"You Can Eat The Balloon" | Creepypasta

[@rylancharron2674]

What if the balloon has gluten in it?

[@joleenphillips2415]

That's what I'm wondering too

[@dafatrat6971]

Then life is cruel

[@heathercraig8243]

I'd eat the dog food, gluten or not at that point...

[@hauntedvodka5387]

Heather Craig oof you must not be allergic to anything

[@bronkwambler826]

Sorry Clancy, I have a strict diet of Only Pillows.

[@niccolehoody7317]

😅🖒💖🎈

[@Emberseptemberashesaj]

Windy Xelor lol

[@setsuimazawa2965]

I have a strict Diet of 7up, with some sprite at the side

[@melitini]

Windy Xelor I have a strict diet of only flaming hot Cheetos and Arizona iced tea

[@sontobonto]

I have a strict diet of cardboard and sand

[@fivesix3868]

Why didn't he... leave the house...?

[@mimingcatto]

He has no car

[@KDog2ification]

@@mimingcatto he has legs? Country means you can hunt. He can always call the pizza guy

[@foxydear4020]

KDog2ification There was a snowstorm and he couldn’t reach anybody

[@CosmicErrata]

He's a Sim.

[@toritori2299]

@@KDog2ification yea, walking in a snowstorm when you don't know the way back is a great idea lol And he can't call a pizza guy. It was said in the story no one picks up no matter who he calls.

[@VoicesInYourHeadphones]

The story was interesting to listen to and keeps you asking questions, but it does have a really negative part and that is the ending. Unless done perfectly an ending that's just a repeat of the beginning of the story is usually a sign to me of "I didn't know how to make a good resolution to this story." Almost like a movie that just ends in the middle with a cut to black and nothing resolving the plot. The rest of the story has potential but bringing in the idea of this mysterious room and giving zero actual answers is a massive stain on the story.

[@loonmanding8628]

I agree it definitely had potential to be a great story, but it left way too many questions unanswered.

[@pinocchiojw9699]

Yeah, I do agree. This story has just the right amount of mystery. But, without answers the story just doesn't make sense.

[@crystal.hangovergang]

WalkingPromissoryNote 1963 No, you should still listen. It's still a good story!

[@toryalyn]

I’m mad Carl never told Danny that he said to eat the damn balloon.

[@Kardinaalilintu]

However... if this was a story about coma dreams, then the repetition is just fine. Dreams rarely make sense or answer questons OR follow a sensible plot.

[@aureliadestiny2482]

Time loop? Magic mushrooms in the forest? I’m a bit confused by the ending. Thank god he didn’t eat the dogs! I was expecting him to bite into the balloon to find it was some guy’s head or something. 😅

[@tammycheyne]

That or one of the dogs

[@fawnrhoads3939]

I don't get it

[@patrickrichardson2518]

@@fawnrhoads3939 Me either...

[@patrickrichardson2518]

@Dev Khanayat Not much of a horror story....

[@JLuvthug3]

Same here

[@FloweredAngelFilms]

I was 100% with this until 27:43 -- that's where I knew this wasn't going to offer any solutions or satisfying wrap-up. Your build-up was fantastic, and I was really invested right up until that point, but ---spoilers--- (just in case) ...but taking that left turn into "the unreliable narrator is suppose to explain things rather than the person who kicked it all off" told me that there was no payoff with where it had been leading. It sounds like you were either aiming for something that didn't manage to come across in the end product, or you had written yourself into a corner and went with a creative "out" that wound up doing more harm than good for your concept. Maybe if the repeated phone call had been included him looking out the window and seeing his friend talking with someone else and NOT on the phone, leading the audience to one more twist to show that he had actually never left the snowed-in cabin, I would have enjoyed the ending more than having it be some sort of transporting-timeloop concept. Or maybe "you can eat the balloon" ends up as sinister as it sounds, where the balloon is actually consuming him. Heck, I would have even accepted a "you've gone mad" dream sequence ending, where everyone turns into the balloon! Any sort of payoff is better than none at all. This really just wound up being incredibly disappointing and all the good spookiness was ruined by that left-turn of a twist. Sorry. Good luck with your next story!

[@GS-cs3qb]

right on

[@WhitneyDahlin]

Agreed 100%

[@joleenphillips2415]

I agree

[@ClancyPasta]

Hope you all enjoy tonight's story! It was an... interesting one to write. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Night guys~ PS. Once you understand the story, the ending makes complete sense : )

[@victorilog5353]

Hi

[@moki1210]

ClancyPasta thank you for the awesome uploads!!! Been having a rough day and this helps takes things off my mind. Peace and have a great night!! 💕

[@rakiahbaker5589]

Hi Clancy

[@potakuchip]

Did you really write it? If so, good job. It's a very interesting story. I was left a bit confused though, is he stuck in a loop or something?

[@nicholasmarion8468]

Great great great!! For some reason I love when stories end where they start.

[@potakuchip]

I'd have just avoided all of that and taken the dogs and their food to my place.

