Tommy, a short story by Shadow. Times viewed: 475
- Please SEND FEEDBACK - Writers love hearing from you. , and you can view the Authors profile here
- 1.
ALICE ACCEPTED THE strangers lift without fear or without even remembering the countless warnings given by her father. The old man offered candy and reassurance her mother had asked him to retrieve her from her primary school. Alice was not scared or concerned even though she knew he lied because Tommy was with her, Tommy her best friend, Tommy who fitted safe and snug into her back pack, Tommy who had promised he would not allow anyone to harm her, Tommy who had promised he loved her.
Tommy… 2.
The old man watched her eating the jelly babies that he offered with a curious little grin across his face. Alice loved jelly babies and ate them with greed and demanded more when what she had were gone. The old man gave her more then eased the old Pontiac away from the school. She swallowed down the last of the sweets then glanced out through the car window.
The afternoon sun was already sinking into the western sky. Parents where there to collect their children, her two best friends Sue and Liz played on the grass in front of the school safe and secure, but Alice’s mother was late as usual.
She watched the Toyota car yard drift by and watched as the old man drove through the round about and swung the car to the left along the Bunya highway. She knew this was not the way home, but was not worried instead dove her hand into her back pack and stroked Tommy’s soft fur, it felt smooth and warm. He had always liked it in there, ever since she had found him in the storm water drain on her way home from school.
Tommy… 3.
There had been a storm on that hot November day that delivered a large torrent of rain. Alice waded in the over flowing gutters along the bitumen on her way home, she had removed her shoes to enjoy the cool water against her feet, a nice change from the heat of that summers day.
A large culvert with a grate built into the top lay at the corner of Wicker and Chester Street. Alice noticed a pile of rubbish caught in the grate that commanded closer inspection from her curious mind. She caught a glimpse of a furry object protruding from the muddy storm water.
The current was strong against her small legs. Rubbish floated by, cans, wrappers and even an old sneaker. She watched them being sucked into the whirlpool.
She waded carefully to the edge of the grid and grabbed it with haste and pulled it from the water and despite the mud covering its fur she hugged it and somewhere deep in Alice’s mind it began to speak. It thanked her for saving him and told her of friendship and love and things only a
Tommy… 4.
child would understand from a new imaginary friend she decided to call Tommy.
Her mother had done her best to rid her of it, but soon found after numerous attempts and screaming tantrums it was easier to just let her keep it. Even though she worried she was too attached to it she never denied her new friend and allowed her to sleep, play and talk to it as if it were alive. But her mother never knew Tommy liked it so much in her back pack. He slept there while Alice was at school, snug and content and always close to her.
Alice listened to the soft hum of the car engine, it sounded good, Tommy liked it also and that made her happy.
“I want more jelly babies,” she suddenly demanded from the old man.
He turned and smiled at her, “When we get there you can have all the jelly babies you want alright?” His smile broadened and Alice didn’t like it.
Tommy… 5.
“I don’t live this way, where are we going?”
His expression shifted from pleased assurance to something Alice hadn’t seen before, an overly happy and confident smile and knew she was in trouble, “To see your mother, she’s waiting for us and if you don’t be good she’ll be very angry with you,” he tried to convince her.
“Why would my mother be waiting out here?” she asked.
“That’s what she said; you should always do what your mother says.”
“I always do and you didn’t answer my question,” she said, angrily screwing her face at the old man.
He smiled back at her seeming a little amused at her rebelliousness. “What question was that?” he asked and Alice couldn’t detect an ounce of frustration in his voice.
“Why would my mother be waiting for me out here, are you deaf or something?”
Tommy… 6.
He faced forward again and watched her in the rear view mirror. She’s waiting for you and if I don’t get you there she’ll be disappointed at both of us, won’t she?”
The old mans stared at her with amusement through the mirror. He kind of reminded her of pop and fresh the candy man, that’s if he wasn’t wearing those ridicules coke bottle glasses, she thought.
He noticed her hand in the back pack and asked, “What are you doing, what are you playing with in there?”
“I’m not playing with anything, I’m patting my friend, he’s asleep and you had better not touch me because he won’t like it,” she announced angrily at the old man.
“Bring him out so I can see him,” he asked and Alice was shocked at his honest curiosity.
“No… he gets grumpy when he gets woken up.”
Tommy… 7.
“It’s nice you have an imaginary friend, all little children should have one,” the old man said turning back towards her and throwing an agreeable smile then saying “I really would like to see him though.”
“Alright but you asked for it,” she told him then lifted her hands from the back pack and pulled out Tommy. When the old man saw the teddy bear sitting on Alice’s lap he laughed so hard the Pontiac swerved to one side of the road and he had to struggle to regain control.
“That’s your friend, a teddy bear?”
“He’s not a teddy bear he’s my friend and if you hurt me he won’t like it.”
“Hurt you? Where’d you get an idea like that,” he asked bewilderedly staring at the bear. “He sure is a handsome little bear,” he added thinking how worn and scruffy the bear looked then swung the Pontiac to the right onto a small dirt road. Alice could see a bridge that lay across
Tommy… 7.
the road and watched the towering gum trees pass as he drove them along the dirt road.
“I’m warning you!”
“You’re warning me of what?” he asked as the car lurched across the bridge. A driveway suddenly appeared under a huge arch. The Pontiac disappeared underneath. Alice listened to the gravel crunching under the cars wheels.
The road wound along the river until a house emerged into view. “Well this is it!” he said pulling the car up along side a path that led up to the house.
Alice watched the house for a moment and seeing neither her mother nor her car she grew even more agitated at the old man staring down at her.
“This is what?” she asked angrily as the old man turned away and refused to answer her questions
Tommy… 7.
“You shouldn’t have brought me out here,” she warned him again and for a moment he wished he hadn’t when he saw the bear staring up at him, a sneer of hatred covering his face, then the claws protruding from its stubby little arms.
The bear rose onto its feet and all the old man could do was sit in frozen fear and watch through the rear vision mirror as the little bear climbed across the seat.
Alice wasn’t concerned, she watched with excitement as Tommy used his claws to slice open the old mans throat. The car swerved sideways and came to a halt at the side of the road. Alice snatched up her back pack and slid out of the car.
She stood beside the car for a moment then placed the back pack onto the ground. “Come on Tommy, how many times I need tell you not to play with your food.” The small bear jumped down from the Pontiac and made his way toward Alice. Into the back pack the little bear climbed and Alice strapped it shut. Alice was not concerned anyone would ask
Tommy…
8.
what had happened to the old man, she doubted Tommy left very much of him to find, Alice was not concerned because she knew that Tommy was not a Teddy bear and Alice was not concerned because he promised he loved her.
-THE END-
Send feedback
- Use for below to send feedback to author - View the Authors profile here
- The following form will send feedback to the author about this short story, please enter your e-mail if you wish a reply (which is obviously at the authors own discretion)
