Through The Mirror

The Teddy Bear

Kari

Light Spirits

The dilemma I am in is really difficult to explain, really. While my family tried to save their name because of me, they could've been protecting from my first Darc encounter when I was 6. The root was placed inside of a teddy  bear, one that any child could have chosen. It was the idyllic teddy bear you'd find at a yard sale: scruffy, shown some tough love, and old, but it still cute enough that a child with a sweet heart could love. I suppose maybe it was for me, because I had something that belonged to the Darcs. My necklace. There was something about that teddy bear and I could feel its dark magic dancing around it, but I pushed the feeling aside. When my mom asked me if it was what I really wanted, it was the first time I heard her talk to me. She shrieked a 'no' from inside me, and her voice sent shivers down my spine. I told my mom 'yes' anyways. Inside me, I could felt something like a dark tingling spread through me. Even though this did terrify me, I had forgotten about when I was handed the bear and I didn't think about it again. 

         Once I got home, I couldn't wait to introduce him to the rest of my stuffed animals. I immediately had him introduced with them and even had a tea party. There was something within him, the damned root, that made him feel so welcoming. It made him feel so in touch with everything. One day, the root some how possessed me into throwing all my stuffed animals away so I could just have him. I even slept with him that night. When I woke up and realized what I had done, I knew there was something wrong. I tried to go retrieve all my toys, but they were gone, I assumed the garbage men took it already. I went and sulked with the teddy bear and eventually cried. I whispered to him saying, "I wish I had all my animals back. Now I feel alone." I hung my head and dropped the bear to the ground. As if right into my ear, I heard the raspy reply. "You don't have to worry, my dear, for you still have me. And I am not going nowhere."

            I nearly ran out the room. I stared at the bear with fear filling them. It didn't move from where I had dropped it, and it didn't have a mouth it could speak with. I hesitantly picked the bear up to inspect it. I didn't like to worry, so I answered my question. No, the teddy did not speak. I am just lonely and need a friend. I believed myself and treated my last remaining plush toy like royalty. One day, I had brought the bear outside to play. I was out in the clearings of Bepayn. Contrary to what it was referred to, the land wasn't clear. It had long, dry grass that was the color of my new friend's blonde hair. She quietly approached me and my bear to make conversation.

"Hi!" she squeaked. "I'm Sylviah!"

"I am Kari." I replied without looking up. I was still playing with him. He had told me his name was Beccam and he was to be my only friend. I showed Sylviah Beccam.

"This is Beccam. He's my only friend."

Sylviah smiled and pulled her stuffed animal from behind her and introduced me to her.

"This is Lola. She's my only friend, too." she told me. I looked at Lola. She was a pale, pink stuffed dog. Lola was poorly made, the stitching was to far apart and the stuffing was sticking out. Lola's eyes were mismatched buttons and her tale was just a rope, but her nose was made of a material that made it look as if it twitched. Something about her was precious, so precious and genuine that she distracted me from Beccam. Sylviah let me hold Lola and I closely looked at how she was made. She striked me as beautiful. And Beccam could feel that.  And he didn't like it.

      Feeling Beccam's pang of jealousy, I handed Sylviah back her toy.

"Sorry, but Beccam didn't like that. He gets jealous a lot." I sighed. I looked towards Beccam and I felt is relief. Sylviah looked at Beccam and picked him up.

"Hey! What are you doing? Put him down!" I protested.

Sylviah covered his ears as if it prevented him from hearing.

"Lola said Beccam was evil and that you should get rid of him." Sylviah whispered.

"What?" I squeaked.

"He only wants to do bad things." Sylviah continued. She looked at me with a exasperated look on her face. "She also said some other things that I didn't understand. She told me that I should play with you today and invite you tomorrow."

 I frowned at Beccam while I heard this.

"Will you come?" she pleaded.

"I will." I comfirmed. She removed her hands from Beccam's ears and smiled at me. I returned a big smile. A real one. I was going to have a real friend. Not a scruffy ol' bear! I got myself up and dusted myself off.

"I will see you later. Where do you live?"

Sylviah handed me a crumpled up, small piece of paper.

"I will see you, then, Kari!" she said while helping herself up.

"Oh and Kari!" she chimed.

"Yes?"

"Don't tell what I said." she warned.

"I won't."

"Good." And with that me and Beccam were on our way home.

Later that night, I snuggled with Beccam in bed. I laid in silence for a while, waiting for everyone else in the house to fall asleep so they didn't hear me speak to Beccam.

"Beccam. Are you awake?" I whispered softly.

"Yes I am." his voice slithered.

"I have to tell you a secret, but don't tell anyone, okay?" I didn't wait for his reply. "Sylviah, my new friend, told me that I should get rid of you because you are bad."

"Where would she get that idea from?" he urged me.

"Lola, Her stuffed toy."

"Ah...

"I don't think you are. I just think they're jealous." I squeezed him tighter. "I love you." I waited for him to speak but he didn't. What Sylviah had said had really spooked me, but I thought she was jealous so I paid no further mind to it for the rest of the night. I bet she was jealous and it was enough to keep me satisfied. And with that, I dozed off to sleep. Dreaming of confronting Sylviah and Lola. But something wrong happened and I didn't get the chance. I kept waking up, but I wanted to know what had happened in my dream. I Didn't know then that in my dreams, I saw all of Beccam's intentions. I didn't know he was going to hurt someone.