The Ancient Smiling Critters Part 1

    By Santiago

    The Ancient Smiling Critters Part 1 cover image

    02 Mar, 2024

    a boy is sitting in a library with toys and books on the shelves and a camera in his hand, sots art, a storybook illustration, Chris LaBrooy, rossdraws global illumination

    It was a regular day at Playtime Co, where Player was simply going about his day, when he stumbled across a VHS tape of an episode of the Smiling Critters.

    a black cat sitting on a rug in front of a tv with a cartoon cat on it's screen, serial art, poster art, Asaf Hanuka, promotional image

    Intrigued, Player decided to watch the episode. At first, it seemed normal, but suddenly, the screen went black, and an animated version of CatNap appeared, speaking in a garbled voice.

    a man standing in a room with a desk and a lamp on it's side and a window, serial art, a comic book panel, David Park, rossdraws global illumination

    Player, unsure of what was happening, continued to watch. As he did, he gradually grew more and more frightened by the distorted noise that filled the room.

    a man in a suit and tie sitting at a desk in front of a computer monitor and a monitor screen, sots art, a character portrait, Adam Manyoki, official art

    Just as Player was about to turn the tape off, Mr. Evil CEO, who had survived a fall caused by Bubba Bubbaphant, entered the room.

    a man in a suit sitting at a desk with a bowl of popcorn and a television in the background, american realism, a character portrait, Edwin Georgi, official art

    Intrigued by the VHS tape, Evil CEO decided to watch the rest of the episode. He grabbed some popcorn and settled in, oblivious to the strange events that were about to unfold.

    a man in a suit sitting at a desk with a computer and a monitor on it, with a lot of screens behind him, new objectivity, a character portrait, Charles Mahoney, official art

    As Evil CEO watched, hidden messages began to appear at random intervals during the episode. The messages read, "Help us," "Get us out of here," and "We will do everything for you."

    a man sitting at a desk with a book in front of him and a group of foxes behind him, furry art, a comic book panel, Allan Brooks, furaffinity

    Evil CEO was taken aback. He didn't know what to do, but he couldn't look away. He was drawn into the mystery of the Smiling Critters and the messages they were sending.

    a man in a suit and a wolf in a suit and tie in a cartoon style with a background of people, furry art, a comic book panel, Cliff Childs, official art

    Suddenly, the tape jammed, and a static-filled message appeared on the screen. It said that he must obtain a piece of fur from one of the Smiling Critters.

    a man in a suit and tie holding a donut in a market area with people in the background, american realism, a digital rendering, Barron Storey, high detail illustration

    To avoid being caught, the Evil CEO quickly disguised himself as a churro vendor and began practicing his lines. He was determined to get what he needed from the Critters.

    a man in a suit holding a basket of donuts in a store aisle with shelves of donuts, context art, a stock photo, Al Feldstein, official art

    After several days of rehearsing and memorizing his lines, the disguised Evil CEO emerged from his office with a cart full of churros, yelling out the typical vendor's call.

    a cartoon bunny is walking through a forest with flowers and butterflies around him, and a butterfly is flying above the rabbit, furry art, a character portrait, Beatrix Potter, official art

    That's when he spotted Hoppy Hopscotch, a light green anthropomorphic rabbit with black eyes and long ears. She was one of the Smiling Critters.

    a cartoon of a rabbit in a suit and tie standing in a crowd of people in a city street, furry art, a comic book panel, Chris LaBrooy, comic cover art

    Hoppy Hopscotch noticed the churro vendor and approached him. Evil CEO, nervous about being discovered, tried to remain calm as she curiously asked if he sold churros.

    a cartoon rabbit in a suit standing in front of a desk with a computer monitor and keyboard on it, furry art, a character portrait, Cedric Seaut (Keos Masons), loony toons style

    Lying, Evil CEO told her he sold all kinds of flavors, from the least salty to the saltiest in the world, and introduced himself as Jorge Rubelino.

    a cartoon bunny is holding a tray of donuts in a store with a display of donuts behind him, furry art, a digital rendering, Chris LaBrooy, behance hd

    Hoppy Hopscotch ordered a medium-sugared churro. While she was turned around, "Jorge" stealthily grabbed a piece of her fur.

    a cartoon of a rabbit in a suit and tie walking down a street with a rabbit in the background, furry art, a character portrait, Everett Warner, comic cover art

    After giving her the churro, he bid her a friendly goodbye, and she left, happily munching on her snack. Evil CEO breathed a sigh of relief, his mission accomplished.

    a man in a suit sitting at a desk with a phone and a pen in his hand and a bookcase in the background, sots art, a character portrait, Allan Brooks, official art

    Back in his office, Evil CEO examined the piece of fur he had obtained. He couldn't help but wonder what secrets it held and how it connected to the mysterious VHS tape.

    a man in a suit sitting at a desk in front of a window with a phone and a cell phone, sots art, a character portrait, Allan Brooks, official art

    As he pondered, he noticed the VHS player blinking. A sense of unease washed over him. He felt as if he were being watched, but he knew he had to continue.

    a man in a suit sitting at a desk in front of a computer monitor and a television screen with a man on it, computer art, computer graphics, Allan Brooks, official art

    Evil CEO placed the fur next to the player and pressed play on the VHS tape. What happened next was beyond anything he could have anticipated.

    a man sitting at a desk in front of a computer monitor and keyboard in a room with a window, serial art, a character portrait, Barron Storey, official art

    The tape whirred to life, and the screen filled with static. Then, the animated CatNap reappeared, its eyes now glowing ominously.

    a cat in a suit sitting at a desk in front of a window with a cityscape in the background, furry art, a character portrait, Carlos Catasse, official art

    The cat looked directly into the camera, as if it could see Evil CEO. It began to speak, its voice echoing around the room. The message it delivered sent chills down Evil CEO's spine.

    a cat in a suit sitting at a desk with a keyboard and monitor in front of him, with a computer screen in the background, sots art, a character portrait, Carlos Catasse, official art

    "You have done well," it said, "Now, the real game begins." The screen flickered and then went blank. Evil CEO was left in stunned silence, contemplating the mysteries of the Smiling Critters.

    a man in a suit sitting at a desk with a record player and a laptop computer in front of him, de stijl, a comic book panel, Dean Roger, laurie greasley

    He looked at the piece of fur in his hand, and then at the now silent VHS player. He knew he had just taken the first step into a larger, stranger world.

    a man in a suit sitting at a desk with a book in his hands and a bunch of papers on the wall behind him, serial art, a character portrait, Allan Brooks, official art

    What would come next was unknown, but Evil CEO felt an odd sense of anticipation. The mysteries of the Smiling Critters were beginning to unravel, and he was right at the heart of it.

    a man in a suit sitting in a chair in a room with paintings on the wall and a lamp on the table, sots art, a character portrait, Allan Brooks, official art

    As he sat there in the dim light, the fur still clutched in his hand, he knew this was just the beginning of a thrilling mystery that would change everything he thought he knew about the world.

    a man in a suit standing in a forest with animals around him and a forest background with trees and animals, furry art, a character portrait, Allan Brooks, official art

    And so, the adventure had begun. As the Ancient Smiling Critters revealed their secrets, Evil CEO was ready to delve deeper into their world, setting the stage for the exciting events yet to come.

    The Ancient Smiling Critters Part 1

    AI Mystery Stories