Stuffed

Chapter 6

"Hello, hello? Where are you?" Maurice found himself calling into the blackness of a night city.

The cool air blew at his shivering skin through the the wind tunnels that the large towers had created, was he downtown? He had not recalled this place before, it was confusing and new to him. Treading lightly he pushed through a thick fog into the unknown, not a working streetlight could be seen. His hands shook as he walked towards a broken down house oddly built in the middle of this filthy town. The closer he got towards the doors the darker the world became around him until he could no longer see.

Maurice was blinded by the sheer blackness of the night and he could feel his heart pounding wildly against his chest. Reaching forward for anything he could feel a sense of doom building up in his frame, a horrible panic that pulled at him to turn away. Attempting to escape his legs would not listen to him, he proceeded forward afraid of what he might reach. Around him he could hear a loud cries and horrid moaning that scraped against his ears. He couldn't take it anymore, he needed to escape anywhere but here.

Twisting his body he forced himself to stop, "I can't see, I can't see! Help anyone please, I can't see!"

The screams seemed to fizzle out with no sound or echo, and in an attempt to save himself Mr. White scratched at his eyelids. Feeling over his the skin lids he rubbed over bumps, a seam across his eyes had sowed them closed but he thought they were open. As he realized he was trapped he could hear a twisted laughter spinning around him as if it were a thousand voices. A piercing pain was suddenly blown through his side, like he was walloped with a hockey puck that lodged into him.

Maurice White toppled over from the shock and let out a helpless yip of agony. Closing his eyes shut he prayed for it to be over, anything to take it away. Around him the voices faded and all was silent once more, he opened his eyes hesitantly. A soft glow was seen in the short distance, it was a calming flame that flickered on a group of white candles. The warmth brushed against his face and he rose again once more to address his surroundings.

Whipping his head around violently to locate something useful he saw a figure curled up around a fireplace in the distance that had been barely lit. Stalking closer to the small curled up person he rested close to it. It was wrapped in a long white blanket, and had long blonde hair like an angel. Finally seeing its face he noticed that it was in fact a child, a young defenseless girl who was sickly. She bared icy blue eyes as if she was blind, the foggy eyes rested still on the fire in front of her.

"Are you okay little one? Where are your parents?" Maurice asked instinctively.

She raised her head to the sound of the noise, "I don't have any parents..."

The man softened his gaze sitting near the fire as well, "What's your name?"

"I never had a real name, they called me Amelia once..." The girl replied picking at her long hair.

"Amelia, what are you doing here all alone? Do you need help?" Maurice asked in a confused way.

Her bright foggy blue eyes gazed into the fire, "I'm not alive anymore Maurice, you need not worry for me."

Mr. White's heart stopped dead, "But I can see you and I can hear you?"

"I cannot see though, but your heart is warm you'll be a good man" The girl replied softly in a silk voice, "I didn't choose for her to do what she did but she was innocent, all the innocence I had left."

"Who, what are you talking about?" The man replied as his skin began to crawl.

"I died of cancer, I was blind but full of potential. I loved to read with what I could feel, so much I knew" The girls sweet voice proceeded, "But I had no one, so they left me to die because of finances. I do not wish the same for you Maurice White."

Maurice could feel a fear begin to bubble in him as if something were watching, "I don't understand, who were you talking about? How can I still be here if you're not alive?"

"I am not really here Mr. White, but I needed you to know what I told you" She paused to heave a sickly breath inwards, "Isabelle is a very special girl, she is not without purpose but she needs to be loved. If she learns to only hate and resent so will my little angel I sent to her."

The fog began to come in more dense and shaded, the little girls pale and sickly frame began to disappear like dust. The darkness began to shroud his vision once more and he tried to cry out once more but his voice was once again muffled. His eyes once again clouded he could hear the sound of a machine beeping at a pulse, the pulse then stopped at a loud drowned sound indicating he was dead.

In a quick whip forward Maurice awoke in a panic, his breath heaved in panicked strides. Patting over his body he could finally relax, he was indeed alive and well. However it's been such a long time since a Nightmare had been so vivid for poor Mr. White, he was in shock at the surprise. His head was heavy as he worked through his morning routine feeling still asleep; had that dream meant anything?

******

Waiting in his office he kicked his legs up on the desk impatiently, all he wanted to do was see Isabelle again. His thoughts were clouded with his nightmare, but he was still consumed with keeping his promises and learning more about her. Maurice thought that maybe he could help her, maybe there was something he could do. Unfortunately though because of his lack of attention to his surroundings he had not finished any of his paperwork yet, a small stack piled on the right side of his desk.

In his tired daze he failed to hear the footsteps of the monster that approached his door. A loud slam shook him out of his day dreaming and an enraged Mrs. Mort was standing in his office. Her apparent wrinkles had formed a long frown and her eyes blazed straight through him, what did he do this time? Realizing his legs were still up on the desk he swiftly flicked them off onto the ground, how unprofessional of him he had forgotten good manners.

"What is the meaning of this, what are you doing with your feet up on your desk?" The women hissed in her disgusting voice.

Mr. White had been through with her and he gave her a smug gaze, "Why did you deny my request to take Isabelle out?"

