“Due to inflicting harm on a human, Teddy Bear-2231……” The announcement was devoid of emotion, judging my fate, but I wouldn’t change my decision; I’d always protect my boy from the evils of summer.

I recalled that fateful summer—the moment I became aware in a dank, gloomy basement. I felt unbearable pain as I saw cotton, stained by ash and dirty water, scattered on the freezing concrete floor. I struggled to gather the pieces of my broken body.

Bang! With a loud bang, I suddenly froze, sitting back to the cold floor—a toy’s instinct. Toys were not likely to move, obviously, and I didn’t want to be an exception. Within a few seconds, a boy rushed in and pushed the heavy, wooden door with all his might. He was short, looked no more than 12 years old, with mud on his face trembling with fear. I could feel the violence of the guys who were pushing and smashing the wooden door. The boy stood, looked over his shoulder at me, and all of the sudden, jumped right at me with a cry. “Sorry, sorry, sorry……It’s my fault……I forgot to lock the door today. Please don’t be scared. Winter’s coming, and no one will harm you anymore……”

Winter? Oh, sorry for that. I forgot to tell you that no one live in this place can expose themselves in the chilly winter. They will turn into an ice cube within only a few seconds. So that’s the case: someone, or maybe a group of people, decided to harm the boy, and when winter came, no one would be able to access to this basement, and thus harm the boy.

As I was wondering, the boy dug a needle and thread out of the cabinet, carrying on his hands. “Wait, I’m going to repair you first.” He picked up a pile of cotton that I had put away and then thrown on the floor, as if he picked up a pile of treasure, and finally, stuffed them into my already wizened body. “I’m now going to seam your body. This is going to hurt a little, but please bear with me.” I could feel the needles passing through my skin, and finally, with a flourishing ending, he told me that it was over.

He then asked for my help with a wounded arm, but I couldn’t answer; my toyish limitations silenced me. I can’t respond to him right now, limited by the teddy bear’s body. Disappointed, the boy walked away to his bed, without even making a sound. 

Toys were sensitive to time, and as time elapse, I could feel the sun going down the hill, and night fell onto the earth. I could imagine that the boy had been taking care of me for a long time, keeping me out of harm’s way, and expecting me to do something for him. The boy’s snoring was striking my ear drum from the corner. I thought it was time to do something for him. I can’t be silent any longer.

I slipped out through the basement air duct and ran to a store under cover of night. It was night, freezing wind coming across the street. It was already late summer, and winter was approaching. The boy would not be bullied by those people, I thought, as I picked up a tube full of unguent which could release the pain. This might help, I thought, as I came out from the shop and noticed a group of children.

“What about pepper spray?”

“Oh god, stop kidding. He could even forget his way home.”

“We could control him easily. You know what, he only owns a small basement, and within a few days, he would beg us to provide him a place to live in winter!”

“Haha……”

The boys walked past the street lamp beside me, not noticing me in the dark. I could feel the cotton rattling inside me. I was furious. Quietly, I followed them, remembering their accommodation. 

That night, a legend was added to the city: there is a teddy bear who loves everything, and will not hesitate to hold everyone he loves until death, never to let go. All the people who suffocated, their mouth will hang a faint smile. 

“Eliminating all memories. Counting down: 10, 9, 8, ……” The humming sound of a machine surrounded me, pulling my thought back to the place. I closed my eyes, smiled. If the boy brings me the purest, childlike, unrequited love, then I will also go through fire and water, with the power of, unrequited love.