The sun is sinking down the verizon. Cool September breezes swept through Central Park, where lone people and coupled people busily rushed to their next destinations. On the path covered in golden maple leaves were a couple of silhouettes. The girl, her smile immersed in happiness, just promised her entire rest of life to the boy beside her. He squeezed her hands; the new circular metal on her ring finger hurt a bit, but who would mind? The sweet words of proposal still swirled in her head: "you are the first girl I loved, and will be the only girl I love for life..."
"Hey, I have a confession to make. " she abruptly broke the silence,"you are not my first love. "
Chuckling at his surprised expression, she continued, "Ben the Bear was the first... I remember always claiming that I would marry him one day. "
He laughed, and squeezed her hands even tighter. "I know, a girl in love with her teddy bear..."
"It's not just that... You know how much I'm afraid of the dark. "Her eyes dimmed, "Ben took really good care of me when you weren't around, snuggling with me though countless endless nights. He's not just a Teddy bear. He was my prince, my hero!"
"I know. "He chimed in.
"No, you don't! " her big eyes stared at his face, "Ben was there when... When those jerks broke in."
It fell silent. He could only see her abyssal eyes, with poorly concealed grieve, anger, and a trace of remnant fear. He knew about the night sixteen years ago, when she hid under her florally decorated princess bed with Ben, but losing everything else of her life-- her parents, her older brother, her house which was later set in flame... Even Ben, whom she lost during the moving out to her new family. Breezes felt colder now that the sun was shying away behind the horizon. He hugged her more closely, and murmured "I will never let anything horrible happen to you again."
She pushed her head into his strong, yet soft, arms.
Now the sun had completely disappeared, with the city permeated with a dusky fog. They walked through a dark alley. He hastened the pace: it was not a good time to be out here in a busy city, notorious for its crime rate.
A man was walking toward them. He was covered in a black coat, with a low cap hiding most of his face. His pace hastened as he sensed the couple. "Give me your wallet." He hissed, blatantly displaying the dagger in his hand, reflecting dim light from the street light.
Her pupil widened. He sensed her torso even shrinking smaller than it already was. He held her more tightly, while tossing his wallet to the black figure:"Here, take it. Now leave us alone. "
The man jumped on the wallet as an avaricious vulture jumped  on a freshly-dead corpse. As the rogue scrutinized the inside, the boy grabbed her hand and attempted to make their exit. However, disappointed at the meager amount, the rogue stabbed toward the fugitive couple.
Her shriek pierced the night dagger ruthlessly injected into his shoulder, as he hugged her into his arms to protect from the stab intuitively . The rogue, not intending to a big scene, fled into the dark alley.
He collapsed in the nearby bench. She kneeled down in tears," Please tell me you are fine... I will call the ambulance! And the police!"
"It's no big deal." He pushed down her hands squeezing the cell phone. "Let's not waste the night even more in the hospital. See? I'm not even bleeding. "His smile was as genuine and warming as usual. As he slowly removed the dagger from the wound, surprisingly, not even a single blood came out. "I guess I should write a thank-you note to whoever manufactured this extra-layered jacket. " he teased.
She was confused. She could swear that she saw the knife going in. But maybe the thick winter jacket was cushioning enough. Maybe there was a god with pity after all. "As long as you are fine." She murmured, putting back the cell phone.
After walking her home and waving her goodbye by her window, he walked back to his own apartment. Tucking a trace of cotton in at the shoulder, he smiled a relieved smile. Finally he succeeded at protecting her. He failed when those jerks broke in sixteen years ago, but he would not let anything bad happen to her again. It was, and would continue to be, the mission of Ben the Bear.The sun is sinking down the verizon. Cool September breezes swept through Central Park, where lone people and coupled people busily rushed to their next destinations. On the path covered in golden maple leaves were a couple of silhouettes. The girl, her smile immersed in happiness, just promised her entire rest of life to the boy beside her. He squeezed her hands; the new circular metal on her ring finger hurt a bit, but who would mind? The sweet words of proposal still swirled in her head: "you are the first girl I loved, and will be the only girl I love for life..."

"Hey, I have a confession to make. " she abruptly broke the silence,"you are not my first love. "
Chuckling at his surprised expression, she continued, "Ben the Bear was the first... I remember always claiming that I would marry him one day. "
He laughed, and squeezed her hands even tighter. "I know, a girl in love with her teddy bear..."
"It's not just that... You know how much I'm afraid of the dark. "Her eyes dimmed, "Ben took really good care of me when you weren't around, snuggling with me though countless endless nights. He's not just a Teddy bear. He was my prince, my hero!"
"I know. "He chimed in.
"No, you don't! " her big eyes stared at his face, "Ben was there when... When those jerks broke in."
It fell silent. He could only see her abyssal eyes, with poorly concealed grieve, anger, and a trace of remnant fear. He knew about the night sixteen years ago, when she hid under her florally decorated princess bed with Ben, but losing everything else of her life-- her parents, her older brother, her house which was later set in flame... Even Ben, whom she lost during the moving out to her new family. Breezes felt colder now that the sun was shying away behind the horizon. He hugged her more closely, and murmured "I will never let anything horrible happen to you again."
She pushed her head into his strong, yet soft, arms.
Now the sun had completely disappeared, with the city permeated with a dusky fog. They walked through a dark alley. He hastened the pace: it was not a good time to be out here in a busy city, notorious for its crime rate.
A man was walking toward them. He was covered in a black coat, with a low cap hiding most of his face. His pace hastened as he sensed the couple. "Give me your wallet." He hissed, blatantly displaying the dagger in his hand, reflecting dim light from the street light.
Her pupil widened. He sensed her torso even shrinking smaller than it already was. He held her more tightly, while tossing his wallet to the black figure:"Here, take it. Now leave us alone. "
The man jumped on the wallet as an avaricious vulture jumped  on a freshly-dead corpse. As the rogue scrutinized the inside, the boy grabbed her hand and attempted to make their exit. However, disappointed at the meager amount, the rogue stabbed toward the fugitive couple.
Her shriek pierced the night dagger ruthlessly injected into his shoulder, as he hugged her into his arms to protect from the stab intuitively . The rogue, not intending to a big scene, fled into the dark alley.
He collapsed in the nearby bench. She kneeled down in tears," Please tell me you are fine... I will call the ambulance! And the police!"
"It's no big deal." He pushed down her hands squeezing the cell phone. "Let's not waste the night even more in the hospital. See? I'm not even bleeding. "His smile was as genuine and warming as usual. As he slowly removed the dagger from the wound, surprisingly, not even a single blood came out. "I guess I should write a thank-you note to whoever manufactured this extra-layered jacket. " he teased.
She was confused. She could swear that she saw the knife going in. But maybe the thick winter jacket was cushioning enough. Maybe there was a god with pity after all. "As long as you are fine." She murmured, putting back the cell phone.
After walking her home and waving her goodbye by her window, he walked back to his own apartment. Tucking a trace of cotton in at the shoulder, he smiled a relieved smile. Finally he succeeded at protecting her. He failed when those jerks broke in sixteen years ago, but he would not let anything bad happen to her again. It was, and would continue to be, the mission of Ben the Bear.