Windows Garfield OS

*Note: this is episode 60 of the XP Blackmoon Trilogy series*

The Garfield theme included in the Microsoft Plus product for the Windows 98 operating system is in fact one of my favorite themes they included in the Windows 98 Plus product.

However, enough of that, today I'm going to test out another anomalous operating system that would bring the stuff that would be found in people's worst nightmares.

In 1999, shortly after the Windows Codename Leviathan incident occurred, Microsoft and Paws Inc. signed a collaboration agreement to create a revolutionary operating system called the "Microsoft Windows Garfield Operating System", also known simply as the "Windows Garfield OS". It was an operating focusing specifically on Garfield themed content.

However, as the release date drew closer, strange glitches began to occur, mysterious bugs that cannot be explained, some examples of bugs that the team reported were that files would randomly disappear, screens would flicker, computers would often freeze, and strange whispers were heard coming from the speakers, as if the computers were talking to them.

Despite their best efforts, unfortunately, the team was not able to successfully fix the unexplained bugs before the designated release date approached, and so, the Garfield OS was therefore released in early 2000 with the bugs remaining unpatched. This is when things started getting weird.

Users began to report strange occurrences while using the Garfield OS, some users claimed that their desktop icons would move around on their own and sometimes files would even disappear before reappearing in unusual spots. Some users claimed that their screens would flicker, and cryptic messages were shown, others said they heard strange whispers coming from the speakers, even if the computer was turned off. Some people also said that programs would open by themselves, other said that their task bar would randomly change colors every time they tried shutting down the computer, others said that they claimed to have seen a figure resembling Garfield, except he is all black and that he had white glowing eyes, and every time they tried to click away from the screen, the figure would follow their cursor no matter where it goes. Some reports also claimed that the desktop background would change to show disturbing imagery involving Garfield characters whenever the user leaves the room, others claimed that their menus would open up by themselves and every time they tried closing it, their desktop background would brighten for a little bit.

As the unexplained glitches continued, Microsoft and Paws Inc. decided to come up with patches to fix the bugs in this cursed Windows operating system. When users began downloading the patches, the glitches stopped, and they could feel a sigh of relief.

Though some say that the code in the Garfield OS lives on even if they uninstalled it, and if you are not careful, it may find its way onto your computer, bringing with it a world of darkness and terror that you may never escape.

Fast forward to today, I decided to install the operating system on my computer, and whatever I did, I was greeted with the Windows 2000 boot screen, but this time the word mark said "Microsoft Windows Garfield OS Professional" and standing next to the Windows logo was Garfield, also shown are Odie and Nermal. I was greeted with the Windows 2000 startup sound playing in the background once the installation process was completed.

At first, everything was normal at first, but several minutes into using it, I was greeted with strange bugs and glitches that could not be explained at all, I began to report bizarre distortions in the graphics, with textures warping and objects appearing where they shouldn't. It was as if the software's immersive environment had taken on a surreal, unpredictable dimension of its own. Windows, icons, and menus sometimes froze, leaving me with no choice but to restart my system, often resulting in lost work and frustration. The computer kept spontaneously rebooting, seemingly without warning. This not only disrupted my workflow, but also raised concerns about data integrity. Files and documents mysteriously disappeared or became corrupted, leaving my in a state of anxiety and distress as valuable information seemed to evaporate into the digital abyss. And last, but certainty not least, I reported eerie audio distortions, with static, feedback, and ghostly echoes emerging from the system's speakers, lending an unsettling atmosphere to the user experience. While those glitches persisted in my disruptive commotion, a chilling incident transpired within my own walls. An unsuspecting tester, overwhelmed by the relentless cascade of technical issues, suddenly suffered a seizure. Panic and urgency filled the room as I rushed to assist, calling for medical help. This alarming episode sent shockwaves through me, amplifying concerns about the software's stability and its potential impact on users like me.

As I delved deeper into the files, I soon realized that the strange whispers that were emanating from the speakers came from a poorly drawn animated girl with pink hair, pink eyes, a pink shirt, gray pants, and is sitting on a pink cloud. She would often randomly appear and disappear at times.

Curiosity led me to fire up Internet Explorer to explore the digital landscapes of "Windows 3D." Amid the browser's bookmarks, one link going to an unknown Garfield website was shown, its name a string of random characters, and when I clicked on it, I was greeted with something horrifying.

