Life

Buried beneath a heap of stuffed animals inside of a crib lay a baby girl. She had just woken from a dream. Her gentle coos could be heard faintly emanating from the pile. She did not cry out for anyone. She simply enjoyed the peace that her soft friends brought her. 

The baby waited patiently with her prized collection as the sun started to stream in through the open blinds. The stuffed animals were stacked perfectly around her. They kept her warm and she knew if even one was missing.

The morning soon became noon. The animals began to shuffle as the child moved beneath them. The little girl stood herself up in the middle of the group. Her coos had become words and she started to call each one by name.

Strantham the Puppy rose first. He was the caricature of a pug. His hair was beige and his eyes were abnormally large. The cute stuffed puppy waited for the rest to be called.

The next to rise was a blue bear with a bulbous plastic nose. When his star-covered belly was squeezed, little shiny stars and moons would whirl around inside his transparent nose. He could only be known as Starry.

One by one they continued to rise; from the glow worm to the stuffed unicorn. The last one to stand was a kitten, who looked like a leopard. The kitten had no name, yet she was the favorite among them all.

All of the plush animals stood at attention around the aging girl while she gave her speech. They listened to her every word. She spoke elegantly and roused the stuffed animals’ souls. The kitten paid no heed to the words as she prepared the girl’s armor for battle. 

The girl climbed over the bars of the crib and pulled down the side. As she exited the room, the stuffed army followed. They walked on through the house and out the front door. It was during the heat of the day that they marched. Some of her soldiers fell from exhaustion, but the rest marched on.

It was not long before the army was attacked. It was an endless barrage of skirmishes. One after another, the stuffed animals perished. The girl was becoming a woman. 

Finally, the red glow of the sun painted the land. Only the kitten was left. She was badly wounded with cotton protruding from every seam on her body. 

The sun gave way to the moon and the girl was now an aged woman. She herself was scarred like her kitten. Her hair had whitened and her face had wrinkled.

The last enemy approached. The woman had to fight alone. The kitten could only sit by and watch. The woman fought valiantly but she could not win. Her age was crippling. 

A cloud veiled the moon as the old woman took a deafening blow. It was all over. The woman’s body lay lifeless on the ground. The raggedy kitten dragged itself to the woman’s side. The night disappeared into the day and when the morning came, the two were buried in an unmarked grave.