[@kerberose]

danny dropped him off at the house in the rural countryside, he couldn't reach anyone and there was a snowstorm outside.

[@TheBlackTheatre]

It was pretty good, but the end was... Bad. The random time loop doesn't even make sense after he was in the hospital

[@GS-cs3qb]

yep and "PS. Once you understand the story, the ending makes complete sense : )" then please do in som way explain it or even just give a hint

[@TheBlackTheatre]

Care to explain?

[@katelamb4073]

My thoughts exactly

[@katelamb4073]

GS1940 Yes indeed please explain. I am so curious

[@gnralZTT]

I don't think it was straight up a time loop but i also don't think that it has a solid explanation. It's probably up to interpretation

[@jillcipher]

Excuse me, I can do *what* with the balloon?

[@GreenBeanTea3]

Jill Cipher nice profile picture!

[@fivesix3868]

EAT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

[@jillcipher]

Anime Queen Thanks

[@jillcipher]

five six Is that a threat?

[@DaddyCaustic]

@@kipjustice did you just assume the balloons sexual orientation 🤔🤔😂😂

[@Omegha94zip]

So is it a time loop, some strange doppelganger haunting or is he in a coma or ill? I am so confused! Was the phone call at the end repeating from the beginning or was that the real Danny because the first one was a copy? Or did I just miss something? Only your stories do this to my brain, Clancy!

[@gtbros7415]

Next video.. ”You can shit on the carpet” or ”You can drink from the toilet”

[@abbinormal407]

When your dog starts a creepypasta channel

[@alexandrahenderson4368]

😂😂😂

[@tempbauer2131]

I heard this story awhile back. I forgot it. However now the next time someone asks me about food, I’m gonna casually say, “you can eat the balloon” BUT ONLY if I’m able to hang up or walk away or something that makes that the end of the conversation

[@jakedafake0172]

... cover photo made me think of pennywise

[@xWinterstarex7]

Pennywise: Comeon Georgie! Eat the balloon we all eat balloons down here!

[@jakedafake0172]

@@xWinterstarex7 yull eat too, yull eat too, YULL EAT THAT SHIT

[@jessicaconner1242]

If you look closely you can see his shoulders

[@jessicaconner1242]

Sorry neckline

[@rebeccaspookyduran7864]

DON'T EAT THE DOG! FOR GODS SAKE MAN! GO OUTSIDE AND EAT SOME BARK or snow bugs or hunt a squirrel, they're good in the winter months. shit anything but the dog!! Eat the freakin' balloon!! 😰🐕🍴🐿️ Oh thank God!! But I'm so confused!? 😶🤔 Is he dead and reliving some kind of hell?

[@ReinbowUnicorn420]

Lmao I was thinking the same thing when he started saying how he messed up the house and was going insane. I was like omfg! Do not eat the dogs! I personally think he's in a loop, maybe in a coma and he just keeps replaying the same events or maybe an actual time loop. A lot of the stories end with the intro. That's always been what I make of them.

[@blue-or7co]

I mean i'd eat the dog

[@tammycheyne]

It could also be a dream loop. He did mention that he had done some lucid dreaming. But yeah I think we all thought he was gonna eat the dogs

[@impyrobot]

I'd have eaten the dog after day 3 or 4 without food.

[@8MoneyIzmyMission8]

@@blue-or7co even the most dog loving, animal loving, hippie vegan freak would have eaten the dog at that point. There was no edible vegetation around anywhere and it was negative degree weather outside.

[@phantomtail2270]

Pennywise be like: “Stop Eating My Damn Balloons!”

[@dioncaldwell304]

Lol

[@bevkenny1843]

This story made absolutely no sense at all. I really enjoyed listening to it though in the hopes that it might be a really cool series, or in 2 parts. If it’s not... Then I’m left very disappointed. As it had such great potential.

[@TheMurlocKeeper]

Yeah, ikr? I was really enjoying it's weirdness, and looking forward to where it was going...then it just fell in a heap of confusion. I don't think the writer knew how to finish it. Needs work, and finishing properly.

[@bevkenny1843]

Yes! Exactly, I was really enjoying its weirdness and twists and turns. I felt we only got a rough outline. Like a sandwich with no filling...?

[@Drpeppermaniac]

There can be no continuation he's in a an infinate time loop hense why the door look older and more worn than the others after going through somany times and eating the balloon resting the time loop. It's honestly a greate creepypasta once you understand and the loop just makes it creeper

[@kennamay8543]

somebody poisoned the iced tea and his day keeps restarting... that would explain why he got gradually more delusional

[@avriil6446]

But the question is... Does it taste good?

