Bikini Bottom

"You sound like Plankton."

We had spent the whole day frolicking through Jellyfish Fields, and this was the first time SpongeBob looked skeptically at me. Granted, my consciousness was implanted into a cartoon fish, and I had just magically appeared in Bikini Bottom, wife eyed and eager to meet SpongeBob SquarePants and hang out under the sea. Yet, despite the fun I was having with SpongeBob and Patrick being a test subject for a skeptical Sandy Cheeks who didn't understand why I was there, I had to ask.

"I just want to try one. Please, SpongeBob. I have to go back soon."

"Go where?"

"Um... You know where Bubble Buddy lives?"

"Of course I do. I still babysit Junior occasionally."

"I'm his neighbor."

"Oh, okay. That's understandable. Sandy has one more test, then we can head down to the Krusty Krab and I can whip us up some delicsious patties."

My mouth was watering. I nodded, and was about to say something else, but Seandy had returned. She wasn't holding any equipment or charts. I was a bit confused.

"Alright, Tad. Let's do one more test."

"Alright."

Sandy came towards me and pulled the fishbowl from my head. Water pooled around me and became a puddle at my feet. Her tree dome smelled like fall leaves and fresh cut grass. It felt warm in the dome, though she water had given me goosebumps. Both SpongeBob and Sandy looked at me curiously. andy pulled a magnifying glass out of nowhere and looked at my fin.

"Hologram, eh?"

"Wait, what?"

"I know how to fix this," Sandy said.

I realized that I wasn't supposed to breathe in the Tree Dome but it was too late. Sandy flicked my forehead, and I woke up. I was surrounded by my lab partners. They were all looking at the monitors and trying to see why I was awake.

"What happened?" the leader of our group asked. "Why'd you wake up?"

"That is one smart squirrel," I murmured, rubbing my forehead.