I tend to put a lot of sentimental value into the things I own, but my plushies are exceptionally special. My plushies reside on my bed, accompanying me to sleep as I battle the dark corners of my room. Some of them are old, experiencing the curiosities of life by my side as I’ve grown up. Some of them are new, still learning how to navigate the jungle that is my room. Some are timid, staying stationed on my bed as they pose for eternity, while others are even braver than I am, never once faltering as I've taken them to distant lands, or accidentally dropped them out of a window! They are unique not just in their appearance, but also in what they’ve experienced. But one thing that connects them all: I could never live without them.

So what would life be like without my plushies? No matter where I’ve traveled, my stuffed plushies have always kept me company, shooing away my loneliness and any monsters lurking in the darkness. If I were to be without them, who else would I turn to when the lights go out? I’m still just a teen, so a significant other is definitely not a possibility. Without my stuffed friends, I’d have to start accepting the darkness, and the shadowy monsters that come with it. A bed without comforting plushies will surely make me vulnerable to the shroud of night. Just thinking about it makes me jittery; darkness is not someone I want to befriend!

Not only that, but if I were to lose my plushies, I would lose a part of myself. My plushies hold priceless memories. Whether a close friend gifted me one or I found one myself, they all hold special meaning. Take, for instance, my plushie, Rory the Lion. He was a gift from my dad, and he’s centuries older than I am! Well, not really, but he’s still pretty old. He’s lived through the ‘70s, the ‘80s, all the way until now! If I were to live without the plushies like him, all the memories bestowed upon him and others would be lost forever! Life without my plushies would truly be terrible.