Sebastian Bear (complete)

SEVENTEEN

SEVENTEEN

                Madeline was somewhere far in the recesses of her subconscious, watching a younger version of herself bury her father's wristwatch. She was so young, her chewed nails digging frantically in the dirt, her knees stained with mud. Madeline felt tears spring to her eyes, watching her eight-year-old self hiccup sobs as she piled mounds of wet soil over the shiny silver watch. "What are you doing?" Sebastian was there, skinny legs dropping down to join her.

"I took this and it should be with him," Madeline sniffled harshly.

"Madsy," Seb whispered. She wasn't stopping but packing the dirt down with both hands.

"No, I took it. I shouldn't have took it," Madeline cried harder. "Now he won't have it. I shouldn't have took it." She shook at her hands, heavy tears sliding down her pink cheeks.

"He would want you to have that," Seb shrugged. He was moving her hands with a gentle touch. "You should keep it and take care of it." He started to remove the layers of earth Madeline had hid her father's watch under. He tried his best to dust it off, using his T-shirt to wipe the smudged face. He handed it back to Madeline, her fingers shaking around the filthy metal.

"I want my daddy," she whispered. Sebastian smiled at her softly, his hand coming out to rest on her upper back.

"I know, Madsy."

The memory fizzled out to a dark nothing. Madeline wiped at her face. She hadn't realized she'd been crying silent tears the entire time. Though it had been at least ten years since her dad passed away, she realized quickly the wound felt fresh there. She shook her head of the thick fatigue that came with sadness and looked at her surroundings.

Another place.

Madeline watched her childhood bedroom form around her from the floors up. It was the same room she occupied as an eighteen-year-old but the walls were bright yellow then. She looked on in awe as her favorite elephant comforter appeared in a heap atop a set of twin-size rainbow sheets. She fought the urge to pick up her old stuffed unicorn that lay across a mound of open books. Maggie had tried so hard to make the room inviting.

She turned toward the closet only to jump back at the sight of young Madsy and Sebastian bursting through the door. This time the younger her was laughing hysterically, collapsing on the bed, burying her face in a pillow. Sebastian had plopped down near the abandoned unicorn, his bright purple eyes shiny with admiration.

"You found them," Sebastian was there quite suddenly, the young man she had come to know again the last couple of weeks. He was standing at her side, watching the foggy memory play out in front of them like some pointless play.

"Where are we?"

"We are inside your head, Madsy," Sebastian smirked. "This is one of my favorite memories."

"Is it significant?" Madeline had been watching intently. There didn't seem to be anything in particular about the encounter that warranted memorizing. The last one, though traumatic, had been a turning point in her grief. This one was merely two children laughing at silly things.

"We were together, Madsy." Sebastian was watching the children with a nostalgic fondness. "These moments were all significant."

Madeline smiled over at his dazed expression.

"You know how to lay it on thick, Mr. Bear." she joked. He turned to her, eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Oh please call me that again, Madsy. Something about the formality was really.... Enjoyable."