Short 1

Pillowfriend stared out the window down at the park across the street. It was getting dark, so his time to play was nearing. The door to the large bedroom opened, so he slithered behind mounds of toys to return to the bed, in case it was not Wilson. The light came on, and Pillowfriend was just another pillow, sandwiched between two real ones.

“I can see you there.”

Pillowfriend rose menacingly from the bed, facing the door, cold hatred in his hollow eyes. The pillow that covered him slid off his head to reveal Wilson was standing there.

“You know you’re twice the size of the other pillows. And you kind of breathe.”

The murderous sentient pillow from another realm shut the door and slithered circles around Wilson.

“Once my parents are asleep, we can play.”

A word so innocuous as sleep triggered a trauma so deep in Pillowfriend’s cushiony mind that Wilson noticed the change in his demeanor immediately. The playful slithering ceased. The death in his gaze returned and the energy in the room dropped.

“What’s wrong?” Wilson asked.

Pillowfriend snapped out of it and slithered again, obviously still dizzied by the mention of sleep.

As Wilson got to playing on his own later in the night, Pillowfriend saw an opportunity to leave the room. He snuck out a cracked door and down to the first floor of the luxurious home. In through another cracked door he went to do his dirty bidding.

“Please don’t.” Wilson said innocently in the door way moments later, watching Pillowfriend wrapped around his sleeping father’s neck, strangling out his last breath.

Pillowfriend felt true shame. His nature had him betraying the family of the only human he’d ever cared to keep alive. He released his hold and slithered out of the house. Wilson wondered if he’d ever see him again.