Short Stories

An Obsession with Penguins

NOTE: Was originally published on my account on figment for the Brandon Sanderson writing contest but I want to share it with you peoples. Also, if you get the chance, go to http://figment.com/books/869235-An-Obsession-with-Penguins for the story and comment and vote on it. Very much appreciated. ~Love penguins...

There was a super-villain called Mr. EXOtic. Mr. EXOtic was so special that all the superheroes could not keep up with defeating his evil and exotic schemes. But he was kicked him out of number 1 and returned back to being Little Joe. Little Joe was a nickname given to him when he was little because he was too skinny, too short, and too dumb. So he always wanted to be something better, even better than the superheroes! So he became Mr. EXOtic, the super-VILLAIN. It was on a cold November day in EXOplanet, Mr. EXOtic was trying to come up with a new scheme, and it involved penguins. He thought that since no one lives in Antarctica except for penguins, he could use those penguins as an advantage to take over the world. He would inject a secret potion into the penguins and the potion would make them faster than any living being alive. But on that particular day, he was trying to inject the potion into a penguin, but the penguin BIT HIM! The bite was not too infectious, but it was enough to make him scream and accidentally inject the potion into himself! Many things happened after that, and it involved lots of screaming, jumping around, and unconsciousness. When Mr. EXOtic woke up, he looked into a mirror, and reflecting back at him was not him. It was a penguin!!!

And on Christmas Day, he was sitting in his favorite zebra printed chair, weeping in sorrow over his new form just like every day for the last month. But then, he stopped. He sat straight up. And he thought of an amazing idea! Why not use the powers that were given to him? Instead of looking at it on the bad side, he saw the good side of being a penguin. He would not be cold, and he would be faster than any human being alive! So he rushed outside and felt happy! Happy for the first time since becoming a penguin. First, he made an igloo and filled it up with snowballs. Then, he announced that Mr. EXOtic was returning, and better than ever! So naturally, all the superheroes came to see what all the fuss is about during CHRISTMAS DAY! But once they saw Mr. EXOtic as a penguin, they burst of laughing. They said, "How could a little penguin ever try to beat US?" But Mr. EXOtic was not offended at all. He was arrogant, very arrogant. So taking the opportunity of the superheroes laughing, he launched snowball after snowball towards them, taking them out one by one. After he knocked all of them unconscious, he laughed. He said, "Never had that kind of good laugh since, well, FOREVER! HA HA HA!" After he laughed, he proceeded to do what most super-villains would do. He stored the superheroes in a secret underground room, and took over the world. It started with the country. He walked through town carrying snowballs and knocked everyone unconscious. Of course, the shock of seeing a penguin walking around helped too. So taking over the world was as easy as making hot chocolate for him to drink on a windy and snowy day. But hot chocolate was hard for him to make, since he was a penguin. Then he proceeded to take over the world. With the same technique, he took over the world fast.

But over time, it started to become boring. The world was already in his hands, literally. He bought a miniature sized globe in one of the tourist gift shops in France, without paying. He said to the globe, "You are already in my hands. What should I do now?" Fast forwarding in time to two years later, and on Christmas Day, he was still sitting in his favorite zebra printed chair. But he was crying not because he was sad, but because he was bored. There was no one to stop him and nothing to do. But then, he stopped. He sat straight up, and listened. He turned towards the door, and heard a soft knock. He walked to the door, and listened again. "Knock, knock, knock." The sound was so soft that he could not believe it. He thought, "Who would be brave enough to knock on my door?" So curiosity got him, and he opened the door. But no one was there. So he looked left, right, up and down. When he looked down, he saw a small gift. It was the size of his penguin hands and decorated nicely with a tag that said, "To Joe." He closed the door and went back to his chair carrying the gift. He was dumbstruck. Someone sent him a gift, an actual gift! He opened the gift carefully, and inside was hot chocolate with a note. The note said, "To Mr. Joe. I hope you have a very happy Christmas." When he finished reading the note, something changed. It felt as if his heart was moved. A tiny thought also came to his mind, "I cannot believe this person. This person wishes ME a Merry Christmas. ME!" Then he looked at the hot chocolate, and touched it. It was still warm. Through that touch, he remembered memories. Memories of him as a human and before he was Mr. EXOtic. He remembered being Joe, just Joe. So with trembling penguin hands, he drank the hot chocolate. After the cup was emptied, he felt warm inside and smiled. But then he noticed something. He was starting to feel dizzy and he became unconscious. When he woke up, he looked into a mirror again, and he noticed himself. Not a penguin, but Joe. And he was so happy that he jumped up laughed happily. He then returned the world back to normal, but keeping the globe as a gift of who he was before. And who might this Mr. EXOtic be? Well, he is me.

How do you guys think? Good? Bad? Funny? Touching? Comment and vote for it on figment at the website: http://figment.com/books/869235-An-Obsession-with-Penguins