The Myth of The Teddy Bear
by
Jeffrey Ford
Chapter One
Today is Ben’s thirty seventh birthday, and he starts celebrating it early. He is at a bar called Dan’s Tavern in Detroit, Michigan. “Bartender! Give me another shot of vodka,” says Ben.
Ben is a very thin man and gets drunk rather quickly. Ben is also tall, dark skinned with an afro. The bartender pours Ben another shot of vodka and gives it to him. The bartender is short, light skinned with a heavy-set build. Ben drinks the shot, and it is his seventh shot of vodka, and Ben is visibly drunk.
“Bartender! Give me another shot of vodka,” says Ben
“No Ben you’ve had enough,” says the bartender.
“Forget you then!” yells Ben.
Ben then takes his cell phone out of his pocket and calls his girlfriend Candice. Candice answers the phone.
“Hey baby! You gone give me a birthday kiss today?” asks Ben.
“Ben are you drunk?” asks Candice.
“Yes! Candice it’s my birthday,” replies Ben.
“What did I tell you about your drinking? You promised me you will quit,” says Candice.
Ben smashes his drink on the table and breaks the shot glass.
“Don’t you tell me what to do I’m the man in this relationship!” yells Ben.
Ben hangs up the phone. He blocks Candice’s phone number so that he can’t receive phone calls from her.
“I don’t want her ruining my day,” says Ben
Ben goes to a liquor store and continues to drink for the rest of his birthday. The next day he wakes up in his apartment, and he doesn’t remember what happened the night before. He notices that he blocked Candice‘s phone number, and he unblocks her number. He looks at his phone, and he sees a text message from a different phone number. Ben then reads the text message.
“This is Candice. I see that you blocked my phone number. I think you are a complete jerk, and I’m tired of putting up with you. Don’t ever contact me ever again.”
Ben knows that he has messed up with Candice. He tries to call her to apologize, but Candice does not answer the phone. He makes several attempts to contact Candice, but Candice will not answer his phone calls.
Chapter Two
Several weeks have passed by, and Ben has still has not heard from Candice. He has tried calling her, texting her, and sending her flowers. Candice refuses to answer him. One day Ben decides to go by Candice’s apartment. Candice is beautiful. She is tall, thin, and dark skinned with long and beautiful hair. He goes to her apartment, and he knocks on the door.
“Who is it?” asks Candice
“It’s me Ben,” says Ben
“Go away Ben I don’t like you anymore,” says Candice
“Candice I’m sorry about what I did. Please forgive me,” mentions Ben.
“Have you been drinking Ben?” asks Candice.
“I only had two beers so far today,” says Ben.
“That’s another reason that I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Go away and leave me alone for good,” says Candice.
Ben leaves Candice’s apartment. He knows that he has lost Candice forever, and he knows that she will not take him back. As he leaves her apartment complex, he goes to the liquor store to get another drink. As he leaves the liquor store, he drinks his beer and cries. As he is crying, he sees a muscular build man. He is short, light skinned, with a black Mohawk for hair. He notices that it’s Timothy. Timothy is Ben’s best friend. He observes that Timothy is walking instead of driving his car.
“What’s up Tim? Why are you walking?” asks Ben.
“My driver license is suspended for reckless driving,” says Timothy
Timothy tells Ben that he was driving his car fast because he was training for his dream to one day drive in a NASCAR racing event. He can no longer try to audition for a NASCAR team because he doesn’t have a driver’s license any more.
Chapter Three
Ben and Timothy go over to Dan’s Tavern, and they continue to drink and talk about their problems. Ben tells Timothy that Candice left him, and Timothy tells Ben more about how he is depressed because he can’t try out for NASCAR. They are both upset by the way their lives are going.
“I really need to quit drinking. It is ruining my life,” says Ben.
“I need to quit driving so fast on the main roads. It’s ruining my life,” says Timothy.
“What are we going to do about our problems? Candice is gone, and it is probably impossible for you to get a driver’s license any time soon.” says Ben.
