The Snuggle Mafia
The hot summer sun was peaking through the crack in the windows. Specks of dust filled the room as Grace sent more and more into the air. “Honestly, that girl never cleans up after herself.” Piles of clothes were scattered around the room. She remembered what Ember had told her, levels of cleanliness sorted them: Dirty, could wear again, and clean. When asked how she could tell, she said, ‘smell it.’ “I don’t know why a Gooborg even needs clothes. She can hide her girly bits if she’s in public.”
This was beside the point. She kept her clothes in piles despite the apparent presence of a clothes bin right by the wardrobe. “I’m always cleaning up after her.” She thought of how she could probably hear her mumbling to herself. Her office was next door, after all. She wasn’t allowed in while she was working. She worked with children, which violated privacy for anyone besides her to enter the room while working.
“That’s fine. She has her job, and I have mine.” This wasn’t her job, but she considered it that way. She handled the household chores when she wasn’t working at the factory. Grace never knew why Ember didn’t make a clone of herself to do that. She’ll ask her about it. While picking up the clothes, she looked at the bed. Unfixed as usual. However, something was different. All the stuffed animals that seemed to cover it appeared to be watching her. Their heads weren’t moving, and their eyes weren’t following her, but their bodies were poised to follow her every move. “It’s a miracle we sleep in this bed with this many stuffies.” Ember had them all posed in the corner of the bed, stacked on each other and neatly aligned as if posing for a family portrait.
Ember had a lot of stuffed animals on the bed as well. There were two 130cm long creatures, a gray cat and a blue demon axolotl named Snugg le Cat and Snuggolotl. Their so-called child, a smaller orange version only 19 inches long, was named Snugglet. She also had three cat sharks, one of each color available: blue, gray, and black. Their names were Nyaash, Teef, and Gnaw. A giant walrus, an overstuffed walrus with stubby fins named Wally. Two white cats who laid flat on their stomachs, one wearing a shark onesie, named Dumpling and Bao. A squishmallow timber wolf and a smaller version named Willy and Pupper. A giant white rooster with a red comb and a wattle named Mr. Cluck. Of course, she had one of those sharks from Ikea, named Shork of Wisdom, and finally, she had a small version of her favorite Pokemon, Furret.
“Alright, y’all.” Grace approached the bed as she finished dumping the clothes into the bin. “I gotta fix the bed, so ya gots ta move.” She grabbed them individually and placed them on the floor, grabbing Snugg and Snuggolotl with both hands, saying their names as she did so. “Now, don’t move. Ha, not like you’re gonna.” She ripped the sheets and blankets off the bed and began fixing the bed. As she ripped off the sheets, another stuffed animal flew from the tangle of sheets. It was smaller than most of the others, and fell to the floor with a light wump into the pile of stuffies.
Little did she know, all the stuffed animals were slowly creeping up on her now, a shuffling noise following their movement. “You gotta learn to let go eventually.” Their noise could not be heard over the silken sheets as she slid the fitted sheet onto the mattress, struggling to fit it over the corners.”There, that’ll work.” She turned around to grab the sheet she had flung to the floor.
“Good lord!” The stuffed animals had reached her feet, Pupper and Snugglet reaching for Grace’s legs, climbing up her bibs. “Get off of me!” She shook one leg, and Pupper went flying. Then, she repeated the motion with the other leg, but Snugglet hung on. “What are you?!” The others began climbing up her legs, weighing her down. Snugg wrapped around her legs, and she fell to the floor! The trio of catsharks quickly climbed up her chest, looking her in the eyes. Their stitched heterochromatic eyes stared her in the face; they rubbed against her face, the softness of their imitation rabbit fur lulling her into a soft sense of security as the other stuffies covered her body. She could have sworn that they were purring.
Her body felt strangely warm as Snugg and Snuggolotl reached her face. A tingling sensation overcame her as she felt her body shrink, the stuffed animals covering her further. What little light she could see was lost as her body shrank more. What little fur she had was growing, getting softer and even plush. Her udder was also getting covered by fur, and she was losing all sensation from it. Her breasts were shrinking with her, but would they disappear entirely?
Grace felt small pricking sensations at her sides and working up her body. With what little energy she could muster, she felt her sides, searching for what could be causing it. “Stitches!” Stitches were forming on her body, only further establishing what the stuffies were doing to her. “I don’t wanna be a stuf-hmmph.” Her cry was lost as her mouth was sewn shut into a permanent smile. Arms shooting out to her sides and stiffening, stitches finding their place along the edges of her arms. Her legs followed suit. Her udder even got stitches around the circumference of it.
The gift of sight was lost. Not only due to her ever-shrinking body being lost in her now oversized bibs, but her eyes became green buttons! She didn’t know whether she was ever going to see again. However, this was the least of her worries; she was more concerned with everything else. How was this possible? Why was this happening? Why her?
