“I’ll be back next Christmas, promise.” Assured his father, he gave five year-old Kyuhyun a white teddy bear with a red bow tie. He pat Kyuhyun’s little crown. “This li’l guy will keep you company.” He added and planted a kiss on his son’s forehead before turning his back. Kyuhyun couldn’t do anything, he opened his mouth but no words would come out.

 

Kyuhyun’s psychologically damaged, he can’t speak. He runs a few feet and with tears in his eyes, he hugged his stuffed bear tightly and shouted in his thoughts, ”I’ll be a good boy. So please come back papa. I’ll be good to the priests and everyone else. Please hurry.”

 

But one year, one Christmas has passed his father didn’t come back. He waited and waited and waited under the piercing cold but he never saw any signs of his father…

 

*~*~*~*~*

Ryeowook tear up at the story told by the young priest. He felt sad for Kyuhyun, unlike him he was an orphan from the beginning he never met his parents.

Siwon, the young priest, ruffled his hair with a smile. “But that’s just a story. Now get some sleep.”

Ryeowook nodded with a sniff. Siwon tucked him to bed before turning the lights out.

 

In Christmas Eve, the children have become more playful than usual; they were too excited to receive their presents. When the gift-giving had finally begun everyone lined up well and received one present. Ryeowook sat at a corner and opened his gift with the rest of his friends. When he opened the box he saw a white teddy bear, with a red bow tie around its neck. Ryeowook didn’t know exactly why he feels nervous, he might’ve not seen the teddy bear in the story but it looked like the one Fr. Siwon told him. But the moment he touched it any feelings of fear or nervousness of that sort disappeared, immediately he came to like the bear.

 

“Wow. It looks expensive! Can I hold it?” Donghae, his closest friend among the children asked. He was about to reach for the bear when Ryeowook slapped his hand.

“No!” he snapped as he glared at Donghae.

“Sorry… you don’t need to shout…” Donghae said the surprise and fear apparent in his eyes.

Ryeowook realized his sudden rudeness and apologized immediately. He saw Donghae’s expression and hugged him, his friend was about to cry and it was his fault.

“Sorry Hae, I didn’t know what came over me. Sorry.” 

They had attracted attention but since the situation was resolved, the priests didn’t mind it. Ryeowook and Donghae played together with their new toys as if nothing happened.

 

*~*~*~*~*

“Wookie, let’s go join the others in the snow ball war!” Donghae said enthusiastically, pulling Ryeowook’s arm. Ryeowook stared at him then to his teddy bear ten after a few seconds he turned to Donghae again. “It’s too cold. I’ll just play here.”

“What? But you never turned down on a snow ball war before. Who are you going to play with here?”

“Kyuhyun.”

“Who?”

“Kyuhyun. He’ll play with me.” Ryeowook said as he raised the bear. Donghae didn’t understand what he was feeling, why he felt spooked out. It was just a cute, white, fuzzy bear but somehow he couldn’t just brush off the uneasiness this time. Ryeowook returned to playing with Kyuhyun, his teddy bear while Donghae stood by him. Ryeowook had completely ignored Donghae, which he never did before. They had always done things together until that bear came.

 

One afternoon, Donghae approached the parish priest and told him about Ryeowook’s condition.

“Don’t worry about it Hae. It’s just a stuffed animal. Don’t tell me you’re jealous over a teddy bear?”

“I’m not jealous about it Father but since that stuffed toy arrived Ryeowook has been acting strangely.”

“Like how?”

“Like…” Donghae fidgets as he searches for the word in his head. “Like he’s possessed.”

The parish priest pinched his cheek as he laughed. “The teddy bear is just man-made. Ryeowook is just excited over his new toy he’ll soon get over it. You’re not losing friends over a bear.”

 

Donghae walked out the room and still believed that Ryeowook was possessed. He saw Ryeowook still playing with his teddy bear as he passed by the play room. He stopped on his tracks and returned to check on Ryeowook. His heart beats faster like he had been running a few laps and cold sweat started forming in his palm. What was that strange shadow he saw squatting with Ryeowook just then? He moved towards Ryeowook and sat at the spot he saw the shadow.

“Wookie, you must be bored here. Let’s go out and play!” he said.

“No, I’m not bored. Kyuhyun’s here to keep me company.” Ryeowook said it without even looking at him.

“Doesn’t Kyuhyun want to play outside?”

“Nope. He says it’s too cold out there.”

That uneasy feeling resurfaced again and Donghae’s patience is at its limit.

“Ryeowook, you’ve been cooped in here for a week now! Don’t you think you’re a bit old to play with stuffed animals?”

