I promise you; you’d never know how you’d react when you see one in person. Its immense size completely dwarfs you. Standing erect, on its massive rear legs, it easily would have been over seven feet tall. I remember when I saw it, I stared into its cold, lifeless eyes….
It was so fucking awesome!
I jumped on it and hugged it, right there in the hallway outside my apartment. The delivery guy probably thought I was completely nuts but I didn’t care in the slightest. I knew it was big from the site, but I just couldn’t get over huge that teddy bear was in person. My plans for the prank on my girlfriend were perfect.
At least that is what I thought.
I did all the meticulous planning beforehand. I mean, it wasn’t rocket science or anything. Really, I just needed to remove some of the stuffing so that I could slip inside and wait for my girlfriend to enter our apartment. I’d wait there, hidden within the confines of the soft bear’s interior and then suddenly spring to life…startling her. Mina would freak.
Originally, my goal was to leave him out for a few weeks, slumped up in the corner of my living room, looking adorable and innocuous. I couldn’t wait that long though, I was too excited. I left him out for just a few nights, just long enough for Mina to get used to him and not become suspicious.
Removing the stuffing was a pain. It took about an hour, but I passed the time sipping on favorite my drink, a vintage from Ohio, if you can believe it. Anyway, I had to be careful with the cuts that I made into the Teddy bear’s lining so that it wouldn’t look like the bear had been butchered. Plus, I had to leave just enough stuffing in there that he still retained his signature rotund shape.
The eyes though were perfect. They were tinted, dark plastic but still somewhat transparent. Mina wouldn’t be able to see my eyes looking through, but I would be able to see her clear as night.
So anyway, I was ready. This was it. I crawled into Teddy, as I was now calling him, and closed him back up, sealing me inside of him. I then waited anxiously for my girlfriend to get home. Mina usually worked late on most afternoons and evenings but she always made it home well before I did. She wouldn’t suspect a thing…
It took about twenty minutes, but I heard footsteps coming from out in the hallway, accompanied by the jingling of keys. Immediately I could sense something was wrong. There were too many footsteps…
“Come on in, he’s not here. I promise”, she said as she entered our dark home. She looked amazing, as always, dressed in tight jeans and a thin red sweater. It looked like something she would wear when going out for drinks with some of the other teachers she worked with.
In fact, I thought she was going out for drinks with some of her coworkers that evening. Instead, following closely behind her was a man. He looked…serious. Like a former goth that had enlisted in the Marines. His closely cropped black hair and large frame made him look like some kind of hunter. His skin was super pale and contrasted sharply with his raven hair. He had a small satchel that was hanging from his shoulder. It takes a lot to intimidate someone like me, but something about this strange man was unnerving.
“Can I get you a drink?”, Mina asked the man as he closed the front door cautiously behind them. No doubt about it, Mina seemed to be flirting. She grabbed his bicep slightly and then smiled and said, “I think I have some alcohol in the fridge”.
Fuck! How could she fucking do this to me??
It took every ounce of self-control that I had not to leap from the bear and yell. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t. Maybe I was self-conscious of confronting them in a circumstance so ridiculous. Me, flopping around inside this massive teddy bear demanding serious answers from Mina and this surprise stranger.
“No, we mustn’t. You are most kint but not now my love…”, he said in some weird European accent as Mina stumbled into the kitchen. She clearly had already had a drink or two before. I could see this stranger look around the living room suspiciously. Damn, this guy had the most severe look that I had seen in a long time. Like those photos of military officers from wars in the past. There was the tail end of some tattoo that was just visible from the collar of his shirt.
“I know this must be hart for you but it’s the right ting to do”, he said to her while walking around on his own.
“You’ll make it quick though, won’t you? I’d hate it if he suffered too much”, she said from the kitchen.
I don’t know if I can properly express how scared I felt in that exact moment. Trapped in this massive Teddy Bear while some dangerous looking man stalked around the inside my apartment. Every movement this guy made seemed lethal. He did glance briefly at me, or the bear at least, and his face registered a hint of disgust but he didn’t say anything. He eventually settled down on the coach in a completely stiff position and waited for Mina.
“Here is a glass of water anyway. Ab, what do you want me to do? Should I call him? He usually doesn’t come home until later but I can see if I can get him to come now”, she said running her fingers down this strangers back.
Damn, my cell phone. It was in my pocket. I’m pretty sure I set it to silent before I got in, but I wasn’t 100% sure. If she called me and my phone went off, even on buzz, it would alert this dangerous guy to the fact I was here. He looked like a coiled viper on the coach, the slightest noise seemed like it would have set him off.
