[ WP ] You have had an imaginary friend . One day you find that your friend is no longer invisible to everyone , but you are .

When I woke up yesterday- my 21st birthday, not that it matters- I saw myself asleep in my bed. At first I thought I was having some kind of lucid dream. Then I saw myself wake up. The person occupying my body got out of bed with a leisurely stretch. He looked around the room, blinking and yawning, until we made eye contact. He waved at me with a wicked grin. 
 
 I tried to say “ What the fuck? ” but I couldn ’ t speak. I tried to lunge toward the bed to tackle the guy in my body and make him tell me what was happening, but I couldn ’ t move. Finally, I tried to wake up, but some part of me knew this wasn ’ t a dream. All I could do was sit and stare from my vantage point, apparently on top of the dresser in my bedroom. 
 
 My body approached me, opened the top drawer, and pulled out a pair of underwear and some socks. He sneered at me, “ How does it feel, being stuck in that worthless body? ” 
 
 *What body? Where am I? * 
 
 He shook his head and sighed. “ We used to be best friends, you know. It wasn ’ t so bad back then. I couldn ’ t move, of course. Couldn ’ t speak. But you took me everywhere. We experienced everything together. You *loved* me. That was enough. ” He looked genuinely sad. I could see tears welling up in his eyes. “ But you outgrew me, didn ’ t you? It wasn ’ t cool to bring me along anymore, so I got relegated to the top of your dresser. What a depressing existence. ” 
 
 Suddenly, I realized who had taken over my body. *Klondike*. 
 
 He turned away, wiping his eyes, and finished getting dressed in silence. There was a knock on the door. A female voice shouted “ Happy Birthday! ” 
 
 Now fully clothed, he opened the door for Jen, a close friend of mine since elementary school. “ Thanks, ” he said, “ Give me just a sec. I have to brush my teeth. ” He disappeared into the bathroom. 
 
 She looked at me and smiled, then came over to the dresser and picked me up, turning me over and examining me playfully. “ I think it ’ s so cute that you keep your old stuffed animal, ” she said, setting me carefully back on the desk. 
 
 “ Oh, Klondike? ” he said as he emerged from the bathroom, tossing a meaningful glance in my direction, “ He was an important part of my life. I ’ d feel terrible cramming him into a box and just forgetting about him. ” 
 
 “ That ’ s really sweet, ” Jen said. They left together, flipping the light switch and leaving me in darkness. 

