The conclusion of last week’s Frankie and Joni story.
The Horror of Mary
The overhead lights snapped on, shining a garish purple. By the far wall, a hologram of a little girl appeared.
“Mary had a little lamb. Not an ewe or a ram. Bo Peep was mad, and so sad. Mary stole her sheep.” The creepy child smiled. “Sheep, sheep, not a peep. The lamb, it cried, and then it…” The hologram flickered, and screamed, “Died!”
The room plunged into darkness and Frankie shrieked. Or maybe it was me.
“The sheep, the sheep! The goats are sheep. Close your eyes but never sleep!”
The lights turned on and a bleating goat materialized.
The Culprit
“That’s the extra goat. Strange.” Frankie edged around it and opened the nearest conduit. I followed, eyeing the goat, but it never moved. Frankie connected his tablet to the console.
“Okay, the diagnostics are running. The system’s been infiltrated, but someone only rearranged the displays. No one’s controlling anything. I don’t think we’re under invasion again.”
“What?” I leaned in for a closer look. That’s when I saw the tiny greasy paw print near the console. “Fluffy!” I stabbed my finger at the evidence. “We’ve been hacked by that genetically altered little furball! When I get my hands on him…”
Crime and Punishment
“I can’t believe that cheeky fluffball! Trying to screw with us.”
“It was a prank. He was bored. I told you to buy him a wheel.” Frankie turned his sad eyes on me. “But he’s sorry. Can’t you let him out of his cage?”
I scowled at my furry rodent hacker. His tail twitched and his head drooped as he put his tiny paws on the cage wire. He did look dejected.
“Okay, maybe he has been punished enough. He can come back out in one hour.” I leaned forward, glaring at Fluffy. “But no more messing with the holograms!”
Be Afraid of the Dark 
Poor Fluffy is in the dog house. Or rodent cage.:-) Fun set of related mini-stories!
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