Young Soso was wise beyond her years, with a hearty mix of comedy, spunk, and curiosity. Soso was an only child. Oftentimes, she would get bored, and even a little lonely. She wished to have a little sister to love and care for. Every night in bed, Soso looked into the starry night and wished for the Universe to give her a little friend that could join her in all her wonderful adventures.
Chapter 1
Moon from Argentasia
It was a warm and misty night. The moon was full and glowed brightly behind the dark clouds. Gently, the humid breeze turned the clouds inside out, creating a round donut-hole shape in the clouds. The moon’s bright rays shined through. In the middle, a beautiful fairy queen flew towards Soso’s bedroom window.
“Oh my! What an adventurous little girl,” the fairy queen said.
Soso jumped out of bed and demanded to know who this magical intruder was.
Wearing a big flowy dress and a twinkling tiara, she replied, “I am Cristina Moon, queen of Argentasia from the dimension of Vnon. I’ve heard your wishes for a little sister. While I am not able to make that wish come true, I have someone I’d like to introduce you to.”
From behind Cristina Moon’s flowy gown, a fluffy bunny girl hopped towards Soso.
“My name is Miss BunBun. You can call me BunBun. I’m a princess from the Kingdom of Bunnies Dimension.”
Soso was delighted. She loved princesses and bunnies. Especially smart, brave, and pretty ones.
“Hello Miss BunBun! Nice to meet you. Will you be my best friend forever?”
“Yes Miss Soso, I will be your best friend. But not forever. Is that okay?”
“Of course!” Soso replied. She didn’t think much about it and was simply delighted to make friends with a real Princess Bunny.
Chapter 2
Cuddles and Adventures
Soso and BunBun talked, giggled, and cuddled all night long.
Soso woke up in the morning surprised to see that BunBun was no longer a princess bunny. She was just a regular bunny doll. Soso wondered, “Was it all just a dream?”
She kept BunBun by her side all day long.
At bedtime, Soso squeezed BunBun in her arms. Soso’s mom kissed her good night and left the bedroom. Suddenly… BunBun magically transformed back into Miss BunBun.
Soso was delighted, but also confused.
BunBun explained, “Only you can see my true self at night when no one else is around.”
Everyday, Soso and BunBun went on wild adventures.
They escaped fire-breathing dragons.
They had tea parties with unicorns.
They ate cupcakes with kings and queens.
They flew off to far-away lands.
They got themselves dirty doing arts and crafts.
And every night, they cuddled and talked, sang songs with full hearts.
Chapter 3
Saturday At The Park
It was a sunny Saturday afternoon. Soso was playing in the park with her friends as she usually did. With haste, clouds formed and the sky turned grey.
“It’s going to rain, Soso! Let’s get going!” her mom shouted from afar.
The sky darkened, thunder roared, rain poured heavily down.
In a hurry, Soso ran to her mom and jumped into the car, leaving BunBun behind in the rain near the monkey bars. It wasn’t until they arrived home that Soso realized BunBun was missing. “We need to go back to the park and save her!” she cried to her mom. On their way back to the park, the clouds cleared and the sun began to shine brightly again. Light pitter patter of spring raindrops fell from the sparse clouds above. A rainbow in the distance had formed.
Soso raced to the monkey bars.
BunBun wasn’t there.
Heart-broken, Soso dropped to her knees on the still wet sand, “Where is my BunBun?!”
“Are you sure you left her here, my love?” her mom gently asked.
“Yes! Right here! I remember. Right here!” she wept.
However, Miss BunBun was no longer there.
There were faint songs of birds chirping in the trees. The sun was warming up the park. The colours of the rainbow in the distance intensified. It was a very beautiful, but sad day for Soso.
Chapter 4
Home without BunBun
At home, Soso’s mom tried cheering her up with all her favourite things, including homemade banana bread.
Nothing seemed to help.
At bedtime, Soso wept again. “I miss BunBun. She was my best friend. Who took her away from us?”
“Oh my dear sweet Soso… Nobody took her away from us. Sometimes our time together comes to an end. And sometimes, we need to go to other places,” replied her mom.
“What other places?! Why did she leave without saying goodbye?” Soso demanded to know as tears flowed down her chubby cheeks.
“We all have places to go. Sometimes, we don’t have the chance to say goodbye.”
Soso couldn’t fall asleep that night. She had so many questions.
“Where did Miss BunBun come from and where did she go? Did somebody take her? Did Miss BunBun visit the fairy queen in Argentasia? Did she go back to the Kingdom of Bunnies Dimension?”
Chapter 5
Search for BunBun
It was a sunny Sunday morning and Soso’s mother made Soso’s favourite: sweet peanut-butter-chocolate pancakes and salty turkey bacon. Soso was in a curiously better mood. Not just because of the delicious pancakes and bacon. Soso was in a great mood because she had a plan. She was going to find a way to find Miss BunBun, and when she did, she would never let her go.
“Mommy, can you take me to the library today?”
“Of course, my dear.”
