The World Inside My Head

I’ve always thought teddy bears were too girly and too childish, but little did I know how they really were when adults weren’t looking at them. My story starts out in a daycare. I work at Sunnyside Shore daycare after school and on the weekends. I don’t particularly like children but I got the job because my cousin works there and she said it would help me if I “got over my hatred for children.” Those were her exact words. Now I wouldn’t normally care about bettering myself but I really admire my cousin. She’s the sweetest person I know and I don’t like disappointing her. So before I knew what I was doing I had taken the job at Sunnyside Shore daycare. I wish I hadn’t though, because I really do get annoyed with children easily. The children can tell, and I know but my cousin seems to think she can convert me. Good luck...

“Go play with your dinosaur Jimmy,” I say giving the little boy a fake smile. He knows I don’t mean the smile though and curtly nods, running off in the other direction. I sink down into the couch, letting out a small sigh.

The children play with their toys for a while and the afternoon blurs into one big mess. Their constant yelling, crying and picking on each other whirls through my head, making me feel dizzy. I get up and walk over to get myself a glass of water. On the way over the lights begin to flicker. The children don’t notice because it’s just for a brief second. I begin to feel uneasy though for no apparent reason, as if something momentous was about to happen.

Jessica, a small raggedy girl comes up to me while I’m opening the fridge. She pushes herself into me and starts tugging on my shirt. “Krratie will yoou vook vat my teddy bear?”

I turn around slowly and she shoves her teddy bear in my face. I push it back but before I do, I feel a slight throbbing feeling on my face. My eyes widen as Jessica’s teddy bear’s soft tongue licks me. What is going on? I start shaking a little.

“Vat’s wrong Krratie?” Jessica asks, completely oblivious.

“Y-your teddy bear l-icked me,” I stammer.

Jessica turns her bear to face her and frowns. She examines him and then says, “Are yoou surre?”

I nod, “I know it sounds crazy…”

Jessica nods slowly and then starts going back to her friends. The lights flicker again, only this time it’s longer and the children start screaming. I bring my hands around my ears to block out their cries. When the lights stop flickering I let out a deep breath, but I then see a teddy bear that’s been discarded on the ground pick itself up and turn around to stare at me. I let out a yelp and the children look at me as if I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I have. First I thought Jessica’s teddy bear licked me then I thought a teddy bear stared at me. What’s my deal? I must be watching too many horror movies.

I see Caleb holding his multicolored teddy bear and sucking his thumb in the corner. His back is to me. His teddy bear turns its head around to face me and hisses. I glance around but no one seems to have noticed that. I gulp and look back at Caleb’s teddy bear. Its back is to me now. Weird I think. I’m feeling paranoid now. I glance around the daycare, looking for anything else suspicious. I don’t notice anything until my eyes settle on Gabriella. She’s a black haired child, who likes to wear dark colors such as black, purple, and blood red.

Currently she’s wearing black and purple. In her hands she is stroking a vampire teddy bear. It’s odd I know but Gabriella loves Halloween and decided to dress her teddy bear up for all year long. She’s always been a strange child. There have been rumors that she killed a cat. Of course how could an eight year old kill anything? Still looking at her now there’s something off about her. She smiles at me but there’s something sinister about it. I don’t know why I’m jumping to conclusions. I glance away and get the water out that I was going to drink.

Opening the fridge I take out the gallon of water and pour myself a glass. I take a drink from it and put it down on the table. I sit down and just watch the children. Fifteen minutes go by without anything odd happening and I’ve almost convinced myself that I imagined the teddy bears doing those things. However, when the lights flicker for three minutes I get goose bumps running up my arms. The children cry out and start freaking out. I try to settle them down but little Ethan is the worst. He’s very scared and is clinging to me. Frankly I’m scared as well but I know I need to keep it together for the children.

The lights continue to flicker and then the lights get a green glow to them. Gulping, I know something is going to happen. The children are really frightened now. They sit on the floor, rocking back and forth. The only child that isn’t scared is Gabriella.

I turn to her and she laughs. “Oh Katie you should have left when I sent the warnings.”

“What warnings?” I ask. Then it hits me she’s talking about the teddy bears doing all those absurd things.

“I think you know,” she says cocky.

I glare at her and reply, “What are you planning Gabriella?”

She just shrugs and responds, “You think I’m planning something?” She starts to cackle, her voice loud and high pitched. It sounds inhuman and nothing like her normal laugh. “Why does everyone think I’m crazy?” She yells. She pulls out a butcher knife and hands it to her vampire teddy bear. He takes it and begins to stroke its length. I gulp and shudder.

“You better run,” she states. She swipes her hand into the air and tells her vampire teddy bear to attack me. I yelp but stand my ground as it rushes me.

“I can’t leave the children!” I cry out.

Gabriella giggles, “You fool! They’re with me!”

My eyes widen as the children stop crying and face me their eyes narrowing. They each take a weapon out of their bags, pockets, and clothes and come to face me. Chuckling they near me, their eyes crazed.

“But why?” I scream, dodging most of their attacks, they’re sloppy.

Gabriella laughs, “Why? Because I know you’ve hated us from day one. Don’t pretend and say you’ve ever liked us. This is what we do to people who hate us.” She takes a knife out of her dress and tosses it at me. I shriek as it grazes my cheek.

“How are your teddy bears alive?” I scream my voice hoarse.

Gabriella smiles mischievously, “My grandmother’s a witch and she taught me black magic. She told me if anyone is mean to me or my friends to kill them with my magic.”

I start to shiver. These children are insane!

“If I were you Katie I’d leave and never come back,” Gabriella says cruelly.

I back up as the children and teddy bears near me. When they run at me I sprint off down the hall. I find a closet and shut the door quickly behind me. Hurried footsteps race through the hall, ignoring the closet. I wait for the footsteps to waver and then I get out of the closet. Glancing around I look to see if the coast is clear and when I verify that it is race past the hall and fling the door open to freedom. Racing out I don’t look back until I’m safe in my house.

Needless to say I now know why I hate children and why I have always thought teddy bears weren’t for me. It’s because I encountered a crazy child who used black magic to get back at people who disliked her. I quit the job at the daycare, telling my cousin I just couldn’t handle the children anymore. She seemed to understand and didn’t argue with me on the point. I can never look at a teddy bear or child the same way now.