Thomas

Four-year-old Shade Godwit always loved her teddy bear named Thomas. He was a brown bear with a blue raincoat and hat. She had him since she was a baby. Her parents got it from an eccentric, old woman’s yard sale before she was born. There were rumors that that the eccentric woman was actually a witch but they ignored people. They told others that being a witch didn’t necessarily mean evil.
Every night Shade would cuddle with the fuzzy bear and felt so safe. She also took him everywhere that she went. He was never out of her sight. To this child, this stuffed bear was her best friend but she didn’t realized how much she needed him until that horrifying night.
It was Friday, exactly midnight. There was the sound of a window shattering and Shade awoke with a start. Behind her closed door, she heard her dad’s heavy footsteps creeping downstairs and she was curious to what was going on but she was too scared to move. She just sat up in her bed, tightly holding Thomas and called out, “Daddy!”

Her dad had yelled, “Who’s there?” Then, he abruptly let a horrendous scream and there was a loud sound like a body collapsing onto the floor. Shade began crying. Her mom ran towards Shade’s door and her hand on the knob but her mom screamed and it sounded like somebody dragged her away from the door. Suddenly, all was silent.

Shade was crying harder now but she had managed to get out of bed and quietly opened the door. She crept out of her room with Thomas in her arms and she saw her mom laying faced down across the hall. Shade then ran to her. It would’ve been obvious to anyone else that the woman was dead but to an innocent, naïve child, she was just asleep.

“Mommy,” cried Shade, shaking her mom frantically, “please wake up! Mommy, Mommy!” Shade accidentally pushed her dead mom onto her back and she saw a terrifying sight. Her mom’s blood and intestines slowly oozed out of her stomach and the white of her eyes was only thing that stared back at her little daughter. Blood got on her hand and she tried desperately to wipe it off on her pajama bottoms without success.
Shade shrieked and sobbed hysterically, “Mommy is hurt Thomas. We have to…have to call for help!”

Holding Thomas close, she ran downstairs and turned on the light in the kitchen. She saw her dad laying on his back in the front of the smashed back sliding door, his body being completely gutted and his head was severed crudely with his tongue hanging out.Blood was splattered everywhere and the floor was very slippery. Trying not to fall, she was weeping even harder now that she could barely breathe. “I’m scared Thomas,” she said helplessly, not fully comprehending the situation, “I’m scared!” Then, her stomach turning with fright, she barfed on top of the gore on the floor.

“It’s alright Shade,” said a friendly sounding voice. Wiping away the bile from her mouth with her sleeve, she looked around fretfully but saw no one. Then, she looked down at Thomas. “Don’t be scared,” she heard Thomas say, “I’m here with you.” His lips were actually moving.

“Thomas,” she exclaimed excitedly, “you’re talking!” She wasn’t afraid by this. Like most children her age, she still believed in magic and she always thought that her bear was magical somehow. She could always see it in his sapphire eyes.

“Yes,” he said warmly, “to help you. Now call for help like you said. The evil is here.” She dashed to the phone. She had learned at preschool what to do during an emergency and had memorized the number faster than her classmates. She put the receiver to her ear and tried pressing 911 but there was no dial tone.

“It’s broken,” she whimpered.

“Let me listen,” said Thomas. Shade held the receiver up to his ear. “The line is dead,” he confirmed. She was beginning to cry again, when they heard footsteps approaching.

“Turn off the light and hide under the table,” Thomas whispered. Gripping onto him tightly, she turned off the light and darted underneath the kitchen table.

A demonic man entered the kitchen. His eyes were a blazing orange, his teeth were so jagged that they could rip into human flesh and bone, his jet black hair was long and reached the floor, and his twisted and deformed face had blood all over it. He was also wearing a flowing, red cloak and he was holding a red cane. Shade thought that he was the devil that the priest at her church always warned them about. With a low, monstrous, scratchy voice, he then said, “Where are you little girl? I can hear you.”

