Stuffed

Chapter 5

"Izzy, why do you go to school?" Floppy asked stumbling alongside me.

Stepping in the fall puddles with my pink boots I explained, "You have to go because you learn stuff!"

"Oh, okay..." He nodded avoiding the puddles, "Can you pick me up, I don't want to get dirty again?"

"Of course!" I complied picking his soft body into my arms.

The forest was wet and cold from the rain, the moist arm caused my nose to run as I sniffled. In my backpack the rest of my stuffed animals rested, but Floppy happened to be an early riser and loved to be carried in my arms. I was on the way to school again, taking the scenic route had become a daily routine. Around us large sparse trees stood tall against the sky, their branches bare with leaves sticking to the muddy earth. It always seemed so dead to me, I didn't like when things got this way as the desolate air always made me feel lonely. I wasn't alone anymore though, I glanced down at the stuffed dog cuddled in my arms with a smile.

Reaching the end of the forest I stood at the edge of the sidewalk staring at the long road crossing to the school yard. The other kids played and laughed on the playground while the large brown building beside it stood tall and plain. Something about schools made me feel trapped and sad, like they didn't really like us, like they just wanted to print us out by name and date. My mom however told me it was stupid to wonder such things, that asking questions would always lead to trouble. So as the way things would go I continued to stay quiet and mind my own business like I was told.

Quietly stepping onto the crosswalk I looked both ways before crossing like any good girl would, once clear I trotted across the damp road. A rustling sound came from my backpack and I could hear Patchi's voice in a muffled blur. I traveled across the large dull grass field to a lonesome corner by the edge of the yard and placed my pink backpack on the ground. Taking the silver zipper I unzipped it swiftly with a stroke and the little rabbit popped out his head staring at me with bright orange button eyes.

"It's really stuffy in there!" Patchi complained while climbing out to my side.

I pat him lightly on the head and sighed, "I'm sorry but if anyone knew you could talk they'd take you away from me!"

"I know..." He sighed leaning against me.

Sitting against the buildings side I dug my boots into the gravel to make a tiny hole. Far off I could here screaming and cheering of joy, I wondered what it would be like to play with the other children. Breaking out of my thoughts I heard the stomping of feet against the gravel nearby, two boy were walking towards me with devilish smirks. I couldn't deal with them again today, I pretended to not notice them so that hopefully they would pass by me. However as usual that wasn't my luck, fingers dug into my shirt and lifted me by my collar off the ground. I hated the older children, they were hurtful and hated all good things.

The ruffled older boy spat in my face, "What are you doing in our spot squirt!"

I scrambled for words choked by his grip, "I didn't know honest!"

"Well let's make sure that doesn't happen again huh?" He hissed tossing me against the wall.

His companion who was significantly shorter took my back pack and began to dump out the contents. In tears I told them to stop but they proceeded to ignore my pleads. Throwing my backpack aside they glared down at the pile of books, animal folders, and notebooks that I got from class, but that wasn't what they were interested in. To my horror I saw them take grasp of one of my stuffed friends, it was the little grey squirrel that I'd come to adore. Pleading I leaped forward reaching for the toy and the hit me in the side causing me to fall and hit the hard ground. In a half blur I gazed as they tried to rip her up but something happened.

Floppy who had been beside me grew huge with ripping fangs and huge claws, his floppy ears swayed as he snapped viciously. His fur was ruffled and menacing, and he lunged forward as the two boys squealed in disbelief. A dark drool dripped from his fangs and he howled a furious and booming bark that shook the ground. Their terrified eyes were wide as they shivered frozen with complete fear.

Snapping his fangs Floppy bit down onto the one with a hold on Squeaker, he dropped her in quick burst of pain. Floppy's grip was one of force and no matter how much the child tried to tear his arm away he proceeded to keep his jaws locked intensely on his target. Blood began to pour from the wound and the boys friend left him behind yelling in absolute hysteria. A loud snap was finally heard and the boy in the dogs grip howled in tears of pain, Floppy when hearing him cry finally let go backing away with his snout drenched in blood.

The last young boy glared into his wound that snapped off the very bone of his arm. Unable to figure out what else to do he limped away as fast as his legs could carry him. Snarling Floppy returned to his original plush form with only a few speckles of blood left on his lips. Speechless I picked him up quickly and put the others back into my pink backpack, I had no idea what to do I just sneaked away and hid behind the opposite wall.

Floppy gazed up at me endearingly, "He wanted to hurt you, I couldn't let him!"

"I know..." I whispered quietly.

"I love you Izzy, they won't hurt you anymore..." Floppy rested his head into my stomach and I could feel my eyes water.

Rubbing his head I cried, "I love you too..."

******

"They grow big when they're mad?" Mr. White questioned putting his pen and clipboard on the counter.

Isabelle stared deeply into his eyes, "Well... Sometimes they do it for fun too."

Tapping the table he could feel his stomach churn uncomfortably, were the things that he saw just those toys playing with him? The idea of them following him around was enough to scare him, the fact that they were that dangerous. If they truly were like this, then they must have been the ones that killed everyone, not Isabelle. A sorrow deepened in him, all this time she was treated like a psycho and unlovable when she was just a girl.

Izzy cocked her head at him curiously, "Is everything alright?"