[@johngotcash]

@Devilry Games same lol

[@joandraromero5704]

Yay....another reason to not be able to sleep 😯😯😯

[@imzenoz8668]

joandra Romero im watching this to go to sleep, his voice sexy nohomo

[@the_guy_with_a_shitty_mic4175]

My mom never tells me a bed time story Soo I got this instead

[@romeocano1919]

I'm watching this at 3 am

[@setsuimazawa2965]

Clancy's voice makes one sleep..... in fact, you live the Pasta in you dreams, enjoying his Narration while seeing (In Dreams) the story unfold

[@the_guy_with_a_shitty_mic4175]

@@setsuimazawa2965 Clancy is a good narrator But creepsmcpasta is great

[@bluerise2288]

I don’t get the ending...

[@WhitneyDahlin]

Very disappointed. Great build up and plot but the ending sucked. Worst ending I have ever read. No answers at all. It felt like you didn't know how to end it and so used a time loop as a cop out.

[@altxogershavelayers5166]

That's because he is in a loop......he was always in the loop that's why the balloon door is so worn out and looks the most used.

[@junior-8777]

I don’t get the ending WTF, can you explain it to me Clancy? );

[@nickbryant91]

Me either

[@fivesix3868]

Same

[@sardsvib]

What I personally think is that every time the narrator wakes up from the "coma", he has to relive everything all over again. Like a Groundhog Day type of thing.

[@sheabee1163]

I think he’s on a loop? A lot of these stories are and the intro is repeated in the end

[@mayayamato7351]

hes either looping or mentally ill, or both

[@pleasedontfeedthe6235]

Explain the ending? Alternate reality? Initially it was winter and cold...end hot and summer? I'm lost on this one ... I'd love to hear an alternate ending that will compete with the intense build up we were given during the story...cause it fell flat. Kind of like a deflated balloon.

[@A-with-the-J]

But I don’t WANT to eat the balloon

[@badtimesallaround]

That balloon isn't for eating! It's a checkpoint!

[@kikikungfukakes6639]

Talk about hunger hallucinations! Didn't anyone ever tell him never to eat anything from a talking animal that cooks fur off of meat? What a crazy tale. Xoxoxo another great spooky narration.

[@avionkeach2152]

Just a large edible balloon frozen and filled with fudge. Nothing strange happening here. Really interesting story but I feel like the infinite loop ending is a bit of a cop out or a tease. Idk good job though!

[@amartyrsconfession1611]

Love your channel, nothing like some good old bedtime stories.

[@LordNelson6]

I understand The room is an entrance to hell, hes in his own little time loop in hell.

[@danielball7657]

The talking dog really got my attention. That one made me chuckle, especially the fact that the dog wanted Carl to eat his leg....

[@Qsalis]

it would actually be worse for a starving person to eat their own body - the body itself can dismantle itself for nutrients in time of crisis and it's way more efficient than chopping it off and eating it

[@theinfidel9587]

Title: you can eat the balloon Me: really?! *POP*

[@samanthaespinoza619]

A year late but ILOVED THIS STORY! I see that most comments say that the end sucked but i took it as this is his hell. He died and went to hell and this is how he's gonna spend the rest of eternity.

[@ConfettiCasket]

Sooo, did he have hypothermia and have some kind of weird ass dream while in a coma or something? Especially cause the story mentioned he ripped off his clothes and ran into the snow, and the ending mentioned he felt really hot? In the later stages of hypothermia, you can start to feel extremely hot and rip off your clothes to cool off (when in reality you're freezing to death)

[@oliveranderson928]

I'm trying desperately to figure this out, but I'm as stumped as everyone else. I'd love to know what you were going for here. It's incredibly intriguing and well written. I hope someone cracks it or you come out with some sort of explanation, because I know I'll be able to appreciate the story a lot more once I get it.

[@kikikungfukakes6639]

I can be so stupid sometimes. That deliciously plump red balloon. I just need to eat that damn balloon... What a spooky twist!

[@oreolover9321]

Omg I'm in love with your channel. You one of my favorites

[@whitechocolate6645]

So...it looks like "In and of itself" is slowly replacing "Lo, and behold" as the favorite pasta story trope!

[@resdraon]

Ending was bad, actually the whole story was...didn't make sense. Seemed like the author was trying to be funny and throw in as many cliche's as he could in the last 4min and it was just horrible...Why the hell would you make it a time loop when that has NOTHING to do with the story at all...? I was hoping there would be some logical reason to why he would eat the ballon or something...There was no reason why any of this happened..nothing was tied together. Feels like he's trying to tie in way to many elements together in one story. Also, he forgets to mention shit like the snow storm making it impossible for him to leave the house when the dude is starving. I'm sitting here just thinking..."So go to the store...?" only to mind out later there was a snow storm...

[@ShiggumsDiggums]

I like the ending. Time loops happen to be a weirdly horrifying concept to me lol. Especially the kind where you don't even realise that you're doomed to repeat the same horror over and over. Nice build up with an ending that both keeps the balloon mysterious while also alluding to it's powerful properties. Could it be some interdimensional entity with an attack/survival method that seems odd to us because it's not of this dimension? Somehow gaining sustenance/power from those attempting to consume it by forcing them to starve while trapping them in it's presence? No idea why it takes the form of a balloon tho. Maybe they have to be near starvation, like their stomach has to be nearly empty or something. Idk, but it's very interesting.

