“Red?” I asked blankly.

  “It wasn’t my fault!” Hairy declared, slipping past my mother and cowering behind me.

  “Red was the name of one of your father’s…” she paused. “What did he call them?”

  “Figment!” Hairy declared before slapping his hands over his mouth again. “I wasn’t supposed to say that.”

  “He wouldn’t happen to have called them figments, would he?” I asked, shaking my head.

  My mother paused for a moment, then turned slowly and swept her gaze across the room. “Yes, that’s exactly what he called them.”

  Hairy ducked down behind my chair, almost like a naughty child trying to hide.

  “So, what are these figments?” I asked my mother while trying to ignore the oversized bull. “I remember dad, faintly, but I don’t remember anything about his power.”

  “You really don’t remember?” she asked in surprise, turning towards me. “I always assumed you did.”

  “Why?”

  “Because of your imaginary friends,” she replied. She took one last look outside, then sighed and closed the door. “Even though your father barely registered on the Instability tests, he could take anything he drew off the page and make it manifest in the real world.”

  “Wait… he did?” I said, leaning forward.”That’s an incredible power. I can’t believe he barely registered in any of the tests.”

  “It was impressive to watch, but you couldn’t interact with them at all. They were just fancy illusions that required extra steps to manifest,” she explained. “You loved it, though, especially when he animated the drawings of your stuffed cow.”

  “Really…” I muttered. “I don’t remember any of this.”

  “It’s fine, it was a long time ago,” my mother replied, patting my hand.

  “So, if all this is true, why are you suddenly suspicious of Hairy… er, Red, now? You’ve known about him for years,” I asked.

  “Oh, I was suspicious, alright. It sounded very similar to what your father had created, but no matter how much I asked or demanded that Red show himself, he refused. I assumed that you had just remembered what your father had created and recreated it in your imagination,” my mother said. “And when the government decided to declare him a renegade retroactively, I really didn’t have the time to really think about it, so I kind of forgot about him.”

  “But now that Hairy claimed to know dad…" " You suspect they’re related again,” I said.

  I rotated in my chair and stared at the oversized bull still cowering behind my chair. “Do you want to explain yourself?” I asked.

  “It’s a secret! I’m not supposed to tell you,” Hairy muttered.

  “You realize just by stating that, you’re telling me that you know something…” I told him. “Did my dad tell you not to talk to my mom?”

  “What? Of course not! I’d never keep a secret from her!” the bull declared.

  “Then why haven’t you revealed yourself yet?” I asked.

  Hairy paused and glanced over at my mother. “I tried to when she asked, I really did! But I didn’t have the power anymore. The only one that could see me was you.”

  “Can you let her see you now?”

  I didn’t see any change, but my mother gasped. “You…?”

  “It’s not my fault!” Hairy immediately shouted, ducking behind my chair. “I tried to show myself when you asked, but I just couldn’t anymore!”

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  “Everyone, just calm down!” I exclaimed, throwing up my hands. “Hairy, you want to explain yourself now?”

  He shook his way and stepped away. It looked like he was going to bolt at any moment.

  “No one’s mad at you; we just want to understand,” I said calmly. “Why don’t you explain what’s going on, from your point of view?”

  “I’m not allowed to tell you,” the bull declared.

  “What if I give you permission?” my mother asked quietly.

  Hairy turned his head to the side, as if considering for a moment, then nodded. “I’m not supposed to, but you were always in charge, and I can’t ask Hank anymore, so… okay!”

  “That’s it? You made such a big deal about this earlier,” I growled.

  “I made a promise, and it’s important to keep your word,” Hairy declared.

  “It seems you haven’t changed much since the last time I saw you,” my mother muttered.

  “Of course not, I’m the perfect companion, why would I change?” Hairy replied proudly.

  The bull stepped forward and grabbed at the back of one of the chairs, like he was trying to pull it out and sit down. His hand just passed through it, like usual.

  “Exactly the same. You’re still trying to interact with everything like you’re a person,” my mother snorted.

  “I’ll do it one day, it’s just a matter of willpower,” Hairy declared, reaching for the chair again. I watched him go through the motion a couple of times before I finally rolled my eyes and pulled the chair out for him.

