Theodore Williams had always had a rough childhood. Even at a young age he had been plagued by nightmares and because of them he never had any friends, I’d like it to go in record that he’s openly discussed his nightmares with me, “What can you tell me about the nightmares?” I asked him. Theodore looked at me with sad eyes but I could detect a hint of fear behind them.
“You don’t want to know anything about them,” He told me, “you wouldn’t believe me.”
“Theodore, I get it you’re scared but I want you to know I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.” I replied. Theodore didn’t seem to be in a talkative mood, “Theodore, you killed someone. I need to know the truth.” I continued.
The young man looked at me and shook his head, “Four people died.” He said.
“Are you sure? The file only mentioned the one, and what you did to him was pretty gruesome.” I said to him. Theodore just chuckled.
“Are you a cop?” He asked. I shook my head, “Good, so you want to know the truth about what I dream and why I killed three of those four?” He asked. I looked at the young man taking in his appearance. He had soft auburn hair and pretty blue eyes, he wore blue overalls with red b*****s and a red shirt covered in teddy bears. It was almost like looking at a child all grown up. I finally nodded.
“I’d also like you to tell me about Teddy.” I said softly. This was the question the higher ups, my co-workers, and myself had been asking over and over again, ‘Who is Teddy?’ It kept repeating over and over again like a broken record.
Theodore looked at the two way mirror that my superiors were standing behind, watching us talk, “Well, I’ll start with the dreams and the creatures who wished to harm me and my family.” He told me. This is his story.
Ever since he could remember, he had been plagued by the same dreams. The dreams that were brought upon him by his father, a crudely, abusive man who often times took his drunken rage out on poor Theodore and his mother, Linda. The nightmares were all the same. Theodore would find himself in the middle of the street at night under a moon that painted the sky with the crimson shade of blood, and walking the street were large, strange spider like creatures with large gray, bony human arms and hands that could grip onto the side of buildings. Their large, plump, slimey bodies were about the side of a large vehicle and were covered in thousands of tiny yellow eyes with two conjoined pupils that looked like hour glasses and shined like spotlights searching for prey. Theodore looked at the creatures out of fear but at the same time he was mezmerized, as a creature soon approached him it’s spotlight eyes shinning down on him. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breath, he couldn’t do anything except wonder what this creature wanted, than came the voice. Not a voice that could be heard by ears, but could be heard and felt by the mind, “Embrace the Nauggalaunt.” It said in an almost disjointed hollow tone. Theodore wondered why this voice would want him to embrace the creature, the Nauggalaunt. He tried to fight the voice, but it’s grip on him was too stong he felt himself lifted up like a flower being picked delicately by a passerby but with the feeling of invisible hands the felt like wind lifting him up towards the smiling maw of the Nauggalaunt which opened wide, a thick yellow liquid dripped from its fangs as he was swallowed whole the voice spoke again, “Theodore, we know you’re there.” Than Theodore would wake up.
The nightmares would continue night after night, usually after his father would get drunk and take his anger out on him and his mom, but once Theodore had a nightmare after witnessing his father take advantage of his mom. I wondered what kind of life this poor kid had to suffer through. Theodore would always keep his hatred for his dad bottled as he continued his daily life of going to school and spending his down time writing about the Nauggalaunts and this other world in his dreams. The kids at school thought of him as a freak who would always be friendless and would grow up to be just like his dad, a drunk. Except for one. His friend, a girl named April. April was Theodore’s one and only friend, she was a tall fair skinned girl with short blonde hair and soft blue eyes. She always wore plaid dresses over long sleeved shirts, white stockings, and cute black shoes. April was like him a social outcast, her mom was known for being a woman who could never keep a man and often times an ‘attention w***e’ as her neighbors called her and April’s dad was always awau on business, though Theodore said he suspected that the man was off f*****g his mistress, if he had one. Theodore didn’t waste time in getting to the point, on his thirteenth birthday April had given him a bear. A mangled, torn, raggedy, old bear. Theodore didn’t care how disturbing the bear looked, he was just happy to have received a gift from his friend, “I named him, Teddy,” Theodore told me. He had a sad expression on his face when he told me, “I named him after me.”
