About the Contest
This story in written in response to @mctiller's short story contest which can be found here.
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Prompt
A little kid discovers their teddy bear can talk. And the teddy bear tells of something bad coming.
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The Story
Marty’s eighth birthday was no different from the last few that he remembered. Dad was not there. In fact, he was never there for any of Marty’s school programs or his birthdays; at least the ones that Marty could remember.
“Honey, let’s open your gifts after dinner.” Marty’s mom, Martha, was the only one who was always there for him.
“Why did dad not come for the party, mum?” Marty’s feeble voice was in stark contrast to his towering height for kid his age. Lack of his father’s presence in his life had, in a way, made him timid.
“Oh, honey, he has a very important job. He cannot come here as often.”
“Never?”
“No, for just few more birthdays of yours. Then he will come and stay with us.”
“And won’t leave us?”
“Yes, he won’t leave us.” Martha’s pause before answering Marty gave away the uncertainty of the situation. Marty could sense it but could not make out what it meant. He just took his mother’s words for it. “Oh, but you know what? Dad has sent a cute little teddy bear for your birthday.”
“Where is it? Yaayy, teddy bear, teddy bear, teddy bear..” the sudden shift in Marty’s mood raised Martha’s spirit too. She left the dinner table to run and pick up the teddy, which was against her own rule of never leaving the table before finishing the food. But today was different. Today was Marty’s birthday.
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The night was warm but the occasional cool breeze through the window blew Marty’s blonde hair over his eyes. His windswept looks matched that of the brown teddy bear with its fur over its eyes. The customary ‘good nights’ were over and now Marty was alone with the bear. He cuddled around and was a whisker away from giving into his heavy eyelids.
“It’s gonna get you.”
“What? Mum is that you?” Marty was puzzled with the new voice that he heard. But then silence followed. After a few minutes he heard it again.
“It’s gonna get you.”
“Who’s… Mum, are you playing peek-a-boo?” Marty sat on the bed and looked around. Barring the cool breeze, there was nothing that intruded the room. He got down from the bed and he heard it again.
“It’s gonna get you.”
Now, he knew that the voice came from the bed. He got on the bed and picked teddy up. This time it spoke when he held it in his hand.
“It’s gonna get you.”
“A talking teddy. Oh wow! Thank you, daddy.” Marty was happy that he had a toy which could do more than he had thought. He once again cuddled up and this time gave into sleep.
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“Mom, the teddy talks.”
“Yeah? I didn’t know that.”
“Here take a look. Teddy talk.” Marty’s eyes were shinning in hope to show his mother something she did not know about his toy. Few minutes passed but nothing happened.
Martha noticed that Marty was looking all over the teddy to make it talk. She guessed that disappointment would not be far away. Martha intervened. “The box does not say that the teddy can talk, darling.”
“But it did, mom. It did.”
“Alright, honey. Maybe so. But you are getting late to school. We’ll find out once you are back.”
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In the evening, once Marty was back, he tried talking to the bear again. There was no response. Despite Martha attempting to divert his attention, Marty kept trying.
“Okay, so tell me, what did the teddy say?”
“It said, its gonna get you.”
“What?”
“Yes, mom, and it said more than once.”
Martha was confused. She thought that it was Marty’s wild imagination running amuck and it could still be so, but the message was scary. She wanted to dismiss it but could not. “What else did it say?”
“Nothing more. That’s all, but now it won’t talk. It must be sleeping.”
Martha’s concerns were visible by the deep furrows on her forehead. “If it talks to you today, ask more.”
“What do I ask?”
“Ask, who is going to get you, where, when. Alright?”
“Yes, mom, I will.” Marty was happy again. He felt like a big task being entrusted on him and the excitement was overflowing. Martha partook in it but still was concerned.
After supper Martha put Marty to sleep. She decided to call her husband.
“Hello, Steve…”
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Martha had to literally drag herself out of bed the next morning. The fear of the unknown was weighing on her. She was hoping that this was all a big joke and she could laugh it off. But what Marty told her in the morning was not promising. He mentioned that the teddy did talk again and this time it told him that whatever was going to get him, it was going to happen today.
Martha was spooked. So much so that she put the bear in the closet hoping that the four walls of the closet would hold whatever that was there in the bear. The only solace was that Steve was also expected by the evening. The wait for evening was a pretty long one and counting every second was tiring Martha.
Marty was the first to come but Martha was on tenterhooks until Steve arrived.
“Dad,” Marty jumped on Steve. “Why are you wearing this dress?”
“This is a robe. I am a priest, so I have to wear it.”
“You never wore it before.”
“Yes, it’s three years since I became a priest,” Steve said. “So, where’s this talking doll of yours?”
“It’s in the closet. I put it there,” Martha said pointing to the closet.
Steve opened the closet while Marty stood next to him. Martha chose to maintain a distance and hence stood behind. Before Steve could say anything, the teddy spoke.
“It’s gonna get you.”
“Well, that puts to rest the question of the teddy speaking or not,” Steve said. “Who’s gonna get you?”
This time the teddy put its arm up and said again, “it’s gonna get you.”
Steve and Marty turned in the direction that the bear pointed. It was where Martha was standing a moment back. Now there was a two-horned, saber-rattling, seven foot monster towering over Steve and Marty.
“I’ve been waiting for you, priest.”
“Martha?” Steve was puzzled.
“No Martha here. She’s been packed off long back. Now, it’s your turn. You have been tormenting my kingdom for too long. Now, I am gonna get you.”
“We’ll see about that. By the way, the teddy spooked you, didn't it?”
"Nothing spooks me."
"Well, we will soon see......."
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Image Courtesy: Pixabay