Short Stories

Bibby

    Marie sat in the floor of her little room. Mommy and Daddy were at work and Mrs. Stanopolis was asleep in the rocking chair in the living room.

    Marie was having a tea party with Mr. Brown, the bear, and Elizabeth, her favorite doll.

    “Would you like some more tea, Mr. Brown?” she said. “Why yes I would!”

    “May I have some tea?” a voice asked. Marie giggled.

    “Daddy, is that you?” she laughed.
    “No,” the voice said, “do you see the thread on the wall?”

    “Uh-huh!” Marie said excitedly.
    “Pull it,” the voice said.

    Marie stood up and walked over to the wall that the string. When she pulled it, it turned red.
    “Keep pulling, sweetheart,” the voice said. So Marie did. She pulled and pulled and pulled until a smiling face was coming out of the wall.
    “Hello!” Marie said, “What’s your name? Are you a circus clown?”

    “My name’s Bibby and not anymore,” the clown replied. “Lemme guess… your name is… Marie!”

    “Yes!” Marie said, clapping her hands and jumping up and down.

    “Are your parents home?” Bibby asked.
    “No,” Marie replied. “Mrs. Stanopolis is watching me. She’s taking a nap right now.”

    “Well, that’s a shame. Meeting your parents would have been a blast,” he said. “One moment.”

    Bibby wiggled and wiggled until his torso was coming out of the wall.

    “Can you give me a hand, Marie?” Bibby asked, reaching for Marie.

    “Sure!” she replied. Marie pulled Bibby until he popped out of the wall.
    “How do you get downstairs?” he asked.

    “You go down the stairs!” Marie said.

    “Oh, right!” said Bibby. He opened the door and clambered down the stairs. A few moments later, he came back.

    “I got you a present!” Bibby said when he opened the door.

    “What is it?” Marie asked excitedly.

    “Ta-da!” he said, pulling a yellow dress with red and blue polka dots from behind his back.

    “I love it! I love it! I love it!” Marie said.

    “Go put it on,” Bibby said.

    So she did.

    “I also got you some shoes.”

    Marie sat on her little white bed and Bibby slipped the little, red shoes onto her feet.

    “Do you want to go on an adventure?” Bibby asked the little redheaded girl. She nodded her head, her ginger curls bouncing.

    Bibby picked her up and held her on his hip. They walked down the stairs, Marie not even noticing the blood on the walls.

    “Goodbye, Mrs. Stanopolis!” Marie said.

    “Oh, sweetie, she can’t talk right now,” said Bibby, looking back at the frail old woman’s body, or what was left of it at least. “She’s a bit… spread thin at the moment.”

    Bibby opened the door, and walked off with Marie, his new student. “I’ll teach you everything I know.”

    "Really?!" Marie said excitedly.

    "Of course."