Theodore and took a drink of water from the plastic cup that sat on the table as he continued to explain that after he got Teddy, he heard the voice even as he was awake, “I thought I was going crazy and my drunken dad wasn’t helping.” He said softly. The only thing that helped him get through the voice and the nightmares, was April. April was always there for him and he took comfort in her company, she understood him and was their for him more than his parents were, he thought he was falling for her.
About a week after his birthday his father was particularly mean this day. Theodore tried to avoid his dad as best as possible but he couldn’t avoid the abuse for long, his father forced his head into the wall and took his face to the stove and burned it partially, which explained the horrible scar that covered half of his face. Theodore was admitted to the hospital that night and was let out a few days later. His father never said a word. His mother stayed silent. The kids at school tormented him more after he got burned, a rumor about him being obsessed with fire had apparently spread while he was away, thanks to the worse bully out of them all, David Thorn. David was an eight grader and always wore the same red and black flannel shirt that matched his bright red hair. Only April seemed happy to see him, she didn’t care about the burn, “I can still recall her hand on my burned cheek.” Theodore said as he put his hands on his face. He soon talked about what finally made him snap. Theodore and April sat together during lunch, he was happy to be with her again. She made life worth living, but David and his girlfriend, a ‘preppy blond eighth grade b***h with blue eyes’ as he called her named, Rachel Summerset were not going to leave either him or April alone.
David smiled down at Theodore, “So you two freaks talking about how f****d up you both are?” David asked, causing Rachel to giggle stupidly, her purple and white cheerleader outfit tightly fit her body and exposed quite a bit if her thighs, it made Theodore wonder why the school approved of the outfit.
April rolled her eyes, “Don’t you two got anything better to do,” She asked, “Like bitching about how you’re not on the football team?” She said with a sly smile. Theodore snickered a bit at that.
David glared at her angrily, “I’m not the one who enjoys being in the presence of a pyromaniac who burned himself or his w***e.” He said to her.
Theodore clenched his fist, “My dad burned me.” He saod.
Rachel giggled stupidily again, “I guess he thinks you’re a gross pig too!” She said loudly resulting in all of David and Rachel’s friends laughing, but April wasn’t having it. She got up lunged towards the older girl. David stopped her.
“I wouldn’t do that.” David said smiling wickedly ad he pushed April away causing her to hit the table hard, “I guess you’re as clumsy as you are f*****g ugly.” He said in a mocking manner as April held her side in pain.
Theodore looked at the two in anger as they laughed, he had enough. Later that day, April was sent to the hospital so, Theodore had to walked home alone, he wanted to be alone. Until he saw David and Rachel walking into the nearby woods, “Do it. Do it.” He heard the familiar voice say. Theodore and followed the pair into the woods and saw them making love.
Theodore felt nothing but anger raging through his body as he picked up a large stick. He reached into his back pack and pulled out his empty lunch bag that he had forgotten to throw out, he put it on and poked two holes in the spots where his eyes were and he left his hiding spot. He readied his swing and hit Rachel in the side if her head, she yelped loudly as she fell to the side, “What the f**k?!” David yelled. Theodore stomped down hard on David’s crotch, crushing his erect p***s under his boot with a loud squish, David yelled in pain and Theodore began hitting him again and again and again. Rachel was dazed as she looked up at Theodore, she seemed to recognize him, he felt a tear run down his cheek as he moved the bag up just enough si they could see his face, “Williams, you little freak!” David yelled. Theodore looked at him, a cold hate in his eyes. He than hit them both over and over again, “Stop, please! I’m sorry.” David cried. Theodore stopped and looked at him he was sobbing and holding Rachel.
Theodore lifted the bag again, “Now who’s the b***h?” Theodore asked as he lowered the bag and began beating them both with stick again. He beat them to unconsciousness. He wasn’t done though. He soon dragged the bodies into a wide ditch and found much to his surprise, a can of kerosene. Theodore poured the can over the pair along with their clothes and remembering that David was a smoker took his lighter and lit the pair on fire. He finished his mission, he tossed the stick and bag in the fire and used the nearby stream to clean himself of the blood.