[@dickurkel2212]

And yet another goodnight sleep thanks to daddy Clancy, thank you

[@skug9bob]

I was expecting them to break into the room and (SPOLERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERS) find someone had starved to death in there.

[@tiffanybenefield1980]

Well I think I'll just stay away from all red balloons from now own. 2 months ago I was in a coma for 2-3 weeks. I had some CrAZy dreams. Anyway keep up the awesome work.👌😇👍

[@kikikungfukakes6639]

I did notice you missing from the Comments. Glad to have you back, tiff. Its good to see you're okay. Xoxoxo

[@tiffanybenefield1980]

@@kikikungfukakes6639 Thank you!!! I truly appreciate it very much.😇😇😇

[@plousho1947]

weird flex but ok (sry had to make that joke glad your ok)

[@drinkerofpaint]

Did anyone else pinch their nose at the dream part, fully aware that you're awake, not sure what you were expecting, just because you didn't know you could breathe through a plugged nose in your dream? Side note I think you also can't read in a dream, often you just sort of know what something is supposed to say

[@lasmirandadennsiewillja9435]

Well, it's an "old" video by internet standards but for thoughts was asked and oh boy, do I have some thoughts :') Writing: solid. Horror: Well, as usual, creepypastas aren't scary. But I like the obscurity of the whole premise. It has a haunted house/Sunday afternoon horror/Goosebumps quality to it. Corrupting harmless items or even those who we usually associate with fun, to be the source of the whole horror is always a fun challenge. I honestly can't tell if you succeeded, though, partly because the Nostalgia Critic ruined balloons as something ominous and scary for me, partly because a funny One Late Night let's play from a few years ago ruined balloons as ominous and scary for me. However, the part how hunger is slowly driving the narrator into madness is well done and believable and the transition from being amused and bewildered by the "Just eat the balloon" comment works well. Though, the hallucination of the dog offering a bite from his leg is rather cartoony and has been done in too many kids movies and cartoons to be creepy. I'm not sure if it was meant to be comic relief at that point but either way, it pulled me out of the "damn, he's fucked" mood for a moment. I'm in general not a fan of animal cruelty for shock value but I think here it would actually have worked better if instead of having a cartoonish dream he dreamt about actually trying to kill the dog who tries to run away from him (doesn't even have to be overly gory or splatter for that to get the idea across. Not with a boxer and his loyal, hurt eyes when someone he considered a friend suddenly tries to hurt him. Dang, just writing this hurt >:V) The ending, yeah. You were going for more than a cheap time loop, I got that much. We begin the story when he's on his way to the house in the snow and end it before he leaves and it seems to be a very hot summer (or his brain begins to mix up the symptoms of hypothermia with the weather now, which would also explain why he talks about frostbite just from leaving a car iirc but who knows). Right before, at the end of the main story, he tries to figure out what he remembers and what he forgot, so I guess there's the key: He's not actually in a loop, but trying to remember what happened and as he does, there's already something off in the very beginning, something as extreme as the season/weather, so, who knows what else his memory messed up. The thing is, there's a difference between observing and putting clues together and search for the missing item and going on a pixel hunt or having to use moon logic to solve an adventure puzzle. I followed the story with maybe 70% attention because I enjoy listening to them while playing games that require grinding and not my full attention so it's possible I missed a few crucial words. Honestly, I'm not going to sit down and listen to the whole 33 minutes without doing anything else meanwhile, simply because I can't, which means, I cannot comb through the whole text to find single keywords. To some degree, I think I shouldn't have to and concluding from the comments it's unlikely I missed something crucial. I assume you were going for a Sixth Sense effect, like, there's the twist, and now that you read it, some seemingly harmless moments/words/objects from before suddenly gain a different meaning/turn into symbols. If so, I fear you shyamalaned a bit too hard and kept the hints too subtle (ha, don't I know that problem. To avoid exactly that situation, I have a friend who read bullshit with the sole purpose to test my twists and tell me if it's too subtle or too on the nose). Another problem I see after reading the comments is that maybe the whole set-up is too distracting. The whole "conveniently, none of the many, many methods to stay connected in this age don't work for this or that reason, and he also doesn't go outside to dig up some plants or even plain grass because, plot" thing might tempt us readers to ask too many "why doesn't he...?" questions which also lowers the attention for too fine details. Also, the "oops, no reception, guess I have to face something terrifying now while being helpless!" trope is a bit overdone, especially in the horror genre. Got no real solution for that other than having a story play in the late 90s when computers, cell phones, and internet were a thing but not such a big, advanced thing. It's a cheap cop-out but sometimes, the end justifies the means. Yeah, all in all, the end isn't the strongest point of the story but I wouldn't go so far as some commenters and say it's the worst ever. It's not. It doesn't make me angry, it's dissatisfying, in a "oh come on, don't tell me I have to carefully listen to every single word again because I missed one tiny thing" kind of way. In that sense, it's the perfect creepypasta as 99% of them suffer from "okay or even great build-up, badly pulled-off end" syndrome and as a reader, you really gotta learn to separate the rest of the story from the end to give the writing a fair chance :D That said and ending aside, I had fun listening to it. Turning something silly into something obscure and then surprisingly threatening plus a dash of cartoonish creepiness is not everybody's cup of tea but I like it (there's some irony to the fact that I was playing Graveyard Keeper while listening to this.). Definitely entertaining.

