The not so dream

I was sitting down today with others at a large table. Many wore translucent masks that showed their faces but distorted their mouths and features, all having big red smiles permanently molded into the plastic. There was this mist of incessant bickering that made it difficult to see and my eyes were beginning to strain from my efforts to.

Suddenly the guy sitting across from me stood up very upset, as he had been the focus point of some of the garbled bickering, and yelled 'I QUIT!' in a snoody French accent. I could not understand why he felt so indignant and insulted. He tossed his paper BurgerKing crown onto the table and stormed off stomping his feet the whole way.

Everyone scratched their heads in bewilderment for a few moments. Slowly one of the eccentric, old individuals in the crowd picked up the wrinkled, ketchup stained crown and with a sheepish grin arose and marched my way. He slid up behind me and with the lobotomized nods from the others placed the flimsy ornament on my head.

For a brief, temporary moment it felt good. Then I felt ridiculous.

"What is this?" I asked.
"It is for you" they all said.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
"You are now Chad Chief Pilot" they all said.
"Umm...should I thank you?" I asked.
And there was no response.

I watched as a few eyed me with delight before one who through the plastic smile mask I could still see eyes I did not trust, asked with the permanent smirk:

"Do you prefer chess or puppet shows?"

And before I could answer 'Neither' everyone had left the table.