Off Somewhere

I sat quietly in his closet not making a peep. This would be my 42nd A.C.. The elders had warned me that this would be a hard case, but I ignored them and took it on anyways.

My core paused for a moment as I heard the door click open I heard the pad of his little three year old feet as he walked toward his bed. The mattress springs creaked as he plopped down.

Showtime.

I slowly opened the closet door and poked my head out of the small crack. I felt myself change as his mind melded me into what he wanted the most. I felt a shiver down my spine as I became grounded to that world. It was always a strange feeling because I never have an actual gender, age, appearance, or name. I'm nothing more than a "spirit".

With the corner of my eye I quickly peered at the mirror in the corner of his room. I had messy black hair and piercing green eyes .I was quite happy with this form.

The little boy looked at me curiously. He had short shaggy blond hair; his eyes a deep chocolate brown shining with a glint of sadness.

"Who are you?" he asked me.

"I'm your friend," I replied hearing my new voice for the first time. It was high but it was definitely the voice of a human boy. I assumed I was about the same age as him.

"Really?!" his eyes lit up like a tree on Christmas morning. "What's your name?"

"I don't know..." I tried my best to look sad and lost.

"Oh! Can I give you a name? He inquired, clapping his chubby little hands together.

I nodded.

"I'm going to call you Jackson."

I was surprised. Usually I looked like a fluffy animal with a name like Cuddles.

"Do you like it?" he asked worried.

I nodded hastily.

"I've never had a friend before..."

I walked up to him and gave him a hug. "You do now ___..?"

"Oh! My name's Carter."

As Carter got older so did I. I shared all of his interests, from his favorite music to his favorite food. The years flew by and eventually Carter was nearing his first day of Kindergarten.

"Will you go with me?" Carter asked both excited and scared for the next day's events.

"Do you really want me to? I don't think it's a very good idea. You saw the way your mom looked at you when she realized I was still your only friend."

Carter sighed, "I know Jackson, but you're the only friend I need."

I felt my core warm. This is probably what the elders had meant when they said Carter would be a hard case. Usually an A.C. started to grow apart from their I.C. by the age of five. Yet Carter's social circle still consisted of his parents and I.

I was hoping he would make some friends in Kindergarten.

"How about I go with you your second day if you promise to go tomorrow by yourself."

He sighed in defeat, "Okay I guess."

Like I promised I went with him the second day. And then I went the next day too. And then the next day, and the next. Until it turned out I had gone with him to every single day of Kindergarten except for the first.

The same thing happened in 1st grade, and then 2nd and 3rd grades which led to 4th and 5th grades. During this time we grew closer and closer to the point where  at times I would forget that I wasn't like him. During the summers we would go swim at his grandparents' house. He would eat lemonade pops, and I would decline when he offered me one. His parents started to worry; they started to think Carter was going crazy.