The Mushroom

It was just another lazy Sunday morning, another day in my boring life. As I stood in the bathroom craning my neck to get a better view of myself in the mirror, I heard the doorbell ring. “Who the hell,” I cursed under my breath as I hastily washed my face. The doorbell rang again. “What, can’t you wait for a minute?” I barked, and stalked off to open the door. I reached for the door knob and opened it a crack. 1

A man of about 5 feet tall, carrying a large basket stood at the doorway and beamed at me. Now, that was pretty unusual. Many a man had stood in my doorway but I had rarely seen anyone like this. He wore a red cap and had long sideburns. His moustaches stood out in his face, the type of moustaches army generals would have in the past. He wore blue overalls on top of a red shirt, and his white teeth shone as he smiled; quite a contrast to his black moustaches. 2

“Good morning sir,” he said as he beamed even more, “I thought you would be interested in buying some of these mushrooms I have in here.”
I looked at the basket and saw it was filled with red mushrooms with white spots and off white stalks.
“These look poisonous!” I shrieked.
“Oh no, they are not, they are very healthy and tasty, I grow them in my own garden.”
“You are a farmer?” I asked.
“No, I am a plumber; but these mushrooms I have here have some great health benefits,” saying this he winked at me and shoved my little body aside and entered my apartment. 3

I was about to shout at him and even opened my mouth to do so, but he cut me off saying, “Let me show you sir, how this works.” He took one of his mushrooms and sank his teeth in them. He took a bite and chomped on it. I started at him in awe and disgust as he swallowed the raw mushroom.
“Now sir, don’t panic,” he said as he went and closed the door.
“Why are you closing the door?” I said, definitely panic stricken.
“Wait a few seconds, sir. You won’t regret it, I promise.”
Then what happened was something I would never forget. The man grew taller before me and a few seconds after he stood there 6 feet tall, his body suddenly rippling with muscles. 4

My jaw dropped open and I finally found some words, “Is this magic or something?” I mumbled.
“No sir” The man said, “It’s just the mushroom,” he said as he towered over my 3 feet 1 inch frame. “So do you want some? I can give you a couple of them for free, try them yourself. Eating a mushroom doubles your height, and the effect lasts for a couple of days. As I have taken just a bite of it, that is about one fifth of it, and because I am 5 feet tall; I have grown taller by a foot,” he said.
“I just..,” I tried to find words.5

“Sir, here,” he handed me his card. The card read:
Mr. Mario Mario
Plumber
Phone:+396942564207
“You can call me here at any time you want sir,” he said. “and I am leaving you these two mushrooms,” he continued.
Saying it, the now tall figure opened the door and proceeded to leave.
“Have a good day sir,” he said as he raised his cap.6

As I saw his retreating figure I tried to understand what had just happened. I looked down at the giant mushrooms I held in my hands. Eating one of these means I won’t need to have my lunch today, I thought.
So, I bit on a mushroom, munching at it carefully. It tasted like strawberries. Mario was right. The mushroom was indeed tasty. Before I could understand anything, I heard sounds of my clothes ripping and I stood 6 feet 2inches tall.
“Wow!,” I said. Even my voice sounded deeper. With shreds of cloth still sticking to my body, I went to my bedroom to have a look at myself.
“Whoa, great!,” I said aloud as I turned my body, and tried to look at it from all the possible angles I could.
“Wow, look at my abs,” I chuckled. 7

It was then the door bell rang again. “Who the hell?,”I said aloud as I looked around in vain to find something to wear. No such luck. The door bell rang again.
“I will be there in a minute,” I shouted and ran to my roommate’s room. I put on a T-shirt and a pair of trousers the first thing I could lay my hands on. The T-shirt was too short and didn’t even cover my belly button, and the trouser ended somewhere a little below my knees.
“Oh shit SHIT,” I said as I ran towards the door. 8

I opened the door a crack and met the beautiful brown eyes of Max. She looked at me and then said, “I came to see Johnny, is he in?” “He has gone for a walk, morning walk,” I blurted out.
“But it’s 11am! Who are you? What are you doing in Johnny’s apartment?,” her voice sounded alarmed. Something in my head sensed trouble.
“Hey, please come in. I am his brother, he will be back in sometime,” I said opening the door, as I hopelessly pulled at the hem of my T-shirt to cover my belly button. Her eyes widened as she looked at my attire.
“Umm, I came here to tell your brother that tomorrow’s show has been cancelled,” she said tearing her eyes off my midriff. 9

The show she was talking about was that of the circus. I worked in a circus, I was the joker there and she was the rope walker. She had always been a good friend, and even though I wanted to be something more than a friend, I never told her that in fear of being rejected. After all she was about 5feet 9inches tall!10

