All In The Mind

‘I worry,’ muttered the vampire sweet jar at the side of Aurora desk, ‘about her current state of mind.’

He flicked his red rimmed eyes to the left and right, spotting both the grey plushie cat and black sparkly beanie bat. Both were hidden under and in-between packets of sweets and chocolate.

‘Why?’ the bat squeaked, though he seemed to have no mouth to do so with.

‘Because,’ the vampire began then trailed off with a sigh.

The plushie cat was mumbling something underneath him and he had to slide over, so she could free herself. Moving back again, the sweets stored inside of his black plastic body rattled loudly. He watched the cat scrambling up a packet of gold dusted chocolate Easter eggs. She went to rest on a colouring book that was sticking out from the stack and started trying to nuzzle into her felt fur.

The vampire cleared his throat and began again, ‘because she has clearly lost it.’

‘Lost what?’ the bat questioned.

He flapped his too large wings uselessly about which resulted in him tumbling off a small cardboard box and hitting a large jar of felt tip pens.

The vampire rolled his eyes and watched the bat struggling to right himself before plopping next to the keyboard and Aurora’s fast moving fingers.

‘Her mind,’ the vampire repeated.

The bat looked at him, then the cat and finally Aurora.

‘I don’t understand,’ the bat called up to them, ‘she’s doing what she normally does at this time of day and look! There’s a new creation just waiting to be sewn next to her.’

The cat peered down, trying to look snotty, but her wobbly black line mouth made it look more like she was trying to hide a smile. The vampire joined her by looming over and was surprised to see a square of blue felt with a strange paper shape on top of it just above the keyboard.

‘What is that?’ he asked.

‘I don’t know…I think it has a curly tail and nose though,’ the bat answered back.

‘Can you all please be quiet?’ Aurora broke in.

Her bright green eyes landed on the group and her pale lips formed a strained frown line.

The vampire shrunk into the gold dappled flock curtain behind him, knocking over a box of fudge as he did so. The cat hissed and swung up to join him, landing on the chocolate eggs again. Whilst the bat turned his eyes upwards to the mountain of snacks and wondered how he was going to get back up there again.

Aurora groaned softly and picked up the bat. She placed him back on the stack next to a packet of mixed mints and the printer’s tray. She folded his wings in, but they flapped out again.

‘I’m not losing my mind,’ Aurora added, ‘it’s just the depression again.’

‘Is that why you’ve had the urges to sew?’ the bat asked, wishing she’d pick him up again. He had long forgotten what it felt like to be in her warm hands, having his fluffy fur rubbed.

‘A little. But I need to write this story first and submit it. Though I don’t know why I’m bothering,’ Aurora added with a shake of her head.

She turned back and began typing once more, her eyes darting from screen to keyboard. The words before her started to blur and tears filled her eyes before she could stop them.

‘Here,’ the vampire called, ‘have a lollypop.’

Aurora turned to him and picked up the plastic jar. She tipped him over, twisted off the lid at his base and pulled out a Halloween themed lollypop. Securing the lid, she placed him back, disturbing a packet of oat biscuits. Moving them to the side, she sat for a few moments whilst she opened the lolly and took a few licks.

‘So what is it?’ the bat squealed.

‘A seahorse,’ Aurora replied, ‘I’m going to make it into a key ring for my new bag.’

‘But you all ready made a purple octopus,’ the bat pointed out.

‘I know, but I wanted a seahorse too and then there’s this…’

Aurora went to the other side of her desk and grabbed a plastic wallet. She shuffled through the papers then showed them a pattern for a felt mermaid doll.

‘She looks nice and summer like.’

‘I don’t like her…’ the vampire muttered, ‘can’t you make her more gothic?’

‘Maybe,’ Aurora said and put the papers down.

She popped the lolly into her mouth once more and looked at the computer screen for a few moments. The words typed up there didn’t seem to make sense any more.

‘Do you think it’s true?’ Aurora whispered as she looked over at the cat, ‘have a lost my mind?’

The vampire shot her a sad, fang flashing smile, ‘Yes. You’ve started giving us voices in your head again. We really are not really you know…Maybe you need to get some help? Perhaps before you start believing you headphones are trying to kill you again?’

