Facing your demons

I'll miss you, Shuichi

(The edit above killed me *cries*)

I wished with all my might that the Entity would be gone and that my friends would be ok, along with my classmates.

A second later, I opened my eyes. I could hear people around me, talking to one another.

"Esther? What are we all doing on the floor?" I heard a voice ask me.

"M-Molly?! Isaac! You're ok!" I exclaimed happily.

"Well of course we are, silly," Isaac said.

I started chuckling a bit but then I froze due to realization.

I looked around and saw Mr. Hopp sitting on my bed, looking at me.

I ran over and picked him up.

"Mr. Hopp! I... I don't want this! I-I want to be with Shuichi! Please, tell me what I need to do!" I yelled at him.

He didn't move at all, except for slumping in my arms.

Tears sprang from my eyes and I didn't stop them. Molly and Isaac ran over and asked if I was ok.

Normally, I would've said yes and calmed myself down, but this time I couldn't. And I didn't want to.

"Everyone is gone.... I-I'll never see Shuichi a-again..." I cried out.

They sat there, hugging me, waiting until I calmed to ask what I was talking about.

After I eventually calmed, I told them I wanted to spend some time alone.

They left, making sure I didn't want anything as they exited the room.

As soon as they were gone, I grabbed the first aid kit from the loose floorboard. It was there in case of an emergency.

I took everything out and grabbed some extra clothes. I got my hairbrush and I grabbed Mr. Hopp.

I told Mr. Stripes and Ms. Bo goodbye, and let Mr. Hopp say goodbye too. He didn't do anything, so I grabbed his stuffed paw and made a waving motion with it.

I slipped out the window and slid down the ivy outside on the side of the building. There was a brick that stuck out of the fence, so I used that to climb over.

As I was about to drop, a little girl named Mary asked what I was doing.

I told her I had to go do something for someone, and I asked her to go tell Molly and Isaac goodbye, and that'd I'd miss them and never forget them. She ran inside and I left.

I looked at Mr. Hopp and smiled.

"Let's go find our friends!" I yelled in determination.

He didn't move again.

"If you want, you can move around," I told him as I started carrying him in my arms and walking away.

I heard confused shouts from inside the fence of the orphanage, but I didn't look back.

I walked to a nearby town and asked for a job. I was given one almost immediately, seeing as employment was low due to the war.

A few weeks later, I left the town. I had made eighteen dollars.

That was enough for a train ticket and some food for a few days. I had barely eaten for the entire time I had been working.

I was hungry, tired, and alone. I didn't have anyone.

An old man walked over and sat down beside me.

"You ok little girl? Why are you traveling all by yourself?" He asked.