The Individuals

Story#19: Battleship Bear

I can now finally do what I've always been meant to do

***

September 12th, 1988

During the dead of night, T####, age 17, and A###, age 15, made their way through the streets of Jesicho City. Delving in and out of the shadows, they avoided being seen and made their way across town. In A### hands, she held a baby wrapped in a blanket. Grasped in the child's hands was a small toy battleship with a blue stuffed bear riding on top.

As T#### pulled her along, A### did her best to keep up with him while keeping their baby cradled in her arms. He was much faster than her, and she knew that he would not slow down even if she asked. Regardless, she tiredly huffed along and followed. The city's lights were so cold that night.

Eventually, the two stopped in front of a wall of coin lockers. Sticking his hand into his pocket, T#### took out some change and proceeded over to one of the lockers. While waiting to the side for him to finish up, A### wiggled her finger in front of their baby's face, trying to distract him from the loud noise blaring all around. He grabbed her finger and grasped it with his tiny hand. Even A###'s small hands were giant-sized compared to his.

His brown eyes glistened in the light of the moon's glow. She wanted to keep him, but she didn't want to cause trouble for her parents any more than she already did, and T#### didn't want to risk his reputation. He doesn't want everyone at school making fun of him. Even A### shuddered at the thought of being harassed by the other girls in class.

Hearing T#### call her over, A### paced over to him. Moving to the side, he revealed the locker's wide-open mouth. Due to how dark it was, she couldn't even see all the way in. The idea that something was hiding in the back, staring at her without her knowledge made her heart skip a beat.

While securing the baby's blanket one last time, carefully, she slid him along with her arms into the void of the locker and set him down. Effortlessly, he went in. Throughout it all, the baby fumbled and played with his Battleship Bear, ignorant of what was going on. Pulling out her hands, without waiting another moment, T#### closed the door. Grabbing A###'s hand, without saying a word, he began to walk away and pulled her along with him.

As she followed him back, A### couldn't help but continue to stare at the locker even long after it had left her sight.

***

May 5th, 2008

A rice maker's hum and the sounds of cartoons on the TV filled the living room. Clearing the dishes off the table, A### could hear the TV shut off. Stopping by her, with his suitcase in hand, her husband, G#####, said farewell and gave her a kiss goodbye. As she watched him turn and proceed to the door, she could see her son run in from the living room. Saying goodbye as he passed, with his backpack swinging in the air, he swiftly caught up with his father and left with him out the door.

After taking the dishes and putting them in the sink, A### got to cleaning the rest of the house. Starting with vacuuming, she did the living room, her and her husband's room, and soon made her way over to her son's room.

Upon opening the door and pushing the vacuum in, she spotted a large clutter of toys strewn out on the floor. Letting out a sigh, she shut the vacuum off and left it standing in the doorway. Heading inside, she opened the nearby chest and began to put them away.

While putting one toy away, A### looked back and was about to grab another, when all of a sudden, she came to a stop. A certain toy sitting in the cluster caught her eye. With a bit of doubt that what she was seeing was real, she lowered a hand down and picked it up. It was a Battleship Bear. When did her son ever get something like this?