He soon walked home and went to his room. He could hear his parents arguing downstairs, same as usual. He held Teddy close as a voice spoke to him. It wasn’t the same voice as usual, it was softer and more friendly, “It’s ok, Theodore.” The voice said. Upon hearing the new voice Theodore began to look around, “I’m your friend. I wouldn’t hurt you.” The voice continued. Theodore looked down and realized the voice was coming from Teddy.
Theodore couldn’t believe his ears, “How is this possible?” The boy asked. He wasn’t sure why but he had a feeling Teddy was smiling.
Teddy squirmed out of Theodore’s embrace and began walking around, “Poor Theodore, so confused.” The bear said almost mockingly, “Did you really think, the Nauggalaunt was the only one who wants you?” Theodore felt uncomfortable at these words. Teddy sat in the rocking chair sitting the corner and began rocking himself, “I am a spirit from the other world, a spirit your subconcious created in order to help you break away from your worthless life. I entered your precious bear in order to lead you away from the Nauggalaunt and more towards me, but it seems I was too late.” He said.
Theodore looked at him, “What do you mean?” Theodore asked.
Teddy chuckled a bit, “The Nauggalaunt convinced you to kill, but not the right one. He made you kill those bullies, you killed them. I wanted you to kill your precious girlfriend. She was holding you back.” The bear said bitterly. Theodore couldn’t believe it. He suddenly remembered the pocket knife he had in his pocket. He reached for it and pulled it out, “You wouldn’t.” The bear said with a laugh still keeping the calm, friendly damenor. Theodore charged the bear and stabbed him over and over again out of anger. The bear began to bleed a white liquid that resembled milk, as he looked up at the boy.
Theodore panted and dropped his knife, “I hope you rot in whatever hell you came from.” Theodore said.
Teddy coughed and chuckled a bit, “The Nauggalaunt owns you, ‘Chosen’. I’m a part of you now.” He said. Theodore watched as the bear died slowly.
“Well done, Theodore. Embrace the Nauggalaunt, Chosen.” The familiar voice spoke. Theodore than heard a sounded scream from his mother and the sound of a body hitting the floor, “Your father has to pay, carve that bear and embrace your new life, my Chosen.” The voice continued. Theodore knew what to do he carved off some of Teddy’s fur and brought it over to the desk he had in the corner.
He soon began to stitch the fur together in the form of a mask. He than changed his clothes into a more child like appearance, the outfit I saw him wearing and than he put the mask on. He was ready. He slowly descended the stairs and saw that his father had passed out drunk after he had killed his mom. Theodore smiled through the mask and went to the kitchen and grabbed a large carving knife. He approached his father and stabbed him over and over again. His father woke up after the fourth stab and tried to fight back, but Theodore wouldn’t let him. He soon stabbed his father in his crotch hoping it would make him stop fighting. It did, as a final statement, he slit his father’s throat and than sat in the kitchen covered in blood, “Well done, my Chosen.” The voice said. Theodore was glad to hear the praise.
That was when the cops arrived, apparently Theodore had called the police who was eating cookies and drinking milk when they arrived. He made a full confession to the murder of his father. Now I had his Confession to the bullies and the bear, “Is April ok?” Theodore asked in a worried voice. I nodded simply, I couldn’t say anything, my response made him smile. I heard a knock coming from the other side of the glass and got up to leave, “Miss Dresden, thank you.” He said. I was confused at the fact he knew my name when I never told him my name.
When I left I was met by my commanding officer a tall, handsome man named, Gabriel Grimwood approached me, “We have information on the Chosen. There have been several murders recently committed by people calling themselves, the Chosen.” He saod to me. I stood there staring at him and than felt the urge to turn, Theodore was gone. My name is Rachel Dresden, and I am an operative of the Merrywood Institute. It’s my job to hunt down supernatural occurrences and stop them, I let a dangerous man go free. A man who had been touched by the Other World.