Blue Bear

I don’t know where I am. I only know that I should not be here. She never puts me with the others. She’ll never find me among them.

*

It’s been so long since I saw her. My sweet little Lily. I hope that she’s OK.

*

Something’s wrong. Lily should have looked for me by now. I have to get out of here.

*

There has to be a way out of here. I cannot be trapped. I’m her favorite. She loves me. She must be looking for me by now.

*

Where is she? Why hasn’t she come? Lily needs me! She needs me before the big move…

*

I can’t see…I can’t see anything beyond this pile of stuffed animals…it’s only darkness, darkness and suffocation…where could Lily be?

She was crying so hard the last time that I saw her. She’ll need me now more than ever.

*

I can hear them yelling again, those horrific adults. Lily must be hysterical. Why can’t I get these stubby limbs to move? I need to find her, to comfort her.

He frightened Lily so terribly the last time that they fought. He had drunk so much of that grownup juice and thrown the bottle at the wall. Oh, thank stuffing Lily was nowhere near it! But where is she now? Could she be in danger? I need to find her!

*

Oh, Lily. Sweet Lily. Have you given up on me? I haven’t given up on you. I lie here and gather dust, waiting for you to find me. Is it that you have not found me—or have just stopped looking?

*

No! Oh, no! Not the yelling man! He has brought the black trash bag with him…wait, please! Do not put me in there. Lily needs me. I beg you. Lily needs me!

*

Darker than dark, that is all that I can see. By the weight on my limbs, I know that other stuffed animals surround me. We weigh down this plastic prison, wetted by rain and worn by time. What have we done to deserve this fate?

*

Lily, I need to know…are you OK? Did you survive the big move? Are you still suffering from their yelling and his drinking? Did you find another to comfort you? Did you find someone to replace me? Because I know you never found me.

*

What is this? A light? Has my Lily returned to me?

I see a little girl, but…who is she? Those brunette curls are not like the red locks that I used to know. Where are the freckles that used to decorate her cheeks? Her lily pad-green eyes? I do not recognize this face staring back at me, and yet that broad smile seems so familiar…and this hug does warm my heart like someone I used to know…

“We’ll have to clean him up, but I’m sure that you’ll give him a good home,” I hear a woman say. “What are you going to call him?”

The little girl stares into my solid black eyes and says, “Blue Bear.”

As the little girl hugs me close to my chest, I know that I might have lost Lily, but I have finally been found.