Flash was in no hurry.
Whatever was out there, would just have to wait. He was not one of those who would snoop for presents as the holidays approached. He liked mysteries. He liked surprises. He didn’t dig through the cereal or Cracker Jack box to find the prize hidden inside.

That is not to say he didn’t wonder.

The blip on his radar screen could be anything. Once its true identity was revealed, it could only be one thing.
Objects tended to be disappointing. The Wizzzer, the View Master, the temporary tattoo or plastic monkey charm at the bottom of the Cracker Jack.

Contemplating this, he called upon the table of elements, and was soon digging into a snack of caramel popcorn and peanuts.

No thanks, said Lem when he held the bowl toward her.

At the bottom of the bowl was a small, red and white striped packet. Printed on the outside of the sealed packet, in blue letters, were the words
Do what you dream.
Aren’t you going to open it? Lem asked.

Not now.

Poikani looked disappointed, but all Flash could think about was the bit of peanut skin that had lodged between his tooth and gum.

It’s funny how a tiny particle can override such a vast view, but that piece of peanut testa made its home deep into Flash’s gingival sulcus, and he could think of nothing else. Digging at it with his fingernail was ineffective. Flash tore the red and white packet open and used the corner of the paper to prod, until the offender lost its grip.

Poikani stared at the now open packet that Flash had discarded. The mystery consumed him. Meanwhile, Lem monitored the radar screen, imagining what the drifting object might be.