A something of your imagination
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Zoe. Zoe was a sweet, quiet girl who one day grew up to be a smart, funny, beautiful, confident, progressive young woman who attracted admiration wherever she went.
Long before all that though, Zoe loved dragons. She loved elves and hobbits and dwarves too, but most of all she loved dragons. Her favorite movie was Dragon Slayer, and her favorite video game was Dragon's Lair, and her favorite song was "Puff the Magic Dragon." Zoe loved "Puff the Magic Dragon" so much, in fact, that sometimes she would put on her pajamas and lip synch the song into a microphone with her eyes closed. This became a problem one day when her older sister Meaghan rode up behind her on her Big Wheel and launched an unanticipated kamikaze attack, but the attack was quickly thwarted by their mother, and Zoe was once again free to mouth "frolicked in the autumn mist" to her heart's content.
Zoe liked stuffed dragons too, and kept several of them around the house. Her favorite stuffed dragon was Figment, the very special purple dragon mascot of Epcot Center. Zoe had never been to Epcot Center, but she dreamt of going there and meeting Figment, and talked about it all the time with her mother and father.
One day, her father took Zoe aside and, with a big smile, told her they were finally going to Epcot! Zoe was the happiest little girl in the world. She rushed to her room and packed all of her favorite clothes, including her camouflage shorts, and began thinking about what she would say to Figment when she met him.
When Zoe and her family got to Epcot Center, however, she soon discovered that Figment was a difficult creature to find. His image would pop up in gift shops and on the occasional breakfast menu, but the real Figment was nowhere to be found. Zoe wasn't worried though. She knew it was just because Figment was shy, like she was, and that they would find each other eventually, as they were meant to.
Finally, towards the end of their trip, it happened. Zoe saw Figment from afar, held tightly by a large bearded man with a top hat. Zoe had no idea why Figment was letting himself be restrained like that, but it didn't matter; Zoe rushed right up to Figment.
"Hi, Figment!" she said. Figment did not reply, but Zoe thought that he was probably shy around the big bearded man. So instead of pressing Figment further, she asked kindly that their photo be taken together. And so it was, and once again, Zoe was the happiest little girl in the world. When she got home, she put the photo in a frame and made sure her father hung it on a prominent place on their wall, and there it stayed for many years for all to admire.
The years passed, and Zoe grew up, as all little girls do. Her love of dragons waned, soon replaced by a fascination with ventriliquism and, later, feminist and gender studies. The photo of she and Figment became a forgotten relic of a long-ago time, unnoticed by those who entered her home.
Then, one day, her older sister Meaghan, at that point in time a brilliant, enticing college coed but no less of a malevolent creature, took a quick glance at the photo and made the following observation:
"Zo, it totally looks like you're giving it to Figment!"
And so it was that from that moment forward, anyone who entered the Agnew home was invited to view, and subsequently speak reverently of, the Fisting Figment Photo.
Zoe never really forgave Meaghan for her observation, but she also understood that some things are bigger than strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff, and should be immortalized as such. Still, she spent her years plotting her revenge, hoping that one day, technology would allow her the chance to reveal to all the world the photo of an eight-year-old Meaghan posing as the sixth Celtic starter alongside cardboard cutouts of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale et al. If only their mother hadn't packed it away into storage. If only.
Long before all that though, Zoe loved dragons. She loved elves and hobbits and dwarves too, but most of all she loved dragons. Her favorite movie was Dragon Slayer, and her favorite video game was Dragon's Lair, and her favorite song was "Puff the Magic Dragon." Zoe loved "Puff the Magic Dragon" so much, in fact, that sometimes she would put on her pajamas and lip synch the song into a microphone with her eyes closed. This became a problem one day when her older sister Meaghan rode up behind her on her Big Wheel and launched an unanticipated kamikaze attack, but the attack was quickly thwarted by their mother, and Zoe was once again free to mouth "frolicked in the autumn mist" to her heart's content.
Zoe liked stuffed dragons too, and kept several of them around the house. Her favorite stuffed dragon was Figment, the very special purple dragon mascot of Epcot Center. Zoe had never been to Epcot Center, but she dreamt of going there and meeting Figment, and talked about it all the time with her mother and father.
One day, her father took Zoe aside and, with a big smile, told her they were finally going to Epcot! Zoe was the happiest little girl in the world. She rushed to her room and packed all of her favorite clothes, including her camouflage shorts, and began thinking about what she would say to Figment when she met him.
When Zoe and her family got to Epcot Center, however, she soon discovered that Figment was a difficult creature to find. His image would pop up in gift shops and on the occasional breakfast menu, but the real Figment was nowhere to be found. Zoe wasn't worried though. She knew it was just because Figment was shy, like she was, and that they would find each other eventually, as they were meant to.
Finally, towards the end of their trip, it happened. Zoe saw Figment from afar, held tightly by a large bearded man with a top hat. Zoe had no idea why Figment was letting himself be restrained like that, but it didn't matter; Zoe rushed right up to Figment.
"Hi, Figment!" she said. Figment did not reply, but Zoe thought that he was probably shy around the big bearded man. So instead of pressing Figment further, she asked kindly that their photo be taken together. And so it was, and once again, Zoe was the happiest little girl in the world. When she got home, she put the photo in a frame and made sure her father hung it on a prominent place on their wall, and there it stayed for many years for all to admire.
The years passed, and Zoe grew up, as all little girls do. Her love of dragons waned, soon replaced by a fascination with ventriliquism and, later, feminist and gender studies. The photo of she and Figment became a forgotten relic of a long-ago time, unnoticed by those who entered her home.
Then, one day, her older sister Meaghan, at that point in time a brilliant, enticing college coed but no less of a malevolent creature, took a quick glance at the photo and made the following observation:
"Zo, it totally looks like you're giving it to Figment!"
And so it was that from that moment forward, anyone who entered the Agnew home was invited to view, and subsequently speak reverently of, the Fisting Figment Photo.
Zoe never really forgave Meaghan for her observation, but she also understood that some things are bigger than strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff, and should be immortalized as such. Still, she spent her years plotting her revenge, hoping that one day, technology would allow her the chance to reveal to all the world the photo of an eight-year-old Meaghan posing as the sixth Celtic starter alongside cardboard cutouts of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale et al. If only their mother hadn't packed it away into storage. If only.