“I don’t know,’ says Timothy
An elderly man named Dennis over hears their conversation. He is short and very thin. He walks over to them and introduces himself. He tells them his name, and he explains to them about the Myth of The Teddy Bear.
“The Myth of The Teddy Bear is a story of a magical Teddy Bear that grants wishes for people. He grants one wish per person. He lives in a magical world called Deppyland,” says Dennis.
Dennis tells them that he went to Deppyland and took the bear. Dennis then says that he has possession of the Teddy Bear in his home in Atlanta, Georgia. Ben and Timothy start to question Dennis.
“Where is Deppyland?” asks Ben
“Deppyland is a magical world that is in a magical portal inside my closet in my home in Georgia. My closet is the gateway to Deppyland. Deppyland is beautiful the sky there is purple, and the trees are green and white,” says Dennis
“What about the people in Deppyland?” asks Ben.
“There are no people in Deppyland. Deppyland is a world filled with magical teddy bears. These magical Teddy Bears can talk, and grant wishes to people. The Teddy Bear that I met name is Marcus. We talked and became friends. After we became friends, I convinced him to come back with me to Earth,” says Dennis.
“What part of Georgia is your house located in?” asks Timothy
“It’s in Atlanta, Georgia.” says Dennis.
After some doubt of the story and realizing that they have nothing to lose, Ben and Timothy decide to take a road trip to Dennis’s house in Georgia to meet the bear because they hoped that the bear could improve their lives.
“Maybe the Teddy Bear can save my relationship with Candice,” says Ben.
“Maybe the Teddy Bear can help me get my driver’s license back,” mentions Timothy.
Ben and Timothy thank the old man for his story. They also thanked him for the directions to his house. Ben and Timothy both begin their journey to Georgia. Ben is driving his car because Timothy’s driver’s license is suspended. Ben’s car is a black station wagon. They drive for several hours, and they stop at a gas station in Ohio. The name of the gas station is called Driko’s Gas Station. As they enter the gas station, they notice that the gas station sold liquor. Timothy looks at Ben.
“Ben you know that you shouldn’t be drinking and driving,” says Timothy.
Ben looks at Timothy, and he begins to speak.
“Come on Timothy I can handle it,” says Ben.
Ben puts fifty dollars in his gas tank and buys two pints of vodka. Timothy looks at Ben.
“Well Ben I’m not going to let you drink all that by yourself,” says Timothy
Ben and Timothy both begin to laugh at Timothy’s joke. They get back into the car, and they drive off on the way to Georgia. As they are driving, the two are drinking vodka heavily. Ben is drinking so much that he is unable to keep the car straight. He is swerving in and out of different lanes.
“Ben keep the car straight before we get pulled over,” says Timothy.
“I’m sorry Timothy I’m feeling a buzz. I’ll keep the car straight,” says Ben.
As Ben is trying to keep his car straight, a police car pulls behind them. The police car turns on his lights and tells Ben to pull over. Ben begins to pull the car over slowly. Timothy and Ben are very nervous.
“Timothy hide those liquor bottles under the seat,” says Ben
“Ben you look drunk, and I don’t know if we will be able to get out of this,” says Timothy.
“How drunk do I look?” asks Ben.
“You look really drunk?” says Timothy.
As the police officer gets out of the car, the two see that he is very tall and muscular with light skin. He also had a long gray beard. He walks toward the car and looks inside the window.
“Howdy my name is Officer Theovon Dogoody. Oh boy does your car smell like liquor, and boy you look drunk,” says Officer Dogoody.
“I’m not drunk,” says Ben.
Officer Dogoody dashes aggressively toward Ben. He opens Ben’s car door and yanks him out of the car.
“How dare you lie to me boy!” yells Officer Dogoody.
Officer Dogoody then punches Ben in the stomach. Ben falls on the ground and vomits up some of the vodka that he drank. Timothy then takes out his cell phone and begins to video Officer Dogoody hitting Ben. Officer Dogoody looks at Timothy.
“What are you doing with that phone boy?” asks Officer Dogoody.
