Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

Fluffy the Clown and the Mystery Writer

Janine stared at the computer. The inventory list stared back.
I hate this job. I hate, hate this job. Stupid publisher, stupid recession. Why did they have to go bankrupt? Just when my book was starting to sell? I could’ve turned that mystery into a series. Now I’m stuck in here, working in marketing.
She sighed and continued to scroll down the inventory list until something odd caught her attention.
“What the... that’s strange.” Janine frowned and stared at the screen, looking at a listing for the book, Fluffy the Clown; it stated there were four hundred copies in stock. “I know that book is listed in the catalogue as unavailable. It doesn’t make sense, there has to be a mistake somewhere.”
“What’s a mistake?”
Janine looked up, into the face of Bob, her co-worker.
“It’s this Fluffy the Clown book. Why does our catalogue list it as unavailable, if there are four hundred copies at the warehouse? One of those listings must be wrong.”
“Did you say Fluffy the Clown? Stay away from that book! Just forget you saw anything!” Bob backed away, turned, and fled past the cubicles to the break room.
Janine sat there, open-mouthed. She didn’t know what to make of Bob’s behaviour. She put her questions about Fluffy the Clown aside to finish her work on the inventory. She left the office at five, another boring day behind her and the mystery still niggling at the back of her brain.
What was the problem with Fluffy the Clown?
A week later that question was still bouncing around in Janine’s mind, driving her crazy; the mystery of it was why she had requested a copy be sent to her at the office. She worried for days if her supervisor would demand her to explain the order, but the book arrived with no one suspecting. Janine tucked the non-descript brown paper package away in her cubicle a thrill in her heart.
Come lunch hour, Janine smuggled the package into the ladies room and unwrapped it with trembling fingers.
I’m going to know! I’m going to know! The mystery of Fluffy the Clown, I’m going to know!
The brown paper fell to the floor and a thin children’s book lay in her lap. The cover was garish, coloured in bright red, yellow and blue, the large picture of a smiling clown face plastered across the paper. Somehow, despite the happy grin, the clown just looked wrong.
Janine ran her finger over the cover; her skin tingled.
“Fluffy the Clown, I presume.”
“Yes.”
Janine dropped the book as if she had been scalded.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here to help you. Read me.”
Janine stared at the book.
I’m going crazy, I’ve snapped. I should just leave, throw the book away and go find the nearest shrink.
Janine leaned over, picked up the book and opened it.

Janine walked back to her office a changed woman.
She kept her head down so no one noticed her glowing red eyes, and her arms folded to hide the random sparks snapping from her fingertips. She knew the secret; Fluffy bestowed upon her a wonderful, powerful, gift and she was going to use it.
They were all going to pay.
Janine calmly went to her cubicle and climbed onto her desk.
“Listen up worms! You are all going to die!”
Everyone stared at her in fear. Janine was floating in the air, her red eyes hungry, her fingers showering hot, electric sparks.
“Fluffy the Clown Rules!”
Her cackle echoed through the office, as the doors slammed shut on the terrified victims.

A. F. wrote: "Fluffy the Clown and the Mystery Writer

Janine stared at the computer. The inventory list stared back.
I hate this job. I hate, hate this job. Stupid publisher, stupid recession. Why did th..."

Ok that was the most friggin awesome thing I've read...where's more I loved it and shared it with my wife and daughter...I think clowns are so creepy and this just is way cool and creepy.

Steven wrote: "A. F. wrote: "Fluffy the Clown and the Mystery Writer

Janine stared at the computer. The inventory list stared back.
I hate this job. I hate, hate this job. Stupid publisher, stupid recessio..."

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

A. F. wrote: "Steven wrote: "A. F. wrote: "Fluffy the Clown and the Mystery Writer

Janine stared at the computer. The inventory list stared back.
I hate this job. I hate, hate this job. Stupid publisher, stu..."

My wife said she liked it too. I might have to share it with a guy at work too. I told him about it last night and he wants to read it now. We talk about all this crazy horror/scifi/fantasy stuff at work.

Steven wrote: "A. F. wrote: "Steven wrote: "A. F. wrote: "Fluffy the Clown and the Mystery Writer

Janine stared at the computer. The inventory list stared back.
I hate this job. I hate, hate this job. Stup..."

I'm glad it's getting read and enjoyed.

I think another great toy that could be interesting to mess with, of coarse you might need Clive Barker's permission, but one of those Rubex Cubes. It could be one of those Hellraiser boxes in disguise...Pinhead could be the CEO of Hasbro or something :o)

And if Walmart sold it to somebody...talk about a lawsuit

Interesting idea, I do hate the Rubik's Cube.

yeah me too, I used to peel the stickers off and put them back on to look like I figured it out..yep bad me.

Hey I did think of another wicked cool story...yeah you got me going with the game/toy thing. I would love a story that was kind of like Jumanji-ish but with kids that have some weird curse put on them that makes it so anytime they play a board game they are sucked into it some how. Can you imagine being sucked into a Candyland world or Shutes & Ladders...then there always a freaky version of Mouse Trap.

Or ending up in the jail in Monopoly?

Wow you are good..that would be awesome. I wonder how long the person could get stuck there and what types of people might be jailed with the person hmmm

and I don't know about you but those Troll dolls always freaked me out a little...if they got all eviled out and demonized that could be scary.

I rather like the Trolls.

yeah but could you like the Trolls if they came to life, then systematicaly started setting up boobytraps all over your house...or like jumped on your computer and put misspellings all through your next manuscript the day before it's deadline?

My cat would have a problem, that stuff is her job.

well hey at least you have a cat and she might eat the little evil Troll huh...our cat is just wishing she had a Troll to chase through the house...she twitches her tail and freaks out at the birds sitting outside on our lawn all the time.

Yes, Trolls had best beware of my cat. I call her my Psycho Ninja Cat (her real name is Ginger).

Ah-ha! mystery solved. Thanks guys, it is the Trolls living in my computer! and I thought it was me getting old and having finger trouble with all the mistakes I found checking my new M/S. I'll have to set Asbo, one of my cats on them!!
All the best, Paul Rix [oldgeezer:]

It's not the Trolls that live in the computer, Paul, it's the Gremlins. Tiny, tiny, gremlins. Of course, they are at war with the trolls.