You know how it goes.  A child with an imagination, a friend that kept him company and softened the blows of the world, grows and sees his friend slipping away and fading.  The child tries to hold on but the storm and chaos of change separates them.  Eventually life slows down just enough and the old friend is missed enough that the child goes looking for her.  Sees her in the distance, tries to reach her, but the storm still rages, tries to keep them apart.  The child is older and stronger now and digs in, trying to close the circle.