#also fred’s design is partly based off an old stuffed toy when i was little

[losingmymarbelles]

an original story i wrote for school lol

Chapter 1: In my house

I woke up. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw through the window that it was still dark out, so I checked the time. It was 1:30am. Huh. I've never woken up this early before. Or maybe I had, but I don't remember it.

Anyway. Since it was so early and no one else in the house was awake, I figured I could go out to the kitchen and maybe treat myself to a midnight snack or two. Or a midnight feast, depending on how long it would take for me to get sleepy again. Or how long before I would get caught, which was unlikely, but not impossible. Also depending on how much food, good food, I could find in the kitchen. Or-

Thankfully, my train of thought was broken by the fact that I suddenly really needed to use the bathroom. Guess I was going to get that midnight feast after all. And probably a glass of water too, i thought as I realised how dry my throat felt.

As I began to sit up from my bed, I heard the world's tiniest creak. I fell back on my bed in an instant, my arms lying stiff by my sides as I felt my heart rate speed up. I pulled the blanket back over myself as I stared at the vaguely person-shaped silhouette sitting in my chair a short walk away from my bed.

I shut my eyes tight, abandoning all thoughts of leaving my bed until I felt the overwhelming dryness in my throat. I calmed myself down, assuring myself that ghosts, monsters and other fiendish entities weren't real and therefore not watching me sleep while sitting in the chair across my bed, neither were they hiding in my kitchen waiting for a delicious human to pounce on.

I sat up again and left my bed, walking past what turned out to be a pile of clothes and pillows on my chair and chuckled. That's right. Monsters aren't real. I was safe here, in the comfort of my own home. And I was going to get that midnight feast. I opened the door and walked out to the kitchen, and my heart stopped.

Chapter 2: The thing in my house

I did not manage to get a close look at the freaky creature rummaging through the fridge, but the mere sight of it was enough to send me running back to my bed.

I locked my bedroom door and pulled the covers over my head, beads of sweat running down my face as I heard the creepy being fiddling with the doorknob. To my distress, it managed to unlock the door and so it sluggishly began to approach my bed. I heard the thing's rubbery feet dragging against the floor, torturously slow. My breathing and heart rate speeding up by the second, I shut my eyes tight as I felt it towering over me and braced myself for whatever was about to come.

I let out a surprised yelp as suddenly a soft log-like thing that felt like a stuffed toy was clumsily brought down on my face.

“Oh, th-there you-you are” A soft - but surprisingly muzzy and cheery sounding - voice said from beside my bed. “Hel-ello!”

It pulled the covers that covered me so that my face was visible, and I was now able to take a closer look at the creature beside my bed. It was tall, scrawny and slouching like a limp stuffed toy, as if it lacked a spine. Its skin an unnatural shade of flamingo, it had ears that were big and round with the ends being slightly pointy. Its eyes looked like huge googly eyes, the left one much farther down their face than the right, as if it were about to slide off at any moment. The thing appeared to have thin brown bits of string as a mouth and eyebrows, and an upturned nose. It donned a long and baggy faded turquoise turtleneck. A dingy straw hat perched upon its head.

I blinked. Once, then twice. “Uh. Hello.”

“Hi! Hi-hello!” The thing greeted me again, laughing slightly.

I didn't see the point of greeting it back again, so I cut to the chase. “Are you going to eat me?”

The thing raised its eyebrows. “Huh? Nuh-no?” It said, sounding surprised that I thought a non-human being in my house at 1:30am would even think to slaughter me mercilessly. “Why'd- why you ask-asking?”

I felt my eyes widen. “Uh. Well. Um. You're. Not human. And in my house. At 1:30am. While no one's awake. With no obvious way where you could have gotten in. Oh, speaking of, how did you get in, actually? Probably should've started with that. Most normal people would. Anyway, how'd you get in here?”

“Oh. Oh yeah, I. Um.” It shut their eyes tight in concentration, as if trying to remember, “Oh! Yes, I c-climbed through the big metal uh- hole- tunnel! Thing. Yes. Yeah, where all the trash goes” It replied, triumph in its voice.

”Oh wow!” I said. “That's disgusting!”

“Th- Thank-Thank you” The thing smiled proudly. “I th-think it was very smart- very smart. Of me. It was-wasn't t-too bad e-either. I even found a-a banana peel stuck in-in th-there, and-and s-some spaghetti s-sauce? Did-didn't taste too-too bad. I liked the-the spaghetti sauce-sauce. A lot-lots. Liked it a lot.”