Suddenly he realized he was staring off the entire time, "Oh, yes I was just lost in thought..."

"You do that a lot" She laughed as if completely unaware of any problems.

"Izzy, you told me that they'd say something, if I gave them the chance" Maurice mumbled in a reluctant way, "Why are they so quiet?"

She frowned and gazed at them lying on the bed, "I guess they're waiting for the right moment..."

Losing faith in the ideal of this being real he began to doubt her sanity. Isabelle however seemed so peaceful, like she wouldn't hurt a fly so it wouldn't have made sense for her to suddenly hurt anyone. Before Mr. White had the chance to speak he heard a quiet mumbling from the far side of the room. In a sense of fear and disbelief he leaned in to peer over at the bed, and sure enough one had moved sitting now on the edge of the bed. Maurice couldn't believe his eyes despite all he had thought and heard, seeing it for real was terrifying.

The brave little stuffed deer stood tall, "You proved something, but I am not certain we can trust you."

Maurice's mouth hung open wide speechless of words, his entire world came apart in his own mind. What exactly is he seeing, this couldn't be real? In an instant he watched the squirrel step forward, the blue patched heart on her chest stuck out openly. She climbed up onto Izzy's shoulder for better point of view. The blue button eyes on the creature dared him, in an adorable but creepy way.

"I like him, he's friendly!" Squeaker the squirrel declared happily.

"You're all real, you're all living..." Mr. White stuttered frantically trying to find words, "All this time, you were all just quiet. Isabelle you could have been free all this time and you were kept here locked away!"

The girls eyes watered and she gazed at the ground, "No I couldn't, you don't understand. People don't know peace and they'll take them away."

"Nobody in this world deserves Izzy" Raina claimed now closer too, "Selfish creatures that inhabit this place, violent and horrible. They deserve death and nothing else. However I have hope in you stranger... I have hope that you might be different."

"But know this, I will not hesitate to cut the line of your life if you do anything to Isabelle" Patchi threatened his eyes glowing, "Just like the others I have watched hit her, and abuse her. I fixed them, I sowed up their eyes so they couldn't see and cut out their hearts that they didn't deserve."

Maurice went white like a ghost, "I-I would do no such thing."

"Don't be afraid of them" Izzy attempted to console him with bright eyes, "I trust you. you've made me happier than ever."

******

In his office he waited his hands holding his head, Maurice was scared for his life. Everything he had ever knew that was possible was torn away from him, order and life completely in disarray. He couldn't relax anymore, he didn't even know what to think. If he left and ran away to a new town they would find him he was certain, he couldn't leave he was trapped. It wasn't that he didn't like Isabelle, she was a sweet young girl who had just been dealt a bad hand in life. However those creatures, demons, or angels, he had no idea what they were but they were a problem.

His eyes dragged tiredly and he could feel himself drifting into some sort of alternate reality. This situation was going to make him go mad, but what was he supposed to do? Waiting for his shift to finally be over he played with a pen spinning it on the table, each time the point was aimed at him. Reasoning gone out the window he began to believe that the pen itself was purposely aiming itself for him.

A quiet creek through the door hit his ears and he quickly darted his head up to see what happened. The seemingly fake Stacey had entered with a clean sheet of paper in her perfectly manicured hands. Her eyes told of something strange but he waited for the paper instead of jumping to conclusions, she pushed back her blonde hair and placed it onto the table. Staring up at her Maurice wondered what it was about and he slowly peered down to read whatever was on the white paper. The first thing that caught his attention was the stamp denied, it was his request to take Isabelle Johnson out for life experience.

"What do you mean denied?" Maurice growled in annoyance at the file.

Stacey scratched her head with a guilty mug, "The board believes it's too soon for her to get out, they said she's still too unstable."

"Unstable? Isabelle is more than stable enough to leave for a day!" Mr. White screamed in fury, "There is no reason that this file should be denied! I am her therapist and I know what's best for her!"

The woman stared wide eyed at his sudden change in composure, "You're awful defensive of this patient... Listen it's not up to me, it's just how it is."

"It's her birthday next week! She's going to be an adult and they're going to deny her of some god damned time just because they don't think she's stable!" He proceeded to yell slamming his hands down firmly on the table.

"Listen because I think you're a nice guy and everything you need to stop shouting, you're already on thin ice with the manager!" Stacey whispered to him with hr arms crossed, "You don't say anything to management, you don't because they'll look for an excuse to fire you. I'm sorry but that's it."

Without another word she slammed the door swiftly behind her and Maurice was left in his small office by himself again. In a defeated rage he sat back down crumpling the file in his hands. To let out steam he even began to tear it up into as many bits as possible, it made him feel better. Once there was nothing left to tear he collapsed defeated with his arms stretched out onto the table. It wasn't fair to poor Isabelle, regardless of the toys he couldn't let things continue to go wrong for her.

His mind ticking he decided that no matter what he was going to take her out anyway, it's not like they'd have to know. He was always the last to close up and in the very least she could have a nice birthday. Maurice tapped the table with the pen imagining how he would manage it, his plan came out crisp and ideal. She wouldn't need to be alone anymore.

The clock passed quickly and it was time for him to clock out. Feeling more relieved and collected with an idea to focus on he strutted out the door in his usual routine and punched out. With one last look behind him he continued towards the door and headed home to his comfy bed.