Blue Eyes

Blue Eyes

Lucy walked alone. Her older brother, Charlie usually walked her home, but he never showed up outside of the school. Lucy could care less. Charlie was a jerk anyway when he broke her favorite doll this morning.

Lucy tried not to think about it while she trudged down the sidewalk kicking all the snow she could on the way. Her blonde ringlets under her sky blue hat bounced and swayed, her cheeks and nose had long turned light pink from the cold, and her new brown boots jiggled against her tiny feet. All she could think about was her doll, how her beautiful porcelain face was shattered across the kitchen floor, and her lace dress torn and spattered with mud. Lucy’s feet felt like they would break off, but she still kept kicking the white snow furiously.

When Lucy looked up everything looked a lot bigger. The streets stretched on infinitely in white. Everything blended into each other, everything looked painstakingly the same. She jumped in fear witch sent her yellow ringlets flying. Was she supposed to turn left a block ago? Was she supposed to keep going straight? In her own panic she lost all sense of direction. This time she shivered for a reason other than the cold. Everything stood still, all that was left was visible noisy exhaling and white, endless white.

Suddenly a gust of wind whipped her scarf from her neck and floated to the right. After a few moments of dancing above ground it caught on a tall piercing branch. The blonde little girl watched her scarf inquisitively. She eventually turned right and walked hesitantly on. Her black scarf waving like a flag behind her.

Lucy’s blue eyes became increasingly blurry. When she miserably glanced to her right she could almost see her brother holding her hand right beside her, telling her lame jokes and asking about her day. Now that she thought about it it could have been the dog that killed her favorite doll, Charlie would never be so awful. This thought created relentless rolling tears down her rosy cheeks.

When she wiped her eyes with her striped sleeve the first thing she saw was like a slap in the face, a sign with large red block letters spelling out, “SALE! PLEASE COME IN! CHILDREN ARE VERY WELCOME!” Lucy couldn't believe there was a shop right in the middle of the neighborhood that she has never heard about. Before she could turn around to walk back an old lady jumped in front of her grinning.

The old woman clasped her hands together and stared at Lucy for an uncomfortable moment before she finally introduced herself, “Hello!” she said excitedly, “My name is Âme!” she exclaimed opening her arms as if she was about to give a hug.

Lucy stood rigidly silent still in slight shock. Âme clasped her hands together, "It's French!" she announced proudly.

All Lucy could think to say was, "You don't sound French."

The old lady cringed her teeth still in a tight smile, "Why don't I take you inside you poor little thing! You must be be freezing!"

Âme put her hand on Lucy's back guiding her inside the dank small shop. Once inside she sat Lucy down and took off her shoes enthusiastically, "I can't believe you have been walking around in those soaking things!" she commented throwing the brown boots aside.

The inside of the shop was small but packed. In all the shelfs, on every table, and in every corner there was a doll. So real that they almost looked human.

Lucy gasped and her blue eyes widened at the sight. Âme squealed, "Aren't they beautiful? My life's work has been put into making these dolls!" the old woman said fondly while stroking the cheek of a brunette doll beside her.

"Very beautiful," Lucy repeated in awe. She wondered if she could replace her broken doll with a new one here, but she couldn't imagine herself choosing one doll over the rest.