Chapter 1
Benjamin Bear sat on the windowsill in a bedroom looking out over a beautiful neighborhood. The sun was bright in the sky and birds were chirping.
"It's hard to believe it's been a year since I began living with the Burton family. It was quite a ride to get here."
15 YEARS AGO
A little boy sat in the sandbox building a sandcastle. Benjamin was situated beside the boy.
"This is going to be the bestest sandcastle in the history of the whole wide world!" the boy cheered. "And you're going to be King Ben!"
"Billy!" a woman called. "It's time to go home!"
The boy put Benjamin into his backpack and followed his mother to the car. He didn't notice the zipper coming undone. Benjamin fell out into the parking lot before Billy and his mother got in the car and drove away. Benjamin immediately sprung up.
"Oh no!" Benjamin said. "I'd better get back to the house and get in the backpack before Billy realizes I'm gone!"
Benjamin ran to the sandbox and pressed a hidden button with a teddy bear painted on it. He then went into a secret teddy tunnel and closed it. Benjamin rushed home and exited out a secret passage behind the bookcase in the living room.
"Okay," Benjamin said. "When Billy gets home, I'll sneak into the backpack and…"
Benjamin hid behind the couch after he heard the front door opening. He looked to see Billy and his mother enter the house. He then noticed a shocking sight. In Billy's hand was a different bear that looked just like him.
"Thanks for the new bear, Mom," Billy said hugging the other Benjamin Bear.
"You're welcome," Billy's mother said. "Don't lose this one."
Benjamin waited until Billy and his mother went into the other room. He sadly walked away, knowing he'd never see Billy again.
"Don't worry," Sam Bear, the head of the Teddy Council told Benjamin later that day at the Teddy Council Chamber. "This is your lucky day."
Sam Bear was a medium sized white fluffy teddy bear with a green tuxedo. He and Benjamin were very good friends as Sam lived down the street from Billy's house and belonged to Mrs. Altman, a nice woman who he had been with since she was a little girl.
"My lucky day?" Benjamin asked. "I don't feel so lucky. My child replaced me with, well, another me."
"Luckily for you, you're a Benjamin Bear," Sam said. "Benjamin Bears are very popular with kids. There is this little boy named Hunter. Hunter just moved next door to me and he is having a hard time making friends. You would be the perfect teddy bear for him."
So, for many years, Benjamin spent a happy life as Hunter's teddy bear. As the years went on, Hunter became a teenager and played with Benjamin less and less. However, Benjamin could tell he was needed. When it came time for Hunter to go away to college, Benjamin fully realized that maybe Hunter didn't need a teddy bear anymore.
When Hunter's mother cleaned out Hunter's room, she put Benjamin in the attic. Benjamin decided he needed it was time to be rehomed. However, he soon realized the attic had no windows and no teddy tunnels. He was trapped. It would be many years before he would see the outside of the attic.