Two Friends

Chapter 2

  "(Y/n), can we play now?" Chucky tugged on my pajama pants.
  "Sure, honey, just let me get Chester some more water," I replied, emptying the last of the water bottle into the bowl in my snake's cage.
  I knelt down to grab Chucky and noticed he already had his arms outstretched as if waiting to be picked up. I chuckled at his lovable antics and scooped him up, heading upstairs.

  Chucky and I played Candy Land for a while. I let him win each round.
  I helped Chucky move his character to the finish spot.
  "You won, bud! Good job," I congratulated him.
  "Yay!" he cheered, throwing his arms up in celebration.
  I continued to smile fondly. Things felt like they were finally getting back to normal since I got a refill on my medication. The hallucinations were under control once more, and I could finally focus on the positive things.
  My mom entered the living room and grinned when she saw us playing.
  "C'mon, (Y/n), it's time to go to your dads," she reminded me.
  My heart sank. Begrudgingly, I picked up Chucky and followed my mom to gather my things.

  My dad gave me a curt nod as my brother and I shuffled into his house. My stepmom and two younger siblings greeted me with hugs. I forced a smile, but quickly felt I needed some air. Once I set all my stuff down, I carried Chucky outside and made for the woods.
  Chucky and I walked through the lush green forest, followed by Charlie, who trotted along and stopped to sniff the blooming flowers. Birds sang from the treetops.
  I stopped to kneel down and inspect a colorful looking bug. As I looked up again, I saw an orange cat slinking between the trees.
  "Look at that, Chucky, there's a kitty," I picked him up so that he could see.
  "Kitty!" Chucky piped. Alerted by the noise, the cat darted away.
  "Aw, he's a little skittish. Some cats are just like that," I set Chucky down again.
  "Some kitties don't wanna play?" Chucky cocked his head.
  "Yeah, some kitties are scared of people. I had a cat just like that...," my voice trailed away sadly.
  Chucky blinked as if waiting for me to continue.
  I sighed. "I had a cat like that, a few years ago. His name was Shadow. He was terrified of everybody in my family except me for some reason. I loved him so much, but one day he just... went missing."
  The android sensed the hurt in my voice, his eyebrows turning up. "Kitty ran away?"
  "Mhm," I nodded. The memory was still painful. I had a special bond with that cat, and it had taken so long for me to get over his disappearance.
  Taking a deep breath, I looked beyond the trees to where the cat emerged on the other side of the woods onto the road.
  "I really wish I could find him. I miss him so much, I'd do anything to have him back," I confessed.
  Suddenly, a flurry of barking erupted from behind me. I turned just in time to see Charlie pelting past me and towards the cat on the road.
  "Wait, Charlie!" I called, chasing after him.
  Crashing through the undergrowth, I finally broke free of the woodland. I saw Charlie in hot pursuit of the now terrified feline, running down the road. I ran as fast as I could, calling his name. Finally, the cat disappeared behind my neighbors house. It gave me enough time to grab Charlie and restrain him. Panting, I led him back to the house.
  Once the dog was at my side, following me back through the woods again, I picked my way towards where I had left Chucky. When I reached it, my heart caught in my throat.
  Chucky was gone.
  Frantically, I looked around, hoping that he had just wandered a little ways off. But he was nowhere to be seen.
  "Chucky, where are you? Please come back!" I called helplessly. The forest remained silent.
  I felt a panic attack begin to take hold. Heart pounding in my chest, I raced back to the house to get my dad.

  We searched almost every inch of the woods. As it began to get dark, we brought flashlights to guide us. A light drizzle began to fall as I scurried from place to place, tears streaming down my face and my hands shaking like leaves. A dreadful thought crept into my mind.
  What if we never find him? What if something happened to him, or someone stole him? What if I never see him again?
  At that, I felt panic seize me even worse than before. I collapsed to my knees and tried to control my breathing.
  I couldn't bare to live without him.
  Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar striped sweater.
  "Chucky!" I wailed, scrambling over to him. He was lying face-up on the grass, his eyes black.
  My dad hurried over to me as I snatched him up and cradled him close, shielding him from the rain. He still remained motionless. I began to hyperventilate, thinking the worst.
  "Hey, hey, it's okay, (Y/n)," to my surprise, my dad placed a hand on my shoulder. He spoke gently. "He's probably just out of batteries. It's gonna be okay."
  Swallowing hard, I managed to stumble to my feet and follow him back home.
  As soon as we got inside, my dad set Chucky down on the kitchen counter and examined him. He had brambles and leaves sticking to his clothing. One of his arms was out of its socket. He got his tools that came in handy for his own projects, and set to work on fixing him up.
  Still distressed, I sat on the couch not far away and tried to calm down. My stepmom and three little siblings all comforted me the best they could. They told me it was going to be okay, but an experience like that couldn't be so easily handled by someone like me.
  About an hour passed by. I still sat in the same position, a little more under control but still trembling from head to toe. I felt almost sick with fear.
  I heard a familiar jingle. I whipped around.
  Chucky's eyes were lit up again. His servos whirred as he looked from side to side, moving his arms in an attempt to upright himself. My dad gently helped him into a sitting position. His overalls were undone and his shirt pulled up, exposing the endoskeleton beneath where my dad had been working on repairing.
  Turning to look at me, my dad smiled softly.
  "Chucky...," I choked out, struggling to stand up. I was numb with shock at first, then my emotions came flooding back.
  "Chucky!" I cried, racing over to him. I snatched him up and into my arms, hugging him as tight as I could.
  My legs buckled from under me as I began sobbing again. I leaned back against the cabinets and cradled Chucky to my chest, covering his face in kisses. He smiled bashfully and clung to me. I was still trembling, but this time from relief.
  "Are you okay, baby?" I sobbed, holding the side of his face. He nodded and hid his face in my shoulder happily. I squeezed my beloved doll close.