“Okay,” I said as I saw her eyes wandering about the room.
“What is that?,” she said looking at the top of the television.
“What?,” I said as I followed her glance. She was looking at the red and white mushroom sitting on the top of the Television set.
“Oh that? A salesman left me with it this morning,” I said trying to sound reluctant.
“What with these torn pieces of clothes on the floor?,” she looked at me suspiciously. I knew that look. She had got something in her head.
She squatted on the floor on her knees, “Oh my God, they are Johnny’s”
“Look, Max I..,” I tried to explain.
“How do you know my name?,” she exclaimed.
“My brother told me,” I said. All her questioning was agitating me.
“Why are you wearing such clothes?,” she asked eyeing me, looking at me from head to toe.
“I lost my luggage while coming here so I had to borrow some clothes,” I said as I scratched my ear and I folded my arms on my chest.11

“Oh my God, Johnny it’s you” she said as she threw herself upon me, kissing my cheek and hugging me tight.
“No, no, Max! I am not Johnny, I am Rick, his brother,” I tried to fight back and escape from her arms.
“Oh my god Johnny I wanted to tell this to you for so long,” she looked into my eyes and I saw her eyes well up with tears.
“Wh-a-a-a-t?” I stammered.
“About those mushrooms and what I really am..”12

She loosened her grasp on me and opened her purse hastily. She pulled a red and white mushroom from her bag, and held it up in front of my eyes.
“See?” she said, tears now running down her cheeks.
"You mean, you eat these mushrooms...? You... you're a dwarf, too?,”my voice trailed off. She nodded quickly.
“Oh my god, Max, you are..” were the few words that escaped my lips before she kissed me again, this time on my lips.

Author notes

Option: 1
Super mario Fanfiction
@Forgotten Anomaly's contest: my other entry is "Death"

A contest entry

Please tell me what you think

    : , Your review:

    Comment Suggestion: What is your your first impression?
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Comments

1 - 27 of 27
  • RoseLeo7
    November 8
    Edit | Reply
    Hahaha what a funny little story! I enjoyed reading it heaps!!!


  • Sheilasbabygal4life
    September 14

    Edit | Reply
    LOL! This was good and funny! Thanks for entering and best of luck to you in the contest!

  • rustic
    June 27
    Edit | Reply

    haha liked it


  • SweeneyTodd-girl
    February 12

    Edit | Reply

    I loved it!

    This was amazing! After a lot of depressing entries into this contest, it was really nice to read something light and funny.


  • Rose Hathaway
    January 12
    Edit | Reply
    Very nicely done, thanjyou so much for entering my contest and good luck!


  • Migfin
    July 5, 2008

    Edit | Reply
    Awww that ending was lovely =) it's always nice to read game fanfics, especially when I can chuckle at the little snippits from the games.

    It was very unique, and I like that you followed Johnny's story and included the bits from Super Mario instead of trying to do it entirely focussed on the game. I really liked Johnny's character, and I really didn't see that twist coming =)


  • EMO.o
    February 15, 2008
    Edit | Reply
    this was funny, very good imagination!!=D


  • On.Cue
    November 10, 2007
    Edit | Reply
    Um, this was certainly interseting and creative =)


  • karma-n-peace
    October 9, 2007

    Edit | Reply
    This is a sweet story. I loved it, it was a nice change from tehe drama I've been consumed with lately.Very well written and I loved the descriptive phrases, especially of the mushrooms, hehehe. Keep up the great work!


  • EZlats
    October 3, 2007
    Edit | Reply
    Wow. That's all I can say.


  • NotTheDroids
    September 24, 2007

    Edit | Reply
    Brilliant - Haven't played Mario Brothers for so long, but this is a brilliant interpretation of the story - super mushrooms, could be doing with some of them myself!

    Great story


  • Paragonz Shadow
    September 23, 2007

    Edit | Reply

    nice

    That was quirky and interesting. Some nice lightness for all the angst here! The beginning and ending were both good, characters seemed a little 2D, but keep working on it. The plot was a little insane and magical, but nice and fluffy. langauge was a little repetitive, try using more description and varying it a little. Dialog was a little 2D like the characters. all in all - nice!

  • ShadowDragon
    September 22, 2007
    Edit | Reply
    Wow! interesting story, what a great twist she's a dwarf too

  • erectmeonit
    September 22, 2007

    Edit | Reply
    WOW! I loved it . HAHA! I wish these mushrooms were for real and they worked on horses too . I really want Serbier to grow more .