"Don't you snap at me! You better get those reports finished now or you'll be fired understand! You're on thin ice!" Mrs. Mort howled with fury spitting at his face.

Slamming the door behind her she left a sharp silence in Mr. White's office, it was clear he should have been more careful. Pushing through the papers he lazily filled them out at her command, even though inside his head he was cursing her out. It didn't take long for his mind to wander again back to his dreams, he began to write things as if he were only subconsciously doing them. He finished just in time to see Isabelle once more and he could feel a fire burn in his heart, he was determined to fix her.

He sprinted down the halls wanting to get out of the crammed office room, his head was filled with thoughts and words he couldn't separate into sentences. Maurice even bumped pass the one co-worker he'd grown to know named Stacey, she gazed at him in a bewildered way that reminded him of a blank minded cow. Reaching the door he unlocked it calmly entering the room where Isabelle had stayed once more, the tiny stuffed animals stayed quiet on the bed lined up.

Izzy sat silently at the edge of her white table, she was drawing on some paper of a forest in what appeared to be spring time. Not wanting to interrupt her drawings he trotted over to a seat across from her observing intently. She delicately placed her pencil down and gazed up at him with a bright smile. The length of her hair seemed longer than usual to him, and most unkempt probably from its length. It began to dawn upon him if she would appreciate a hair cut.

"Hello Maurice!" Isabelle chimed, "I've been waiting forever to hear about your day!"

Mr. White cocked his head, "You do know that I don't really do much outside the office right?"

"Don't be silly, everyone has something exciting that happens every day!" She insisted growing sort of impatient in her seat, "Even I have things that happen while locked up in this cage..."

"Cage? Well it's not really a cage..." Maurice claimed as in an uncomfortable way, did she really hate it that much?

Pushing her bright orange hair back she continued, "Yes it is, did you ever wonder why I'm here? It's not to protect me, it's because they think I'm dangerous I'm not stupid."

The man nodded softening his hazel eyes, "I don't think I would enjoy it very much either..."

"Exactly, besides we'll be able to leave soon you said we could! My birthday is soon, I really want to see the forest again!" Izzy confirmed her bright blue eyes glowing with joy.

Maurice tapped the desk nervously, "Well, unfortunately our request to leave has been denied."

"What?" Her voice was one of pure disappointment and her eyes began to water, "But I don't understand, you said it was okay?"

"I said it was okay, but they didn't think so" The man declared in an annoyed fashion and then lowered his voice to a soft whisper, "I promise, that I will get you out for your birthday and it will be the best birthday you've ever had."

Izzy grinned ear to ear and squealed excitedly, "Really?"

He laid a hand on her shoulder to keep her quiet, "Yes but it's important that they don't know so keep it a secret."

"Oh! Okay, yeah I get it!" Isabelle clued in softening her voice.

Gazing deep into her eyes he patted her gently on the head, seeing her smile gave him a strange fuzzy feeling on the inside. From behind her Maurice noticed a tiny green rabbit crawling across the bed with sharp glowing button eyes. The orange in his eyes indicated some sort of emotion, it was a soft eerie light that emitted from them. However the attractive soft glow was not enough to fool him, the whole idea made him uneasy as he observed the creature staring through him.

"We're coming too right?" The little green patched rabbit asked in a condescending tone.

The creature rested close to the young adults leg and she raised him into her arms where he cuddled to her closely. Regardless of his caring nature he seemed to keep a stare fixed on the man before him, and Maurice could feel a tense shudder within him. Certainly Patchi didn't think that he would ever be replaced by him right? Mr. White didn't want to imagine what kind of horrible demise he would meet if he ever angered the stuffed animal.

Maurice put on his most positive voice, "Of course, you are all welcome to come. What's a birthday party without your friends right?"

"You don't need to be so weary of Maurice, he has a warm heart" Raina the white saber cat piped in now leaning off the bed.

Glancing over at the toy his memory shot immediately back to his nightmare where he had met a young girl who said the exact same thing. Had there been some connection between her and this toy? Was that what that girl meant by her little angel? Not wanting to dwell on it he stiffened his muscles and sat very still at the little table. The other stuffed animals had began to make their way over as well.

The dinosaur seemed keen of making a display of himself, he hopped with big strides and his blue tail flopped wildly. Meanwhile Raina continued to curl herself at the beds edges as if to be in deep though, Betty seemed to join her hanging her purple tiny wings over the edge. The black deer named Raum seemed distant though, he stayed far off as if to not want to get involved. The last to rush forward were Floppy and Squeaker, but their body language was full of zest and glee, the two seemed almost intertwined.

"Can I help decorate?" The smallest stuffed animal named Squeaker asked in a cute tone.

Maurice felt a little awkward but forced out a grin, "Sure, why not?"

In moments he was covered in stuffed animals and he was too afraid to move, they acted so adorable but seemed so evil. His body heated up from the fear of doing the wrong thing and he couldn't help but sweat off his brow from his own awkwardness. Something inside him however peered over to Isabelle for assurance and she giggled at the sight of his misfortune. Rather than being appalled however, he was content almost as if he were just excited to make her smile.