[@wintercaptain]

So... does Doordash not exist in this universe? Or pizza places that deliver? Maybe I missed something when I skipped over the part where he considers eating the dog

[@TheMurlocKeeper]

It's ok...no dogs were harmed in the making of this story. :P

[@Amzith]

he tried calling people but no one seemed to pick up. even his brother who was iN the same town. so I guess they decided calling some pizza place wouldn't work either

[@tammycheyne]

Lot of places wont deliver in rural areas when its so far out

[@galacticgremlin]

Yessss thank you for this, Clancy. Now I can finally sleep tonight. Your narrations are so relaxing.

[@red_revival]

I only clicked the video because I thought it said 'you can eat in the bathtub' and I was proud of whoever discovered this truth for themselves. Then I realised the actual title and that it was a horror story.

[@MrKichtopher]

Bummer. I was really enjoying this until there was no ending... 😧

[@ashkanr4796]

its good you dont have to watch persian movies. they are all open ended! like, a drug dealer escapes and a cop that was his highschool friend followed him and gets him and he tried to kill himself but before he decides if he wants to pull the trigger, cuts his daughter working at a coffeeshop and some customer asks for a coffee very nicely. the end

[@kalt7990]

"No food huh?" "Nope, there's a balloon." "Alright then screw this I'm out." Problem Solved.

[@SVG-zv4pn]

I'll admit I've chewed on a balloon but I would never eat a balloon I mean come on I'm not weirdo!

[@DerangedScout]

I mean, if you're saying I can, then sure.

[@GS-cs3qb]

or just go get some food at the store never mind a snow storm

[@theconfusedvampire]

3:18 Skinwalker?! These days, everything sounds like a skinwalker to me.

[@katelamb4073]

I am COMPLETELY baffled by this ending. So..... he’s in some crazy time loop?? WTF...🤔😳😳

[@a15thcenturysuitofgothicarmor]

That plump red balloon 🤤

[@cyrus909]

thick

[@chibispawns5293]

Sounds like no one understood the ending. Let me explain what happened... Wait, I dont get it.

[@FBIR-uy1qu]

That was the best story I have listened to so far from you keep up the good work Clancy please write more stories like this!

[@mirandam7349]

Uh what? It was going so great until the very end!

[@the-hd5cx]

You underestimate my plastic eating powers

[@matteblacke4635]

I really enjoyed this one, like all the others. Great narration!

[@jaymescholtes19]

Wait what happened at the end? The story sounded like it started over but changed. Very weird story. Love your videos! 😁😁 P.S: You have a very cool voice! 😁😁

[@sweetkity]

I know this is older but I've been so far down into the comments and NO One has explained what exactly happens. Normally I can figure weird stuff like this out and I'm the one having to explain stuff or whats going on. Halp! So confused!

[@Nyorane]

Touching plastic cups, eating balloons... IDK why these "innocuous inanimate object" stories are so intriguing but they are!

[@lanthelancer]

For anyone wondering, the point of the story is: “Just because you CAN eat something does not mean you SHOULD.”

[@kindredessex3827]

All that time for nothing man?

[@tuckersgaming]

I’m so confused by the ending , but great story as always. Love you Clancy ❣️

[@Pedroelpistolero]

Clancy!! This story was amazing up to the ending. I wasn’t a fan of the ending but I still enjoyed the story thoroughly! It kept me intrigued throughout. Keep it up and keep working hard on your writing!

[@cartierr6717]

So he couldn’t just leave the house or order a pizza?

[@TGK825]

There was a severe snowstorm

[@katelamb4073]

Lol. I thought that too.

[@gnralZTT]

So you couldn't just... Listen to the story? Nobody would pick up the phone or answer his texts and there was a severe snowstorm without a car and in the middle of nowhere...

[@DarkwaveMistress]

Gave me some Hill House vibes. Maybe it's too lazy, but I think there is something in the room and it wants the narrator. I seriously love your stories.

[@anaussi8294]

Thank you, love your videos. Love from Australia.

[@paperwormscat9760]

Interesting that the situation is happening again without him remembering.