  “See?” I knew I’d get it eventually.

  “Wait…” I muttered, as something occurred to me. “Is that why you act so weird all the time?”

  “Lack of willpower? Maybe. I’ve never been as disciplined as Tyberius,” Hairy nodded.

  “No, not that,” I snapped. “The fact that you claim to have been created by my dad.”

  “If he is the same…” my mother held up a hand as if she were grasping for a word. “Thing? I have no idea what he actually is, so I’ll use your father’s terminology and call him a figment.

  “If he is the same figment your father created, you have to keep in mind he was created to entertain you when you were six. You always pictured your stuffed animal as a protector, and you loved simple, slapstick humour, so your father put those things into Red when he was creating him,” my mother explained. “What I don’t understand is how you could be the same figment from back then. You always faded after a day or so, and my husband had to recreate you.”

  “Not recreate, just fill in my form! I was always there, I just couldn’t interact with anyone, but Tamm,y after my colors faded,” Hairy explained.

  “So all those fantastic creatures that my husband created…”

  “Oh, they’re probably around. I just haven’t seen them in a while,” Hairy said.

  “So Tyberius and Angelica…” I started.

  “I’m not sure where they came from,” Hairy said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “They’re not your father’s style. He liked more fantastical things like the Sparks and Tiny. They just showed up one day.”

  I slowly brought my hands up, pressed them to my face, and screamed.

  “Things were so much simpler when I thought you were my imaginary friends,” I groaned.

  “Okay, I have a question for you,” my mother said. “What exactly did you promise my husband?”

  “Hank? I promised him that I’d never reveal what happened to him, and I’d keep her safe, after I helped him close the Rupture that opened in the living room.”

  “I beg your pardon?” I managed to choke out.

  “I promised I’d never reveal what happened to him, and I’d keep you safe,” he repeated.

  “You knew you’d be able to fight the invaders for years?!?!” I exclaimed. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  Hairy shrugged. “I promised I wouldn’t.”

  My mouth flapped open and closed as I tried to figure out what to say. I just had far too many questions, and I hadn’t had enough time to process what he was saying.

  “I have a question for you… why didn’t you show yourself to me before, and why are you showing yourself now?” my mother asked, pulling Hairy’s attention and giving me some time to think.

  “I couldn’t show myself to anyone without Hank to give me color,” Hairy explained. “I tried super hard when you asked, but I just couldn’t do it. As for why I can do it now… dunno. After dealing with the Rupture this morning, something just kind of clicked, and I knew that I could.”

  “I don’t know if I believe that or not,” I finally said. “You’ve apparently been lying to me for years.”

  “Have not!” Hairy declared. “I just chose to omit some very specific information while we were talking. I’m an honorable bull, and I kept my word… until now.”

  “I kind of wish you’d kept your secret now,” I muttered. “I thought when I finally cornered you, I’d finally get the answer to all my questions. Instead, I have even more than when I started.”

  “But I’m telling you everything I know,” Hairy pouted.

  “And I appreciate it. I think. I just… need some time to process,” I said.

  “Are you alright?” my mother asked. “You don’t look so good.”

  “I’m just tired,” I replied as I reached up and gently rubbed my eyes. “It’s been a long day of stress, revelations, and I have even more questions than when I started. I think my brain is finally done. No more information.”

  “You’re right, you probably need time to process. I only learned a fraction of what you did today, and I need time to process,” my mother said. “Let’s get you to bed.”

  Hairy started to reach out to help me up, but my mother shot him a vicious glance that made him pull back and sit back in his chair like a scolded child.

  Slowly, she pulled me to my feet and helped me maneuver to my room. I was thankful for her help; I didn’t know if I would have made it on my own after the day I just had. As soon as I got close enough to the bed,d I just collapsed, face buried in the pillow. I really should have stripped off my clothes, or at least turned over, but I just didn’t have the energy.

  “Have a good night, Tamm. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

  “Alright,” I muttered. “Have a good night.”

  If she replied, I missed it because as soon as I finished speaking, I let my exhaustion take me and fell asleep.

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