She was shaking like a leaf as she watched the evil man. Acute fear consumed little
Shade and Thomas whispered words of comfort but there was no use. She was so afraid that she peed down her leg and sobbed uncontrollably. Smelling her, the man crept towards the table. “Please be quiet,” Thomas told her desperately, “You’ll be safe.” She tried to cover her own mouth but it was too late.

Along with smelling her urine, the man also heard her breathing heavily. Suddenly, he bent down and tried to grab at her, cackling and shouting, “Peek-a-boo!”
She screamed in horror and backed away from underneath the table. She clumsily stood up and he began to chase her. She tried to run out but when she ran out to the entrance way, she would only be back in the kitchen. The man would just cackle loudly.

“What’s happening?” she bawled, as the monstrous man chased her, “I want Mommy and Daddy!”

“It‘s a trick,” explained Thomas.

“I got you now girl,” the man said with a demented smile, coming closer.

“Get the salt,” Thomas said suddenly.

Being tremendously frightened and confused, she exclaimed, “Salt? “Why?”

“Yes salt,” replied Thomas, “Salt protects you from evil things.”

“Where is it?” she asked.

“Your daddy was using it when he was cooking your dinner and he left it on the counter,” he replied.

Shade went towards the counter, sliding across the bloody floor and being out of reach of the wicked man for a second, and quickly grabbed the black container. She asked, “Is this it?”

“Yes,” answered Thomas.

Continuing to run, she then asked, “Now what?”

“Now let go of me,” Thomas instructed, “pour salt in your palms, and throw handfuls in his face.”

“I’m too scared,” she said.

“You can do it,” Thomas coaxed, “I know you can.” Reluctantly, she stopped running, gently dropped Thomas onto the floor, turned around, poured some salt into her hands, and threw it in the man’s face.

The man howled in pain, as his flesh sizzled. Moving backwards, she kept throwing salt at the man, each time his face burned and bubbled. She thought that she was beating the monster man until she realized to her dismay that the container was empty. The man smiled and came at her. “I can’t wait to hear you squeal for mercy,” laughed the man, trying to grab her hair. She ducked and bolted towards Thomas.

“The salt is all gone,” she cried, picking him up.

“Throw me at him,” Thomas told her, speaking rapidly as the man was coming near,

“I’ll take care of him!”

“But you’ll get hurt,” she said worriedly.

“No I won’t,” he assured her, “Trust me!”

Kissing the top of his head, she said tearfully, “You’re so brave.” As the man was getting inches closer, she tossed Thomas at the him. He glided in the air, his hat, coat, and eyes turning pure black and his smile turning into a fierce, fanged expression. He landed on the man’s face and began attacking like a wild animal. He bit, scratched, and tore into his face and the man was screaming in agony and backing away.

“GET OFF BEAST!” the man roared. With Thomas still on his face, the man ran out of the kitchen. Shade didn’t follow until she heard an explosion in the family room. She rushed in and saw a massive cloud of fire and smoke.

“THOMAS!” she screamed. Then, the fire and smoke disappeared. The evil man was nowhere to be found but Thomas was laying on the floor, his clothing and eyes back to normal color. She ran to him. There were no burns or tears on him but she was still concerned. Hugging him, she asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Thomas smiled, “I’m alright. And the demon is gone now.” Being covered in pee and her parents’ blood, she felt exhausted and emotionally drained. She curled up into a ball in a corner, sobbed loudly, and snuggled with Thomas. He softly sang to her until she fell asleep.

The neighbors hearing strange sounds in the night, they called for help and the police found Shade in minutes. After staying in the hospital for a week, she was placed in a foster home. No one believed her when she told them what happened and Thomas never uttered another word after that night. People told her that it was just a bad man that killed her mom and dad and that she imagined Thomas talking to her but she didn’t care though. She knew the truth. Each night, she would lovingly hold Thomas close to her, knowing that nothing could harm her as long as he was there.

Credit To – Lena Holdman