She crashed. Her whole being screamed for release. Her knees locked and her heart broke. Tears slid down her face. She vaguely wondered why her body was still whole and why her eyes weren't flooded with tears. But that steady stream of tears continued while another wave of pain came over her. How could a person love someone so much? Was it possible to give so much of your being to a person without ever even kissing them? That was it. Her pain was too much. She ran Physically and emotionally. Her soul ran to the deepest reaches of her heart, where the pain couldn't kill her. Her body ran but she didn't know where she was going.

When she was concious again she found herself at that park. The one where she first heard that sad melody play. And it made her heart hurt more because his sadness that came through the song made her sad that he was sad. She couldn't take it anymore. She fell. But before she could hit the ground, someone caught her. Who was it? she thought through her pain.

"Why are you crying?" a voice said behind her. She slowly looked up. Having to fight the pain of her breaking spirit the whole way... Standing above her was a boy that she couldn't quite make out through the tears. Oh how she just wanted him to drop her. She wanted to fall now because maybe then the pain would stop.

"Why are you crying?" he asked again. I decided that answering him would be my last act. Still barely keeping my head up, I answered,"because I hurt".

Then he did something odd. He smiled at me. Did my answer amuse him? Did I say something funny?
He finally answered back,"Well that is easy enough to fix".

I was floored. Absolutely astonished at what he had just said to me. I can be fixed? And it's easy?
He lifted me the rest of the way into his arms so he now had an arm around my back and another under my knees. He started walking off in a direction I didn't care about enough to pay attention to. If he was going to kill me... well at least the pain will have stopped.

He ended up taking me to a doll shop. Stuffed animals lined the walls on either side and even the wall behind the counter which was farthest from the door. They were actually kind of cute. Wait.. cute? Maybe being so close to someone like this and being held so firmly and gently is helping me pull myself back together.

He walked me past the counter and through a door I hadn't even notices into what looked like a little workshop. And what I mean by little is that is was the same size as my bedroom. There was a twin bed against the back wall and a desk to our right and another shelf to our left but this one is only half full. There are a plethora of unfinished stuffed animals strewed all over the work table.

He walked me to the bed and laid me on it. I had heard that when things like this happened, you needed to either run or kill yourself because you were about to be raped but for some reason, I wasn't worried about that. It didn't even occur to me to be worried. He just seemed too innocent. He couldn't have been older than me but he seemed so much younger. He had brown hair and green eyes that were currently trained solely on me. It looked like he was trying to read my mind and he apparently found what he was looking for because he then nodded his head decisively and headed to the shelf that was no to my right. He picked up an entire armful of the toys and came back to me. When he got there he then proceeded to dump them on my head.

I was too stunned to even say anything. He smiled in a satisfied manner. He then said,"Now they will keep you company so stay here while I go find your match".

Match? I thought.

But before I could voice my question, he was gone again. I looked at the toys and they were quite good. All handmade I presumed what with the worktable and the half finished products.

I found this place making me feel better. The stuffed animals made me feel less alone and the whole place had a soft and warm feel to it. Like my dad's hugs.

I started to feel my heart piece itself back together. All the pain rein back into my skin and the tears stopped. I still hurt. But I was no longer blinded by that pain. How? Was it this place? Was it these animals? Was it him? But that wasn't possible. I had just met him. But whatever it was, I'm not sure if I am willing to leave it. I'm afraid the loss will bring pack that extreme intensity to the pain.

He comes back not long after he left but the tears had already dried on my face and I had been able too calm my breathing and sit up a little straighter but I was still a long way from being able to remove the pain from my features.

He was holding something behind his back and excitement was written all over his face. I was just starting to wonder why he was so excited when he came back over to me and stood directly in front of me. With a big smile on his face he said," I have something I want to give you. There will be no payment for it and I believe it will bring a smile back to that pretty face of yours."

I was too tired from the tears to give my usual answer, that I really wasn't pretty. So I just let it slide and waited patiently for whatever it was he was about to unveil.

He smiled a little wider at me before bringing a cute stuffed wolf out from behind his back. He was a beautiful grey that could be called blue in some light. He was beautiful.
I was captivated.

He started talking again:"This is a lone wolf. He is called Tunerk which means gift. Wolves are known for their lifelong commitment to their packs. They mate for life and are never left alone for very long. Some do get lost though and they are doomed to live the rest of their days in agony and pain. Howling with no one out there to answer them. Tunerk is alone. I have only ever made one wolf and he needs a pack. I give him to you. Let him be your gift; your pack. He won't leave you because wolves never choose to leave the pack and the moment you accept each other there is no going back. You will be connected forever. Will you accept him?"

I was stunned. But could I take a piece of this place with me? Would Tunerk stay with me and make me feel warm and safe like this place? No matter what the answer to those questions were, I could not say no because I had just looked closely at his face and he reflected the same expression that was in my own eyes. I would not wish this pain on my worst enemy let alone such an innocent toy.

So I did the only thing I could do; I reached for Tunerk and took him from the boy. I held him close and wrapped my arms gently around him. When I looked up again, the boy had very gentle eyes as he smiled tenderly at me. The look made me feel even warmer and some of my troubles and pain just melted away.

I had to find a way to keep it. Or at the very least be able to earn that smile at least once more. So I asked in a slightly slurred voice due to the fatigue,"On one condition."

I seemed to have shocked him for his eyes widened and his smile faded a bit. He asked in a slightly curious, slightly suspicious,"And what would that be"?

I was able to muster up a small, timid, and shy smile. "Can I come back"?

His face burst into a huge smile and he almost immediately answered me; "Of course"!

Maybe I will be OK after all.