Status: Finished unless you want to hear more then leave me a comment
One Button Eye
Confidence and Loss
I looked down to the floor my eyes catching that ratty old teddy bear, the one I had threatened to throw out so many times, sat there its one eyes looking up at me. Its expression bank but behind its one button eyes, deep in its memory, it remembers and has a story to tell. That ratty old bear was the only one who the only one who knew was there.
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We looked out the window at the bombs dropping outside. From inside our home, under our blankets, in front of our fire, we could not hear the screams of the dying but I knew they were wailing. I wrapped my arms around my child tighter. He would be safe here, in my arms, I would never let him go. He whimpered as another bomb flashed as it exploded. I picked him up, pulling him even tighter to much chest, as if to pull him into my heart to keep him safe, and carried him into our room that we shared ever since daddy went off to fight.
“It’s ok Jack,” I said as we sat on our bed and rocked back and forth. I started to sing to him and his whimpers hushed into a deep breathing as he slept. I laid him down under the sheets and pulled them up to his chin. I quietly got off of the bed and stood, body completely hidden in the shadows, as I watched him sleep. His expression so calm, so angelic. He was so innocent, unlike me and his father. His father and I were the ones who started this war. I was more than determined to end it to. Seth was out there fighting and I knew he would be coming soon to collect Jack and I so we could be relocated and I could return to battle for the first time since giving birth to Jack a year ago. The battle was getting close to its end. We wanted it finished, At any cost. As my thoughts ran black in my skull and I felt my hands turn to claws Jack jerked awake and started to wail. I instantly snapped out of it and leaped to the bed to pull him to me.
“Shh honey shh,” I cooed in an desperate attempt to calm my child. I kissed his little forehead that was sweating from his nightmare. “Its ok baby, shh shh”. Soon he started to calm enough to look at me. His eyes a brilliant dark brown, and he uttered one of his favorite words.
“Bear Mommy bear,” he said and I smiled in the light they weren’t fangs so I walked him to the other room and snatched his ratty old bear off of the floor and handed it to him His face instantly shone with delight as he pulled the bear to his tiny chest and let out a big yawn. I needed to put him down or he would try to sleep all day tomorrow.
“Come on Jack its time for bed,” I said as we whisked off to the bedroom. He let out another wide yawn as a response. I laid him down and as soon as his tiny head hit the pillow he was out. I watched him sleep a smile on my face until the sun went completely down leavening me in the shadows once more. I felt the shadows crawl up my body covering me in its dark embrace. My thoughts turned to blood and pain, as my teeth sharpened into points. I licked my lips with my pointed tongue, it was time to hunt. I heard a tap at the window: Seth. I padded over to the window, opening it allowing Seth to materialize in.
“Are you ready my queen of the night,” Seth asked as he gripped my clawed hand in his own claws. His eyes were now an empty blue just as I knew mine were yellow. We were shadows, and we were determined to take down the other creature of the night that threatened our existence. I looked at him letting my fangs show in readiness. Then I hear Jack rustle in the bed. JACK. The shadows fell from us as Jack stumbled into the room. His face lighting up when he saw Seth.
“Daddy!” he cried, for he hadn’t seen his father for days because of the war. Seth ran to him and lifted him in the air. A smile that I thought had been long ago lost. I felt myself relax, the war was almost over and this would be our lives everyday. I walked to them and we all piled together in one big embrace. I desperately wanted to believe that we could stay this way forever. But something deep inside me, a deep premonition from the shadows said that this would not or ever be so.
After finally tucking Jack into bed with some shadow dogs guarding him Seth and I, hidden in our shadow armor, returned to the fight. We got to the shelter of the woods just as two more bombs were dropped killing three of our soldiers.
“Damn!” Seth screamed as we were left alone together “Now we must attack the den!” Seth looked around his eyes open wide with thought. He turned to me, for something, anything. I put on a cold expression letting my eyes burn a brighter yellow as the soldiers gathered near us once more. Their eyes too glowing as I made my announcement.
“We will attack the den, it is decided,” I declared and they turned to look at one another, to look to Seth, to me. I made myself look confident, in control of the situation and of myself. Seth stood tall next to me giving off an air of confidence as well. But I knew that inside he felt just like I did: sick with worry. We were a family, Jack was too young to be left an orphan, and we needed one another. I couldn’t leave Seth alone in this world just as he couldn’t leave me. We would die without one another. My thoughts were on our happy moment back at our house as our soldiers creped through the shadows as we got closer to the den we slowed to a stop. The soldiers looked back at us, to lead. Seth nodded to me; it was my honor to lead. I nodded back and slunk to the front leading them into the cave.
