Horror Short Showcase: 'The House on Teddy Bear Lane'

Written by Scott Edwards

There can be something magical about getting to reconnect with nature once again. When we were children, it seems like we were always outside doing something fun with our friends and family and somehow that goes away when we get older. Sitting at desks and staring at computer screens or rushing to help the next customer inside of large windowless shop, we just seem to forget how magical it really is to be outside. While there are some people that are able to make up some time to take a hike once in a while, most of us get stuck in the city because finding that extra time is more painful for us than many are willing to admit.
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Coming to a stop on their nature hike to allow her brother Bob to take a pee break, Linda waits anxiously and wants to get back to it. While letting his guard down a little deeper in the woods, Bob enjoys relieving himself, but turns around to see some sort of freak staring at him. Trying to tell the stranger in a bear costume to back off and leave him alone does him no good since the bear has other plans. Pulling out a sledge hammer and pummeling Bob, the bear then turns its attention towards Linda who sees something that she has not expected. 

Waking up in a room covered in blood and teddy bears, Linda has no idea what happened to herself, much less her brother. Waking up a stranger that is tied up next to her, Paul comes to with the same reaction, but is doing his best to keep the two from freaking out too much. Watching as their bear captor walks into the room and picks up a chainsaw and just stares at them, Paul tries to convince Linda that nothing bad will happen to them, but after hearing screams coming from another room and seeing the bear bringing in its new prize, well all bets are off the table. With the bear having only one thing on its mind, it is up to the survivors of its wrath to write their own destiny, but it may not be as happy as they imagine.

I have not seen anything with a teddy bear that has left me frightened before, but this film really did that for me. With plenty of tension building up and a payoff that will leave you scratching your head as to what is really happening in the house, well, you might start to look at the Build a Bear concept a little differently. With a great cast, a knife, a bear trap, a gun, a sledge hammer, plenty of blood and a person asserting themselves as a bear, this is one of those films that will make you think twice about heading on a nature walk anytime soon. While I might be a person that likes some seclusion sometimes, this film shows that it is not healthy all of the time and making your own friends is easier than talking to random strangers. Stay Scared.

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