Author's Note: I don't own Garfield or anything to do with it, and this is strictly a non-profit only thing.

A quick idea I had after reading the depressing "Garfield is Dead" theory. Be sure to see those comics before reading this.

He didn't want to be there. No, not again.

It had been.. how long was it? Years, many years at least but he couldn't remember the exact amount. Garfield wasn't thinking much about that, from the very second he opened his eyes that morning, he knew exactly where he was. The horror of it had never left him. He hid it well.

His worst nightmare had come back.

It looked exactly as it had before. Run down, dark, and so cold..

Garfield was in his home, yet he wasn't. He didn't want to go back to that terrible place, with no lasagna or even Jon and Odie. But he was there again.

He couldn't breathe.

Wake up, Garfield.. wake up..

But it was no use. He couldn't wake up, because it was no dream. It was reality, and he couldn't deny it anymore. For so long, he tried to push it away and succeeded for a time. Everything was alright. Time went on, but strangely it was as if it never actually did. Things were the same forever.

It was wrong, and Garfield knew it. But he didn't want to know it. He wanted to forget about it and just stay in his box forever with his blanket covering over his head. To hide forever.

He cried. No amount of wishing it away would work that time.

Until Jon appeared, though not by Garfield's will. He looked around in disgust for a moment, wondering just how his former home had entered such a state of disrepair and nearly sneezing at the thick layer of dust.. until he remembered that he didn't sneeze anymore, or ever would have to again.

Old habits die hard, he thought.

He lowered himself and sat on the floor next to Garfield's box.

"Garfield? Garfield! Look at me!"

Why should I? he thought. You're not real. You can't help me now.

"No, Garfield. I am real, and I've come to take you home. Now, take that blanket off your head and get up!"

Wait.. you can understand me? But how?

Jon pondered over this for a moment. "In a way, I've always been able to understand you, Garfield. You were very different than most other cats. But that doesn't matter now. Don't deny it anymore, Garfield. I can understand you now because.."

Because I'm dead, right? I know. I've always known. But I just couldn't.. I'm scared, Jon!

Garfield lifted the blanket up from over his head, but still didn't make a move to get up out of his box. When he saw Jon sitting there, at first he wasn't sure that it actually was him sitting there. He seemed so, different.. and yet the same. But it really was Jon. He had come back.

"You're not the only one who is dead, Garfield. We all are, now. It's been a very long time. After you were gone, Odie lived a few years longer but I could really tell that he missed you. After you both died, things were never the same. I lived here for quite some time after until I died, I guess.. and I haven't been back here until now. But you've been here far too long, Garfield."

I'm so lonely..

Jon moved closer and petted his head. "I know. It was too sudden for you, and you didn't want to move on. You acted like everything was alright and made your own world to live in, but it wasn't real. You knew someday that you'd come back again to this house and have to face what really happened. This isn't our home anymore, Garfield. Our time has passed. It's time to go to your real home. Everyone is waiting for you, you know."

You mean it? thought Garfield, now sitting up. No more of this?

"No more. Garfield, you made this own prison yourself. But you can get out of it. Come on." Jon said, extending a hand to him. Garfield smiled, and stood on two legs. The blanket fell down behind him, as he took Jon's hand. They walked slowly until they neared the front door, which was boarded shut from the outside. But Garfield remembered Jon's words that he had made this prison, and the door then fell outwards before them with a mighty crash.

The light streamed on them, and they walked in it. The cold and darkness of the long-abandoned house was behind them now, forever.

Garfield was going home.

Wow, I'm sad now. Hope you enjoyed this.