“Huh.” I tried not to gag. “Sounds like you had fun. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I'd ask you why you came here in the first place, but I really need to use the bathroom.” I sat up and started to walk out. “Maybe we can continue this conversation after l'm done, if you're still here. And hopefully not turning on me and try to eat me.”

“Hmkay” the thing agreed cheerfully as it followed me as i made my way to the restroom. I heard it dragging its feet against the floors again. Its head jankily swayed from side to side as if listening to music only it could hear.

Chapter 3: The friendly thing in my house

When I left the bathroom, the thing was waiting for me on a dining chair, staring blankly into space.

"So," I said, hands on hips as the thing snapped back to reality and turned to me. I was about to ask it what it was doing in my house when I realised that I didn't know what to address it by.

"Uh. Wait, what's your name?" I couldn't just refer to it as 'thing' could I?

"My-my what?”

"Your name. How do I refer to you?" I paused for a moment. "Like me. I'm Clovis. My name is Clovis. So what's yours?"

"Oh." The thing softened. "C-Clovis."

"What? Your name is Clovis too? Huh, that's wild."

"N-no. Name's- m-my name is-is not Clov-Clovis. I don't think-think so."

"Oh." I said, realisation dawning upon me. "You don't have a name, do you?”

"Mm. No. Don't-don't remember."

“Huh. Alright. Well, do you want one?”

"Wha?"

"Do you want a name? You can give yourself one if you do. Something you like."

"Someth-thing I like?"

"Yep."

There was a short silence.

"Spaghetti sauce."

"No.”

"Aww." Spaghetti sauce pouted and gave me the best puppy eyes they could possibly manage, which were impressive given the fact that they had googly eyes for, well, eyes. "Why n-not?"

I stood my ground despite their pitiable expression. "Because that's not a name. Not for… living. things anyway."

"Spa-spaghetti sauce has-has tomatoes and-and. Uh. Stuff …veggies! In them." Spaghetti sauce started grinning wildly and puffed out their chest in pride. I scoffed at it. "Veggies are-are plants. P-plants are liv-living. Th-things. Th-they're alive."

"Not when the plants are in the spaghetti sauce they're not." I retorted smugly. Spaghetti sauce visibly deflated, seemingly disappointed by my quick comeback. "Though, I'm surprised that you knew plants were living things at all." I added quickly so as to not hurt their feelings too badly. "I had no clue until I was nine, and that was only because my science teacher told me. Good job."

Spaghetti sauce's face lit up again, starting to kick their legs happily. "Th-thank you." I felt a smile creeping upon my face.

A short pause. "So-so can i name myself sp-spaghetti sau-sauce?"

And just like that, my small smile was replaced with an exasperated expression. "No.”

"B-but I want to be- to be named spag-spaghetti sauce!" Spaghetti sauce whined childishly.

"Well you can't, okay?! Because I said so! Also because it's illegal. Oh, speaking of, did you know that in 2015 a couple was sent to court in Valenciennes because they wanted to name their daughter 'Nutella'? The judge said no and they ended up naming her Ella instead."

Spaghetti sauce stared at me blankly.

"Can-can I be named Nutella-?"

"NO, you can't-" I stopped and sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"You know what, why don't I name you instead." I said before I could stop myself.

Nutella perked up. "Oh! Y-you will?"

"Uh." I hadn't exactly thought my idea through before blurting it out, but it wasn't like I could turn back now. "Yeah, sure. If you want."

"Okay!" Nutella crossed their legs and leaned forward slightly, waiting.

I squinted my eyes at it for a while, studying it as I racked my brain for the first suitable name that came to mind.

"Fred."

"Huh?" Fred questioned, seemingly dumbfounded. "Wha-What's that?"

"It's a name. A real, proper one. And guess what? It's yours now." I straightened up proudly, before slouching down again, suddenly embarrassed. "Why? Do you not like it? Sorry, I've never named anyone before. Well, not real living beings. Besides Mushroom. That's my cat. But it's not like he can actually say anything because. Well. He's a cat. Sorry, it's fine l'Il just-“

"Fred." Fred interrupted, zoned out as I realised that they hadn't been listening at all to my panicked ramble. "Fr-ed. Fred Fred Fred Fred. Fred." They tested the word on their tongue, before grinning up at me, eyes twinkling.

