Wet Teddy Bear

It was on a cold out and  pouring rain beat against the windows and walls of my aunts and uncles house that night when I heard the door bell ring. I was 15 and tired after finishing a essay on a book my language art has been reading. “Uncle Ricky someone’s at the door” My uncle owns a ranch where he breeds races horse or regular riding horses.  

“That must be she.” Ricky passes me pretty fast, so I knew it wasn’t a sales’ person. It was someone he was expecting.  I really didn’t care I went back to my own business.

“Hey Ashley so nice to finally meet you.” My uncle sounded cheerful with a hint of uncertainty. “Come in I’ll go get you a towel for you. Just make your self at home.” He walk passed me again and went upstairs. I felt like I was being watched. I turn my head to look behind me to see this little 8 year old girl with long rose red hair big green eyes holding a wet toy teddy bear. Both her and the teddy bear where wet. We looked at each other for a fair amount of time.


She was so small and looked a little lost. She had bruises on her arms and a bit on her legs. I ended the silent’s. “Uhm….hi?”



She looked at me for a bit longer before responding back to me. “..hi…” Her voice was vary soft. I almost didn’t hear her.



“So…what’s your name?”





“Ashley.You?”





“Derek.”


Then she smiled. “You’re named after my favorite character of a movie I watched once.”





“Well I can’t say I have heard that one before. So why are you here?”



“My daddy dropped me off. Says I’m to be staying here for now own.” In other words she’s been abandon. Happen to me. I hard my uncle coming down stairs with a fresh clean towel and handed it to Ashley.


She wrapped around her self. “Thank you.”



“I see you two have already met. Derek she’s your baby sister. She’s going to be staying with us.”



“She’s my sister?” Of cores we did have some resemblances. I couldn’t believe my own ears.  


“Mmmhm. So you two better get along. Derek show her where the guessed room is.”




“Okay. Come on Ashley.”




She looked confused. “I thought I was going to live here not be a guessed.”




“Well it’s your room. I just know it as the guessed room.”



“Oh…that makes senses”


She held my hand as we walked up the stairs. We came to her room and went inside. “Here’s your new room. Aunt Martha laid out some pjs for you on the chair. Good night.” I walked down stairs leaving her to get dressed and go to sleep. I sat on the couch and pulled put my history book from my backpack on the ground under me. After 30 minuets of studying I heard sniffling and whining. I looked up and say Ashley in tears hugging her teddy bear for the life of her. “What’s wrong?”



I could tell she was really trying to calm down. “I-I had a bad dream.” She finally answered. I hated seeing girls cry. Exspashaly little girls.



“And what do you  want me to do?”




“Read me a story.” She whipped her tears away with her sleeve.



I sighed tiredly. “Fine.”  I picked her up and carried her up stairs. I put her down on the bed and went to the book shelf and picked out the story Rapunzel then I tucked her in. “Good night for the last and final time.”




“Thank you big brother.” She gave me a worm friendly hug before going to sleep. I honestly never received a hug from a little girl before. Most find me scary and creepy. It was nice I guess really nothing more I could say. She’s nice. I guess things around here are going to change a little I thought and I was right.