Aurora sighed and got up from her computer desk. The room was silent but for a ticking clock. She picked up the bat, rubbing his fluffy fur against her cheek. Deep down she knew the vampire was right, just like he always was.

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Pegasus

Molly gazed into the button eyes of the felt pegasus and officially decided that she didn’t like him. Sighing, she placed him on her desk and began to scrutinise him from every angle. The matching black wings were slightly lopsided- though that should be an easy fix- the muzzle looked hooked at the end and the legs seemed too thin to hold up him up. As if to prove that, he began to do the splits and almost became spread-eagle.

She was reminded of Bambi as she straightened him up. Rubbing the soft black felt under her fingertips, she decided that the there was nothing wrong with the felt or the colour. The mane and tail, which were made of some black fur she had found, looked suitable enough. It was definitely the pattern, she thought, and he really won’t do for my niece’s birthday.

Placing the pegasus on her printer beside the red dragon with the missing eyes and the blue teddy bear with a knitted scarf, Molly scrolled through her Pinterest crafts-to-try board. She had gathered a number of different patterns and images of pegasus and unicorns on there during her research. After a few minutes, she decided to have a go at making the second pattern of her choice, which was actually just a simple horse with attachable wings and horn.

Turning on the printer, she sorted the pattern out before printing it and whilst picking up the sheet of paper she muttered to the pegasus, who now seemed to be glaring at her, ‘I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to stay there for now.’

Leaving the print out on her desk, she went into the kitchen to make some dinner. Her boyfriend, who she shared her uncle’s old house with, was working away in London, so she was alone for the next few days. Not that it bothered her as she had Jet to keep her company and also plenty to keep her busy; there were articles to be written for two magazines and one online, a house to keep tidy, a Halloween party to plan, Jet to be walked, feed and brushed as his winter coat was coming through and another pegasus to now make.

After dinner and watching the news, Molly took Jet out. The black Labrador had springs for legs and was constantly jumping about everywhere. Also, he believed that games of fetch should last forever and Molly struggled to convince him it was home time after an hour. Finally, they left the woods and it had grown very dark. Checking her phone, she saw it was past nine.

‘That’s your fault that,’ she scolded the dog.

Jet stared up at her with dopy eyes full of love and excitement.

Molly laughed and patted his head, ‘don’t look at me like that. Come on, its bedtime when we get back.’

After she had turned on the lights and dried Jet’s muddy paws, Molly curled up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate. Jet-seemly tried for once- curled up in his basket and began to snore. She watched Film4’s nine o’clock movie; Knight and Day, then went to bed.

Waking up in the morning from a strange almost bordering on nightmarish dream, Molly felt like she was being watched. Turning the ringing alarm off, she turned on the bedside lamp and looked around the dim room. She couldn’t see anything. Getting up, she opened the curtains and let in the weak autumn light. Nothing seemed out of place. Running her hands through her wicked witch like black hair, she walked out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. It was probably an effect of that dream, she thought.

Jet was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. His tail was thumbing against the wooden stairs banister like a fast drum beat. Molly rubbed his head, then put on her shoes and coat. Jet yawed and started barking.

‘Give me a second,’ she told him, but he carried on. Putting on his lead and opening the door, caused Jet to yank her outside. She tried to pull him back, but he was stronger than her and had very little patient in the morning. She took him on to the playing fields, which were in the opposite direction the woods. There he would be less districted from chasing squirrels or rabbits and hopefully, she’d get home sooner.

Arriving back, Molly dumped her stuff in the hallway, dried Jet’s paws and made them both breakfast. As she sat down in the lounge, she spotted something odd sticking out from behind the armchair. Abandoning breakfast, she went over and pulled it out. The black pegasus danged in the air. One of its back legs was ripped off and stuffing was poking out.

‘What? How did you get there?’ she asked.

Carrying the toy into the study, she looked at her computer and printer. The pegasus was missing. Frowning, she sat down and wondered what had happened. Nothing else seemed out of place and through she wouldn’t have put it passed Jet to have done something like that, surely things like her keyboard and chair would have been disturbed by the large dog though?

She felt Jet press a wet nose to her leg. She turned to the dog, ‘did you do that?’ she asked, holding out the pegasus. He dropped his head, eyes on the floor and tail sinking between his legs. ‘Bad dog. Don’t do that again.’ He whined and padded away to his bed.

