The Search for Magic in Dreams (A Disney Story)

3) From One Problem to Another

"I don't like to repeat successes, I like to go on to other things." -Walt Disney

The energy of the park was now transitioning into it's evening festivities, as the bright orange sun started to fall toward the western horizon. It was the time you would see a great amount of people leaving the park after a long day, as well as entering to see the nighttime spectaculars. Brendan was among those leaving for the day. He had finished his meeting with Lizzie and had a good time catching up. Now the only thing left for him to do, in his mind, was to leave before the place totally annoyed him past all reason. He gathered his things and set off for the front of the park to catch a bus that would take him to the cast member parking lot.

Exiting Adventureland and passing through the Plaza again, he entered in a familiar world of yesterday as he started to walk up Main Street. In recent months, this area of the park had become Brendan's favorite. Its turn-of the-century shops and structures gave off a very romantic nostalgia of a time of simplistic values. The stylistic vehicles and horse-drawn streetcars giving rides to visitors from the Town Square down Main Street and finishing at the plaza, adding to the dreamlike atmosphere. All a reminder of a time that seemed much simpler than the complicated and difficult world we live in today. It was this feeling that Brendan appreciated the most, and always wondered what it would be like just to walk down this road completely alone at night. Or even walking hand in hand with a certain blonde, if things had not turned out the way they did. Additionally, it was the only section of the park that wasn't distinctly Disney. Despite this, he did sneer whenever he would glance into the shops and emporiums, seeing many brand-obsessed teens and fans just loose it when they saw something of interest. So, while he could stand it because of how indistinct it was from the brand, he couldn't stand the authenticity of the Disney spirit it had.

He walked into the Town Square, seeing the American and Californian flags waving proudly in the breeze high above the bustling tourists. Walking past the City Hall building, he kept his sights on the underpass of the railroad tracks: his exit gate. He readjusted the straps of his backpack and looked forward to finishing the last few dozen steps to freedom.

Suddenly, he heard his name be called from behind him. His head snapped in the direction of the calling, and found his supervisor trying to squirm his way though the moving crowds to get to him. He stumbled a bit, as the misfortune of his situation almost looked like slapstick to any gleeful child. Brendan huffed at his inability to approach him, sighing in agony for being delayed. At last, he was able to re-compose himself and proceed to speak with Brendan.

"What's up, Marty?" the young boy said, "I gotta get going."

"Don't worry, Bren. I won't take up much of your time" Marty replied in a calming matter, picking up on the angsty tone in Brendan's voice. "I just wanted to know if you could come in a little earlier tomorrow?"

Brendan felt his soul crash, as if he had dropped a set of chains that kept a close restraint on him to the park. "You can't be serious" he responded with displeasure.

"We need someone to cover Jeff's opening slot, since we just terminated him" the tall and lanky supervisor explained. Brendan's eyes furrowed with interest, as he and other cast members seemed to not like Jeff. "Jeff's gone? Bout time- ."

"Yeah, he thought that Cast Members had the right to climb Big Thunder, and well... never mind. The point is, I need the best team on the job tomorrow morning for the big opening parade with photos ops at the end right here in the Square." Marty kind of told the last bit of the story with his hands to exemplify what needed to happen in order to make everything go right. Tracing the path of the parade as it came into the Square, entering the roundabout, and finally stopping in front of the train station. Brendan thought on it for a bit but sighed in desperation for some kind of levity from any outcome. "C'mon Brendan, I need someone with a visual eye like yours."