Teddy Bears

When I was a kid my favorite toy was my stuffed teddy bear. Simon had given it to me when I was seven. He told me about how teddy bears protected children from bad things. I, being the child I was, believed him. I believed my teddy bear was my very own protector, my gardian angel, my knight. I named him Hambo.

Being one of those children with an abundance of imagination, I came up with a million situations and events in which Hambo saved me. He always kept the villians away and the monsters at bay. He would heroically fight off every dark being that my mind threw at him. Wether it was a gaint, fire-breathing dragon or a evil sorcerer Hambo would continually thwart them.

Hambo couldn't save everyone, though. Not even in my imagination. Try as I might I couldn't get Hambo to save Simon when the crown started getting to him. I tried to save Simon but Hambo's attempts were having no effect. Hambo could only save people from external foes, not internal ones like those in Simon's head. How is a teddy bear suppose to fight an invisible curse or a spreading madness?

I tried to reason with Simon and he would try, but he gave in eventually. The crown invaded his head and left little behind. After that what was left was Ice King not my friend, Simon. I know he is in there though. Somewhere deep inside is the person who was once my dearest friend. I only wish that person would come back and that the strange new person would leave. I know that the likelihood of this is practically nonexistent, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?

Nowadays, I realize that Hambo can't really protect me from all the bad things, but he sure does battle the darkness that makes the bad things so scary.