She packs a bag of all her favorite stuffed animals because if she had to go, they had to also. Teddy looks at her weird, so she plops him in her lap, sitting on the floor.

"What?"

"What are you doing with us?" he thought to her.

"I have to go." she hisses, quietly. Teddy shakes his head.

"But why?" he cries. She pokes his nose and hugs him.

"You know why, silly." she whispers into his fur before tucking him in the bag. It's late at night, so no one hears her walk, softly, to the door. Open it and close it behind her. No one hears her squeak as she stubs her foot on the railing leading down with the stairs. No one hears her run to the left until she can't stand anymore. She pulls out some scissors from her bag and messily cuts her hair. Without a mirror, unfortunately. She leans on a bush and fishes out her Teddy. She rests her head in his fur and closes her eyes.

In the Morning

"Hello, are you dead?" someone asks, in her ear. She looks up, and a boy was mimicking her on the ground.

"No." she says, sadly. He sighs, sadly.

"I wish I could help. Is that yours?" he asks, his eyes flicking to Teddy.

"Yah, do you want him?" she asks, sliding her Teddy to him. He takes it carefully then hugs it to his chest, fondly.

"If I could, but I can't take him from you."

"What if I give him to you?" she asks.

"Only if you mean it." he says, crying. He makes Teddy hug him, but he cries harder.

"Hey, are you hungry?" she asks, pulling out a Granola bar. She slides it to the boy. He scarfs it down without answering then nods. He wipes his mouth with his fingers and looks at her, confused.

"Hey, are you alright? Here, take this back I'm good, honest. Do you want to talk?" he asks, smiling for the first time. She grins as well.

"No, I'm not alright. I'm misunderstood, so I ran away. I'd love to talk." she says, reaching for his hand, but he disappears. Everything turns dark, and no one's there. She hears a strange, hard voice vibrate through her. Telling her to stand up and walk forward. Someone smacks her hand, but she hardly feels it. She tries pulling away, but can't? She opens her already open-eyes. She's in a room, alone. Something's on her head, and she squeaks.

"Help? Help. Help! Someone, please, someone help! Please, I deserve to be understood. I deserve to be...." she drifts off, so tired. Who was that boy? She never got his name, she pouts. She sticks out her tongue. "Where am I?" she asks. Again, no answer.

_______________________________________________________

"Yah, she's awake. She dreamed of a boy? Do you know of a boy she's had contact with?" Doctor Milo asks.

"No, except her brother Andrew." Mother answers, weakly.

"Well, she didn't get his name, so her attentions will now be focused on him. So, I'm going to need you and your husband's help to lift her spirits with this boy. We have what he looks like, and maybe you'll get to understand your daughter through him. Do you understand?" Doctor Milo asks, sighing.

"Yes, thank you. That's all we want. To understand her." Dad says, through his nose.

"Right, exactly, dear." Mother agrees. Andrew and Mother share a look.

"Mom, will Jackie be ok?" Andrew asks. Mother wraps him in her arms; trading the role of trapped-prisoner to him.

"Of course, dear. She just needs to realize she's ok. Then she'll come back to us." Mother says.

__________________________________________________________________

The boy walks up to her and smacks her shoulder, lightly, waking her up.

"Hello, again. Um...I never got your name." he laughs, but she shakes her head. His eyes widen, and he steps back. "What'd I do?"

"No, come back." she says, reaching for his hand. She catches his wrist and walks into his side, in a hug.

"Don't leave me, I'm so confused. I'm Jackie." she breathes into his shirt. He's a bit older, but she didn't mind for it's only a dream. A dream she won't let go of.

"Aaron." he admits. "Hey, where's your bag?"

"Don't worry about it." she says.

"But, Teddy?" he says, strangely. She tears up and shrugs. She didn't know where her bag was because it's a dream. But she can't tell him that.