Teddy Bear
Just a fun little short story about the power of a teddy bear.
Teddy Bear
For centuries, there have been monsters. Monsters in the dark woods. Monsters in the lonely alleys. Monsters under the bed. Monsters in the closet. These monsters come in all shapes and sizes, and all temperments. From the tiniest wyvern, to the ferocious screamshadow, they bring all sorts of horrors to life, hence the common term: Nightmares.
Nobody is more susceptible to Nightmares, than children. Young and impressionable, their minds are free. With no bills, no responsibilities, they are able to stay unlocked, and see things everyday that only they can understand. You could say there is a whole other world out there, that only an unlocked mind can see. It's charged by imagination, and holds all manner of beautiful sights, from castles perched on top of mountains to flying horses.
The flipside of this world, is that where there is light, there is also darkness. Enter Nightmares. When the concious gives up its hold on the free mind, the subconcious creates the darkness. This darkness settles in the corners, and the closets, and under the bed. The more open and wild the mind, the more dangerous the beasts.
Theo blinked against the light. He rubbed his black beady eyes with fuzzy paws. As his vision cleared, he inspected his finely stitched paws and arms, taking note of the little vinyl pads for toes. When he looked up, something tickled his ear. He reached up and curled a paw around a swing tag, pulling it loose from his little rounded ear.
The oval shaped tag read 'United Toy Company'. Inside, it listed Theo's name, and a short description; 'For the ultimate in nightmare protection, choose United!'
Theo dropped the tag, noting the leather strap across his chest. It wrapped him crosswise, terminating at his back, where a wooden sword was sheathed. He pulled the sword from its holster. It was no cookie-cutter plaything. Carefully carved from premium hardwood stock, the blade end sharpened almost to slicing capabilities, it fit his little paws perfectly. It balanced at the hilt, which had fine silver inlay. He reholstered the weapon.
He was sitting mashed in with a bunch of Beanie Babies on the top shelf of a spinning carousel. The dingy light coming in through the front door and windows illuminated what appeared to be a toy store. Theo picked up his tag, tucked it under the leather sash, and stood up, pushing a TY lion over the edge of the carousel. It landed on the ground with the thud of a sack of rocks. Theo peeked over the edge. The lion lay in a folded crumple, unmoving. No life there.
The little brown bear hefted a leg over the edge, then another, lowering himself down to the next shelf. He was greeted by a fluffy white unicorn and a pile of Puffkins.
Theo slipped past the 90s stuffed animals, and hopped over to a counter, where a dusty cash register sat open. Ignoring the curled stacks of faded cash, he grabbed a hold of the credit card machine's cable, and swung over the edge. Riding it like a firehouse pole, he landed on the floor with no noise. As he walked around the counter towards the front door, shadows descended just outside.
The teddy bear froze, then collapsed in a heap, feigning unintelligent-toy-syndrome.
The doors popped open.
"Have a look inside? She's a gem from the mid nineties just waiting for new life!" the man waved the couple and their young boy inside.
"Oh, it's very dusty in here." the lady said, waving in front of her face.
"You can either keep the current stock here and try to sell from the storefront, or put it on eBay! These things ain't worth much, but there's alot of good stuff still here! All new in box!" the salesperson spoke, while plucking the TY lion off the floor. He plopped the Beanie Baby on the counter and followed the couple as they walked through the store.
The little boy had stopped in the entrance, looking down at Theo. He bent down to eye level. Even in stealth mode, Theo was still looking back. The boy couldn't have been more than seven years old, and had the look of fear behind his large brown eyes. His brown hair was bowl-cut, and he wore simple jeans and a t-shirt with a t-rex on it. Theo sensed that this boy was plagued by something that his parents couldn't help with. He sensed that the fear in his eyes was from the very thing he was built to fight. He wanted to help this boy, but the boy had to choose him.
The boy had to pick him. It was an unwritten contract between a child and a teddy bear. The child may not be aware of the powers of the Teddy Bear, but kids in danger had a sense about them to seek out a "friend". And that friend was usually a teddy bear.
The child picked him up. He looked him over, then smiled, all fear dissipating in that one moment. The little boy hugged Theo tight.
The parents came back to the front of the store. The salesman was still chattering on about how much this store could be worth, and all the things they could do with it. The mother saw her boy had found the stuffed bear.
"What do you got there, sweetie?" she bent down to his level, poking at Theo.
"He's mine. He's my new friend." the little boy said. Theo's tag slipped out from under his belt, floating to the floor.
"Whoop...." the mother picked it up, "United Toy Company, hmmm, his name is Theo. That's a cute name. The um, hm, ultimate in, nightmare protection? That's adorable. You know we don't own the store yet. You need to leave him here." she tucked the tag back in his belt.
"Here, we'll just do this for now." the father pulled out his wallet and placed a ten dollar bill on the register. "There?"
The mother stood up, rolling her eyes at her husband. The little boy smiled, holding Theo close.
The salesman held the door open for the family. They walked back to their car.
The boy buckled himself into his booster seat, carefully buckling Theo in with him.
"This boy is now under my protection. Whatever evil lurks under his bed, in his closet, and in his dreams, will soon be vanquished. Until the day I am cast away or forgotten, I will protect you, boy." Theo thought to himself, as the drone of the car engine lulled both boy and bear to sleep.