She took a step back into an impressive labyrinth of a silver cobweb and cried loudly, frantically flailing her arms. Even in the afterlife, she hated Spyders and Aboogalas.

"This is really too disorganized and chaotic," she said forlornly, surveying her cluttered attic.

It had always been like this, but lately it had really been bothering her. Long gone and doomed to haunt her Neovian home, the Aisha was incapable of cleaning it, but as a self-declared tidy enthusiast, her messy attic had her on the brink of utter madness.

Converting her Attic into a gimmick of an exclusive shop helped a little (the Almost Abandoned Attic was a smashing success!), but she was still overdue for a proper winter cleaning with no proper means to do it.

"Think, think, think," she mumbled to herself, willing inspiration into existence. And suddenly, sure enough, her lightbulb moment arrived. "I've got it! I could..."

“That’s it! I can clear out so much of this mess by selling it at a steep discount. I know my little exclusive ‘boutique’,” she prattled on to herself, using air quotes. “…doesn’t participate in half price day like the rest of the Neopian shops do, but I’ve heard it to be quite the event…”

She paced back and forth in the small attic’s space, frantically moving in tandem with her racing thoughts.

“Customers will flock when they hear of the Almost Abandoned Attic’s first ever clearance sale! I’ll sell out again and again and clear out this dusty clutter!” the Ghost Aisha squealed as life returned to her red, glowing eyes.

She began to go through the box she was first sat next to, taking inventory of the knickknacks and vintage attire for her upcoming sale.

“Alright. First step’s first. I need to…”

She floated over to a large, cracked mirror leaning against an old, worn desk, “Let’s see,” she murmured, moving the mirror to access the drawers to the desk, “Maybe the Cybunny from Spooky Petpets would let me use a few Petpets to deliver the news across Neopia!” But then she frowned. “Wait. I need to be careful. Too much spook and they’ll think the sale is cursed or haunted—though that might attract a few thrill seekers…”

Shaking her head to refocus, she returned to the knickknacks box and began sorting the items. “Step two,” she said, pulling out a tarnished silver locket, “I need to decide what to keep, what to sell, and… what to finally let go.” She paused, holding the locket in her spectral hands…

She let her empty hands drift apart. No, she knew better than to torment herself in this way. "Maybe not quite yet," she told the locket. It glinted at her in response.

The Aisha turned her focus to the other knickknacks in the box, briskly deciding which treasures could stay and which could go. Everything else was easily categorized, and then all that was left was to invite Neopians into her shop. But just as she was heading out the door to the Neovian Printing Press, something caught her eye...

This wasn't entirely unheard of, she had items of every variety up here in the Attic, but this one was very small, very fluffy and very round. Now she had looked at it properly she also saw that it was very, very cute.

Kneeling down and uttering a low whistle, she ushered the little critter over to her. The size of a Pebble, so small enough to be a Petpetpet, this fellow was not part of her collection at all.

Looking up at her with big pleading eyes the little ball of fluff was winning her over. She held out a spectral paw only for it to phase right through once again. Drat.

'I shall call you Floof' she said as she shooed her discovery into a nearby Meerca Tail Teacup. Please stay here while I’m out at the Printing Press, she hoped, as she headed down the staircase...

“Hello? Helloooo??” she called out, whilst thumbing absentmindedly through the selection of paper that was available for print jobs.

Suddenly, a Pteri came swooping down from the rafters, landing gracefully behind the register with a soft, “How may I help you today?”. Ambra rather liked the Printing Press Pteri, although oddly still did not know her name. They’d known each other far too long for her to admit that.

After a rather pleasant exchange in which the Pteri agreed to mock up some flyers in return for Ambra selling some of her old jewelry, she headed for the door when all of a sudden, she heard a shriek!

“What…. what is THAT?” the Pteri cried out, pointing to what at first glance appeared to be a pile of paper scraps. Ambra turned back just in time to see a tiny pair of eyes blinking out from beneath the paper.

“Oh, that’s just Floof!” she said, heading over to gather him off the floor. “I had hoped he would stay up in the Attic while I ran errands!”

Although the Pteri was still rather startled, the ladies once again said their goodbyes, and Ambra headed out the door.

“Now Floof,” she admonished, “you mustn’t wander off like that! A little fella like you could get swept into the dustbin!! It’s really rather best if you just keep to the Attic while I’m away.”

But Floof had other plans…

How will this story end?

“Hey! Get back here, Floof! It’s not safe out there for a small piece of fluff like you!” Ambra called after him, but it was too late. She lost sight of his eyes as the pile of wool and hair began to gain speed and pick up more debris, growing larger.

Oddly enough, the day was as still and eerie as any other in Neovia. Before this moment, there was not even a gentle breeze in the air. It was as if the squall of wind had a mind of its own, moving the little critted alone and with purpose.

Ambra chased the Floof, floating with phantasmal agility through the streets of Neovia.

“Floof, come back!” she called after him as he reached the edge of the town.

Still in hot pursuit, the Aisha looked on as the rush of wind stopped abruptly, yet gently, landing an even bigger Floof in the middle of a field. To her surprise, Floof separated himself from the pile and shook out his round, woolly body back into shape. Two more Floofs turned to look at Ambra, as if the wind had multiplied them.

Still catching her breath, the Ghost Aisha chuckled.

“You little buggers are fast!” she chided, ready to scoop all three of them up.

“Oh, Ambra! I… I didn’t see you there! I’m so embarrassed,” a familiar voice called out to her, trailing off in a sheepish mumble. She turned to see Bart, the famed host of Neovia’s Apple Bobbing attraction. The Green Gnorbu must have been in the middle of shearing his own mane as she could see a pair of scissors hiding behind his back.

“No need to be embarrassed, Bart! Gnorbu’s have to maintain their woolen coats, I understand!” Ambra said sweetly, looking away from him in courtesy. That’s when she noticed a pile of his spent wool beside him. She gasped as she saw tiny eyes opening and closing within the pile, seeming to follow her.

“Are… Are those Floofs… Made of your very own wool, Bart?!” Ambra asked in astonishment, holding out her hand to sift through the pile of sentient wool, all of the Floofs eager for the interaction.

“Yes, they are…” Bart admitted, seeming ashamed. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been trying to keep the darn things in check, but they multiply so quickly… They’re out of control!” He hung his head in disgrace.

“Bart! There’s no reason to be ashamed! These little guys are so adorable! I bet they’d make fine Petpetpets… You know, I sell Petpetpets in the Attic every now and again and they always sell like hotcakes. It’s just amazi—“ the Aisha began to explain, stopping in her tracks.

“That’s it, Bart! We can sell these perfect little Floofs in the Attic! They’ll be a hit! In fact, I’m running my first ever clearance sale this upcoming weekend. It would be a fabulous way to kickoff the sale - introducing a new Petpetpet to Neopia. My buyers would love it!”

With that, Bart and Ambra made their way back through the streets of Neovia and to the Attic, discussing their ingenious business plan. The Floofs tumbled along excitedly behind them, ready for their new homes.

The End.