Suddenly, that numbing sensation vanished. Her body felt oddly normal. It was dark inside her normal-sized bibs, and no stuffie could wear them. She tried to stand, first getting on her knees and pushing herself up leverage, but her body was so soft it caved in so slightly. Now standing, she walked out of the bibs. “This is unreal!” She slapped her hands against her mouth, realizing she could still talk. “Hello?” Her mouth didn’t move, but there was still sound.
She was still in Ember’s room, but everything was plus-sized. “Oh, no. I already know what happens.” She had seen those 90’s movies where the family shrunk themselves. She knew exactly what to look out for. “I gotta get to Ember; she can undo this!” She whirled around, looking for the door, but nearly fell over when all of the stuffed animals that covered her previously were behind her, waiting for her. They were huge!
Snugg looked at her in all of his long, snuggly glory. His blank, black eyes never blinked, and his mouth never moved. “Is this the cow that threw Lamby on the floor?” A muffled, mob boss-type voice came from him.
“You meow it, boss.” Nyaash looked at Snugg, then to Grace. “Despicable.”
“Hold on a tick,” Grace shouted, “Ya’ll talk?”
“We can do more than that, you punk.” There was a voice behind her. Grace turned, feeling her fabric body flexed with the motion, and saw Lamby sitting on the sheet. She sat flat on her belly; her arms spread wide in front of her, the tips of her arms pale blue while her body was a tye-dyed fabric of purple and blue. Her black eyes, scraped and scratched from years of love and light abuse from young Ember, stared into Grace’s button eyes. “We watch all the nasty things you two do together. You are so loud.”
If Grace could blush, her face would be beet red. “That’s none of your business!” She looked away and covered her face.
“It is if you plow right before us, you cow.” She scooted forward somehow, plushie magic perhaps, and looked her in the eyes as best she could; she was at udder height while laying on her belly. “And this isn’t the first time you’ve flung me on the floor.”
“Golly, If I knew y’all were livin’ I would’a been more careful.”
“Too wittle to wate, meanie!” Pupper started hopping toward her but was pulled back by Willy. The happy face combined with the angry voice was confusing.
“Pupper, she must stand trial.” Pupper whimpered and stood down.
“Trial? For what?!”
“Enough of this nonsense,” Snugg spoke up again. “Let the trial begin.” Every stuffed animal surrounded her in a circle, trapping her. “Who’s gonna represent this maroon?”
“I will, your snuggleness.” Shork of Wisdom exited the circle and swam toward Grace. “Don’t worry, kid, I got ya.” He spoke in a gruff, nearly in a Boston accent.”
“I don’t understand any of this.” Grace held her head and tried to grasp the situation.
“Your snuggleness, may I explain to the defendant?” Shork faced Snugg and asked boldly for a moment with Grace.
“You don’t have too much time, Shork a’ Wisdom. Make it count.” Nyaash, Teef, and Gnaw emerged from behind with a shared *nyaaaa!*
“Thank you, you snuggleness.” He turned to face her. “Ok, listen, kid. You’re on trial for Stuffie Abuse. Not just any stuffie either, Lamby. She’s been with Ember since she was a draclin’. This is a high crime against the Council of Fluff. You got no chance, but I’m gonna try and reduce your sentence.”
“Council?! You’re organized?!”
“Kid, you don’t know nuttin’ about the world of stuffies. Just let me help.” Shork of Wisdom looked to Snugg. “I believe we are prepared, your Snuggleness.”
“Very good,” He readjusted his position and began. “Human, you stand accused of Stuffie Abuse. This is a high crime against the Council of Fluff. How do you plea?”
“Innocent, obviously!”
Dumpling raised his voice, his blushing face and uwu mouth betraying his tone. “Lower your voice, or we will hold you in contempt of court!” Dumpling shuffled back to his spot in the circle.
Grace sighed, “Sorry, your snuggleness. I plea innocent.” She stood there with arms behind her back, keeping them in check.
“I see.” He’d be glaring at her with narrowed eyes if he could emote. “You never wanted our friendship. You’d always push us away at night, sometimes even onto the floor. We can overlook that, because the floor is carpeted, but intentionally throwing a stuffie around like they were nothing but a sport ball, that’s unacceptable.”
“I never wanted any trouble, your snuggleness.”
“I understand.” He lay there, motionless, which only made him more intimidating. “You found paradise with Ember, made a good trade with your factory, and all without friends like us. But, eh, you don’t offer us respect. You don’t offer us snuggles. You hardly call us by our names. You dare to come into our room on the day of my Daughter’s snuggle and ask for forgiveness.”
“But boss,” Shork said, “Every day is your daughter’s snuggle.”
“This one is special, chum for brains, can’t you tell?”
Snugglet stood on her hind legs and responded with a “SPLOOOOW!”
“Was I supposed to understand that?” Grace leaned toward Shork and whispered.
“Nah. Not even Snugg understands her half the time.”
“I can’t believe I hired such inept snugglers.” He looked to Bao and Dumpling. “Bao, Dumplin’, would you say my daughter’s snuggle is more important than anything else?”
“Of course, Snugg,” Dumpling replied.
