Teddy Bear

The piping hot coffee tastes bitter upon reaching Mason’s taste buds. He instantly regrets forgetting to ask for it iced like usual, but he was too embarrassed to admit his mistake. Luckily, the coffee shop was connected to a bookstore, so cooling his coffee as he browsed around seemed entertaining. Mason would occasionally get coffee from the location but never seemed to be drawn to the book section of it. Many of the novels surrounding him were foreign to him with the exception of a few he remembered from his days in high school. At his age, he would be a junior in college but decided against further education due to his lack of interest in school and funds. 

He strolled through the rest of the aisles effortlessly, somehow ending up in the self-help section. Mason’s fingers traced against the spines of many books, never realizing how many things people still do not understand. He picked up a Home Maintenace for Dummies book out of curiosity. One of his friends had mentioned their front doorknob being an issue, so he wanted to see if this book would help with the problem. Luckily, it did, making Mason smile as he held the book close to his chest and made his way to the register. The checkout process was quick, the cashier only asking for a phone number and scanning the book. The total was a little expensive for a book that could easily be replaced by an online article, but Mason still paid for it without question.  

He spent the rest of the day analyzing the book, memorizing its contents from cover to cover. In his process of becoming familiar with the subject, he decided to put the printed words to the test. His bathroom door had been getting stuck constantly, which was annoying and inconvenient for Mason. He followed the instructions in the book exactly to make sure there was limited to no chance of error. Mason was quick to understand the process of removing a doorknob and changing it. This gave him immense satisfaction, almost dancing with joy. He could not wait to surprise his friend later that night.  

Before heading to his friend’s house, he made sure to bring a few gifts just to be kind. A small teddy bear, some flowers, and a box of chocolates as well as a new doorknob but that would serve as a surprise. Mason entered the code to the secure building, greeting the security guard on standby with a simple hello. The security guard just nodded his head as Mason walked into the complex building. Once inside he made sure to stealthily arrive at his friend’s apartment. He knocked on the door just in case someone was inside, but just as he anticipated no one answers the door.  

Mason put his gloves on and began to test his memory of the information he absorbed earlier in the day. He started by removing the packaging from the new door handle and admiring the golden coating. He hurried his tools to remove the current silver knob that was most likely locked from the inside. Good thing, Mason knew the security code in case it was to go off during his tinkering. He knew his time was limited and had to be finished expeditiously if he wanted to surprise his friend, so he paced himself accordingly.  

Upon entering the apartment, Mason entered the security code into the keypad placed on the wall. He was very pleased this was a new record. He threw the silver handle into the garbage bin in the kitchen and began to set up his gifts in the living room. The box of chocolates on the glass coffee table, the small bear placed in front of the television, and the flowers put into the vase on the fireplace. Mason admired his set up, applauding himself for his efforts, and going to pour himself a drink to celebrate. The apartment had not changed much since his last unexpected visit with the exception of the new coat of paint. He laughed to himself knowing this could be it, the last visit.  

Not even an hour passes when the door is opened, exposing a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties wearing an elegant dress that reaches her knees. She was alarmed when she noticed her door handle was different, immediately calling the building's security. They helped her unlock the door and begged her to stay near them, but she insisted on going inside alone. She was afraid of what fate she was to meet upon going inside but she was tired of this game. 

The two had previously gone on two dates that Mason enjoyed but Florence, the woman, always wanted them to end upon starting. Mason became attached to her, finding out where she worked, where she lived, and her daily schedule. He would constantly leave her gifts as well as watch her from the distance as she did her errands. Florence had never experienced attention to this extreme before, she was afraid but did not want to tell authorities about it. She was too embarrassed about the situation thinking a mostly male-dominated career would not understand.  

She walked toward the living room, seeing the unwanted gifts on display like previous occasions. Although, this time was different because he would usually be waiting on the couch for her and shout surprise, this time he is nowhere to be seen. Florence became more horrified as the seconds passed knowing he was still present. She walked to the teddy bear with tears forming in her eyes. It was fairly small with pink fur and holding a heart that reads I love you.  

Mason took this opportunity to run toward her with his rusty screwdriver in hand. It was never his intention to kill Florence, he loved her too much, but as he pierced through her skin with his weapon, he couldn’t help but smile. Florence wanted to scream from the pain and her fear, to warn the others, but she could not find it in her to yell. She fell to the ground with pain pulsating throughout her backside. She felt her hand on her wound, covering it with her crimson blood.  

“Surprise Florence!” Mason shouted with a hammer in his hand ready to swing.