“I am filming this and I’m going to put this on the internet as police brutality,” says Timothy.
Officer Dogoody eyes grow wide, and he takes deep breathes as he tries not to hyperventilate. He is nervous because he does not want Timothy to put what he is doing to Ben on the internet.
“Now wait a minute boy! Don’t do anything stupid that you might regret later. I tell you what if you don’t put that on the internet than I’ll let you boys go,” says Officer Dogoody.
Timothy agrees with Officer Dogoody’s demands. Timothy walks over to Ben and tries to help him up. As he is helping Ben up, Officer Dogoody punches Timothy in the stomach. Timothy falls on the ground and winches as he holds his stomach.
“That punch is for filming me boy!” yells Officer Dogoody.
Officer Dogoody then walks back toward his police car, and he gets inside of the car. Officer Dogoody then drives off leaving Ben and Timothy alone. Timothy then gets up and helps Ben to the passenger’s side of the car.
“Look Ben I’ll drive, and you just sit in the passenger seat and relax,” says Timothy.
Timothy then gets into the driver’s side of the car, and he drives off. Timothy is driving the car very fast. He is going well over the speed limit.
“We should be in Atlanta in no time,” says Timothy.
“Timothy! You need to slow down before we get pulled over again,” mutters Ben.
Timothy listens to Ben and he slows the car down. As the two are driving down the highway, they notice a beautiful woman walking down the highway. Timothy pulls over the car on the shoulder of the highway.
“What are you doing?” asks Ben.
“That woman is beautiful, and I have to talk to her,” says Timothy.
The woman approaches the car. As she approaches the car, Timothy glares at her as she gets more beautiful and beautiful. She has long black hair, short, dark skinned with an hour glass figure.
“Excuse me sir! My name is Linda, and I need a ride into town,”
“I’ll be happy to give you a ride into town. Which town?” asks Timothy.
“I live in Atlanta,” says Linda.
“Well we are actually driving to Atlanta,” says an excited Timothy.
Linda gets into the back seat of the car, and they drive off. Linda and Timothy begin to talk for several hours. As they are talking, they begin to fall in love with each other. Ben has sobered up some so Timothy lets him drive. Timothy gets in the back seat with Linda and the two begin to kiss. Ben starts scratching his head wondering how the two can just make out with each other even though they just met. It must be love at first sight he thinks.
As the two are kissing, Ben begins to think about Candice. He thinks about how much he misses her and how much he wants to be with her. He thinks about almost getting arrested, and how he should stop drinking. As they approach Dennis house in Atlanta, he thinks more about how he doesn’t need the magical Teddy Bear wish to bring Candice back. He realizes that he has a drinking problem, and he should focus on that instead of being in a relationship. He pulls the car over to the side of the road. He closes his eyes and thinks about Candice. He thinks about her beautiful smile and her long black hair. He thinks about all the good memories he had with her before he became an alcoholic. As tears roll down his cheeks, and he knows what he must do.
The next day they arrive at Dennis’s house, and they see that the house is a big house. The two- story house is all blue with a brown roof. They get to Dennis’s door, and they knock on it. Dennis opens the door and sees them. He puts his hands over his face, and he screams
“You two actually came here. There is no such thing as a magical Teddy Bear. I didn’t think that you believed me and came down here. I was just joking!”
Ben and Timothy thought about what the Dennis said to them. They both shake their heads and stare at the floor. Even though they are surprised about what Dennis has said, they are not angry.
Well if I haven’t drove to Atlanta then I would not have met Linda,” says Timothy
“If I haven’t drove to Atlanta, I would not have decided to quit drinking and not worry about being in a relationship,” says Ben.
After a brief conversation, they all went inside the house and ate dinner with Dennis. As they are eating dinner they notice a small Teddy Bear with a blue shirt on his counter. “I thought you were lying about the Teddy Bear,” says Ben
Dennis smiles at Ben. “I could be lying, and I could be telling the truth,” says Dennis.
The End
General
1 Likes
1267 Views
Share: