Paperwork, meetings, conferences. That's what his life had become. A never ending circle of things, frankly, he didn't give a damn about. But when you discover that laughter is ten times more powerful than scream there isn't a fall back.
It was a rough year for the new CEO. Monsters were slow to come around to the idea of making children laugh. They had evolved to scare, acting a fool didn't come too easy. Superstitions and fear still ran high, many still believed that children were highly toxic. He heard stories of how Jim or Angela were struck down by a child's touch. The names changed every week but the story was always the same. Any tactic to oppose his idea was used.
"Mr. Sullivan?"
"Huh?"
Sulley was snapped out of his thoughts. He looked around at the many faces staring back at him. Some in shock, some in disgust. He realised he was slumped in his chair, his tongue sticking out from mind numbing boredom.
The furry, blue monster righted himself and fixed his red and orange tie. He cleared his throat and composed himself.
"Uh, sorry about that."
"As I was saying…I think we should have at least one scare floor. That way we can appease our older workers and the public. We need to keep this factory out of the media's eye."
"Absolutely not!"
Sulley's voice caused the table to vibrate, his deep voice was usually soft and casual but now carried authority and stern. Every eye fell upon him and there was a hushed silence.
"There will be no scare floors in my factory. I don't care what anyone has to say! I've proven that laughter is more effective. Why would we regress back to a system that doesn't work anymore?!"
"There are scarers losing jobs here and in other factories Mr. Sullivan."
Sulley sighed. Yes, he regretted that. He offered all scarers in his factory new positions once he took over. Many left, some angry. He would always have a door open for his comrades if they ever wished to return. He held no grudges to any of them. Scaring was a big industry and for it to die so suddenly was a shock to all.
"Scaring is a dead industry and it was dying for a long time. I've given my scarers opportunities but I can't help what other factories are doing. I'm sorry but this isn't up for discussion."
He had heard that the rival companies, Fear Co. and Scream Ind. were changing to laugh energy and that they had let many of their scarers go. He heard the outcry and the insults to his name. Sometimes he wished he could show them just how terrifying they were to little, innocent children. Just how he saw himself when he terrified Boo. That day changed everything. He knew it was for the better but sometimes the stress of it all got too much.
"Is there anything else?" he asked as his sapphire eyes examined the occupants of the room.
"No sir."
"That's everything."
"Good," the polka dotted being stood and pressed his claws out on the polished wood table, "that'll be all."
He watched as they scuffled, shuffled and shimmied out the door. He listened to the inaudible whispers and sighed. No doubt some unkind words directed at him. If the stress of the job didn't kill him, the knife in his back will.
"Sulley?"
Once again, he was snapped out of his thoughts and his attention was dragged to the doorway. A smile drew across his blue lips as his eyes fell upon the small, green, one-eyed monster.
"Hey Mike."
"Geez Sulley, you have seen better days pal."
The smile vanished.
"Did you seriously come up here to mock me?"
"No of course not. I'm worried about you buddy. I never see you around anymore. You're home late and you leave early, every day. This can't be good for you."
It was true. Mike was usually in bed or staying at Celia's by the time he got home at night and he was up and gone before the sun even rose. His shoulders slumped. He was even starting to miss their Saturday night charades.
"So I have decided," the cyclops grinned and puffed out proudly, "tonight we are heading out to a bar. Grab some food, have some drinks and just relax. Talk like we used to and I'm not taking no for an answer!"
Sulley saddened. He hated blowing off his friend but he just didn't have the time for it.
"Mike I-."
"I don't want to hear it! You've been working nonstop for the past month. Look at you! I'm starting to see white hairs in that shag pile you call a body."
"Mike I'd love to but I just don't have the time."
"Not even for your best friend?"
Sulley stopped and looked down at him. Mike's eye was wide and his mouth slightly ajar as he awaited the verdict. How could he say no to that face? Mike tried so hard to look out for him and every time he brushed him off. Not again.
Sulley smiled and admitted defeat, "alright. Only one beer though."
"That's the spirit!"
Mike bubbled back to life.
"Seven o'clock. At the main entrance. Do NOT be late!"
Sulley chuckled as he watched his friend leave with a spring in his step. At least he had something to look forward to. The paperwork could wait.
Elijah Monroe was a twenty-five-year-old man. He was of slim build but stocky around his chest with light brown hair and a stubble to match. His green eyes stared up at the moon as it rose over the city skyline. His apartment was in darkness but the streetlights illuminated the many sheets of paper scattered around the front room. Some were handwritten notes and others longer pieces of written material, while others were drawings of a huge blue monster with purple polka dots and large, jutting incisors from its under bite jaw.
He could never get that creature out of his mind. Every once in a while, when he was a child, he would awake to a hot breath on his skin. He knew straight away what it was and it made his heart leap into his mouth, the blood drain from his veins. It's bellow would shake him to the core and sometimes, even made him wet himself. Sleep didn't come easy to Elijah as he grew. He knew he wasn't crazy as the other kids would speak of the same thing. Creatures emerging from their closets to terrify them. They all suffered in silence as their parents never believed them. For him it was worse. He was scolded for wetting the bed and told he was dreaming of this monster but when he didn't let it go as he grew he was sent off to be evaluated. The scaring stopped many years ago and now he was free of the drug-filled stupor the hospital liked to keep him in. He could think clearly again and yet, that monster never left his mind. He had to find it and he had to have his revenge on it for taking away his youth. He wouldn't stop until he got what he deserved.