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dreams.” He stretched both arms out wide to the sides. “I get to create my own world here night after night. It’s amazing! Live out all the dreams and fantasies I’ve ever had? Yes please. Bring Alice back whenever I want for another fabulous time with her. Or I could have a movie star, like Arlen Ford…
    “Hey, what do you think of my new car?” Parked down the road from the bus stop was a brand new white Aston Martin ‘Vanquish,’ the Oz of automobiles in Tony Areal’s universe. Now, here , he had one. The keys were in his pocket.
    Tony Night briefly glanced at it and smirked. “No more lowly Porsches for you , huh? Well it’s certainly jazzy—Childish, but that’s okay. We all want to play with the toys when they’re new. After a while though stuff like that won’t spark your noodle anymore, believe me.”
    A loud ominous rumbling sound came from down the road. Both men turned toward it. A bunch of rhinoceros and bullterrier dogs came thundering towards them. The much smaller dogs ran right beside and among the huge galloping beasts as if they were all comrades in arms charging into battle. The air suddenly reeked of mud and heavy animal musk, wood smoke, dung, rotten fruit and unknown wholly exotic smells. It was as if the stench and perfume of wildest Africa had arrived all at once.
    Tony Day’s eyes grew enormous and he made to scramble the hell off the bench and away. But the other Tony grabbed his arm and shaking his head, held him there.
    “It’s okay, we’re safe.”
    Tony Day looked alarmed but didn’t move. The rhinos and dogs reached them quickly but without pause pounded past as if all were racing flat out towards some invisible finish line far off in the distance. Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen of the magnificent monsters raced down the road next to the sea, accompanied by no telling how many of Tony Day’s favorite dogs. When in his life had he seen anything like this ?
    As soon as the stampede had passed he sang out ecstatically, “That was amazing ! I love them both so much—but rhinos and bullterriers running together ? Those are my two absolute favorite animals. Do you know a group of rhinos is called a ‘crash’?”
    This did not interest Tony Night. “You’ll get used to that kind of nutty scene the longer you’re here. This is Anthony Areal Dreamland, remember—the ultimate mixed salad of everything you are, all whizzed up together in weird combinations and presented in nightly servings. Don’t be surprised to see a lot of what you like or know here. Favorite dogs, old friends and enemies—they’re all here. Sometimes it’ll come straight as fact, other times squashed and smooshed together, like in any dream.” He pointed down the road towards where the animals had gone. “And to tell the truth, it’s not always pleasant or cool like that little stampede of your favorites. But all that’s here came from your life, good and bad. Rhinos, your favorite cars, even Mrs. Zlabinger is somewhere. I saw her the other day playing a trombone.”
    “My eleventh grade English teacher?”
    “Yup. Don’t be surprised if you bump into her and she asks if you’ve finished your Shakespeare essay yet. Welcome to Tony Dreamland, Mr. Areal. You are the sole creator and proprietor now.”
    Tony Day considered all this while out of the corner of his eye he saw his exquisite new automobile parked down the road. He couldn’t wait to drive it again. “But what about you? I’ve got to say truthfully that compared to what goes on here, my old life is a big bore.”
    Tony Night shook his head. “And that’s absolutely fine with me. I needed a change, man. I had to get out of here and live some normal , you know? No rhinos suddenly running down the road or other weird crap. Good old plain donuts and black coffee for breakfast for me, thanks. When you’ve lived at the circus all your life, it’s great to take a break from the clowns and zebras, you know? For me after being here all