  • Gary Alexander silver member
    September 20, 2007

    Edit | Reply

    Better...clearer. Now that it's clearer, you can work on the subtlety

    Better, but you need to fix up the last bit of dialogue...to make it a bit more credible. For example Johnny wouldn't say: "You too are like me? A dwarf?" (Who would talk this way? Certainly not a little person!) It would be something more like: "You're a...a dwarf?...like me!" Better yet:
    "You mean, you eat these mushrooms...? You... you're a dwarf, too?" (Doesn't it sound more believable?)
    Also make sure you give EACH speaker (when you write dialogue) a separate paragraph. Otherwise it gets confusing.
    And, BTW, "Max, you are..." WERE the few words! BE CAREFUL OF AGREEMENT IN SINGULAR AND PLURALS.
    Ending is good!


    • RedHearts
      September 20, 2007
      Edit | Reply
      I will make the edits. Thank you for reading it


  • iPoopAThug
    September 20, 2007

    Edit | Reply

    Haha

    You even got the name Mario Mario from the movie. Awesome. Anyway this was priceless. I mean... 2 small people eating super mushrooms to grow taller. That is just great. I can't believe you managed to work a romance into it, this is just really funny and awesome.

    Oh but reread it if you can, there was a few minor errors. For example one of the "she"s was a "he". so yea. also there was a line where you said "No, I am a plumber; but these mushrooms I have here has some great health" the "has" should be a "have"

    beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.


  • B Chandler Greeters member
    September 20, 2007

    Edit | Reply

    Minor Corrections/Commentary

    I liked how the mind can travel just based on something, and this story is no exception only that I grew up playing Mario Bros. as a kid. Now the whimisical of this is that in a way it brings out the inner child of us adults BUT you do carry a few minor errors of which could possibly be a few suggestions about this write below:

    Possible Corrections:


    It was just another lazy Sunday morning, another day in my boring life. As I stood in the bathroom craning my neck to get a better view of myself in the mirror, I heard the doorbell ring. “Who the hell,” I cursed under my breath as I hastily washed my face. The doorbell rang again. “What, can’t you wait for a minute?” I barked, and stalked off to open the door. I reached for the door knob and opened it a crack.

    A man of about 5 feet tall, carrying a large basket stood at the doorway and beamed at me. Now, that was pretty unusual. Many a man had stood in my doorway but I had rarely seen anyone like this. He wore a red cap and had long sideburns. His moustaches stood out in his face, the type of moustaches army generals would have in the past. He wore blue overalls on top of a red shirt, and his white teeth shone as he smiled; quite a contrast to his black moustaches.

    “Good morning sir” He said as he beamed even more, “I thought you would be interested in buying some of these mushrooms I have in here.”
    I looked at the basket and saw it was filled with red mushrooms with white spots and off white stalk.
    “These look poisonous!” I shrieked.
    “Oh no, they are not, they are very healthy and tasty, I grow them in my own garden.”
    “You are a farmer?” I asked.
    “No, I am a plumber; but these mushrooms I have here has some great health benefits,” saying this he winked at me and shoved my little body aside and entered my apartment.

    I was about to shout at him and even opened my mouth to do so, but he cut me off saying, “Let me show you sir, how this works.” He took one of his mushrooms and sank his teeth in them. He took a bite and chomped on it. I started at him in awe and disgust as he swallowed the raw mushroom.
    “Now sir, don’t panic,” he said as he went and closed the door.
    “Why are you closing the door?” I said, definitely panic stricken.
    “Wait a few seconds, sir. You won’t regret it, I promise.”
    Then what happened is something I will never forget. The man grew taller before me and a few seconds after he stood there 6 feet tall, his body suddenly rippling with muscles.

    My jaw dropped open and I finally found some words, “Is this magic or something?” I mumbled.
    “No sir” The man said, “It’s just the mushroom,” he said as he towered over my 3 feet 1 inch frame. “So do you want some? I can give you a couple of them for free, try them yourself. Eating a mushroom doubles your height, and the effect lasts for a couple of days. As I have taken just a bite of it, that is about one fifth of it, and because I am 5 feet tall; I have grown taller by a foot,” he said.
    “I just..,” I tried to find words.

    “Sir, here,” he handed me his card. The card read:
    Mr. Mario Mario
    Plumber
    Phone: +396942564207
    “You can call me here at any time you want sir,” he said. “And I am leaving you these two mushrooms,” he continued.
    Saying it, the now tall figure opened the door and proceeded to leave.
    “Have a good day sir,” he said as he raised his cap.

    As I saw his retreating figure I tried to understand what had just happened. I looked down at the giant mushrooms I held in my hands. Eating one of these means I won’t need to have my lunch today, I thought.
    So, I bit on a mushroom, munching at it carefully. It tasted like strawberries. Mario was right. The mushroom was indeed tasty. Before I could understand anything, I heard sounds of my clothes ripping and I stood 6 feet 2inches tall. “Wow!” I said. Even my voice sounded deeper. With shreds of cloth still sticking to my body, I went to my bedroom to have a look at myself. “Whoa, great!” I said aloud as I turned my body, and tried to look at it from all the possible angles I could. “Wow, look at my abs,” I chuckled.

