Introduction
Honestly, if you want to know anything about this book, read it. I would also like to warn you, however, that if you don't believe in Fluffy, you should probably watch you back.
Who is Fluffy, you ask?
Read the book.
A basement, an elderly couple, three grandchildren, and a loud screech; that is where out story begins.
"Grandma, why don't you let us go into the basement?" The youngest of the three children spoke up from where they sat at their grandparents' feet. Their eyes were curious and hungry for explanations as they waited for just that. "Well, Billy, there are a lot of reasons you can't go down to the basement." His grandmother spoke, her voice wavering in her old age. "Why, you could fall and hit your head going down the steps like your Grandpappy did!" She exclaimed. "Or, if you're not careful, kids, there is something terrible in the basement." Her voice lowered at this point, and she leaned forward on her knees, looking each of the three children in the eyes. "There is a beast in our basement. There is a beast in the basement which hungers for flesh. The fury of a thousand suns burns in his eyes!" She paused for a moment, letting that sink in before she continued, her tone still hushed, but urgent. "The beast…he knows no bounds. What is his name you ask? His name…is Fluffy!"
At the naming of the monster, bubbles of laughter burst from all of the children but one. Sally looked up at her grandmother, her eyes wide and frightened. "Wait…he's real?" Her voice was soft and scared, wavering more than her grandmothers did naturally. Looking at Sally, her grandmother could tell that she believed, so all she did was nod to confirm her suspicions. Tommy and Billy, however, looked at their sister, harsh judgment in their eyes, and continued laughing harder, taunting the mere idea of a fearsome beast named Fluffy. "He's real, though!" Sally jumped to her feet, tears beginning to stream down her face as she screamed at her brothers. "Please! Tommy! Billy! Stop laughing, please!" She broke down into sobs, falling back to the floor, her breathing coming in uneven pants.
When their sister began to scream like that, the laughter stopped abruptly. Shocked eyes travelled from their fallen sister to their grandmother, whose expression had not changed once since this had begun. She had merely leaned back in her rocking chair; her bright green eyes focused in on each child's face in turn, her features completely emotionless. "Do you boys think I'm lying to you?" She croaked out, glancing to her husband. "I don't think they believe in fluffy, Jacob." Their grandfather clicked his tongue and shook his head, saying nothing either for or against the boys' opinions on the beast. He leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes, seemingly preparing for something. What could he be preparing for, though?
Grandma reached out toward Sally, beckoning her into her lap. Sally nodded once, her sobs ceasing, and ran to her grandmother, crawling into her lap. "Don't you worry, Sally. Grandma will keep you safe." Sally nodded and leaned her head against her grandmother, her little blue eyes closing. She almost looked at ease now, like she knew what was going to happen, and knew that no matter what, she would be safe. The smallest smile cracked across their grandmother's lips as a groaning noise wafted up from the basement. "Oh, would you listen to that. Fluffy woke up, finally." She glanced over to her husband before looking back to the boys, one of her wrinkled arms moving to loop around the small girl in her lap. "Well, boys, if you think Fluffy is such a joke, then why don't you go on down to the basement and get your old grandma a jar of peaches." Her small, hint of a smile had turned into something frightening, something that cracked across her face, causing the wrinkles that already riddled her face to become something similar to cracks in the surface of a broken mirror.
The boys looked at each other, gulping in unison at their grandmother's words. However, they knew that they were going to have to either go into the basement, or lie and say that they did believe in Fluffy. Did they, though? If they didn't believe in it, then why were they so afraid to go to the basement? After about five minutes of silent contemplation, Billy, the older of the two boys, stood from the floor and pointed toward the door of the basement. "I'm going down there, and I am going to prove that there is no fluffy!" He called out to his brother, hoping it would bring some sort of encouragement to come with him. Tommy, however, stayed on the floor, his eyes widening a bit at his brother's words. "You know, Billy, maybe Nana's right. I don't think you should go down there." Billy rolled his eyes and groaned, stomping one foot on the wood floor beneath it. "There. Is. No. Fluffy!" He called out, growing more and more frustrated by the moment. "Fine. I'll prove it!" He snorted, turning on his heel and walking toward the basement.
The room was still, and the children went quiet while they waited to see if their brother came back up from the basement. Once Billy was gone, Tommy looked to his grandmother, a sense of relief washing over him when he saw her reaching out toward him like she had with Sally. He walked over and climbed up onto her other knee, reaching out to hold his sister's hand tightly in his.