There’s something behind the sofa!

I’ve been sitting here for about three years, in the same spot in the same house, with the same family. 

I’m bored, a little bit tatty and a teeny bit lonely.

I think it’s time to have a bit of fun. 

The family will be home soon. The twins, Dexter and Emily get home about 4pm. They are about 6 or 7 years old. 

Dad brings the children home from school. He’s a teacher at the community college down the road. 

Mum comes home a bit later. She’s a doctor at the local medical practice.

When they get home, the twins always jump all over the sofa, when they think no-one is looking…

But I know. 

After Dad’s finishes cooking dinner and the twins have gone to bed, he’ll sit on the sofa and watch television. 

Mum sits on the edge of the sofa with her boney bottom. 

“When they get home, I’m going to talk to them,” I think to myself.  

I hear the door creak open…. 

The house is no longer quiet….

Dexter and Emily run through to the lounge and kick off their shoes. 

“Have you got any homework?” I hear their Dad shout. 

“No Dad!” Dexter and Emily yell back. 

“20 minutes of television, then it’s time for dinner.”

“Okay Dad.” 

Dexter and Emily turn on the television and start jumping around the lounge, on the coffee table, on the sofa and on the chair. 

“Oi,” I say. “That hurts.” 

I talk in a soft voice so not to scare them.. not too much anyway. How often have they heard me talk!? 

Dexter and Emily stop bouncing. 

“Did you hear that Em?” Dexter whispered. 

“I think there must to be something behind the sofa!” Emily replied quietly. 

“DAD!!!!” They both screamed. Running as fast as their legs could carry them. 

I chuckle to myself. 

Dad is dragged into the lounge by the twins. 

“You’ve got to believe us Dad, there is something there, we heard someone say Oi,” Emily quivered. 

“Don’t be so daft,” Dad says and walks out. 

“Perhaps it was the tele,” Dexter wonders. 

“You’re probably right,” agrees Emily. 

They get straight back to jumping up and down. 

Bounce bounce bounce. 

“Oi,” I say again. “It really does hurt.” 

The twins scream and run away to Dad. 

Dad comes back in the lounge with the twins head poking out from behind him. He sighs. 

“Okay, I’ll take a look.”

Dad pulls the sofa out from against the wall. My feet scrape on the wooden floor. 

“Look kids there’s nothing there!” Dad says, clearly annoyed. 

Dad stomps off, the twins stare at the sofa. 

“Maybe we imagined it,” said Dexter. 

“Dexter, but we both heard it!” Emily counters.

“Let’s just go and get our dinner.” reasoned Dexter. 

I have a snooze, while it’s quiet. 

I wake up to the twins sprawled all over the sofa, I don’t mind that, so long as they don’t wiggle. 

I decide to have a bit more fun. 

“Are you comfortable?” I say. 

“Huh?!” Dexter says looking behind him. 

“Em, help me pull this sofa out again.”

Hopping off, they spin round and pull the sofa away from the wall again. 

“What the heck, there’s nothing there,” Dexter says scratching his head. 

He sits back down, Emily next to him. 

“I said, are you comfortable?” I repeat. 

“Whoa!!” They both jump back up. 

They sit in the armchair opposite and turns up the volume of the television. 

“Well that’s just plain rude!” I speak out again. 

“What is going on??!!” Em bellows. 

“Em!! Why are you shouting?” Dad calls from the kitchen. “Besides, it’s nearly bedtime.”

“Nothing Dad, it was just the tele!” 

Mum walks in from work. 

“Hey. I’m home,” she calls. 

“Hey you, good day?” Dad calls from the kitchen. 

“Yes thanks. I’ll just go and say hi to the kids and I’ll come and sit with you.”

She poked her head into the lounge

“How are you darlings?” she asks. 

Dexter fills mum in on the voice behind the sofa.

“That’s nonsense,” she laughs, and walks out to see Dad. 

I try not to giggle. 

“Let’s look under the sofa,” suggests Emily. She’s the smart one. 

“Okay, good idea. Grab that side, and I’ll get the other,” Dexter replies. 

They tip the sofa on the side. I feel a bit sick. 

“Do you mind?” I cry. 

Dexter and Emily nearly drop the sofa on the floor. 

“I think I’m going to faint,” Emily murmurs. 

Placing the sofa down carefully, they both sit down again. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to scare you. I’m harmless honest!” I try to convince them. “All I really want is a bit of company.”

“That’s all good and well but we can’t see you! Are you some kind of ghost!” Emily said, shes clearly very upset. 

“A ghost?” I giggle. “No! I’m just your trusty sofa!” 

“Sofa’s can’t talk,” Dexter states. 

“This one can,” I counter. 

“Gee whiz!!” Emily exclaims, walking out the lounge. Dexter follows. 

I hear them whispering in the hallway. 

I wait patiently. 

I was just nodding off when Emily returns, hands on hips. 

“If you are what you say you are, we need to lay some ground rules,” she says.

“Number 1, no talking to the parents.

Number 2, no talking to any guests.

Number 3, well there is no number 3 but you get the gist.” 

“Okay, that fair,” I reply. “Can I ask for something in return?”

“Go on,” Dexter says. 

“I don’t like you jumping on me and I get lonely when you are all out, perhaps you can leave the radio on?”

“I think we can manage that,” Emily smiles. 

They hear Mum coming in from the kitchen. 

“Kids turn the television off, it’s time for bed, I’ll be up in a minute to tuck you in.”

She walks back to speak with Dad. 

“I think we’d better get to bed Em,” Dexter starts walking towards the door. Turning towards me he continues, “what should we call you anyway?”

“Sofia,” I say.