    It was then the door bell rang again. “Who the hell?” I said aloud as I looked around in vain to find something to wear. No such luck. The door bell rang again. “I will be there in a minute,” I shouted and ran to my roommate’s room. I put on a T-shirt and a pair of trousers the first thing I could lay my hands on. The T-shirt was too short and didn’t even cover my belly button, and the trouser ended somewhere a little below my knees. “Oh shit,” I said as I ran towards the door.

    I opened the door a crack and met the beautiful brown eyes of Max. She looked at me and then said, “I came to see Johnny, is he in?” “He has gone for a walk, morning walk,” I blurted out.
    “But it’s 11am! Who are you? What are you doing in Johnny’s apartment?” her voice sounded alarmed. Something in my head sensed trouble.
    “Hey, please come in. I am his brother, he will be back in sometime,” I said opening the door, as I hopelessly pulled at the hem of my T-shirt to cover my belly button. Her eyes widened as he looked at my attire.
    “Umm, I came here to tell your brother that tomorrow’s show has been cancelled,” she said tearing her eyes off my midriff.

    The show she was telling me about was that of the circus. I worked in a circus, I was the joker there and she was the rope walker. She was always a good friend, and even though I wanted to be something more than a friend, I never told her that in fear of being rejected. After all she was about 5feet 9inches tall!

    “Okay,” I said as I saw her eyes wandering about the room.
    “What is that?” she said looking at the top of the television.
    “What?” I said as I followed her glance. She was looking at the red and white mushroom sitting on the top of the Television set.
    “Oh that? A salesman left me with it this morning,” I said trying to sound reluctant. “What with these torn pieces of clothes on the floor?” she looked at me suspiciously. I knew that look. She had got something in her head.
    She squatted on the floor on her knees, “Oh my God, they are Johnny’s”
    “Look, Max I..,” I tried to explain. “How do you know my name?” she exclaimed.
    “My brother told me,” I said. All her questioning was agitating me.
    “Why are you wearing such clothes?” she asked eyeing me, looking at me from head to toe. “I lost my luggage while coming here so I had to borrow some clothes,” I said as I scratched my ear and I folded my arms on chest.

    “Oh my God, Johnny it’s you” she said as she threw herself upon me, kissing my cheek and hugging me tight.
    “No, no, Max! I am not Johnny, I am Rick, his brother,” I tried to fight back and escape from her arms. “Oh my god Johnny I wanted to tell this to you for so long,” she looked into my eyes and I saw her eyes well up. “Wh-a-a-a-t?” I stammered.
    “About those mushrooms and what I really am...”

    She loosened her grasp on me and opened her purse hastily. She pulled a red and white mushroom from her bag, and held it up in front of my eyes. “See?” she said, her tears now running down her cheeks.
    “You mean you eat the mushroom too? You too are like me? A dwarf...?”my voice trailed off. She nodded quickly. “Oh my god, Max, you are...” was the few words that escaped my lips before she kissed me again, this time on my lips.


    ...The greeting card section really puzzled me about the double Mario name unless it was intended

    beginning: 3, language: 4, plot: 3, ending: 4, dialog: 3, characters: 5.

    • RedHearts
      September 20, 2007
      Edit | Reply
      I am glad you asked it. I did a little bit of reseach before I wrote this story. I came to know that last name of mario is mario. So his name is Mario Mario. Thank you for stopping by


  • siedne
    September 20, 2007

    Edit | Reply
    Cute story! Yeah, it ended abruptly, and i think you sort of breezed through how he worked with the circus too quick. it didn't really have much of a part in the story. but still, nice work

    • RedHearts
      September 20, 2007
      Edit | Reply
      Thank you for stopping by I tried to keep it short as my hand was begining to pain from all the typing. But I am glad that you liked it.

  • Gary Alexander silver member
    September 20, 2007
    Edit | Reply

    A Mushroom Cloudiness...

    Interesting "tall" (lol) tale...but I must admit to some confusion at the end. There are, really, so many possibilities. Who the heck was she? The Mushroom Salesman? A Mushroom Devotee? Alice in Wonderland?
    Anyway, watch your tenses and singular/plural agreements.
    Cute tale...I'd still work on clarifying the end...and perhaps investigating a few more options there. It seemed to end just a wee bit abruptly. Perhaps you can feed the story a little...mushroom!
    GA


    • RedHearts
      September 20, 2007
      Edit | Reply
      I guess I thought readers could interpret the ending. My fault.I cleared it out....I edited it.

1 - 27 of 27