The Ribbed Map

A Short Story
by Anonymous
Tom Pigeon was thinking about Clarke Doop again. Clarke was a
kind bear with chubby abs and brown toes.

Tom walked over to the window and reflected on his grey

surroundings. He had always loved old-fashioned Madrid with its
funny, faint fields. It was a place that encouraged his tendency to
feel sad.

Then he saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was

the a kind figure of Clarke Doop.

Tom gulped. He glanced at his own reflection. He was a

controlling, optimistic, beer drinker with curvaceous abs and squat
toes. His friends saw him as a witty, wasteful wally. Once, he had
even helped a stormy baby flamingo recover from a flying
accident.

But not even a controlling person who had once helped a stormy
baby flamingo recover from a flying accident, was prepared for
what Clarke had in store today.

The drizzle rained like bouncing elephants, making Tom

ambivalent. Tom grabbed a ribbed map that had been strewn
nearby; he massaged it with his fingers.

As Tom stepped outside and Clarke came closer, he could see

the tense smile on his face.

"Look Tom," growled Clarke, with a popular glare that reminded

Tom of kind kittens. "It's not that I don't love you, but I want
justice. You owe me 8315 euros."

Tom looked back, even more ambivalent and still fingering the
ribbed map. "Clarke, I am your mother," he replied.

They looked at each other with happy feelings, like two knobby,
kindly koalas thinking at a very arrogant wake, which had drum
and bass music playing in the background and two articulate
uncles skipping to the beat.

Tom studied Clarke's chubby abs and brown toes. Eventually, he

took a deep breath. "I'm afraid I declared myself bankrupt,"
explained Tom. "You will never get your money."

"No!" objected Clarke. "You lie!"

"I do not!" retorted Tom. "Now get your chubby abs out of here
before I hit you with this ribbed map."

Clarke looked shocked, his wallet raw like a tall, tart teapot.

Tom could actually hear Clarke's wallet shatter into 8315 pieces.
Then the kind bear hurried away into the distance.

Not even a drink of beer would calm Tom's nerves tonight.

THE END