My eyes twitched just by looking at the toy. I thought I lost this nutcracker 9 years ago! Drosselmeier could see the tears falling down my eyes. I embraced the toy like it was the only thing that my life had depended on for eons. I was reunited with the lovely nutcracker that had protected me from the wretched mice years ago. Drosselmeier smiled as he patted my head gently. “He missed you. He wanted to be reunited with you.”

“Reunited?”

“He longed for your return home to Nuremberg. He wishes nothing more than to be in the arms of the girl who gave him tender care those nights long ago.” Drosselmeier spoke; he snapped his fingers and the lights dimmed. “He is yours to protect now, dearest Goddaughter. Make sure he has no harm done on him.”

I nodded as I stood up and headed towards the door to go to my room, but a question lingered in my mind. Something about Drosselmeier seemed off, but when I turned around to ask him the question, he’d vanished. I stood there in complete silence as the silent winds swooshed on my face. 

The fire was out, the room was dark and nothing but ominous sounds of winds. I knew Drosselmeier was playing another one of his stupid tricks from when I was a child, but I didn’t let that bother me. Up to my room I went; opening the door to my room, everything was still intact. I glanced around the bed, seeing that my dolls were still spic and span.

 Even the small toy soldiers (which I admitted, they looked like little nutcrackers, but without the terrifying grin and soulless eyes) were still on the shelf that was above my old work desk.

Sitting down on the spinning chair, I took out my sketchpad from my suitcase. The nutcracker was placed on a small stool, for reference to draw what he’d look like on there. I wasn’t that big on drawing exercises to improve my art skills but this suffices for now. Something felt off though, like someone was watching me. Just for safekeeps, I locked the door and made sure no one entered my room; the coast was clear.

I thought of doing a background for my drawing. A clear background; I glanced around the room till I found my old toy box. “Perfect! Plain light blue background!” I exclaimed; I pushed it towards my nutcracker. It was difficult as it contained most of my old toys from 2009. It took a lot of effort but I got halfway, only for me to stop and see what was behind the toy box. 

It was a small door engraved into the wall. The door felt out of place as I didn’t remember there being a door in the wall when I still lived here. I kneeled down, staring into the keyhole. I saw red… red glowing in the bitter darkness. 

I didn’t know if this was some sort of Coraline shit but hell, I’d figure it out sooner or later. I continued to push the box to the nutcracker as it stood behind him for the drawing, like I noted it was hard. But I eventually was able to get it to the back of the nutcracker. I ran to my spot and got out a pencil. I took out my sketchpad and I began to draw.

The sketch looked terrible in a sense but hey, practice makes perfect. I don’t know how long it took me to finish it, but I finished it as the time ticked 9 at night. The cold winds blew towards my face, as it froze most of my face. Looking over the drawing, I swear I could see the shadows… form into something. It looked frighteningly familiar as I saw the deformed head of a monster with eyes piercing out of the darkness. I shook my head as I decided to finish the drawing one last time, just adding bits of detail. But it didn’t stop the shadows from growing. Soon, I was finished. I looked back at the shadows and I screamed, falling over and landing on my butt with the drawing moved towards the small door. I turn on the light to see if anyone was there… There was no one. I sighed, closing the windows to make sure my bedroom wasn’t cold at night and that no one could get in.

“Marie, Bedtime!” I heard my mother exclaim.

“Alright, Mother.” I exclaimed back. Soon enough, I cuddled the blankets that were on my bed as the nutcracker still stood in front of the toy box that I forgot to push back. There was an odd anomaly when I fixed myself on the bed. The air felt… off, in a sense that I felt like I was implemented into a horror movie.

Who did I play?

Heh, I played the girl who was about to die first.

But, it didn’t bother me as much. I found an old music box on the side of my bed; Turning the lever a bit, the music box plays Swan Lake; it felt soothing and dreamy. 

I took the nutcracker away from his spot so I can put him in a more nearby spot: my arms in bed. I know, it sounded like a stupid  place to put my nutcracker but I was given the task to protect him.

I laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Soon enough, my eyes slowly closed… I tried fighting off my tiredness. But I couldn’t. In the end, I fell asleep.

Soon, the ticking of the grandfather clock downstairs threw me off as I awoke to the ticking sounds. My eyes grew red as I stood up from my bed, slipping on my Care Bear slippers as I walked downstairs. I just wanted to shut that thing up, so I grabbed my nutcracker and I exited my room. 

As I walked down the stairs, I felt woozy. My head hurt like shit; my body felt like it was going through deja vu for a 4th time. But, I repositioned myself to slowly fall down the stairs only for me to slip and fall, hitting my head on the last bit of stairs. I groaned as I held my head as my vision was woozy. My glasses were fine but I couldn’t see anything that well.

I walked towards the living room, and I felt like I was about to puke. Churning stomach and woozy vision made me feel like a zombie in a way. I approached the couch, feeling its silk with only my hands as the darkness remained. “Hello?” I asked. There was no answer so I tried again.

“Anyone here?” I turned around, trying to see where I was standing or where anyone was. Suddenly, the living room door slammed shut. There was nothing but pitch black darkness. I couldn’t see anything at all. All I could hear was a voice, “Why, we meet again… Ms. Stahlbaum!”

I felt a box of matches below my hand so using my sense of touch, I lit up a match and found a candle; Lighting up the candle, I looked around before I was face-to-face with a terrifying rodent. My heart pounded, my anxiety rose and I felt numb. It was him… he was back. I thought he was part of my dream but… He’s back!

He pinned me towards a wall and growled. His disgusting mouse breath blew into my ears as I felt scared. I didn’t know what to do or say, all I could do was breathe and remain silent. He held my chin using his claws and I couldn’t move or do anything about it.

“You look… different.” He growled.

“Uh, duh,” I said sarcastically, “, I grew up. I’m a teenager!”

“SHUT IT!”

I shutted up as I felt anxious. His claws trailed down slowly towards my nutcracker; it felt odd but I needed to do something. I let Drosselmeier down once, I’m not doing it again. So, I found an odd weapon in the cabinet that Drosselmeier said to grab in case of an emergency. What was this weapon?

Well, it was a pistol. I loaded up the gun and aimed it at his face. “STAY BACK OR ELSE I WILL SHOO-!” I attempted to threaten him before he smacked the gun away. I chuckled nervously as I was backed into a corner. I held my nutcracker close to me as red eyes pierced through the darkness… multiple red eyes pierced through as the cackling grew.

That’s all I could hear. Loads of laughter and cackling. I screamed in fear as I then tripped on a rodent’s foot during an escape attempt, and my head crashing into the glass cabinet along with my arm… again. But this time, the pain was unbearable. I breathed heavily as I tried to keep myself composed. I picked up the pistol, looking for the stupid rodent.

It appeared that he vanished…

But where was he?

Plus, it was difficult to see in the darkness. I was hardly able to see anything. I put the gun down and lit up another match. Looking around, I wondered where everybody was; just then, the fireplace lit up and right behind me… A whole army of mice.

“Not again…” I groaned.

I heard laughter from the grandfather clock; turning my head, I see my Godfather Drosselmeier. He knows better than to fool me again! “What are you doing, Godfather?!” I exclaimed.“You are being very naughty! Get down!”

He didn’t obey, so I just turned around but then I bumped into a wooden plank… or at least it felt like a wooden plank. “FUCK!!!” I screamed as I held my nose.

“OH MY GOODNESS, I DEEPLY APOLOGIZE!” … Wait a minute.. That voice.. 

I lifted up my head to see my nutcracker… but he had a more human body shape. After staring at each other for 3 seconds, we both screamed like fucking children.