Random Practice Journal

Scrapped: Super Early Halloween Special!

I writhed under the heavy blanket, fighting myself to stay asleep. I wasn't falling victim to cliché nightmares. No, I only saw blackness, the color of the pointy tip of my pencils I treasured so much.

For a good ten minutes or so, I tried my best to ward off consciousness until inevitably losing. My fresh mulch brown eyes peeled themselves open and I just lain there, allowing thoughts to come to me if they pleased. After waking, I turned my head to the side, cocoa locks of hair falling over the other side of my face. Beside my bed, I found surprising yet familiar gravel grey eyes gleaming back at me. I let out a startled breath of air, until I realized who was looming by the bed, standing still, prim and proper like a noble statue.

"Darn it, Hannibal." I grumbled, earning a very coy smile from the mouth of the wooly creature. "Why must you always show up whenever something scary happens?" I complained, throwing off the blanket and sitting up, arms crossed, as I was.

"Consider my visitation merely an omen. A foreshadowing, if you will." He replied, still bearing a smirk. He always found some satisfaction in the misfortune of those around him.

"I'm not going to go back to sleep tonight, am I?" I fumed. He shrugged, but his whole demeanor said, no screamed, otherwise. He knew.

"Who's to know? Maybe not tonight, tomorrow, or the entirety of your life. I'm only a messenger until it passes."

"Until what passes? I don't get it."

"A simple child such as yourself wouldn't." He stated condescendingly while messing up my already unkept hair with one stubby hand. I gave him an ice cold look, but of course he took it without much care.

"Then I'm going to watch tv downstairs. There should be some random horror movie on by now. Most late night movies are so much better than daytime movies." I prattled to the sheep monster while standing to my feet. The floor, both the amber colored wood and the large circular carpet, felt freezing cold beneath my toes. I paused at the doorway to my room and glanced back at him, now seated on the farthest bottom corner of my bed. "Hey, do you want to join me or..?"

"I prefer to spend my time doing more practical activities. Thank you." As much as he tried to sound nice, he still bore a strongly disapproving tone, as if my offer offended him. I shook it off and made the biggest mistake so far. I left him, Hannibal the sheep, alone in my room, just so I could watch some good late night programming, hopefully a classic slasher film.

As long as I've known him, Hannibal was by far the most complex being I've encountered thus far. And I've seen some freaky characters. For starters, one would assume sheep are just helpless farm animals that graze mindlessly on grass. Not in his case. He grazes on anything or anyone he can get. He's as intelligent and sly as can be, and he has a lot of wit, charisma, and a bit of an ego. He's fluffy and walks on two legs, but he's definitely no regular sheep. I could go on, but I'd rather save that information for later.

"Turn around, you half chewed pencil!" I shouted at the screen of the television as if the people would hear and heed my warning. The moment cries for help blared out the speakers by the tv, I rolled my eyes and a fume of air puffed out my nostrils. "You stupid tub of butter. You deserve that."

"A bit harsh of you to say, isn't it?" Cooed that sneaky sheep jerk ducking right beside the end of the couch I leaned against. I flinched, appearing as if someone had abruptly tazed me. When I recovered, I glared his way.

"You should talk! You literally kill things, very brutally I may add."

"I only kill for food or utter disrespect." He countered, eyes glazing in anger. His tone was shifting from calm to threatening fast.

"You also slaughter everything in your vicinity if your wool gets a speck of dirt on it." I claimed, emphasizing 'speck' with my hand.

"You would as well if you were in my place! It's all about perspective!"

Suddenly, the tv shut off. Not just the tv, but any electronics suffered the same fate. Right in the midst of our fiery dispute, everything went quiet. We waited. Still. Surrounded only by the sound of silence.

"Is this the thing?" I questioned, whispering.

"SHH." Hannibal hissed, interrupting me. I've never seen him look so dire.