Ryeowook looked up at him, the cold, expressionless look in his eyes made the hair on Donghae’s body stand on its ends. “Are you jealous that I’m playing with Kyuhyun more than I with you? Until I’m out of this orphanage, I’m never too old to play with stuffed animals. Now go, you’re standing on Kyu’s spot.”

Donghae looked at his feet and saw a boy looked up at him as well, his eyes were glaring at him, he was smiling in a sinister way and dark aura was radiating around him.

 

“He’s my playmate now…”

Kyuhyun had said although his lips never moved but Donghae clearly heard him. He suddenly felt something pulling his ankle and saw a hand.

“I’ll kill you if you ever take Wookie again.”

Donghae, frightened, frantically shrugged off the hand and ran away, even as he ran he could hear Kyuhyun’s threat.

 

Ryeowook has never told him such things before; in fact Ryeowook has never acted that way before. Donghae sat at the nearby bench, crying. He had never felt this loneliness since his parents died, and he had never felt so frightened either. Ryeowook was slowly drifting away from him and it’s all that teddy bear’s doing but no one believes him and that has made him sadder. 

“Donghae are you alright?” Siwon said.

Donghae looked up and ran into his big arms. “Fr. Siwon, something’s wrong with Wookie, I know something’s wrong with him! But no one would believe me, if we don’t do anything Wookie will… Wookie will…” and Donghae started crying again, Kyuhyun’s ghastly image crept up his mind. He didn’t want to lose Ryeowook to some ghost. “Hae, calm down. Now tell me what’s wrong with Ryeowook.”

 

Donghae looked up at him and dried his tears and started telling him from the moment Ryeowook slapped his hand until Kyuhyun’s threat. When he ended with the story he noticed the serious look in Siwon’s face.

“Father, what happened to Kyuhyun in your story? I heard you telling Ryeowook that before Christmas Eve. It’s not just a story, right? Why is he doing this to Wookie?” he asked, worry laced in his words.

 

*~*~*~*~*

Although he could not talk he was still as mischievous as any other kid and play with them. He pranks a lot too. But every year, every Christmas he would wait for his father and every year his father doesn’t come and hugs his teddy bear as he cries. He would watch every other child get pick up either by their real parents or adopted parents, Kyuhyun has also got some parents’ interest but he would act rudely in front of them, he still believes that his father would return for him.

 

And Kyuhyun became aloof and would rarely play with the other children; he would just stare out of the window or wait outside till the sun would set. One day, Kyuhyun overheard a conversation among the priests that his father had died. It was too much for him to bear. He ran away. The priests thought that he would eventually return but it was already late afternoon and still no sign of Kyuhyun, worse, a blizzard was said to arrive. The priests hurriedly searched for him but they never found Kyuhyun. The search ended when the winds began to howl, the priests returned to the orphanage with hopes that he has found a shelter. But… after the third day of the search, they found Kyuhyun’s body inside a hollow tree trunk, frozen, his precious teddy bear was never found.

 

“What happened to him is sad but what does Wookie have to do with this? Why is he taking Wookie?” Donghae asked, bubbling with frustration.

“This wasn’t the first time this happened but… this has been the first time he had suddenly become aggressive.” Siwon hugged Donghae. “We’ll save both of them this time.” He said encouragingly.

 

*~*~*~*~*

This time Ryeowook keeps standing in front the gate, despite the cold temperature. He stands there waiting silently. Donghae couldn’t bear to look at this any further but whenever he tries to talk to Ryeowook Kyuhyun would appear and make horrible things happen to him. I have to get that bear away from him he thought and decided to take action at night.

 

Donghae grabbed the teddy bear from Ryeowook’s arms and ran out with it. He went to the sitting area and started to make a fire at the chimney.

 “I’m going to incinerate you so you can’t harm Wookie or any other kid again.” he said to the stuffed toy, whose button eyes stared at him lifelessly. The fire was already big enough for it to burn the thing and just as he was about to throw the teddy bear to the red flames Ryeowook appeared and grabbed his arm.

“Let go of him! Donghae, let Kyuhyun go!” Ryeowook shouted as they struggled over who takes possession of the teddy bear.

“No I won’t! This will be best for you Wookie. He’s going to do something terrible to you and I don’t want to lose you!”

“Give him back!” Ryeowook yelled again this time, there was some fierce wind that accompanied every word and slashed the teddy bear out of Donghae’s hold. The bear fell to the ground which Ryeowook immediately pick up.

 

Siwon came and started the exorcism but Kyuhyun repelled him and sent him flying. The windows opened and the cold winter winds blew hard. Few moments later, everything stilled but Ryeowook and the teddy bear were gone. Donghae was done being afraid he was going to run after Ryeowook. He grabbed a coat, wore some boots and ran out the door. “Donghae, it’s dangerous!” Siwon warned but his warning barely reached him.

