My Dearest Master (2)

This current position is rather awkward.

The feel of a plush toy is certainly different from that of a human. While I can still hear, see, and smell, my sense of touch feels strange, as if something is in the way – perhaps the toy's fluff.

Despite the difference in touch, I'm currently being held by a strange woman.

My body is beyond my control; I can't even close my eyes, let alone sever my connection to the teddy bear.

The dream's abilities remain restricted. I'm merely an observer, powerless to do anything.

I decide to try and distract myself.

Just then, I hear a noise from the doorway.

It's the sound of a door opening, very softly, as if deliberately muffled.

My heart leaps, and I think of a thief.

It could only be a thief, right?

Lu Qiaolan lives alone. Her parents aren't here, and that Zhang Shan doesn't live with her either.

Lu Qiaolan is still fast asleep, her breathing even and her heartbeat strong.

The sound of the door closing quickly fades, replaced by footsteps, also very quiet.

There's more than one set of footsteps.

This makes me even more nervous.

Technically, a home invasion against Lu Qiaolan has nothing to do with me. It happened years ago, a long-past event. But the thought of that box of teddy bears being thrown away makes me unable to stay calm.

Is this why Lu Qiaolan threw away the teddy bears?

As I ponder this, I hear voices.

They're speaking in hushed tones, whispering, but their inflections and malicious laughter suggest they're planning more than just theft.

The footsteps are getting closer.

My nerves are taut, and then I feel a subtle shift.

My body is moving.

It's not me moving, but the teddy bear!

"Mmm..." Lu Qiaolan