The entire background was green and empty, and in the middle was a distorted figure of Garfield, with pitch black eyes, the figure looked directly into me and told me: "I know where you are, I can see you sitting in that chair over there now, I am coming for you along with my friends!"

Before the distorted Garfield figure could say anything else, the screen descended into a maelstrom of glitches and distortions, a disorienting swirl of chaos that seemed to spiral out of control. In a surreal twist, the mayhem reached its apex with the appearance of the dreaded Blue Screen of Death, a sight all too familiar to anyone who has encountered system errors. But in a surreal twist, this screen was anything but conventional. Instead of the customary blue, it was an ominous shade of crimson, its hue imbued with an unsettling significance.

Suddenly, after about 10 seconds of a disconcerting black screen, the screen began to regain definition. What came into view was profoundly unsettling: a chair occupied by a teenage woman, with white straight hair, blue eyes, and black clothes. The woman, her eyes wide with trepidation, stirred to consciousness. She surveyed her unfamiliar surroundings, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "Where am I?" she uttered, her words echoing with a blend of anxiety and perplexity. After glancing anxiously around her unfamiliar surroundings for a mere five seconds, the woman's attention was abruptly drawn to the distant sound of approaching footsteps. A sense of impending dread hung in the air. Suddenly, Garfield, the iconic orange tabby cat who had unexpectedly appeared in the enigmatic Windows 2001 software with its unknown Garfield website, materialized before her. However, this was no ordinary Garfield. His eyes were totally pitch black, rendering him far from ordinary. With palpable desperation, the woman finally shattered the silence, her voice trembling with anxiety. "Who are you?!" she implored. But Garfield remained obstinately silent, his inscrutable countenance locked in an unsettling grin. As if to accentuate the unnerving silence, the camera abruptly zoomed in on Garfield's face. His grin widened, and then, without warning, he burst into a maniacal, chilling laughter. The sound echoed through the room; its resonance reminiscent of the stock evil laugh sound effects that could be heard in Sound Ideas.

At that exact time, he then began to speak to the women in a menacing way: "You see, I used to be a Microsoft worker. One day, I stumbled upon one of those glitches in the software, and it was the last thing I ever did. It seized me, and I met my end. But I didn't just die; something far stranger happened. I found myself trapped within the computer, and I became this... Garfield. I've been here all along ever since. And I've got two more friends with me, Mickey and Bonzi!"

Suddenly, the distorted Mickey Mouse figure from the Disney OS and the distorted BonziBUDDY figure appeared. Mickey was all totally pitch black and had bright white eyes, and Bonzi had pitch black eyes. Their actions took an ominous turn as Bonzi retrieved a mysterious lever and then he pulled it down. In the background, faint, foreboding footsteps echoed. The captive woman's gaze darted around the room in fear, her anxiety palpable.

As the suspense mounted, the screen transitioned to the enigmatic Humanized BFDI Puffball girl, the same one who caused the strange whispers emanating from the speakers. In that harrowing moment, Human Puffball wasted no time in addressing the terrified woman. In a bone-chilling whisper, she uttered just two words, "You're next."

With shocking swiftness, the ominous Humanized Puffball girl lunged toward the captive woman, poised to enact her horrifying intent. But, as the tension reached its zenith, the computer abruptly shut down of its own volition. The screen dissolved into darkness, leaving only a black screen. Moments later, the computer's screen flickered back to life, its stark black background now bearing a cryptic message: "INSTALL THE PATCHES. TOGETHER, WE CAN PERMANETLY END ALL OF THIS."

At that critical juncture, a conspicuous button materialized on the screen, bearing the enticing label, "CLICK ME TO INSTALL THE PATCHES." A sense of urgency and responsibility washed over me as I guided the cursor toward the button and clicked on it. Instantly, the screen plunged into a black screen, and all traces of the digital world vanished. In that eerie silence, the distorted figures' voices, laden with dismay and fear, reverberated from the abyss, as they exclaimed, "What have you done!?"

Afterwards they said, "Stop trying to install patches now!!!" I ignored the warnings, and I installed the patches anyway. The screen turned pitch black again before it restarted, now with the patches installed. I could finally feel a sigh of relief.

However, I continued to play on the Garfield OS with the patches fixed for several days, until I decided to uninstall the operating system altogether.

To this day, the nightmare of the Garfield OS continues to haunt some people, waiting to appear in their worst nightmares soon.

Credited to JunoTehPlanet