“I’m bringing Ryeowook back, I – I just can’t lose my best friend!” and Donghae kept running towards the woods.

 

From what Siwon had told him, Kyuhyun was found in some hollow tree trunk, and Donghae had begun his search in every tree. Donghae searched for fifteen minutes but he was still not able to see Ryeowook.

“Bring him back! Bring Wookie back! What has he done to you?” Donghae called out in tears, and already out of breath. He heard a bustling sound and saw Siwon coming to his side. “If you want a playmate then take me instead, I’ve lost my parents too just like you. But Ryeowook, he never knew what it feels like to have parents, he still has a chance… if you’re going to kill him anyway then take me instead.” While Donghae had been calling out to Kyuhyun, Siwon was preparing for another exorcism.

 

Ryeowook had been hiding not in a tree but on top of it. Holding the teddy bear in his hands, already possessed by Kyuhyun but tears rolled down his eyes when he heard Donghae’s plea. “I… just want to see… papa…” he muttered, he had said in softly but his voice resounded in the forest.

“You’re father is dead Kyu.” This time it was Siwon who spoke and it surprised Donghae on how Siwon addressed the spirit. “He’s already in heaven waiting for you, he has always been for twenty years now. I know that it hurt you when you heard the news but its time to let go Kyu, your father didn’t mean to break the promise with you.” Siwon said loudly. Suddenly they saw Ryeowook clinging to the tree right in front of them. Siwon climbed up and when he reached him, he smiled formed a cross on his forehead and began his exorcism.

“In Principio.” Kyuhyun’s spirit separated from Ryeowook’s body. Donghae saw a bright, light radiating around Kyuhyun as he slowly descended. Kyuhyun hugged him and strangely he felt warm “Thank you.” He said before he disappeared from Donghae’s sight.

 

Siwon carefully placed Ryeowook in his arms and climbed. Donghae immediately hugged Ryeowook. “It’s finish right? Kyuhyun’s went to heaven?” Donghae asked, the sun’s rays illuminating him. Siwon nodded. “Now let’s take Ryeowook back.” He piggy back carried Ryeowook with Donghae walking beside him. “Father, back then, you called Kyuhyun ‘Kyu’.” Donghae said as they trudged through the snow.

“I was also an orphan, we used to play together.”

 

Donghae didn’t leave Ryeowook’s side until he came to. When Ryeowook finally had consciousness Donghae immediately wrapped him in an embrace. “Wookie!” Donghae called in tears. “Hae, I’m sorry.” Donghae shook his head not letting go of Ryeowook. “I’m just glad you’re back. I was so scared.”

 

Two days later, Ryeowook was back to his normal routine, playing and having fun with Donghae and the other kids.

 

*~*~*~*~*

Few years have passed and a lot has happened after that Kyuhyun incident. Ryeowook had new adopted parents and Donghae had found a new family after that. It was heart breaking that they were to live separately but fate has found a way to bring the two friends to meet.

“You’re still carrying that creepy thing!” Donghae said, appalled by the teddy bear in Ryeowook’s hands.

“It’s not creepy!” Ryeowook pouted.

“Of course it is, who ever thought of seeing a grown twenty year old with a stuffed animal?”

“If you think it’s that creepy then why do you stay with me anyway?”

“I know Father Siwon had exorcized Kyuhyun’s spirit but what if it gets possessed by another spirit again, I’m just looking out for you.”

Ryeowook laughed at him. After walking a distance in the midst of the white blanket of snow, they’ve finally reached their destination. “It wasn’t just because of Father that Kyuhyun crossed over. I didn’t mind being taken away, I didn’t have anything to lose.” Ryeowook narrated as he lighted the incense.

“You may have nothing to lose but he does besides you’re practically crying as if you don’t want to leave him was what Kyuhyun said. Do you suppose what he said was true? I could vaguely remember anything from that night.” He said with a childish smile as he stood up and turned to Donghae.

“What do you mean ‘suppose’?” then Donghae clasped hands with Ryeowook. “Of course it’s true and I would really trade places if he was going to take you. Because I’ve died once when my parents left me and it’s better to be dead if you are taken from me as well.” Donghae said affectionately as he planted a kiss on Ryeowook’s forehead.

 

A cold wind blew hard they looked back and saw that the teddy bear was gone. Donghae had that uneasy feeling again, he holds on to Ryeowook’s hand tightly. He didn’t know if Ryeowook heard it too, but it seems he heard Kyuhyun giggled and when another wind blew the voice was gone but then he sees a shadow standing by the mound. A slit formed in it’s face.

“Donghae, Ryeowook!” Siwon called, when they turned back to look, the shadow was gone just like the teddy bear.

 

~THE END~