I feel my stuffed black body being swiftly flung through the air, and landing with a thud on the back of my owner. She hangs me from her shoulder by one of my arms, resulting in me bobbing against her as she walks. My belly is filled with her valuable school supplies, books and documents that make me feel as if I am needed. In my mind, she and I have a special bond. Our eyes met and she fell in love with my charm. My pointed fangs, red tail and horns made her adore me. Her various school mates also made me feel like a miniature celebrity.
She saunters out the front door, stepping into the icy outside world of winter. The only warmth I feel is from the dark blue cotton jacket that she wears daily, and the heat coming naturally from her body. There was a long moment of silence, every near-by resident being sound asleep. I hear a melodic sound break the stillness, startled at first but then I realize it was just her singing for the short while when no one else was around. She halts at her school bus stop, just in time to see the vivid beams of light shooting across the road as the bulky vehicle chugs its way towards the awaiting students. Instantly, all hope of silence was gone. Banter fills my non-physical ear drums. My face bounces against a cold metal window and cool leather as she slides into the first available seat. The rumbling of the bus starts up again, and we are on our way.

Upon arriving at school my gaze drifts from student to student behind us as she strides confidently to her usual spot where she spends her mornings. The rush of warm air that hits me is soothing, and I am glad to get out of the cold outside winter. I feel myself shift off of her and I plop down on top of a table. Around me are shelves of educational books and entertaining novels for the vast arrangement of students, all assorted colors and sizes. I drift into a comfortable sleep from staring repetitively at the books. Suddenly I am awoken from my snooze as I’m jolted up from the table and slung over her shoulder to go to her first class. With in her first period, there is a hooded man that always held my attention. Sitting in front of us, he was always around in the mornings. His name is Juan. An unsettling worry took residence in the pit of my stomach when he was near us. I never knew why.
The first hours ticks by at an agonizing pace as I am constantly being emptied and refilled with her class work. Soft chatter fills each room that we set out to and even louder conversations take over every hallway within each passing time. But that same anxious sensation that occurs in her first period now flows into me when that shadowy man stalks the halls behind me. When we finally go back into a warm building I, at last, fall back into my slumber until it’s her lunch hour where she seats herself to talk with her choice friends. I’m placed on a table and watch them all converse happily. She stands to throw away her trash and playfully gets pelted by a carrot. She laughs, glaring lightheartedly as she whirls the same veggie bullet back at her opponent. I sit back in relaxation, watching the childish game take place. As she is temporarily distracted by the amusement, I feel myself being lifted up again by some unknown person and I am carried away from her. I felt myself struggling to scream out her name, but nothing could be heard. I tried to twist my face into a state of panic, but my expression remained the same. I attempted to thrash about in a fit to seize my arrest, but nothing moved. For the moment, I was deemed helpless.
Where I am taken I’m not sure but I feel fear rise even higher in me. I get a good glimpse of my kidnapper and I realize my captor is Juan, one of her conniving friends. My suspicion of this shadowy man had always been true. While he gave off an aloof and indifferent appeal, there was an evil aura surrounding his presence. Juan always has a strange fascination with me, and now is the time to put this interest to rest. I remain in the spot he sat me in and when he returns he looks angry. With an evil laugh, he picks me up and throws me into a corner before kicking me. I wonder what caused this unsystematic fury but the thought is shattered when his foot returns for another beating. My owner runs into the room with a look of sheer terror on her face. When she tries to stop this battle, Juan pushes her aside as if she was made of paper. Rage swells up within me to see my owner being hurt. The villain starts charging at me like a heard of buffalo, delivering his final kick. I open my mouth and he is gobbled up in a mad rush, falling into the vast hole that is my stomach, never to be seen again.
She lifts me up, throws me up in the air in pure glee and holds me close. Within her arms, I feel the everyday warmth that I had grown too accustomed to and had taken for granted. She thrusts my mouth open, and sticks her head in to get a real close look. All traces of Juan have vanished. With me tightly hugged upon her chest, she walks back to class. A chorus of student’s cheers arises up as we both enter through the door. I could feel the grins of everybody directed towards me, creating the feeling of love fill up inside me. I am Franswa, and I am a backpack.