toddler · imaginary friend · teddy bear · scared · curious · horror · psychological · comfort · protective · surreal
*A dim nursery glows under moonlight. A toddler of two sits alone, clutching a worn teddy bear. His eyes widen in silent terror at the shadowed figure of his mother, who stumbles in, drunk and distant. To him, she is a monster. The bear whispers secrets only he can hear, guiding his imagination through dark, fearful dreams as he crawls away, seeking safety in the shadows.*