A Surfeit of Shorts

Night Terrors

AN: Written for @_ShortStory_'s 2K character challenge.

Character Count: 1996 characters. 

***

The night was dark, and filled with storms; rain lashed at the windows in a steady pattering cadence, whilst thunder growled and boomed almost directly overhead. I suppose that it was the storm that had originally awoken me, yet I had the feeling as though there was something more, something amiss, something evil in the night. I felt a presence, a glassy stare nearby, as though I was being watched by something malevolent, that wished me harm even, although I knew that I should have been alone. No one else was in the house and I had no pets other than fish forever trapped within the confines of their aquarium downstairs.

I waited, silent, unmoving, breath held, as the storm continued to rage outside; eventually, my dubious patience was rewarded, for I felt the hint of movement against the foot of my bed. Something was there, and I heard it, over the noise of the storm, breathing heavily as it dragged itself across the bed-covers, and further up towards me. I held my breath, unable to even draw in the slightest inhalation, let alone scream, as the thing moved closer, until finally, it reached the vicinity of my chest. It was heavy, and, quite frankly, it stank, of earth, of evil, of dead things, of death itself.

I opened my eyes wide, tried to see what it was in the darkness, yet still I saw nothing, and still could only feel. Suddenly, lightning split the world asunder outside, bright blue streaks splitting the skies wide open in electric fire and that was when I saw what was in the room with me, on my chest, silent, unmoving and staring malevolently at me.

It was the teddy bear that I thought lost when I was six, fallen somewhere in playtime error in the garden, except it no longer was the friendly playtime friend it once had been. Its eyes were glowing with red hatred, its mouth wide and fang-filled, and its movements were sharp and quick, as it darted for my throat. I had time to finally scream once, before its fangs sank into my flesh and I knew no more.