“Wait,” Seth hissed and we all stopped and looked at him, “we should have someone be the game maker while the others play as pieces”. The soldiers looked to one another confused but I understood. He was trying to keep me out of the fight. I would be the game maker the planer, the plotter. I would stay away from danger while the others took my word for when to move: The pieces. I opened my mouth to protest, but I was too late, the men had already decided it. The plan had already been made for the game maker. So I stood on the outside of the den, a mic hooked to my ear while I watch Seth, who was hooked to the other end of the mic, led the solders into the den. I gave Seth one last look, looking deep into his eyes before he went in. This is the last time I will ever see Seth, I will have to raise Jack alone. I shook my head hard as my thoughts returned to my job, what I was
assigned to do. I listened to Seth’s breathing as he crawled through the tunnels.
“Make sure you watch for others coming in behind us or movement from in the tunnels behind us, its to tight to even turn in here. They could corner us and…” Seth said but I didn’t let him finish.
“I know dear, I’m the one who started this war remember?’ I said and he laughed letting me know he did. I was the original Game maker. The game maker. But If all goes right the only thing ill be is a wife and a mom. For some reason I felt doubtful.
“Wait! Look men!’ He cried, “It’s a skylight structure!” I instantly knew that that was the best place to be. I jumped on top of the den and walked over the top till I found the skylight hole. It was very small and brought little to no light into the tunnels but provided me with an eye in the sky. I let Seth know that I had found it as I peered into the hole. I made sure to look periodically around to check for intruders that would get Seth from the inside. I was safe in the darkness of the shadows. I was watching the hole as Seth and the soldiers looked around for clues as to where they went. I watched as the shadows flickered with movement.
“Watch out!” I screamed. I yelled just in time Seth turned around and took out the solider that leapt at him. My pieces were engaged in battle and I watched letting my fear for Seth safely blind me from my own. Pain shot through my body as I heard a pop. I gasped, blood spraying from my mouth, I fell forward onto my stomach. I heard Seth voice flooded with concern in my ear. But the roaring beat of my heart made it hard to understand words. The roaring started to slow as the pain heightened and I heard a grunt. Something hit my head and landed in front of me. It was a teddy bear. The thing was old and ratty, Seth had always complained about how it needed to be thrown out but Jack had adored it so much I didn’t have the heart. This continued to slow even as my fear heightened. That was Jacks bear. Its button eyes watched me as I heard the scream of my child as he was dragged in
front of me. They poured gasoline over his head. The scent filled my senses as I fought again my own body to rise to my feet and save him. My body wouldn’t obey me. My heart stopped as I saw them throw a match onto him. Using my last reserve of strength I reached forward to grab Jacks little legs towards me to protect him. I missed and grabbed the bears head ripping a button eye from its socket. THUD THUD thud thud thu………..
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Now tell me the story ratty old bear, tell on.
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We looked out the window at the bombs dropping outside. From inside our home, under our blankets, in front of our fire, we could not hear the screams of the dying but I knew they were wailing. I wrapped my arms around my child tighter. He would be safe here, in my arms, I would never let him go. He whimpered as another bomb flashed as it exploded. I picked him up, pulling him even tighter to much chest, as if to pull him into my heart to keep him safe, and carried him into our room that we shared ever since daddy went off to fight.
“It’s ok Jack,” I said as we sat on our bed and rocked back and forth. I started to sing to him and his whimpers hushed into a deep breathing as he slept. I laid him down under the sheets and pulled them up to his chin. I quietly got off of the bed and stood, body completely hidden in the shadows, as I watched him sleep. His expression so calm, so angelic. He was so innocent, unlike me and his father. His father and I were the ones who started this war. I was more than determined to end it to. Seth was out there fighting and I knew he would be coming soon to collect Jack and I so we could be relocated and I could return to battle for the first time since giving birth to Jack a year ago. The battle was getting close to its end. We wanted it finished, At any cost. As my thoughts ran black in my skull and I felt my hands turn to claws Jack jerked awake and started to wail. I instantly snapped out of it and leaped to the bed to pull him to me.
“Shh honey shh,” I cooed in an desperate attempt to calm my child. I kissed his little forehead that was sweating from his nightmare. “Its ok baby, shh shh”. Soon he started to calm enough to look at me. His eyes a brilliant dark brown, and he uttered one of his favorite words.
“Bear Mommy bear,” he said and I smiled in the light they weren’t fangs so I walked him to the other room and snatched his ratty old bear off of the floor and handed it to him His face instantly shone with delight as he pulled the bear to his tiny chest and let out a big yawn. I needed to put him down or he would try to sleep all day tomorrow.
“Come on Jack its time for bed,” I said as we whisked off to the bedroom. He let out another wide yawn as a response. I laid him down and as soon as his tiny head hit the pillow he was out. I watched him sleep a smile on my face until the sun went completely down leavening me in the shadows once more. I felt the shadows crawl up my body covering me in its dark embrace. My thoughts turned to blood and pain, as my teeth sharpened into points. I licked my lips with my pointed tongue, it was time to hunt. I heard a tap at the window: Seth. I padded over to the window, opening it allowing Seth to materialize in.
