One-Shots because i have better things to do

The Stolen Duvet

My attempt at my brother's homework task: "write about a time you lost something"

It was a cold Sunday morning when I woke with my duvet missing.  My toes felt frozen as I sat up, pulling my pillow over me to try and keep warm.  Hazily, I reached for my bedside light, turning it on to illuminate the dark, winter-bitten room.  I blinked in the sudden light, before letting my gaze wonder around my room.  My clothes were strewn everywhere, the bin tipped upside down, and a storage box in the way of the wardrobe.  Nothing out of the ordinary. 

Until I saw it – small dirt prints littering the visible carpet, which I was certain were not there when I awoke.  I groaned, realising that it meant I would have to do something. 

Leaving the sanctity of my pillow, I made my way over to the dark, furry, dressing gown on the other side of my bed side table.  I grabbed it, slipping into the promised warmth that encouraged me to leave my bed in the first place.  I reached for my phone next to my lamp.  3am, great.  I scrolled for the torch and made my way to the door.

Letting the light of my phone lead the way, I followed these small prints down my stairs.  My mind racing as to what made them – the dog was at the vets for the night, so who could have stolen my duvet.  My ears finally picking up tiny, high, shouts of joy and as my feet fell on the freezing floor of the downstairs hallway, the stopped. 

I turned my phone's torch to the living room at the end of the dark hallway, where the noise had come from.  I approached carefully, peering into it.  The light caught like cat's eyes across the room, I jumped, almost falling into the radiator next to me.  

I turned back into the room, my hand shaking.  And standing across the sofa were... tiny men!  All with spikey wool hats that had been pulled over their eyes and their large noses poking out.  "The giant's awake!" one screamed, running to hide under what it was standing on.  A black large... duvet!  MY DUVET!

"Oi!  What do you want?" another shouted, lifting its hat and stamping its little feet. 

"Um... my duvet back?" I replied, watching in wonder as they huddled together in a circle, murmuring between themselves. 

It felt like hours before the leader turned back again.  It shook its little head, "No, sorry Giant, can't do that, sorry," it squeaked, nose turning bright red. 

"And why not?" I asked, holding back a laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

"Because its cold," it said back, matter-of-factly, eyes flashing against my phone again.  The others, about seventeen of them, nodding in agreement.

"And what about me?" 

The one that had crawled under the duvet, poked its head out, "Giant's got a point, what about it?"  the others started murmuring between them again, the leader's nose going even more red, before it turned back and formed another circle. 

It was a long huddle, full of small shouts and squeaks of indignation.  I flashed my phone's screen, 4am, this interaction has taken an hour, I stifled a yawn and an idea struck me.  "Hey, look it's really cold, and I'm really tiered," I said, gaining their attention, "I've got a really big bed, so why don't you come up with me, and share the bed and duvet.  That way we'll all be warm," I suggested. 

The circle looked up, before looking back down, murmuring some more.  The leader turned back around, "Alright, but you need to carry the 'duvet' up that mountain," it told me, putting air quotes around the 'duvet' before pointing to the stairs.  I nodded, moving into the living room to pick up the duvet. 

I dragged the duvet up the stairs, sneaking a quick snap at the rampage of gnomes (that's what they seem to be) to a friend (keeping the streak and the mystery) before saving it as I got to the top.  I flopped the duvet onto my bed and climbed over my rubbish to finally shed the gown and go back to sleep. 

I watched the seventeen gnomes climb onto the bed as well and hide under the duvet, and curling up at the other end.  I sighed, and reached for the light, allowing darkness to consume me as I drifted off.  What the fuck just happened?