Laura Finch could spend an eternity alone with her fairytale stories… but her life was anything but.
Laura Finch was a four year old girl. She had wavy brown hair and blue eyes. She stood only 3 feet 5 inches tall, a tiny thing in comparison to her giant father. She lived in a small house in a big town. Her family, while not terribly poor, wasn't very rich either. This was mostly due to her parents; both of them were drinkers in their own right, and her father in particular was a heavy gambler. Her mother would usually be out partying with her friends. Whenever she was home, she'd usually be passed out on the couch. Laura's father, on the other hand, was very scary and angry when he was drunk. He'd usually drink heavily whenever he lost a bet, and would end up taking his anger at it out on her. Most of the time he'd only yell obscenities that Laura was too young to understand the meaning too and even hear. There have been several occasions where he'd actually harm her, most of the time with a hard slap to the face.
Still, Laura tried to find the good things in life, and most of the time she found them in books. Whenever she was home and had free time, she'd retreat to her bedroom and read the books she hid in her closet. She'd enjoy the many stories of a prince and princess, their trials, and their happily-ever-afters. Sometimes she'd read several before bed and dream she were a princess, held captive by a giant fire-breathing dragon that looked like her father, waiting for her knight in shining armor to come and rescue her.
However, reality, it seemed, wouldn't allow her to experience it for real. She had no friends, almost no family she knew of outside her grandparents… it was lonely.
One night, Laura looked out of her bedroom window, and saw a bright beautiful star in the sky. It twinkled and glowed so brilliantly, that she wondered that if it was even a star at all, and not an angel who was up past his bedtime. She looked at the star with a smile on her face, remembering a rhyme she heard once in school about how such stars could grant wishes. How did it go again?
Star light, star bright,
The first star I see tonight;
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.
'Yes,' she thought, 'That's how it goes.'
A story she read that night entered her mind; it was about a young girl the size of a woman's thumb, meeting all sorts of animals before falling in love with a winged prince. Then she heard the sound of her father's shouting in the other room. He was drunk again, but he usually wouldn't enter her room. She couldn't imagine why. Then she looked back up at the star, and found she did have a wish.
She closed her eyes, and recited the rhyme quietly, and wished. She wished for a friend, but not just any friend; a prince. Someone who would play with her and help her reach things too high for her. Someone who would protect her from the night monsters in her closet, read with her, listen to her, and never ever EVER hurt her.
And then, just like that… her wish came true. Out of nowhere, a tall handsome man with angel wings and armor appeared. He smiled warmly at her, looking at her with his deep blue eyes, and kissed her hand.
"Hello, my lady," he said, "How may I be of service to you?"
He was a wonderful friend. They drew pictures together, read together and made up stories, played games, and even had tea parties and built pillow castles together. Each day when she went to school, he'd hide in the closet and wait for her to come home, and when she did they'd play the day away.
Laura named him Sir Wingsalot – because it sounded right – and he was her special secret.
One day, Laura was heading back home as she did every day. School wasn't too far from her house, so getting there and back on foot didn't take long. She went in the front door, quietly closing it behind her, seeing that her mother was sleeping on the couch, face down in a pillow. She tried to tip-toe down to her room, before she felt a soggy hand on her shoulder.
"Where are you going young lady?" it was her father. She sniffed a bit; she could smell whisky off of him.
"I'm just going to my room, daddy," she whimpered, shaking in fright.
"Don't you have… homework to work on?" her father slurred.
"No… what's homework?" she asked clueless.
"What's in your room?" he asked.
Laura panicked.
"N-Nothing daddy," she lied, "There's nothing in my room!"
"You lying little BITCH!" Laura's father gave her a back-hand, leaving a red mark on Laura's cheek, "I've heard you talking to someone there!"
"OW!" Laura cried, "Why did you hurt me!?"
"I had better not hear you talking to whoever you were again," her father threatened, "or that won't be ALL I'll do to you!"
"Y… Yes daddy…"
"Good…" her father stumbled of in a drunken daze. Laura continued holding her red cheek and crying as she headed to her room. She closed the door behind her, threw herself onto her bed and cried into the pillow.
Sir Wingsalot had heard her enter the room and crying. Her slowly opened the closet door, seeing Laura sobbing. He sat down on the bed beside her and petted her head.
"Laura?" he asked, "What's wrong?... Why are you crying?"
Laura lifted her head off the pillow, and looked up at him.
"My daddy hit me!..." Laura cried, "He was drunk again and he hit me!"
Wingsalot's eyes widened in shock, "Why would your father hit you!?"
"He said… He said he heard you in here… he said he doesn't want us playing… or he'll…" Laura couldn't finish. She just kept crying.
Wingsalot picked her up and set her in his lap, hugging her. "Don't cry, Laura… it's okay…"
He began to hum a calming melody to Laura, rocking her in his arms. After some time, Laura calmed down.
"Your father doesn't scare me, Laura," Wingsalot said to her, "If he hurts you again, I'll be there for you… I promise I'll always protect you…"
Laura smiled, "Thank you, Sir Wingsalot…"
Wingsalot kissed Laura's red cheek. "Better?" he asked.
