- Thank you - the girl said to her mother leaving the dinner table.

- Did you see it? She did it agan! - a woman applyed to her husband.

- Did what?

- Took the meet for her imaginary friend. What are you blind?

- So what? I had a dead rat for a friend as I was little. I called him Mr. Bubbles. Kids are weird, she'll grow over it.

- The rat was alive when you took it and put into a cage. And then, after you were not feading him for two weeks he died. And you were keeping his corpse for one week more, cause only after he started to smell you realized, Mr. Bubbles is no more. Your mother told me this story.

- So what?

- Have you seen that thing? It creeps the hell out me. Melinda is going mad or something, and you're just sitting here, reading newspaper, like it's all just fine.

- What you want me to do?

- Go and talk to her.

- Why should I.

- You're her father!

Melinda was standing in the corridor. She heard everything the man and the woman were saying. When the man aimed to her room, she ran quickly into it and shut the door closed.

"Knock-knock!" - the man knocked into girl's door. Right after, the door has opened and he came inside.

- Hey... How you're doing. Can I come in?

- I'm fine.

- Listen... your mom... well, she's kind of concerned about, y'know... Jake. You do have an imaginary friend named Jake, right - the man said while sitting down in a small Melinda's chair.

The man looked at the opposite corner of the room. A plushy bear was sitting there in a same little chair partially covered in shadow. He had holes torn in places of his eyes, a seam indicating the mouth was ripped open and the belly was stitched with red thread. The man felt uneasy.

- Yes - Melinda replied.

- You see... your mom is... Ughm... You know what? What if we'll go to the mall tomorrow and I'll buy you a new teddy bear. Ha? What do you think about that? Brand new one. You do like them, I see. And then... we'll get rid of this one.

The man looked around. Dozens of Jakes were stareing at him from all the corners of the room with their plastic eyes.

- He needs my care - Melinda replyed calmly.

It seamed like it was  too much for the father to handle. One of the Jakes fell off from the shelf, making the man jump.

- Well then... Ughm.. See you later, I guess. Huh... Good night.

- Good night, dad.

The man has left the room.

- Good night, Jake. - he heared upon closing the door.