Turning the pegasus around her hands, she looked at the ripped off leg. She’d have to try and make another one later, but for now, she drew a needle and thread and put a few stitches in. Placing him back on the printer, Molly stood up, rested her hands on her hips and then turned back. The pegasus seemed to be watching her. Rubbing her forehead, she turned the soft toy around and switched on her computer.

After finishing off her breakfast, she worked on her first article for the rest of the morning. At lunchtime, she took a still sulking Jet out for a walk. On coming back, just having raced a sudden down pour of rain, they found the pegasus laying in the hallway.

‘How is that possible?’ Molly whispered.

Jet growled softly, baring his teeth at the toy. Molly eased him back and went to pick up the pegasus. She walked into the study, Jet following behind her on muddy paws and his lead trailing behind him. There was a gap on the printer just like before. Placing him back there, Molly turned to Jet. There was no way the dog could have done that this time. She patted his head, then went and dried his paws.

For the rest of the afternoon she kept an eye on the pegasus. Once again, she had to turn him around, so her eye was on his long flowing tail and remaining back leg. Somehow she managed to get another article written and both sent off. She had dinner early and took Jet out afterwards. She felt apprehensive on returning home, what if it had moved again? Unlocking and opening the front door, she and Jet walked into a darkening hallway. Turning on the light, she saw nothing on the floor.

Letting go of the breath she had been holding, she took off her boots and coat, dried Jet and let him loose, before walking into the study. The pegasus was sitting on an empty printer. The dragon and teddy were laying on the floor, paper was scattered across her desk and the pattern for the new pegasus was in the bin.

‘Oh my God! What is this? Why is this happening?’ Molly cried.

Jet came to her side, nuzzling her leg and trying to calm her. Molly hugged herself then stroked him. ‘Good dog. Good boy,’ she added. Scrubbing his ears, she moved and began to tidy up. Her hands were shaking and her mind couldn’t come up with any explanation for this. After, she made herself a cup of tea and decided to start the new pegasus. She wasn’t sure what would happen next, but making the toy would take her thoughts off things.

Slipping on her headphones and finding some calming indie music, she began to cut out the shapes of the new pegasus from the spare black felt she had. Once that was done, she followed the instructions and carefully began putting it together. She was halfway through when she stopped for the night. Looking at the half made horse, she decided that she needed to keep it safe, so she took up to bed with her.

Molly finished the winged unicorn the next night and she was very happy with it. Placing it beside the other one, which for whatever reason, hadn’t caused any trouble that day, she felt even more pleased with her work. She left them both her desk and went to bed, exhausted. However, in the early hours of the morning, she heard Jet growling and barking. Waking up fully, she lay still hoping he’d settle back down. Maybe he was having a bad dream? Or he’d heard a cat outside? She thought.

When he didn’t stop though, she got out of bed and went downstairs. The thick carpet quietened her bare feet and halfway, she heard the wild neighing of a horse. Pausing, she checked to see if she heard that right. Yet in her mind, she knew she couldn’t have done.

Peering over the handrail and straight into the open door of the study, she saw Jet standing slightly away from her desk and chair. His body was hunched up, his tail and ears flat and his eyes fixated on the scene before him. Molly gasped; the felt horses were fighting each other! Their wings were flipping madly, their front legs were locked together and they were dancing in a circle across her desk.

Molly wanted to fly down the stairs and get a closer look, but the other part of her wanted to retreat back to the bedroom. A voice kicked into her mind and made her began chanting that it was all just a bad dream. However, she couldn’t convince herself and had to continue to watch the fight.

The original pegasus, who was only balancing on one back leg was on the left side and seemed stronger than the second pegasus. However, as they clashed heads, the horn of the second tore off one of the other’s button eyes. The original neighed in pain and stumbled back. The second, put down its head and a white spark shot out of the horn and into the chest of the other. The pegasus fall off the desk and into the jaws of Jet.

The black lab grabbed the toy and shook it wildly. Stuffing flew across the room and then Jet began shredding the felt. Molly cried out and ran towards him. She snatched the pegasus from the dog’s mouth, but it was too late to save it and she held only tatters in her hands.