[@shio5234]

while i understand and partially agree with the ending should have been different, it made me smile. it is like, when he went in that room he never came out, i think. like some weird alternative universe hell that will keep repeating. i like it. it leaves questions, but i like them, not everything needs to be answered all the time. i would be interested to have a different ending but i dont think its as terrible people are saying it is

[@coalcreekdefense8106]

Guys, there's something crucial here that we are ALL missing, and I can't figure out what it is. This reads like a weird stream-of-consciousness piece, but I don't think that's what Clancy is going for. He says once we understand the story, the ending makes sense. So there has to be some easily overlooked detail that ties everything together.

[@frozencreampuff3879]

Ok so I'm rewatching this getting ready to theorize and I love this little detail The protagonist Says the door seems as if it's been opened millions and millions of times yet Danny claims its been locked and there is no key to open it mysterious

[@mythik1653]

Another good vid, along with a good night, and a HORROR story to ruin it, lol love ya Clancy, subscribed and post notifications are on😁

[@anncharron9792]

Hi.I just wanted to say thanks for the story. I`ve been going thru a severe depression and spend quite a bit of time crying but ur story actually got my attention an d stopped the crying , for a bit anyway. So thanks a lot

[@sandstormed]

This story has been bugging me ever since I listened to it here when it first was published, and even after all of that, no one understands what the meaning of the end was. Now that I listen to it again much more closely and intricately, taking all sorts of notes and observations, I believe I have finally figured out exactly how to explain this story. It's a little confusing, but I feel that once you get it, everything makes sense. This story is actually a story in of itself. That may sound confusing, but what I mean is that this whole story is a LITERALLY WRITTEN story being made. Now you may be thinking "How in the world does that make sense?", well I'll tell you why with these points that will make things much clearer. Point 1 - The entire story goes nowhere seemingly on purpose. Although the story is read to us in the span of 30 minutes, it honestly feels much shorter and peculiarly unfinished. Almost as if everything before the twist ending was supposed to be a first draft. The story hooks you in with the title alone, and although it keeps the balloon as the main focus, things just become extremely strange immediately after Carl encounters it. The story seems to break away from the balloon for a moment to show confusion in both Carl and the reader as he goes on tangents about eating Toy. And even in the hospital, everything is extremely amiss and haphazard with not only the tone, but even the descriptions of specific things that don't matter. The only thing about the hospital that seems clear and reasonable is Carl's monologue before the twist (more on that in a different point). Point 2 - There is a strange lack of consistency with the weather and temperature. The weather is cold and snowy for the majority of the story until near the twist. This is pretty fine, but by the climax of the story, Carl mentions that there is a constant snowstorm that appears outside every night (more on that later). This may not sound too weird in a seemingly supernatural situation, but added with the inconsistency of temperature will make things more suspicious. In the beginning when Carl leaves the car, he mentions that his arm has gone numb from the "incoming frostbite". This is bizarre considering that there surely should have been some heater in the car to disallow this from happening, especially if the drive was as long as it seemed to be implied. Not only that, but despite this previous moment occurring, after Danny and Mary drive away, Carl stands outside and watches the car until he can no longer see it, as he stands in the snow. This is a very bizarre action, even considering that the titular phrase is now known to Carl during this moment, because after apparently being so numb from cold, going into the house and walking Danny and Mary back out to the car, he should still be just as numbingly cold as he was before. He could have easily stayed in the house to say goodbyes and ask questions, but oddly enough, he didn't, despite his previously established hatred of any form of wintry cold. Even then I can hear you say "It's not that weird he was probably just confused", to which I say sure, but then there is the moment when Carl looks out the window in the hospital, where apparently the sun is shining brightly in an area covered high with snow after these previously mentioned storms (and also it was just nighttime a few hours ago and suddenly it becomes the afternoon). Although implied that the storms weren't real, it is still obviously the middle of winter, and a strong one at that. And during the twist, we see that it is now much warmer than before to the point where Carl goes to drink ice tea and take off his sweatshirt. It sounds like it has suddenly become Summer, but why? Maybe that snowstorm outside felt a little too convenient to keep Carl from going outside to see if he could find help or even potential food buried in the snow, and the writer decided to try a Summer setting instead. Temperature and weather are obviously very important in this story as well, since it comes up so often to the point of almost sounding weirdly repetitive. This is not the strongest point, but many of the comments mention it, so I wanted to give them credit. Point 3 - Carl makes some weirdly specific observations. This is extremely prevalent during the beginning and before the twist while he is talking to Danny. After asking Danny about food in the fridge, he first describes him as having a "deer in headlights" expression before returning to a relatively calm one. But when he's asking for clarification, things start sounding weird when he describes Danny's eyes "going emptier by the second". This sounds rather normal considering that this makes Danny seem almost unreal or fake in the sense that he's not actually saying this in the context of the story's reality (since later, it seems that he doesn't even know about the balloon despite everything). But if we take this more literally, we can say that this makes Danny sound unreal in the sense that he is a character in a story that the writer simply didn't manage to give emotion to for the time. That may sound silly, but what about when Carl is speaking with Danny in the hospital? While preparing to explain the backstory of the Balloon Room to Carl, Danny "Looks to the top left-hand side of his peripheral vision". What in the world? That is so strangely specific and worded in the most unnatural way. It almost doesn't even seem to fit in the context of the moment. There is literally no explanation for this description, unless this is meant to signify nervousness, but even then "top left-hand side" is an extremely weird way to say it. This makes things sound fake and unreal once again, and more so in the context of this whole story literally being the first draft of a story. Point 4 - Carl is working to be a full time freelance creative writer. "Okay, and?" you might say, but listen here. Carl only mentions that he is working to be a full time freelance creative writer twice during the entirety of the story: the beginning, and during the twist end. It is actually the only perfectly repeated phrase within the twist end. This is so strangely specific and doesn't really even matter to this entire story aside from explaining why Carl happens to have a lot of time on his hands. But what if this fact is a subtle hint to the secret of this whole story being a first draft? It may seem stretchy, but being the only repeated line in this story makes it seem very suspicious. Point 5 - The tone is as scattered as a collection of marbles rolling across the floor. The entire story has a mysterious air to it the whole time, but there are moments where the tone becomes humorous, and then snaps back to serious suspense. The best examples are the entire Toy dream sequence and the backstory of the Balloon Room. Carl's dream is even written/read in a much stranger way than before, as if something is currently happening rather than happening in the past tense. This entire sequence seemed weirdly unneeded and long winded for simply explaining that Carl wanted to eat Toy. Later we then get the bizarre moment that is the backstory of the Balloon Room. The backstory itself doesn't make sense really considering that they could just as well have pulled off the door rather than keep it locked (and high doubt that the home's price would lower from one room being closed off). But the entire tone of the conversation is extremely out of place. Danny is described vividly that makes it seem as if he's going to go into a nervous breakdown any moment during the explanation, holding his head in his hands, having his jaw agape, etc. And literally after Danny makes a whole bizarre show of distressed expressions, he simply just looks confused before "needing to go get some air". I don't know about you, but talking about a locked door in your house that was claimed to have been opened by your friend who seemed to have had a psychological episode not too long ago and is obviously extremely confused and unwell should not make you act as if the world is going to end. There is something wrong with the tone, and perhaps that was unwanted, so that is why the main part of the story was the first draft. Point 6 - Carl doesn't understand what's happening majority of the time and comes up with theories as possible answers. There is a slight allusion to this after he sees the strange map in the fridge, wondering if he was in a dream. Nothing exactly makes him question this way again until he's in the hospital, where that is the only thing he seems to keep talking about to himself. His monologue before the twist is the main example. "Either I lost my mind out there, suffered some kind of delusional episode or --- something else? I wasn't sure, and I wasn't sure if I ever would be." Right after this, the twist end occurs, which is funny. This monologue sounds exactly like the end of a mysterious story, but suddenly the twist occurs. It almost sounds like the writer themselves questioning the sense that the story made. There is literally no clear or even subtle hint to explain anything that happened with the balloon whatsoever, and everything around the hospital sounds like a wall of excuses to try and patch/fix the story in order for it to still be something understandable (The X-ray, the Balloon Room backstory, Dr. Waters, etc). (Continued in reply)

