I realize I work best at night, not that this is any good. The hard part was to fit the whole thing into 750 words.
The darkness closed in around
us. I hugged my teddy tight and waited again for the noise. I looked around,
trying to see, but there was not one speck of light to help focus. The room was
totally black. Teddy brushed my cheek, so I held his head. My lower lip
quivered.
“Soon it will be here again.”
My teddy warned. I nodded shorty. My breaths were heavy.
“Ouch,” Teddy groaned. I
turned fiercely, and gasped in relief. I loosened my grip on him. The hole in
his neck was still small. Shaken, I turned my fear back onto what might appear.
I was so scared a quiet cry escaped me. When I shut my mouth, the cry proceeded.
That’s when the metal floating thing, with its lights and all its strange arms
arose from the foot of the bed.
It swiveled as it approached
me. I whimpered in silence while I watched all its spidery arms test the tools
they were holding in midair. It took all my might not to scream while it shined
its light at the things in my room, turning around until the light pointed at
me.
I couldn't see it now. It was
too bright. But I knew it was there heading straight for me with its sharp tools,
meant for use on me. I crushed Teddy. He choked in my ear to stop and I
stopped. He was just as scared as I was. I couldn’t keep my eyes open any more.
They filled with tears of fear and pain from the light. I tugged on Teddy’s
tail – the signal that I was about to scream. I knew that if I screamed, the
thing would attack, but I had to. I opened my mouth but nothing escaped. I was
frozen sitting it bed my mouth open, eyes shut tight, with the light shining
through, getting stronger and stronger. The hum of the machine got closer and
closer.
Teddy! It took him from me! I
groped next to me. I touched my pillow, grabbed it and shot it at the machine.
Still scared to scream, I
rolled out of bed, pulling one of my covers with me. The light followed me like
a spotlight. The hum grew. I ran for the door holding the blanket like a cape.
“Dylan!” I had just reached
the door when I heard Teddy. I looked up at the floating metal thing only to be
blinded with the light. “Save yourself!”
I closed my eyes, I took a
second to decide.
Hummumumummmummmummummm
The sound was so close now. I
flung the blanket upwards as hard as I could. As I had hoped it covered the
metal humming thing, diming the lights and the sound. The thing spun and
swerved in the air throwing shadows of everything in the room in odd
directions. I tried to blink away the blindness it gave me, searching for
Teddy. I found him on his back with the pillow I through covering him.
“I’m coming, Teddy!” I lunged
at the pillow and hugged Teddy tight.
Suddenly the room was flushed
with light, and the humming was back. The robot managed to cut the blanket in
half with one of its razor-sharp tools. It found us again. I ducked and rolled
till I hit the door. I ran through the hall to the living room, regretting running
passed the front door. I wished my parents weren’t such deep sleepers.
The robot was nearing, it
would have me cornered again, but at least I had Teddy to tell me what to do.
“Look around for something to
throw” he whispered.
I grabbed the couch pillows. Tossed
them one by one at the machine, who bounced them back at the floor. There was
nothing left to throw.
“Throw me.” Teddy said.
“No!” I cried.
“Dylan, it’s the only way!
Throw me.” I didn’t have much time. Tears drizzled from me. I flung my Teddy up
to the robot and it hit a claw, spinning it, but not much else. I watched Teddy
try climbing on top of the metal beast as it closed in on top of me, its claws
and needles raking my skin.
I woke up on the floor. It was
morning. I could hear the radio and smell pancakes, but I couldn’t move.
“Hey Teddy!” A hand squeezed
me hard.
Dylan comes to smirk at me in
the window pretty often. No one’s ever going to buy me with that hole in my
neck.