I Became an Imaginary Friend

Chapter 4- The Colors

Three weeks have passed since I've been assigned to Stella Green. Let me tell you, this gig is the best thing that's ever happened to me. This little girl really does have the imagination a writer would need to make up a whimsical and magical story. You know, ones about fairies and magicians and witches and knights. You get the point.

When she had her little tea parties, she would invite her other "friends", who were stuffed teddy bears and dolls. I almost laughed at first when she set her small table up. After I sat down though, things began to change. Each toy was given a name, a personality, and a job. When each and every toy was given these things, I noticed something odd. Each toy began to glow. It was faint, but I could see different colors flourished around them, then surrounding them. My eyes widened at the sight.

" What's happening?" I asked her.

Her emerald eyes lit up in delight.

" You can see the colors!"

" The colors?"

" They make the toys real," Stella explained. " Any time I wanted to play and no one else did, the colors would appear, and then I would have someone to play with."

I thought about her words for a second, soaking them in and making sure I understood.

" So, do spirits produce the colors?"

" No, silly!" she giggled. " They ARE the colors."

" Oh."

I didn't know what else to say. What COULD I say? This little girl had wanted friends, and ghosts had appeared as colorful orbs to fulfill her wish.

I wish I had been that influential when I was alive.

" Okay!" Stella clapped her hands together. " So, the teddy bear is Sir Reiner the Valiant. The blonde doll is Princess Evelyn. Finally, we have King Christopher Jensen, the greatest ruler of all time! The rest are the working class."

" You've really thought this through, haven't you?" I asked her, smiling at her as she poured me "tea".

" Uh-huh! Sometimes, the orbs give me names to use for my next playtime, so I use them to make them happy!"

I felt a tug at my heartstrings. This little girl was the sweetest girl ever, and I will never get tired of saying that.

I played the role of a king the best I could. It was weird considering that I was a male and I was a teenager at that. As the game continued, I let the stereotypes go and actually began to enjoy myself. I would make my voice higher or deeper depending on how Stella wanted the show to go. I was also able to see the colorful orbs glow brighter at times, then dim at others. I realized they were playing along as well, mimicking the emotions Stella wanted. There were a couple times where Evelyn's orb would try to dim, but it would glow brighter than before. I understood that she was happy for the child, loving the way the girl would orchestrate the show with such vibrant energy. I was loving it, too. She looked so happy to be playing with ghosts.

That thought hit me like a power punch to the gut. I know her mother would come and play with her, but it was always scheduled and had a routine. When Stella played with Layla, she was content, but I would always notice that her shoulders would be slumped or her eyes wouldn't shine as bright. In this moment, she was happier than I had ever seen her. It saddened me to think about that.

The only time she was truly ever happy was when it was just her and her ghost friends.

" Hey, Stella," I spoke carefully, breaking character. " I wanna-,"

" King Chris," she interrupted. " You must stay in character!"

" Stella, it's important," I insisted.