I didn't know how long I was living at my new home called a 'mall' with my gran, but I know I loved it. We ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. She would read lots of different books to me and sometimes I would read them to learn how to speak a little better.

Sometimes those weird people would show up with black stuff dripping from their mouth but it wasn't really often. The only thing I did know was that my gran would bid me from going outside.

It wasn't fair. I just wanted to see my friend Jerry. I'm sure he was lonely in that pond all by himself. And I know it's not nice to be alone and I was lucky to have gran with me now.

She always warned me to stay away from the weird people outside and to not let them touch me no matter what. But I don't know why I can't go outside. I had a chance and I took it to slip out when Gran had turned away to make lunch for me.

I walked past the empty lot outside with just a few shopping carts around and those weird people gran got into a fight with before that never moved again. I headed towards the woods making sure that none of the weird people saw me before I made my way to the waterfall.

I reached it in about 10 minutes and looked around to see if Jerry had snuck out of the water but I didn't see him. I stepped towards the pool and called out to him.

"Jerry? Are you there?"

No answer.

"I'm sorry if you're mad with me. I don't need to see you. I just want you to be my friend."

The wind blew past me and I sighed as Jerry gave me no answer. I sniffled to myself and I got so upset that I didn't realize my teddy had slipped out of my hand.

"No! no! Come back here teddy!"

I tried inching over the water to try and save teddy before they floated away, but I couldn't reach it.

"No...teddy..."

"Sage...Don't cry..."

"Huh?"

I stood there confused as I watched my teddy rise up out of the water and a black figure got up with it and held it out to me. It didn't have a mouth but it spoke to me and I froze as I saw who it was.

"Sage. Here's your teddy."

"Ah Jerry?!"

I fell back scared as this black thing without a face stepped out of the water towards me.

"Sage?"

"GO AWAY!"

Jerry froze as I held my arms out scared and started crying quietly to myself. It reached a hand to help me up and I backed away and ran to hide behind a nearby tree.

"Wait Sage! Please don't run away!"

"You're scary Jerry! Go away!"

"This is why I didn't want you to see me. I knew you would be scared. I'm sorry."

I poked my head out from behind the tree as Jerry set my teddy down on the floor and started backing away to the water.

"If you want I'll never bother you again."

"Wait Jerry don't go! Please!"

Jerry stopped and looked back at me. I picked up my teddy and looked at him with puppy eyes.

"I did not expect you to look like that. You spooked me but I'm happy I get to see you now."

"You are?"

"Of course. You're my friend."

Jerry stood there as I giggled at him with my teddy in my hands.

"Do friends give each other gifts?"

"Yeah I gave my friends candy on Valentines Day all the time."

"Valentines Day?"

"You give gifts to someone whose your friend or someone you love. We'll have to give gifts when that day comes Jerry. It's a lot of fun."

"You give gifts to people you love?"

"Sometimes. I think it's cute."

"Is it okay if I give you a gift now Sage?"

"Sure I love gifts."

"Dandelions are flowers right?"

"Yes?"

"I picked some for you."

"Thank you. These are beautiful."

I took them from him and giggled at getting a gift from my friend Jerry. I smiled at him and I think he tried to do the same but couldn't.

Jerry stood there looking down at the ground and I wondered what his hand felt like since he was some black thing. I reached out when he pulled away and I heard someone else shout.

"NO!"

"Who was that?"

"That's Jeremy. He sometimes pulls me away like that. I hope you don't mind talking to the two of us sometimes."

"No. Hi Jeremy!"

I listened to hear someone struggle to speak until I heard them talk again.

"Hello Sage."

I giggled and felt happy about having two new friends now. I smiled up at Jerry before I realized Gran was yelling for me to come back home.

"SAGE WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Sorry I gotta go! Bye Jerry and Jeremy!"

Jerry watched me walk back towards home as I waved back at him. When I got back Gran punished me by telling me I would get no dinner.

After a while things calmed down and I told her about my trip into the woods and my new friends Jerry and Jeremy. Gran didn't believe they were real but she listened to me as I told her about them.

"But I heard them gran. "

"Alright you heard them. Now can the little princess go to sleep so I can sleep now too."

"Ah okaaay. Goodnight gran."

"Goodnight my little Sage."

When my reading got better my gran started teaching me about things like what day it is and how many months went by. Before I knew it, it had been two years since I found my new home and my gran and friends Jerry and Jeremy. I loved everything with all my heart I didn't realize how quickly it would be taken away until it was.