[@sandstormed]

Point 7 - The Twist end. I have been dancing around talking about the twist in detail, but finally I'll cave. The twist has the story suddenly repeat, but not in the way that you'd exactly expect. Rather than full on loop back around to the very beginning of the story, we loop timewise to when Carl first got the call from Danny about his father. There seems to be no overt difference to how the call was described before, the only main points being that repeated line of Carl being a writer and that it is very hot rather than very cold. Like most of the comments say, this ending makes no sense and seems like a cop out, but with the context that everything before the twist end was supposed to be a first draft of a literal story, this would turn out to be the second draft. Rather than start with driving to the cabin, the second draft starts with the call instead so that there is more show than tell rather than a whole paragraph of exposition. There is even set up for a new weather situation of being hot, referencing the first draft's cold setting when Carl mentions that his house was usually cold. Now as long winded as this comment already is, there are many reasons why I believe this entire story is literally supposed to be about a first draft. The points given are rather supportive, but a bit stretchy to a point. But I have one more point that made me completely believe this theory to be legit. And that is... Point 8 - James. "Who's James?" you may say to yourself. Well, I wouldn't blame anyone for missing this or forgetting this character, because he seemingly only appears in the literal first sentence of the story. ["I really appreciate you being there for us in such a freak emergency, Carl. I have no idea what we would've done without you." James said, looking over to me with a warm smile of gratitude plastered across his face in the driver's seat of his old Ford pickup.] Now this might seem like it's not a big deal, but this is the clue that cracked the mystery of this story wide open for me to the point of writing this essay long thought process. Y'see, after this sentence, Carl goes ahead and explains that he had gotten the call for the emergency from Danny and explicitly mentions that Danny was going to pick him up, and there is no mention of there being a different person. There's Danny, Mary, Carl, Toy, Boxer, and Dr. Waters. James never was mentioned again after this opening sentence. But, what if James is actually in the story? Perhaps, the true owner of that pickup? The one who made the call that sent this story into motion? That's right, I completely believe that James and Danny are the same character. Legit, it's so easy to miss, but it makes complete sense that these two are the same character, where the writer originally called him James, but later decided to name him Danny. I mean, there literally is no mention of James being a different character, because once Danny is introduced, suddenly Danny is the driver, and not James. This is why the story explicitly points out that James is the driver; it's a subtle hint to point out the major discrepancy. There is literally no way to get around this unless Clancy legit explains that that was an accident, but I highly doubt it, it's extremely convenient for a major character's name to be mixed up with a completely different name, and ONLY be mentioned at the opening sentence. And that is why I believe that "You Can Eat the Balloon" is actually just the process of writing a first draft and moving onto the second draft as the twist ending. I could entirely be wrong and transdimensional drug balloons are just the answer, but I thought too long about this, and I think I got it as close as I possibly could to a legit explanation for this purposefully confusing and abstract story.