“Thank you Mina. Yes, just call and say that you neet his help and it’s urgent. If he cares for you, he will come quickly”, he said, again in his odd accent.
Mina then took out her phone and appeared to be attempting to call me. I just sat there, waiting to get discovered. I mean, honestly… in the worst case scenario, I’m almost sure that I could take the guy. He looked dangerous but I’m not weak. I’m just not 100% certain, as it were. I don’t like to fight battles that I was unsure of winning.
“He’s not answering. It went to voicemail”, she added to my relief. Her face showed some kind of concern that I wasn’t used to seeing. Like she was sad for disappointing this man.
“It is fine. Mina, listen to me, you must leave this place and go to a hotel. I will wait here for him. I promish you I will be all right. I will call you as soon as it’s done. Please, leave and be safe. I love you”, he said.
Mina kissed this man and then grabbed her bag before leaving our place, leaving me and this stranger alone in my quiet apartment. I just sat there watching him. He remained sat on the couch for minutes staring at the wall. There was something bouncing around in his head, but I just couldn’t imagine what. I couldn’t imagine this night turning out any weirder than it already had so far.
After a little while, with both of us completely still, the stranger stood solemnly. Standing next to Mina he was tall but by himself he seemed to stretch even a tad taller. He tossed the satchel on the couch where it made a horrifying clackety noise, like thin metal objects banging against each other. He stretched his arms back and grunted. Then he continued his bizarre behavior by taking off his coat and unbuttoning his shirt. Finally he tossed his shirt back on the couch and stood there half naked.
I was glad that I didn’t jump out before when they walked in. This guy now scared the shit out of me. Upon almost every inch of his torso were strange tattoos and odd scars. I couldn’t tell what the majority of the tattoos were but there was no mistaking the multitude of crosses. They were everywhere on his chest, stomach and arms.
The stranger then started breathing deeply with his eyes closed. He removed his belt, which was some kind of oddly braided leather belt. He held it in his right hand tightly and his lips moved in some kind of silent speech. He did this for like five minutes while I looked on in horror.
Suddenly, without warning, he shouted…
“Domine!”
I don’t think I flinched but I can’t promise that.
“Domine!.. O Domine, Fortitudinem Mihi Da!”, he said in that ugly language.
Then he took the braided belt that was in his right and whipped it violently onto his back where it made a sickening thwacking noise. He repeated his chant over and over as he whipped himself right there in the middle of my living while a fucking silly giant teddy bear looked on.
“Heer… geef me de kracht!”, he shouted finally slightly louder this time. It looked like tears were flowing down his face.
Yeah, I knew I had to get the hell out of there now. How was I going to do that? I just couldn’t think of a way to do it in a way that wouldn’t draw attention to me. Who was this guy? Where the hell did Mina find him? Or was he the one that found Mina?
This stranger then reached back to his satchel and that is when I saw his gruesome back. It was…. absolutely covered in old and fresh wounds. Lines upon lines of self-punishment that meant something to this guy alone. He reached into his bag and pulled out a bundle of knives and bolts.
I decided right then that I had no choice. I had to get out of this bear and attack him before he could attack me. This guy was clearly intent on killing me. The only advantage that I had was that of surprise. If I could calm my nerves long enough I was certain I would at least have a fighting chance.
I braced myself, counting down silently in my head before leaping up. I don’t think I’d have time to remove the bear head or get out of the suit, so I’d just have to attack while in it.
That’s when his phone rang. He answered it. It was Mina, she was hysterical and saying that she didn’t want him to die. Her shrill voice jumping from the stranger’s speaker. The stranger tried to calm down Mina but she was hysterical.
“Stay where you are, I’ll be there shortly. It will be all right, my love. I will be all right. WE will be all right.”, he said. He then put his clothes back on with a strange speed and then put back the items into his bag and stormed out of my apartment.
His sudden absence left like a really strange silence in the apartment. I had never felt it soo empty. I quickly got out of the bear and ran to the bedroom where I grabbed a few clothes. I’m sure I looked spooked. There was no need to check the mirror for obvious reasons but I hated to look like some coward fleeing my own home. I know I’ll never see Mina again. I really liked Mina… seeing her with this guy was awful. How long had she known this guy? Was our whole relationship a lie?
I headed out alone into the night. There are other cities out there and other “Minas”, so I’m sure I’ll be fine. I just… damn…it sucks you know. It’s like you think you know someone, but you don’t. Like they are hiding who they are from you and if it weren’t for that stupid teddy bear, I might be dead.