Laura nodded her head.
The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon and evening reading Laura's favorite stories. They chose to do this since it was the quietest activity they could think of at the time, and Laura's father wouldn't hear them. Before the two knew it, it was late at night.
"Sir Wingsalot?" Laura asked sleepily, her head pillowed on Wingsalot's chestplate.
"Yes, my lady?" Wingsalot replied, calling Laura by his nickname for her.
"Do you think… we'll be together forever?" she asked, "Even if daddy tries to keep us apart?"
"Yes, my lady," Wingsalot replied, "We'll be together forever… I swear it…"
Laura yawned, "Cross your heart?"
"Cross my heart."
The next morning, Laura was still sleeping peacefully, with her head on Sir Wingsalot's chest plate. Sir Wingsalot was sleeping alongside her, his arm around her. They didn't even seem to notice when someone entered the room uninvited.
"Get up, Laura…" a hand shook Laura's shoulder. Laura only stirred a bit in her sleep, but didn't wake.
"I said get up, Laura!" the hand shook more forcefully. Laura awoke rubbing her eyes and blinking. She looked up to see someone looming over her and Sir Wingsalot. The smell of alcohol filled her nostrils and made fear shoot through her spine as she saw her father.
"Who the hell is this, Laura!?" her father forcefully asked.
Laura looked down to see Sir Wingsalot still sleeping beside her and panicked.
"D-Daddy, please don't hurt him!" Laura begged, "He's my friend!"
"Friend, huh!?" father sneered, "He looks more like a freak to me! And you KNOW that you're not even supposed to HAVE people over here at night, much less… whatever this THING is!"
"His name is Sir Wingsalot!"
Sir Wingsalot stirred at the sound of his name. His eyes fluttered open.
"Laura?... What-" before he could ask what was going on, his eyes set on Laura's father, and he gasped.
"I don't care what ITS name is!" Laura's father had his eyes on Sir Wingsalot, "I just want him out of this house NOW!"
"No!" Sir Wingsalot got up, drawing a sword and standing up, "I will not leave my fair lady alone with you for another day!"
"Oh, tough guy, huh?" Laura's father had his fists up, ready for a fight, "Well let's see you put that to some use!"
"Very well…" Wingsalot put his sword back in its sheath, "As you don't have a weapon, I'll take you out in hand-to-hand combat! HAVE AT YOU!"
Laura panicked, she quickly darted out of the room and to the phone to call for help as the fight between Sir Wingsalot and her father ensued. She dialed 911 quickly into the phone and held the receiver until someone picked up.
"911, what's your emergency?" a voice came from the other end.
"My daddy's fighting my friend!" Laura cried.
After some time, she could hear the sound of police sirens outside.
Not too long after they arrived, they had her father in tow. Sir Wingsalot appeared unharmed, much to Laura's delight and relief. Sometime after the incident, her father and mother were brought into court and found guilty of child abuse and neglect respectively. Laura was brought to live with her grandparents, who had proven much better guardians. They even allowed her to keep Sir Wingsalot. Laura and Sir Wingsalot lived together happily for a few years, until Laura reached her 10th birthday, when her grandparents said that she would have to give him up.
"But where would he go?" Laura asked.
She was told about a place in town called "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends," a place that takes in imaginary friends who's owners have outgrown them in to find a new home. Laura thought about this for a minute. He'd be with other imaginary friends. He wouldn't have to be lonely. Figuring that this would be for the best, Laura agrees.
The day after her birthday, Laura, her grandparents, and Sir Wingsalot all drove down to Foster's. It was a large mansion, bigger than any house Laura had ever seen. They were greeted by a young woman with red hair, who guided them up to the head of the house, a rabbit called Mr. Hariman. After finishing their business with him, Laura was allowed one last minute to say goodbye to Sir Wingsalot.
"Laura," Wingsalot asked, "Why do you have to go?..."
"Sir Wingsalot, you're my best friend. My ONLY friend in fact… but..." Laura wasn't sure how to put it delicately, "but… things have changed… I'm sorry, but I have to let you go…"
"But why!?" he begged, "Why do I have to stay here!? I want to go with you!"
"I wish you could, but… this is for the better. There are other imaginary friends here, Sir Wingsalot. You'll make lots of friends here. You'll be happier here."
"But the place I'm happiest in the world is with you, my lady!... I… I love you…" he confessed.
"I love you too, Sir Wingsalot, but…" Laura sighed, "It's just better this way… I have to go now…"
Laura and Sir Wingsalot shared one last hug before Laura headed out the door.
"Goodbye…" Sir Wingsalot mournfully whispered, "my lady…"
Even more tragic than their farewells, was that when they both said "I love you," they meant it on different planes.
Laura loved Sir Wingsalot like he was the older brother she never had, but always wished she did.
Sir Wingsalot, on the other hand, had been in love with her since the day she created her, since that night she wished for him on that star. He truly wanted to be with her… forever…