CALDWELL, ID—Hyperventilating in panic from the end credits of one show to the opening theme of the next, local man Ferris Temple confirmed Tuesday that he was frightened after momentarily being forced to engage with reality in between TV episodes. “It was horrifying just sitting there with only the contents of my own mind and the perception of my physical surroundings to keep me occupied,” said Temple, who explained that he was unable to stop screaming upon realization that he was a sentient and fleshly mortal completely separated from the amusing little characters on screen. “Each second the next episode timer counted down was a fresh new hell. It was worse than a netherworld of fire and brimstone, in fact, because it was real and I was in it. A tangible reality that was not written in a room far away by people I’ve never met, but was made by human beings living their actual lives… I shudder just thinking about it.” At press time, reports confirmed a sedate Temple had finally calmed down after the next episode of Bluey began playing.