“…never go back.”
Monday, May 17th, 2010
“And then I left,” she said rather smartly to the stuffed bear who sat next to her on the bed. “Mrs. Smithson said she looked everywhere for me but I told her not to fib. I was in that room reading my book all day and she never looked in there so she didn’t look everywhere.”
Abigail paused slightly and patted the bear. It’s fur was rough and scraggled. The yellow fabric was worn and and it had only one eye which stared blankly at the girl as she told her tale. Her voice was barely a whisper now. “That was when Mrs. Smithson called Mr. Draper to come and get me.” She grabbed the bear and wrapped it in her arms. Its fur, as it had done so many times before, absorbed the quiet tears that fell from her eyes. “She didn’t know we had run away but she does now. I’m sorry Teddy but we can never go back. No, never…”
She laid down on the bed and looked out through a hole in the boarded window. The moon had risen and its light made her smile. “See, Teddy, we still have a nightlight. I told you.” She slept then and the moon looked down upon the her with its one, lonely, eye.
