Tales of Tiptoe and More - Volume III

Episode 47

Cathy was reading a Facebook Live story: you might be a little wary of your smartphone.

Cathy had never really trusted her smartphone. She suspected it was secretly sharing information with the smartphone of her arch-enemy Mary, who lived down the street. Sometimes when she'd walk into her room, she'd catch her smartphone shutting off, as if she'd left it on, and it went into its timed shutdown mode, when she was sure that she'd turned it off the last time she'd used it.

She decided to listen to some music that she'd downloaded onto her smartphone, and so turned it on, and pressed the icon for the music app. Before she could select a song, it started playing "Mary" by Sarah McLachlan. Cathy didn't remember downloading it, but decided she kinda liked it, and kept listening. After it was over, "Mary's Song" by Taylor Swift began playing. Cathy didn't care for it, and so tried to turn it off. But it kept playing, and no matter what she did with her smartphone, it kept playing. Then "Mary Mary" by the Monkees played, followed by 'Bloody Mary" by Lady Gaga. She finally got suspicious and decided to go over to her arch-enemy Mary's house, and confront her.

A block away, Mary was startled to have her smartphone suddenly start blaring the song "Cathy's Clown" by The Everly Brothers. She tried to shut it off, but it kept playing. She tried to turn down the volume, but it continued blaring at the same volume. Then it played "Carrying Cathy" by Ben Folds, followed by "Cathy" by Rodrigo Leao. Mary didn't think there were any more Cathy-songs, and so hoped it would end. But then "Kathy's Song" by Simon & Garfunkle played, "Kathy's Waltz" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet, and "Kathy" by Jeff Daniels. She started to suspect that her arch-enemy Cathy was behind this, and stomped over to her house to confront her.

Halfway between their houses, Cathy and Mary saw each other and each was about to say something, when both of their smartphones stopped playing music, but it was replaced by the sound of jeering laughter. They both realized that their smart phones were in league against them, and together they threw their smartphones on the ground and began stomping on them, until they were nothing but broken plastic, metal and glass.

The shared experience didn't do anything to make them feel more
friendly towards each other. They each went out and bought new
smartphones.

But the next day, Cathy's new smartphone turned itself on, and began playing "Mary" by Sarah McLachlan. She felt that she'd found herself in a nightmare "Groundhog Day" situation when she's forced to live thru eternity, hearing Mary-songs. And of course Mary's own new smartphone began playing Cathy-songs.

They got together, deciding that they were meant to become friends, no matter what. They assumed their smartphone trouble were over.

Until the next day, when both of their smartphones began playing Johnny-songs...