"I like it. L-like it lots. Thank-th-ank you." I smiled back at Fred, going to sit next to them. "You're welcome, Fred."

Chapter 4: Fred, the friendly thing in my house

"So. Uh. We got very off topic." I started. "Why did you come here in the first place?"

“Ah. Uh. Ye-yes, I- um-“ Fred squeezed their eyes tight and rubbed their temples. "Uh… oh! Yes. Cause of thi-this."

They lifted up their arm, showing me the tear on their elbow where bits of stained green cotton stuffing was falling out. "D-don't re-member how I got i-got it. Just wak-waking up, and-and it was there. Fou-found some cloth, but can-can't tie a knot-a knot. Cau-ause I-I don't. Don't h-have, uh, fingers. J-just a-uh- thumbs. Mitt-mitts." Fred held up both their hands at this which, to their word, resembled a pair of flamingo coloured mittens.

"So-so I found this-this p-place. Went in stinky metal-metal tun-tunnel. Found a-a bana-na peel and some spaghetti-spaghetti sa-sauce. So th-then I ate-ate the-“

"Ate the banana peel and spaghetti sauce?" I cut in.

"Yeah. H-how'd you-you know?"

"You told me."

Fred put their hands down with a tilt of their head. "I did?"

"Yeah. When we were in my room. About-" I turned to look at the nearby clock on the wall. "Fifteen minutes ago.

"Huh. Okay." Fred paused. "W-where was-was I?"

"You ate the banana peel and spaghetti sauce."

"Oh yeah." Fred grinned. "I di-did. Th-then I came he-here. And I saw the sew-sewing kits-kits. On th-the fri-the fridge." Fred gestured to the magnetic sewing kits on the fridge as it spoke.

"Ah." I now knew why it had been standing blankly at the fridge when I entered the kitchen. "And then I came in?"

"Yeah." Fred confirmed. "And-and th-then you came- came in. Which is-is go-good, be-because now yo-you can h-help me sew-sew back my… arm. Elbow!" They exclaimed triumphantly.

“Oh…" I trailed off, feeling sheepish. "But I don't know how to sew."

“Wow, r-really?" Fred said, surprised. "Bu-but I thought you-you were smart!"

“I-" I stuttered, taken aback. "W-well, I'm not that smart. Just average. Probably.”

"You g-gave me my-my name!"

"O-oh, well, Fred isn't a very, uh, complicated name, it just came to mind and I thought it fit you. So."

"You knew I-I ate th-the banana peel-peel and spaghett-spaghetti sauce."

“Yeah. Because you told me."

“And you-you remembered!"

“Because you told me fifteen minutes ago.”

"Wow. You real-really are smart!” Fred beamed at me, seemingly in awe, before turning to go. "Well, I-| guess I'll go-go now. Nice to me-meet you, Clo—“

“Wait!” I called. Fred turned around. "Don't go yet. Stay here. I got an idea."

I left to go to the living room and fished around in the cabinets. I then went back to the kitchen, roll of yellow tape in hand.

"This probably won't hold as well as it would if I sewed this, but it's better than letting you leave without getting this fixed." I gingerly wrapped the tape around Fred's elbow. "After all, you came all this way, didn't you?"

"Th-thank you. Lots." Fred smiled, clutching their wrist when I was done. "It's o-okay. I'll j-just c-come back-back here when I need-need new t-tape. "Oh! You will?”

"Yeah." Fred beamed. "You are sm-smart. And-and nice. I-I like you."

"Well then," I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat. "You're welcome here anytime, Fred. Preferably not in the middle of the night though. Or at 1:30 in the morning.”

“Mkay." Fred stood up and stared awkwardly. "Th-thank. You. For-for everythin'.”

I smiled at it, choosing not to point out the fact that they had thanked me several times already. "No problem, Fred.”

Fred stood there for a few more seconds, then turned to go. "B-bye. See-see you."

"See ya." I cringed and put my hands over my ears as Fred clumsily opened the rusty trash chute door, which let out a loud, high-pitched groan. I sat for a few moments longer, listening as Fred climbed in the trash chute. They closed the chute door shut, more gingerly this time. The sounds of Fred crawling through the metal tunnel grew softer and softer before fading into the darkness.

I smiled and made my way back to my bed, falling asleep in an instant as all thoughts of a midnight feast slipped my mind, long forgotten.