Chapter 2:22 Deliria

Theodore just lost the biggest game of the season. It was tied. He missed a fly ball. The other team scored and they lost.

His teammates were mad at him so they called him Dorey.

"Thanks a lot, Dorey!"

He hates that.

Maise calls him Theo.

"Theo. Hey Theeoooo!"

"Leave me alone!" He shouts as he puts on his pajamas.

"It's no big dill, pickle." Maise says and keeps playing with her toys.

Theo couldn't let his teammates know the real reason he missed the ball was because he didn't have his lucky watch. The day before, Maise was playing with his stuff and found the watch and let her stuffed animals wear it.

Before the game he couldn't find it. Afterwards, he saw it on Mr. Bear and was furious. He yanked it off Mr. Bear and threw him against the wall and pushed over all of her toys.

"Never touch my stuff!" he screamed at her.

He told her he would never talk to her ever again, which made it especially uncomfortable since they share a bedroom.

"I'm turning the lights off." Theo says.

"But I'm scared of the dark." Maise whimpers.

"I don't care. I'm going to sleep. I have practice tomorrow and I don't want to run any more laps."

He turns the lights off and jumps into bed. Maise crawls into hers. The quiet makes every noise extra loud. Leaves rustle outside the window. She clutches Mr. Bear and forces her eyes shut until she slowly drifts to sleep.

In the mirror leaning against the wall is an odd shadow that doesn't seem to be a reflection in the room. It moves and grows larger. A hand with sharp fingers like the angry branch of a leafless tree. The shadow creeps out of the mirror, onto the yellow wallpaper and grows larger. It splits into two angry hands that hover on the ceiling over their beds.

Mr. Bear blinks his eyes open to see the shadow and quickly sits up.

"Wake up!" He tries to wake Maise but she doesn't budge.

A hand rips down and clutches Mr. Bear, holding him still as the other hand reaches into his mouth and pulls out his voice.

Mr. Bear clutches his throat, unable to speak as Maise stirs awake.

"Mr. Bear?" she says, rubbing her eyes but screams when the shadows rush down and the darkness engulfs them all.