“Sir Teddy’s Duty”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

“The toys in a store come to life when no one is around.”

prompt suggested by Mary

The last of the lights flickered out. The door creaked as the shopkeeper locked the door.

Then, complete silence.

But this silence didn’t last long. As the tinkling of the bells on the door faded away, the toys began stretching their limbs. It had been a long day and they felt especially stiff because it had been raining and gloomy. Still, these toys weren’t about to let a bit of stiffness hold them back. They had slept all day; now was the time to seize the night!

One by one, they climbed down their shelves to convene on the shopkeeper’s desk.

Of all the toys, Sir Teddy had been in the shop the longest. After twenty years of being owned by the shopkeeper, Sir Teddy was able to pull rank on all the toys that came and went from the shop.

It was a special night for Sir Teddy and the toys: It was the first night of the arrival of a brand new batch of toys! Sir Teddy took his duty as coordinator very seriously and so he was prepared to give these new toys a most special welcome to the shop.

Once all the decorations had been placed, Sir Teddy readied himself to officially open the box and welcome the new toys to their temporary home. The other toys gave him reassuring pats on the back as he walked toward the box. He took a deep breath before opening the box.

Bright, unblinking eyes stared out at Sir Teddy. He backed away instinctively, almost tripping over a pencil in his haste to get away from the box’s contents.

Suddenly, an entire flurry exited the box and swarmed through the store, knocking over everything and everyone in sight. Sir Teddy did his best to help everyone get to a safe place before taking cover himself.

His heart sank as he watched these new toys take over his home.

Sir Teddy felt hopelessness envelop him. He was supposed to protect the shop.

He had failed.

Final Comments: Funnily enough, I watched Toy Story earlier today…

Overall Rating: 🙂