Disclaimer: Frankenweenie belongs to The Walt Disney Company.

I am sitting on the ground with my owner, Victor, close by. I am in an unusual place. Victor is sitting on a bench, sharing the bench with several other humans. Off of the bench in front of me, is a patch of orangeish/brown dirt with four white spots. One human is in the center of the patch of dirt.

This human is throwing a ball to another human standing behind one of the white spots. For some reason, in between the human throwing the ball and the human catching the ball is a third human with a long stick that does not look like a natural tree branch. It looks synthetic, like it was shaped for a certain purpose.

The human with the stick walks away from the white spot, handing the stick to Victor. Victor is the most important human to me right now. He likes to throw balls and other objects for me to catch. Maybe he will do that now. I would love it if he did. Chasing flying objects is what I was made for.

The thrower throws the ball and Victor swings the stick towards it.

The thrower throws the ball a second time, and Victor swings again.

The thrower throws the ball a third time.

Victor swings the stick a third time.

CRACK! Victor has launched the ball into the air using his stick higher and faster than ever before! I instantly take off in its direction. I only get a few feet when I see the ball is now merely a dot in the sky. I keep running, and when I get past the patch of dirt, the ball is no longer in sight. But the ball has traveled in a perfectly straight line. I joyfully continue. If I keep going straight, I will find the ball. I have never failed to retrieve anything Victor has thrown to me, and I don't want to let Victor down now.

I am now running across a hard gray surface. I hear the sound of an engine close by. But I filter it out. I need to keep moving. I must retrieve the ball Victor wants me to catch before something or someone else does. If I fail to do so, what will Victor think of me? I don't know and I don't want to find out.

BOOM!

I am hit in the side by something very hard and very heavy. I feel more pain than I have ever felt in my entire life-but it only lasts a fraction of a heartbeat.

Suddenly, I am draped in a white blanket. Where am I?!

Metal components have been inserted into my neck. I feel something round press against my back several times.

I feel worthless right now. I was supposed to catch the ball Victor launched into the air with his stick, and I have failed. Victor must be so disappointed in me. Maybe Victor will tell me to go away and never return. If he does, I don't blame him.

Then I hear Victor's voice say, "Sorry, boy.". Why is he saying sorry? He has not failed me. I have failed him.

I patiently wait for Victor to pull back the blanket. The sooner he does so, the better. Pull back the blanket. See how I have let you down. Berate me, chastise me, do with me what you will. Get it over with.

Victor lifts the blanket and tosses it aside. He joyfully proclaims, "Sparky! I can't believe it! You're alive!"

I jump up and run around, trying to figure out where I am. I am in Victor's attic. I cannot understand what Victor is saying, or why Victor takes me up here so often, or why he does not even seem to notice that I failed to catch the ball that he launched skyward with his stick. But I can understand one thing-Victor has never been so happy.

Victor is someone I can always trust, who will always be happy to see me.

Even though I failed to catch the ball.

I will always repay his loyalty with mine.