“Are you ready my queen of the night,” Seth asked as he gripped my clawed hand in his own claws. His eyes were now an empty blue just as I knew mine were yellow. We were shadows, and we were determined to take down the other creature of the night that threatened our existence. I looked at him letting my fangs show in readiness. Then I hear Jack rustle in the bed. JACK. The shadows fell from us as Jack stumbled into the room. His face lighting up when he saw Seth.
“Daddy!” he cried, for he hadn’t seen his father for days because of the war. Seth ran to him and lifted him in the air. A smile that I thought had been long ago lost. I felt myself relax, the war was almost over and this would be our lives everyday. I walked to them and we all piled together in one big embrace. I desperately wanted to believe that we could stay this way forever. But something deep inside me, a deep premonition from the shadows said that this would not or ever be so.
After finally tucking Jack into bed with some shadow dogs guarding him Seth and I, hidden in our shadow armor, returned to the fight. We got to the shelter of the woods just as two more bombs were dropped killing three of our soldiers.
“Damn!” Seth screamed as we were left alone together “Now we must attack the den!” Seth looked around his eyes open wide with thought. He turned to me, for something, anything. I put on a cold expression letting my eyes burn a brighter yellow as the soldiers gathered near us once more. Their eyes too glowing as I made my announcement.
“We will attack the den, it is decided,” I declared and they turned to look at one another, to look to Seth, to me. I made myself look confident, in control of the situation and of myself. Seth stood tall next to me giving off an air of confidence as well. But I knew that inside he felt just like I did: sick with worry. We were a family, Jack was too young to be left an orphan, and we needed one another. I couldn’t leave Seth alone in this world just as he couldn’t leave me. We would die without one another. My thoughts were on our happy moment back at our house as our soldiers creped through the shadows as we got closer to the den we slowed to a stop. The soldiers looked back at us, to lead. Seth nodded to me; it was my honor to lead. I nodded back and slunk to the front leading them into the cave.
“Wait,” Seth hissed and we all stopped and looked at him, “we should have someone be the game maker while the others play as pieces”. The soldiers looked to one another confused but I understood. He was trying to keep me out of the fight. I would be the game maker the planer, the plotter. I would stay away from danger while the others took my word for when to move: The pieces. I opened my mouth to protest, but I was too late, the men had already decided it. The plan had already been made for the game maker. So I stood on the outside of the den, a mic hooked to my ear while I watch Seth, who was hooked to the other end of the mic, led the solders into the den. I gave Seth one last look, looking deep into his eyes before he went in. This is the last time I will ever see Seth, I will have to raise Jack alone. I shook my head hard as my thoughts returned to my job, what I was
assigned to do. I listened to Seth’s breathing as he crawled through the tunnels.
“Make sure you watch for others coming in behind us or movement from in the tunnels behind us, its to tight to even turn in here. They could corner us and…” Seth said but I didn’t let him finish.
“I know dear, I’m the one who started this war remember?’ I said and he laughed letting me know he did. I was the original Game maker. The game maker. But If all goes right the only thing ill be is a wife and a mom. For some reason I felt doubtful.
“Wait! Look men!’ He cried, “It’s a skylight structure!” I instantly knew that that was the best place to be. I jumped on top of the den and walked over the top till I found the skylight hole. It was very small and brought little to no light into the tunnels but provided me with an eye in the sky. I let Seth know that I had found it as I peered into the hole. I made sure to look periodically around to check for intruders that would get Seth from the inside. I was safe in the darkness of the shadows. I was watching the hole as Seth and the soldiers looked around for clues as to where they went. I watched as the shadows flickered with movement.
“Watch out!” I screamed. I yelled just in time Seth turned around and took out the solider that leapt at him. My pieces were engaged in battle and I watched letting my fear for Seth safely blind me from my own. Pain shot through my body as I heard a pop. I gasped, blood spraying from my mouth, I fell forward onto my stomach. I heard Seth voice flooded with concern in my ear. But the roaring beat of my heart made it hard to understand words. The roaring started to slow as the pain heightened and I heard a grunt. Something hit my head and landed in front of me. It was a teddy bear. The thing was old and ratty, Seth had always complained about how it needed to be thrown out but Jack had adored it so much I didn’t have the heart. This continued to slow even as my fear heightened. That was Jacks bear. Its button eyes watched me as I heard the scream of my child as he was dragged in
front of me. They poured gasoline over his head. The scent filled my senses as I fought again my own body to rise to my feet and save him. My body wouldn’t obey me. My heart stopped as I saw them throw a match onto him. Using my last reserve of strength I reached forward to grab Jacks little legs towards me to protect him. I missed and grabbed the bears head ripping a button eye from its socket. THUD THUD thud thud thu………..
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Now tell me the story ratty old bear, tell on.