Dust.

    Being placed in the top shelf, therefore I was rarely cleaned. No matter how much I tried to do something in order for them to clean it. They always ended up forgetting about it.

    I cursed as I observe the employees, this has become my habit. Two teenage boys named Taemin and Dongho. Whenever these two have costumer visits the shop, they always show them the new arrivals and limited editions.

    “Blast this damn place,” I cursed to myself. I used to have a very nice companion beside me. A purple three horn named Goob, whom I always talk to. But a couple bought him a few weeks ago. Now I’m beside this stupid jack-in-a-box who always stayed inside his box.

    For fifty years I stayed like this. In the beginning it was anger and frustration, now it was plane boredom. I have lost all my faith to become human again. It’s not that I don’t want it, but I’ll be an old man. My youth was wasted sitting inside this stupid toy shop as a stuff toy.

    At first I was displayed in the front, besides the glamorous dolls that have gorgeous porcelain faces. Some have emerald eyes, other are blue like the sky with curly blonde locks or ginger ones. I thought I could compete against them; I’m still sure I would have.

    One by one the dolls were sold; even the other stuff toys that have a laughable appearance were gone too. I was left in the front window of the shop, staring as people come and go. Not once they laid eyes on me.

    Then one day when the owner, Mr. Park was displaying the new arrivals. He saw me slumped in the front of the glass window, he took me and placed me on the right top shelf in the corner and from that day onwards I was forgotten.

    I suddenly woke up from my slumber. I’m pretty sure it’s already afternoon, half past two if I’m not mistaken. The boys probably took some time out. I stood up from my position and stretched my cotton filled arms.

    I went towards the edge of the shelf, I have done this a gazillion times already. Even if I fell in a very high place I can’t die, even if I try. I’ll just fall flat on my back, unharmed. But before I proceed to do that, I took one look towards the jack-in-a-box and kicked it.

    “Idiot,” I muttered, turning around.

    I suddenly paused as I heard a melody playing, “What the heck was that?” I leaned my big stuff ears on the box. “Hey, shut up!” I shouted, kicking the box.

    I should’ve had done that, I got startled when the jester suddenly pops out of the box. And I walked backwards, I didn’t notice I was near the edge and lost my balance.

   POOF!

    I landed flat on my face. “Damn that thing,” I said, rolling on my back. No wonder Park dumped that thing up there. It was utterly defective!

    I spoke to soon I guess, when the damn thing is actually falling straight ahead. My eyes would have pop out if only it wasn’t made out of buttons… yeah, buttons. How cheap, right?

    And it did, it landed on top of my face with a BANG. I started flailing my arms and legs, trying to get it off my face to breathe. I managed to get a hold of it, and pushed it off me with all my might.

    I huffed and puffed, that blasted thing is too heavy for me… I glared at it for a few seconds and went on to kick it with my stuffed feet. I’m somehow glad for the fact that the other animals aren’t like me.

    For short, they can’t talk. Literally. Though I’m quite fragile, I don’t get hungry or hurt physically. I don’t even know if I should consider that a benefit or not.

    After venting out my anger, I looked around again. I need to wreck havoc in order for those two dimwits to clean my place. I found the perfect spot, the counter. I stride towards it. Gladly, the back of the counter have shelves. I hoisted myself up one after the other. By the time I was on top, I was out of breath.

    I saw the two boys were apparently in the middle of doing inventory, and left to God knows were. Park will seriously get mad at them.

    I shrugged and started doing my mission.

    Papers were flying; some are already on the floor. I also kicked the pens and some other things I don’t even bother to know.

    “You don’t even know I much I hated that damn shelf! And yet you placed me up there to rot!” I screamed in anger. I can hear my faint voice echoing. This can’t even appease my suppressed anger that I kept for fifty years. But none the less I was satisfied, a little.

    I stared at my master piece. ‘Good’, I thought to myself. This will scare the pants out of them. That’ll teach them.

    I don’t know how long did those two arrive, but it was already sun down. I can hear there voices, but they aren’t that clear. The door suddenly swung open, and I drop dead on the top of the counter.

    “Dongho, hurry up! We still need to finish that inventory before seven!” I heard Taemin said.

    Dongho replied, “I know, hyung. That’s why I’m asking you to hurry up when we were eating.”

    I smiled to myself. These two were always like this, they’ll never change.

    They stopped dead on their tracks when they me. And the look on their faces was priceless.

    “How…?” Taemin trailed off.

    “What’s the matter?”

    “Did you get that teddy bear from the top shelf?” he asked Dongho.

    “What bear?” he replied, and halted when he saw me.

    “How did that thing got there?” Dongho asked, looking back to Taemin and me.

    Taemin shook his head. “I have no idea.”

    I saw Dongho walked towards me and knelt down.

    “We should get moving, hyung! The place is a mess!”

    Taemin’s eyebrow went up. “Don’t drag me into this mess you made.”

    “I didn’t do this mess!” Dongho countered.

    “Well then, who did?”

    They both stared to one another then to me.

    “That’s I’m possible right?” Dongho said.

    I heard Taemin snort. “Of course it’s impossible, why would this thing move?” He went on and grabbed my paw. “See? It’s not alive.”

    Frankly speaking, I wanted to kick his beautiful face. Shame, I couldn’t blow my cover.

    He dropped me, this time on the table where they use for boxing gifts. I sat there again, glaring back at them.

    I guess, they both noticed. They couldn’t stop looking back at me.

    Out of nowhere, four-eyes Park arrived.

    “What is this mess?” I swear you can hear his voice a mile away. This guy doesn’t have any modesty at all!

    Exclamation Point.

    “Sir, there is this–”

    “No time to explain, one of my patron costumer is coming in a few minutes to check the new arrivals. Clean up the mess this instant!”

    Great. I thought sarcastically. The dimwits were in frenzy. They didn’t know where to start.

    It took them a maximum of 10.5 seconds to finish tidying up. That is if you call shoving all the things underneath the counter tidying up.

    A woman came inside the shop with a boy beside him. They look rich from the way they dressed, not to mention the kind of jewelry she have around her neck.

    It looks like a dog collar to me, honestly.

    Four-eyes showed them the new arrivals; it was the limited edition toy soldiers.

    I don’t see the fuzz is all about, since the soldiers look exactly the same only with different uniforms.

    Oh well, I guess the rich doesn’t have anything else to spend there money.

    She pointed two of the toy soldiers and four-eyes nodded.

    Then I noticed the kid was looking straight at me. I waved at him. He gasped, he started tugging on the lady’s hand but she dismissed him.

    I was having my victory laugh, when Park saw me. He went towards me and grabbed me.

    I thought I was going to be introduced, but I was wrong. He apparently placed me in another place. Not the right top shelf.

    I was placed lower than the last shelf.

    “Great,” I thought.

    All my hard work went down the drain.

    “Damn it all.”

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I hope you enjoy reading the first chapter of this story. :) I really appreciated it.

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PurpleSky