Short Stories

Prompt #4

As you've slept, the teddy bear you adore has fought off demons to keep you safe. The night before you decide you're going to get rid of him, seeing as how you've outgrown him, you awake to witness his last stand against the forces that intend to forever corrupt your childhood innocence.

A/N- I used the song as inspiration as well becasue I thought it fitted the theme, and if it doesn't I hope you enjoy a bit of MJ :)

It was the same as any other night, I was tucked away under my blanket sleeping with my trusted friend. The bear was tatty now, it was missing an eye, and its once fluffy fur was now murky and matted, but he was still my bear, he looked after me when I couldn't sleep.

My mother was in the room next door,  I  guessed she was still awake as I could still hear her shuffling around in the living room, opening the window to let the fresh air in from outside. By now I'd learnt the sound of her footsteps moving from one room to another and strangely tonight, I heard a pair of unfamiliar footsteps alongside my mother's. My first thought was that my mother had a friend over, or possiby the new boyfriend she liked telling me about so frequently. Pushing away my worry, I closed my eyes and hugged my bear tight hoping, for some sleep.

I awoke merely an hour later to my mother's screaming and the smashing of plates. Shrill cries of panick poured from my mother's mouth as I heard another smash and thud through the wall. I felt my own heart race as the fear spread through my body. I wanted to help, but as a child I felt that I would have no effect on a violent intruder. I slid under my bed sheets, pulling my bear close to my chest and tears forming in the corner of my eyes. That's when my door swung open and my mother raced inside my bedroom. Her face was bloody and bruised, tears staining her cheeks. "Mummy?" I whimpered. She turned to me "Shh go to sleep, close your eyes honey. Mummy just fell -" A black shadow came in and my mother was struck down, his long claws stabbing her chest as an eruption of blood flowed from her body. It dragged her off her feet and she went flying backwards as the shadow creature pulled her away with a tremendous force. Before it left it turrned to look at me. It had peircing, dull, red eyes which looked angry and evil. They stared at me momentarily and I held my bear over my face to hide from them. When I looked back minutes later it was gone, and so was my mother.

The next morning when I dared to crawl out from my room I went into the living room. There were scarlett red, bloodstains on the carpet, and the table was turned over. "Mummy? Mummy where are you?" I whispered, fearing that the black demon would return again. I walked around a little more and found glass near one of the windows and the curtains ripped down from the rail. "Hello? Miss Taylor? I heard some noises last night and I was just checking to see if you're okay" came the voice of our neighbour. I headed to the door, the neighbour's presence being one I felt safe near. I swung the door open and she looked down at me with a lamentable gaze. "Where's your mother dear?" she asked me. "I don't know" I replied.

That was over ten years ago now, and the black shadow which took my mother still haunts me, in my life and my dreams. People said that the creature I saw was just an escaped criminal from the nearby prison, that the 'shadow' I thought I'd seen was just my imagination out of fear and shock, but I knew it wasn't. I haven't slept alone ever since then, my teddy bear that I was going to throw away was still sat on my pillow, waiting to protect me in my sleep.