Day after day, Soso asked her mom to take her to the library. Soso would immediately march to the big people’s sections looking for clues to where BunBun might have gone. Soso read ancient books filled with magical stories, potions, and old wisdom. She read giant new books filled with information, data, and the newest sciences. No one book gave her the answer she was looking for.
Finally, after reading hundreds of different books, she saw clues coming together. To find Miss BunBun, she had to build a magical interdimensional portal using a special recipe.
In the coming days, Soso collected the ingredients she needed from around the house, hiding them under her bed.
Chapter 6
The Interdimensional Portal
Late one evening as Soso’s mom was sleeping, Soso turned on her night light and quietly mixed the ingredients she collected in a big glass jar. She took the mixed grey goo and poured it on the wall opposite to her bed. The mixture fizzed and fuzzed on the wall, pulsating a bright white glow. Sparks of electric white light blasted from the edges of the goo. The room became darker and blacker as the walls suddenly closed in. The portal was opening.
The brightness was too much. Soso squinted her eyes. A silhouette of a figure formed in front of the light. “Was it Miss BunBun?” No. Soso could feel it in her heart. This figure was not her friend.
The figure continued to glide closer towards Soso. It was an owl. A dark chrome, metallic, robot looking owl with big glowing yellow eyes.
“Hello Miss Soso. You have arrived a little early.” said the owl in a soft, deep, crackling dark voice. It’s voice sounded like the crackles of burning wood in a fire pit.
“Where is BunBun?!” Soso demanded, trying to bury down the fear she felt.
“Wise Miss Soso… I am the gatekeeper to the dimensions people go when they have completed their stay in their home dimension.”
“Is BunBun with you? Is she inside the portal?” Soso pleaded.
“No and yes, Miss Soso. BunBun is not with me, but has passed through this portal. Would you like to come through too?”
The light behind the metallic owl was beautiful. Soso could hear soft whispering sounds. Light magical music was coming through the portal. The light was pulling in her eyes. The music was drawing in her ears.
She could tell that this was a magical place. She pondered for a moment if this place was better and less lonely than her home dimension.
“What kind of place is this? Is it a nice place?” Soso asked hesitantly.
“A place like no other. There is no sadness here. Would you like to come in?”
“But is there happiness?” asked wise Soso.
“There is only light. And this is where Miss BunBun is.” the owl replied gently.
Soso grew impatient with the Owls’ riddled answers.
“Okay Owl. I will enter the light, find BunBun, and come back home!”
“All are welcome to enter. None can come back out. You will be with your BunBun, and many forgotten friends, in this place forever.”
Chapter 7
Soso’s Decision
Soso remembered all the good times she had with BunBun. She missed her dearly. She was excited to be reunited with BunBun in this new magical place. But forever seemed so permanent. She remembered her mom. She remembered her friends at the park. They would surely miss her, just like she missed BunBun.
“Choose wisely Miss Soso. Once you enter, you cannot leave.” crackled the Owl.
The room was getting cold. Soso’s little hands were beginning to freeze. Soso could see warm breath escape her. Her cheeks were turning blue.
Soso loved BunBun. But she couldn’t leave her mom and friends.
There was a moment of silence that lasted forever.
“Perhaps this is not your time.” Warned the Owl.
“But what about BunBun?!” She cried, tears running down her cold face.
“Miss BunBun will always be alive so long as you remember her.”
“But what if I forget?” She pleaded.
“That is an unfortunate possibility Miss Soso. Do you have any pictures of Miss BunBun?”
“Yes. My mom has many.”
“Good. Have you written any stories about her in your journal?”
“No, not yet.” she worried.
“Stay home, Miss Soso. Write about Miss BunBun. Draw your adventures with her. Choose to remember her always. Be wise and come back when your time is right.”
Soso didn’t want to make a decision, and yet the cold was growing more painful. The frigid air burned her skin and ached her bones. The light was getting brighter. The owl’s silhouette diffused into smoke. The darkness behind Soso was becoming smaller. She felt light. She was floating forward.
She realized this was the final moment. The portal was closing. She wanted to be with BunBun. But she couldn’t leave her mom and friends.
She closed her eyes.
Her decision was made.
The light engulfed her, and then through her. The portal closed and her body was feeling warm again.
Chapter 8
New Dimensions
“Soso! I made you your favourite pancakes, my love!”
Soso didn’t respond.
Her mom marched up and towards her bedroom and cheerfully shouted, “Sosooooooo! I made you delicious pancaaaaakes!”
Soso didn’t respond.
Her mom entered the bedroom to find it in a chaotic mess. There was stuff everywhere. “Oh my. This room was spotless clean when I put you to bed.” Soso’ mom said to herself.
In the middle of a pile of arts and crafts, Soso was laying.
“Wake up my dear.”
Soso’ eyes opened. She hugged her mom enthusiastically with all her strength.
“Looks like you were doing lots of arts and crafts last night when you should have been sleeping!” her mom teased her.
“Oh mommy! I don’t want you to miss me! I love you and will be with you forever!”
Puzzled, her mom replied, “I will never miss you, my love because you are and will always be in my heart.”
“Just like BunBun is in mine?” Soso asked wishfully.
“Yes my dear. All our loved ones will always be in our hearts.”