Dolls. That's all we were. Stitched and threaded together with lovely fabrics of all kind. Some had buttons for eyes, while some had marbles. We had fur and string around our bodies in all colors of the rainbow. Most of the dolls in this little shop were beautifully crafted things. They had eyes that begged and pleaded with children to take them home, hug them, love them, and play with them forever. They were taken off the shelves as fast as they had gotten onto them.
But I... I was
different, you see.
I didn't want to be loved unconditionally by a child and then thrown away when I was old and worn.
I wanted freedom.
I could feel.
I could see.
I could hear.
I could move.
But I couldn't escape this horrible nightmare.
It was agonizing torture. I had to sit on a shelf for hours and hope that someone would come to rescue me. But nobody wanted me. I was a run down little puppet with pins and needles everywhere. I had ropes that attempted to keep me held together, yet stuffing poked through. Last but not least, my button eyes were dull and scratched. But...
Somebody had to want me, right?
For a while I was filled with hope. I looked expectantly at all the people who came into the humble little store I lived in, bell ringing to signal someone's arrival. Most of them gave me one look before walking away. Some scoffed, picked me up and marveled at how such a run down thing was in such a spectacular store like that. My feelings were crushed even more than my body.
Days, weeks, months, a year... I began to lose hope. If I wasn't sold... I would be scrapped and thrown away. The storekeeper was losing hope as well. He put a price tag on me that told I would be at 90% off. He did anything to get rid of me, for he was not one to simply toss things aside.
Nobody even looked twice at me.
--
I had kept my little button eyes glued on her as she walked into the store. She held her chin high, dark hair bouncing on her head as she walked in, striding up to the man at the counter with a purpose. Her purse twitched for a minute as a pretty golden cat popped it's head out, ears twitching and eyes swiveling around the room. The cat's eyes lingered on me for a moment before she meowed pointedly towards me.
Oh.
Oh no.She would want me so that she could sink her fangs into me and feel no remorse for tearing me up. For once, I was hoping that I wouldn't be noticed. I did not want to become a chew toy simply because I was of an inferior quality than all the other dolls.
The woman inched closer, peering curiously at me.
No.She gently picked me up from the shelf and felt my fur.
No.She walked up to the counter with me in her hand.
No."Sold! Thank you for your purchase; I was worried that nobody would want him..." The shopkeeper looked a bit sheepish infront of the beautiful woman, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. I was too busy fearing for my life to be amazed at being purchased.
No!The woman walked out of the store, the bell I've gotten so familiar with chiming at me sadly. I felt as if this was a punishment for wishing for something I could truly never have. The woman plopped me down into her purse along side the yellow, albeit pretty monster and placed us both in the backseat. The cat nudged me with her cold nose and grinned in a way which resembled the Cheshire Cat.
I tensed.
"Don't worry, this will be a secret between us. She doesn't know you're actually alive."
I... I guess this might not be so bad, after all.
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