[@socialwetwork5643]

I would have kicked that door down on the very first day if i owned that house. Not knowing what was in there would drive me crazy.

[@katiesongbird9726]

Right?!?

[@JamesThomasJeans]

Fantastic story, but let down by the ending. I had to rewind and re-listen to it just to make sure I'd gotten what was going on... and I still don't know what was going on.

[@coalcreekdefense8106]

The unsatisfying resolution has made this story stick in my mind, and I come back to it every couple of years. It bugs me so much.

[@katiesongbird9726]

Totally agree. I definitely have a theory on where he was going with this one

[@alexskywalker5478]

This is really interesting. I liked it! :) Reminds me of the strangest security tape I’ve ever seen with how the ending was

[@masque1659]

You're an absolutely amazing writer Clancy.

[@danielpetrusevski2572]

He doesn't write these. He narrates.

[@jamierowe_]

​@@danielpetrusevski2572he did write this and a lot of others....just check the description

[@tweedledee450]

He writes some of them.

[@angelo5845]

Make one called you can you eat the ball's. 13likes thanks.have a good day.

[@serioustable8659]

I love everything about this comment

[@mlgmcdonaldsland7063]

Darkcoss 21 I'd love to bash your stupid teeth inwards

[@angelo5845]

@@mlgmcdonaldsland7063 Lol

[@angelo5845]

@@serioustable8659 Thanks

[@micaiahenglander4258]

Why can't the guy just leave the house for a while and go get some food? I'm assuming he's not actually broke enough to not be able to afford s loaf of bread!!

[@cadillacdeville5828]

YES! He's back, you've been missed Clancy.

[@mph9493]

Loved this story and your narration! Thank you Uncle Clancy!

[@arthur4prez428]

CLANCY! THIS IS AMAZING WRITING! I LOVE IT SO MUCH, AMAZING JOB

[@TheMurlocKeeper]

Yeah, umm...I'm confused too. Wtf happened here? And why wasn't one of the first questions to his friend (when he woke up in the hospital) "Why the fuck did you tell me I can "eat the balloon" as you were leaving?" That was never addressed. I agree with someone else on here in that just cutting the story short and making it loop to the beginning is kinda a sloppy way to end a story, like the writer (was it you?) didn't really know how to end it, so went with an old standby, hoping it'd come across all mysterious and scary....when all it did was confuse and frustrate us. It was really good and super weird, right up until the end there, it really was! But....then it just fell apart and left the reader disappointed...and you never want to do that. Please fix it! I want this story to have the proper ending it deserves, because I was enjoying it up until the end. And the red balloon in his stomach was never explained. How did it even get there? Wtf? So many unanswered questions... Please, please re-do!

[@emmajjackson2011]

This ended in a weird way.(I'm okay with that tho') IMO, it sounds like a warning dream that he's not catching onto because he's not remembering it.

[@bradythomas234]

EAT THIS BALLOON YOUNG ONE

[@CIRCLEDARK]

I wonder… does it look like to “sped-walk”? Must be entertaining.

[@graceamodeo1587]

Yo when I was a kid I would have nightmares of balloons coming alive... I don't know why I bothered watching this... bad memories triggered, man.

[@ashleyroorda5385]

I love your funnier scary stories! This is a good one ♥️

[@heloizme2773]

I read the title and was like "I've always wanted to eat the balloon! I can't believe I can actually eat it!"

[@Mewoomoo]

There is such a thing as pizza delivery, Chinese take out, walking to a grocery store?!

[@GoldenWhistle]

I am pretty sure the only way to break the loop is to eat the dog and leave the house for help

[@SpiderCatAnimated]

okay so i was watching this while drawing, I thought my video had reset at the end and i freaked out

[@charlottelord9853]

I came to the comments two minutes in because I was afraid something would happen to the dog- I’m glad I came 😂

[@harmonicaman79]

That was fucking fantastic.

[@missvixen3252]

You just earned yourself a new subscriber! 😄 I really liked your narration