My coat clung tightly around me as I was shoved into the bag. I landed hard on someone and muttered an apology. It was hot in the bag, and I was afraid I would start melting inside my silver and brown striped coat.
Someone next to me was grumbling that I was laying upon his hat. I shifted and unconsciously touched my own hat. I felt the long white hat with blue letters printed neatly on it. I could not read, but every Hug is proud of his silver and brown striped foil coat and his flag-like top hat. I was not an exception.
The bag opened and all the Hugs went silent. Time stood still as a hand reached down. It's fingers lightly brushed my hat and I held my breath. The fingers continued on to the next hug then abruptly stopped. It went back to me and, with a hard yank, I was pulled into the air. I beamed with pride as the human started to remove my coat. Alas, my destiny suddenly switched paths on me as a childish voice spoke out.
"Eww!" It shrieked loudly. "That is a small hug, get a different one, Tom."
The child who had spoken was a thin, fragile girl with light curly blond hair and a dimple in her right cheek. Her skin was pale and smooth that made her eyes shine brighter. The boy who had picked me was a tall, slender youth with light brown hair and chocolate eyes. He had a few dark freckles on his face but had no other markings. He looked down at me and thought a moment.
"Okay, Lizzy," he said. "You pick one."
I was then tossed unceremoniously onto a shelf. I smoothed my coat and straightened my hat. I felt so ashamed and embarrassed by what had just happened. All the Hugs probably were laughing at me. I felt like a failure, a failure to the Hug society.
I had just about given myself up to despair when I heard a rustle near me. I turned and saw a Kiss sitting next to me. Her silver coat was crumpled and her top hat was missing. She was a startling figure, a poor excuse of a Kiss. But then, I was a disgrace to all Hugs.
"Hi," the Kiss said after an awkward silence. "My name is Kiss. What is your name?"
"I'm Hug," I said quietly.
"I was thrown up here three days ago," Kiss explained. She seemed to blush when she noticed me staring at her wrinkled silver coat. Then she added, "I am too small for them. They are a strange family."
"I am too small, too," I told her grimly.
Kiss and I lived alone on the shelf for two days before it happened. Our dreams came true when a boy picked us up on the third day. He was a small boy with chubby round cheeks and freckles all across his nose. His hair was a muddy blond color and his had bright blue eyes. He smiled and showed a gap where his bottom front left tooth should have been.
"Look!" He shouted. "A hug and a kiss!"
He removed our coats; my top hat had fallen out the day before, and placed us in his mouth. I let off my wonderful flavors of fresh fudge and crunchy almonds, letting the taste flow away from me. I said a goodbye to Kiss before we both disappeared. We had fulfilled a Hug and Kiss's true destiny.
