The Toyminator

24

“Oh no, no, no,” said the other Eddie, returning to the cabin with a beer. “The last thing we need right now is for something extraordinary to occur – we are running to a tight schedule.” And he lifted Eddie’s paw from the ignition button. And the powerful engines stuttered and died and all was at peace once more.

Much peace.

“You see,” said the other Eddie, and he grinned at Eddie Bear, “it is this way and …” The other Eddie paused. Eddie Bear was slumped back in the pilot’s seat. His button eyes were crossed and his mouth drooped oddly at the corners.

“Eddie?” went the other Eddie, shaking Eddie Bear. “Eddie, wake up now. We can’t have you dying on us just yet. We haven’t kept you alive all this time, when we could simply have killed you, for no purpose. There are things we need to know from you. Eddie, wake up. Eddie?”

But Eddie Bear would not wake up.

Eddie Bear could not wake up.

His head rolled forward, his shoulders sank.

Eddie Bear was dead.