascots."
"Uh... it's not gonna think it's me is it?" You heard the Guest say sitting next to you.
"Don't worry about that. It'll be confused at first, but it'll settle in with the rest of us soon enough."
She took her wand and began to wave it about. "And now it's time for soul-essence transfusion Lucy!"
The witch waved her wand. You couldn't see the finer details from where you were facing... but memories filled you... playing with toy robots... playing soccer, video games, getting grounded from TV because it was bad for you, going to the movies, that was so much fun, the birth of your annoying little sister... but she was so cute you forgave her... and the birth of your little brother, always so excited at everything... Of going to that new park that opened, being given a envelope of following the rabbit, and-"
You gasp as you're back in the present Chelly helps you keep from falling over.
"Mona?" You whispered.
"Nice to see you Lucy, sorry I couldn't check up on you sooner. My performances ran long... I wanted to see how my new doll was doing. Are you feeling alright? Being brought to life can be a shocking experience, trust me, I know." She smiled at you kindly. And gave you a hug even though she was about half your height.
There was a flash of light, the two of you looked to see Chelly holding a camera. "Sorry, that was TOO adorable not to add to my collection!" The cheetah mascot blushed.