“BAO!” Bao stated.
“See, now these palookas got it. Loyal, understandin’, and most importantly, they make good pillows.”
Snuggolotl waved his paw from the other side of the circle. “Bloop bloop?”
“Yes, what is, my darling?”
Snuggolotl wormed into the middle of the circle and began speaking to the council. “Bloop bloop, bloop bloopbloop. Blooploop. Bloop bloop.” This continued for some time as he turned to talk to others and faced many others. His tiny demon wings flapped passionately as he continued his testimony.
“What is he saying?” Grace asked Shork of Wisdom.
“Oh man, he’s going for it.”
“But what’s he saying?!”
“He’s trying to help you. Shush.”
What seemed like hours went by, and what seemed like a final bloop bloop came out of his mouth. “Bloop bloop!”
“Honey, I don’t know where you get this passion, but I can’t say no to you. However, it is up to the council to decide. Snugolotl wiggled past Shork and Grace, not before stopping to look at them and add a short Bloooop on his way past. “The time has come. It is time for us all to vote. All those who favor sparing the cow, raise a paw, fin, whatever now.” Snugolotl and Shork of Wisdom raised their paws, and surprisingly, so did Lamby. Now, all those who want her taken away.” Everyone else raised their limbs.
“I’m sorry, doll, I have no choice.” He raised his paw and lowered it again. The three cat sharks leaped over him and lunged for Grace. “Take er to the toybox. Octi will take care of em both.”
“But boss!” Shork of Wisdom started to panic. “What about all those sleepless nights? We snuggled Ember together, made her feel betta’!”
“You chose to defend her; you know the rules.”
“But I can change, please! Give me a chance!” He shook his fins feverishly and whacked his tail at Gnaw as he tried to grab it.
“You’ve had plenty of chances, Shork a’ Wisdom. Maybe the toybox will make yous two rethink your wrongdoings.”
“No, please!” It was too late. Gnaw had a firm hold on Shork’s tail, and Teef had one of his fins, leaving him hanging in the air.
Nyaash, however, had a much easier time detaining Grace. She was so confused by everything that Nyaash was able to snag her immediately. “Get off of me! Let me go, you oversized Toy Story reject!”
“MRROW!” The three responded in unison. Standing upright, they swam in the air and hauled the two over to the toybox. Grace had tossed a few stuffies in the toybox before but never realized it was a punishment. Nyaash banged the side of the cherry-stained box, and it opened; Grace was tossed through the air and unceremoniously thrown into the toybox. Shork of Wisdom wasn’t far behind.
The two slammed against the floor with a thud, Shork of Wisdom slamming against Grace. “Ooof!” It was dark and gloomy as the lid shut. The only light that peered in was through the tiny cracks between the boards. “Get offa me!” She shoved the shark aside and stood up. “I never would have guessed the toy box was a punishment.”
“It is for us, but for one reason.” Shork of Wisdom was cowering in the corner. “I didn’t want this! I just wanted to get ‘cha off the hook!”
“What? Why is it a punishment?”
“Because of me….” A high-pitched voice came from the other side of the toybox, hiding in the shadows.
“Oh no….” Shork of Wisdom tried to dive further into the corner but couldn’t go further.
“Hey, Shork. Long time no see.” A blue tentacle the thickness of Grace's body flew past her and wrapped around Shork’s tail. “Let’s get reacquainted.”
“Oh, fish paste!” He shouted as he was dragged into the opposite corner.
“Oh lordy.” Grace also ran for the corner, but there was little room in the toy box to hide.
“I see you, little cow.” A tentacle lunged for her and wrapped around her leg. There was no chance of running.
“No, no, no!” She tried to scrape against the toy box floor, but the floor was sanded smooth. “Ember, help!”
Later that day, Ember came in from the office. She was mentally exhausted. “Jeez, it gets to near the end of the year, and the kids start going nuts!” She looked at the floor, and all her stuffies were on the bed, looking at her on a perfectly fixed bed. “Aww, Grace, you sweetie.” She approached the snuggle crew and patted them all on the head. “You folks look so happy. You enjoy a fixed bed, don’t you?”
She looked at them all, “Wait. Where’s Shork of Wisdom?” Ember looked everywhere: under the bed, between the bed and the wall, even in the closet. “Maybe…” She walked over and opened the toy box. Inside was a giant baby blue octopus with the shiniest amber eyes and a smile on his face. “Octi, have you seen,” but there he was. Shork of Wisdom was in the toy box. “There you are, Shork of Wisdom.”
However, there was also another toy in there that she hadn’t seen before. It was a little cow with green button eyes, arms down at its sides, and in a sitting position. The hooves on its feet and hands were stitched very well, and it had monstrous breasts. “You look like… Grace!” She shouted through the house. “Grace, are you surprising me with another stuffie?” Grace wasn’t there, though. “Huh, must be a surprise trip to the factory.” She took both Shork of Wisdom and the cow stuffie to the bed and placed them in the formation they were in. “There, happy little family.” She left the room and went downstairs.
