Brain Food

Alright, I know that I am not going crazy. That was not a noise coming from my outlet.

“Yes it was.”

That was not a voice that I just heard coming from my outlet. It was just my overactive imagination.

“You have an overactive imagination? How does that work?”

“Ok, I know you are not there…but just for the sake of arguing…what do you want to know?”

“I’m hungry for knowledge…it’s what keeps me alive!”

“Ok, so why are you living inside my walls?”

“What better place to acquire knowledge then in a 10-year-old boy’s room?”

“Huh?”

“When you fall asleep reading your homework, I read what you just read. I find it very…tasty. Did George Washington become president? You never read that part.”

“What? Yeah, he does. George Washington becomes our first United States President. His face is on the $1 dollar bill, the Quarter and Mt. Rushmore.”

“What is Mt. Rushmore? Is it a mountain made of rush?”

“No, it’s somewhere in the middle of the country, South Dakota I think, and it is this huge carving made into the side of a mountain of four great presidents.”

“Cory? Can you tell me which presidents?”

“Huh? Oh sure, I have to turn on the light and get my book out of my bag.”

“That’s ok; I’m used to your little lamp.”

“Hey, wait a minute…how did you know my name?”

“It’s what your mom calls you when you don’t get up in the morning. It’s the name on your homework. Oh, and when your mom get’s angry with you she calls you Cory Mal…”

“Ok, stop. I don’t need to hear my full name from a…a…what are you again?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, how rude of me…I’m a Squirtick.”
“A Squirtick? What is a Squirtick?”

“A Squirtick is me. I’m not from around here. My people don’t live on your planet, but they are from a similar planet we call Sqio. I was sent here by accident and got trapped inside your walls when this house was being built. I actually didn’t wake up until you and your family moved in and you started learning things. I am sustained by knowledge you know. I learned a lot from you and your family Cory. I finally learned enough of your language to communicate with you. You don’t know how many questions I’ve wanted to ask you. Cory? Cory? Are you still awake?”

“Am I awake?! I have an alien from another planet trapped inside my wall! I am more awake now than I’ve ever been! This is too cool! Hey, I just thought of something. If you eat knowledge, then how did you read my mind?”

“I was reading your mind? When?”

“When you started talking to me.”

“You were not talking out loud?”

“No…I was talking inside my head.”

“Well, I guess I can read your mind.”

“I wonder what else you can do.”

“I can make my eyes grow to look at your book. Want to see?”

“Yeah!”