Jennie Webb was about four when she first met Freddie Parker. He was all she talked about, all she seemed capable of thinking about. She never played with the neighborhood children, she was always running around the backyard or the recess area with Freddie. She loved describing him to anyone who'd listen.
"He has big brown eyes and curly, strawberry blond hair. His face is so mischievous, he looks like a fairy. Oh! And he has a british accent, like Mama."

Her teacher got a little concerned and would mention all of these things to her parents.
"Oh lighten up." they'd say.
And that's all they'd say to anyone who expressed concern. They didn't start getting worried until she was five.

At first, all she'd do is yell when guests were in the house. They'd always be sitting on Freddie. Her parents would chuckle nervously and hurridly offer a drink.
Before long, she started to have crying fits because her parents never acknowledged Freddie's existence. They'd never set a place for him at dinner, or greet him when he came over to play, or say goodbye when he left. It was as if they didn't see him.

Finally, at age six, her parents took her to a doctor who spent the next two years of her life convincing her that Freddie wasn't real.
When she was eight, she was declared cured and sent home permanently.
Her parents were very worried about appearances, and told everyone that they had sent Jennie to a dying aunt who wanted to spend the last few years of her life with her grandnieces and nephews.
Jennie never gave it away because she herself never knew any better. Her parents wanted her to have as normal a life as possible and asked her psychiatrist if there was some way to make her forget. He told them to hypnotize her, which is what they did.

Occasionally, she'd find a picture of her doctor, or an old diary entry about Freddie.
They'd tell her that the doctor was an old family friend and that Freddie was her childhood imaginary friend. As far as anyone was concerned, it was the truth.

She did live a fairly normal life...for a few years. When she was thirteen, her parent agreed to a separation. They were in therapy for two years before her father finally filed officially for divorce.
Since she was fifteen, she was given the option of choosing who she wanted to live with. She chose her mother.
Free of her American husband, Jennie's mom, who was named Emma, decided to move back to the UK, so Jennie could learn more about her heritage.
It is when they moved to Britain, when Jennie was fifteen, that our story truly begins.
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This is an original story, so feel free to criticize.
It is also fiction. I do not know any Emma or Jennie Webb, and as far as I know, Catharine and Freddie Parker never existed. (Catharine shows up later.)

You may or may not recall that I started a non-fiction story about my family vacation called Ten Days.
Due to my swiss cheese memory and my ADD, I am unable recall what happened on what day. So, Ten Days has been discontinued until further notice. Don't give up hope, I may yet return to it.

Also, be watching for the final chapters of Oops! They should be up in the next couple of days.