The mother and daughter had searched the whole house but the results were not pleasant. They could not find any clues of Sylvester the teddy bear.
Rebecca thought for a few minutes then she remembered that she had her daughter play outside with Sylvester while she was busy with the laundry during the morning so Lesley may have left Sylvester outside.
The mother sighed deeply "We've looked but its not within the house but not outside and i remember you playing outside with Sylve"
Lesley frowned then looked towards her mother and said in low tone "But… it's scary out there, Mommy. What if there are big shadows?"
The mother finding Lesley's lack of courage quite cute gently pinched her chubby little cheeks.
After a few minutes of attacking her daughter's chipmunk cheeks she said with a voice full of affection"I understand sweetie. It can be a little spooky at night, but I'll be right by your side."
Lesley fidgeting nervously as she looked down "But what if something jumps out at us? I just want Mr. Teddy!"
"I promise to keep you safe. Let's just take a quick look, okay? We can call for Mr. Teddy together."
Lesley hesitantly agreed before adding with a low voice "Can we turn on a flashlight first?"
" We'll shine it around and make sure everything is okay. You're really brave, you know that?" The mother smiled as she cupped her daughter's cheeks once more
Lesley grumbled cutely as she tried to respond but only to find her cheeks being assaulted for a few seconds. " Mommyyyyyy ma cheeksh won't stwop growing if you kweep doing that and Sylvester won't like being left alone for too lwong" she said trying to pry her mother's hands off her cheeks.( I tried stimulating how a person would sound if they had they're cheeks pinched gently while trying to talk and welp... one + one ain't equal to 3)
She looked like a mad cat trying to act tough only to find itself being targeted with more affection. Rebecca acting saddened by her daughter's Words reluctantly let go of her soft chubby cheeks before taking a deep breath before responding "Okay, let's go! But you have to hold my hand."
"Deal! Let's find Mr. Teddy and bring him home." Said Lesley as she rubbed both a cheeks
As the mother reached for the doorknob, the little girl clutched her dress tightly, her heart racing with a mix of curiosity and fear. The soft glow of the house lights contrasted sharply with the dark outline of the forest beyond.
As if struck by lightning the little girl chickened out "Mommy, can i just stay inside?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper The mother paused, turning to kneel down to her daughter's level. "I promise I won't be long," she reassured her. "Just a quick look. You know nothing will happen to you."
The little girl nodded slowly, though doubt flickered in her eyes. The forest had always seemed alive with whispers and rustles, especially at night.
Taking a deep breath, the mother opened the door, the hinges creaking softly like a warning. "I'll be right back," she said, stepping outside while keeping her gaze fixed on the child tho she forgot to take the flash light she walked in the dark towards the supposed spot where her daughter was playing in. She didn't need any light she thought to herself as she had a rough idea of where the teddy was so it would be a quick job.
As Lesley stood near the opened door looking at her mother. Rebecca peering out into the vast darkness that surrounded their home. She strained her ears, listening for any sounds—a rustle of leaves, or perhaps the call of an owl. Everything felt magnified in the stillness, and night crept in.
"Mommy…" Lesley murmured to herself, glancing back at the dimly lit house before focusing again on the outside world. Time seemed to stretch, and with it grew her anxiety.
Suddenly, a loud snap echoed from the direction of the forest, making her jump. "Mommy!" she called, her voice filled with mounting urgency. The shadows felt deeper now, and the little girl took a cautious step toward the door, unsure whether to go outside or wait.
Before she could make a move her mother appeared but stood a bit farther away from the light coming out of the door she looked at her daughter "sweetheart I found Sylvester come closer and take him Mommy hurt her leg so she doesn't want you to see "
The night was thick with an unsettling quiet as she rushed out from the door the glow from the light in the house flickering like a heartbeat.
"Mommy?" Her voice trembled slightly, caught between excitement and uncertainty. It was late and she could feel the chill of the evening creeping in, but the warmth of her mother's presence had always chased away all her fear, as she approached, she noticed something off. Her mother seemed taller—too tall.
A knot twisted in her stomach as she abruptly stopped in her tracks she thought for a moment "Mommy was always tall tho ..but since she said I'm still growing she will seem tall hehe"
The girl convinced herself she threw such negative thoughts to the back of her head and moved towards her mother, not in a quick way but a slower pace.
Her body did this subconsciously as if what she saw was still being processed while she thought she had thoroughly thrown her doubts away
As she got closer the slower she got before she stood at the edge of the light, 3 feet away from her mother.
You know the mind tends to filter out some information when one experiences a lot of happiness or any other emotions but there is always that nagging feeling that pulls you out of your level 10 state and slowly pulls you down to 5 and all that little information that was filtered comes back slowly.
That's what Lesley felt at the moment, She had noticed her mother had red pupils and was suspiciously taller than usual her face could not be discerned properly but she could tell the thing in front of her had no hair,mouth,ears or nose just eyes..
No... not eyes she thought to herself the red pupils... " no..no..no" Lesley took a step back and that thing took a step closer..
She couldn't tell....no that was not it she felt it throughout her whole being.
Something was wrong...very wrong that was when she noticed she was trembling.. "no...no " that was what she thought about nothing else.
Two glowing red pupils fixed on her, piercing through the night with an intensity that froze her in place. The breathing was rough and labored, echoing in the stillness around her, like the sound of an animal that had just sprinted for its life panic surged through her veins,this wasn't her mother.
"Mommy?" She tried again, but the name felt heavy on her tongue, a word that suddenly seemed foreign. The figure stood motionless, shrouded in darkness, but she could sense the powerful presence looming before her, something primal and predatory.
A low growl rumbled from deep within and she instinctively took a step back, heart pounding in her chest. The elongated silhouette, contorting shapes that twisted and warped, revealing something.. It took a step closer as it bent forward its face revealing itself in the light the red pupils were gone, replaced by two dark holes.
Every ounce of sanity drained away, replaced by sheer terror as the realization settled in—this was no game or sum cheap joke ...This thing..this..
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"