The Photograph of Apparent Reincarnation

Oscar was a rubber spider that I got at Disney World.

I found him on the shelf at the Tiki Store and knew at once that he was the greatest spider in the world, and was also in need of a friend.

I didn't name him Oscar. He told me that was his name.

I persuaded my parents to buy him for me, and took him back to the hotel we were staying at. He became a temporary member of the family; he later posed in a picture we took at Chef Mickey's. He was a big spider, at least a foot across. He was very black.

I believe I lost him, which, when I couldn't find him, convinced me that he must have died.

Nothing really clicked in my mind when my science teacher told me that her fish's name was Oscar. I just nodded and carried on with my conversation.

I realized that Osacr must have been reincarnated as a fish when I came across the photograph we took at Chef Mickey's, in which I was standing in front of my family holding a big, black spider named Oscar in my hands.