Her New Doll (Completed)

Chapter Thirteen: Facing the Truth

For days Natalya swears she doesn't see Donna rest. Her hands shake. She barely sits. She knows she doesn't sleep. Whenever Natalya wakes in the night and she goes to check Donna is awake doing something. Often worriedly peering out the windows.

Finally she can't take it anymore.

"Nat-Talya!" Donna shouts as Natalya wraps her arm around her waist and lifts her off the ground. She's afraid to hit her but she's also afraid they'll fall. Her repairs to Natalya's legs since the fight are less than optimal, it's just a matter of time until they break and she has to swallow her pride and ask Karl for help again.

"You, are you going to get some sleep if it kills me," Natalya grunts, struggling to carry the struggling woman to her bedroom where she lets them flop onto the bed.

Donna scrambles to sit up, scowling down at her.

"Donna, you need to sleep. If you keep this up you'll kill yourself," Natalya says, "Whatever you're afraid of, I can fight it."

"You can't!" Donna snarls, "She's going to take you away! Alcina always gets what she wants. Mother Miranda always gives her what she wants."

Natalya sits up, "Who's Alcina?"

As tears fall Donna points to the foyer.

"The giant with the claws?"

Donna nods, doing her best not to let her tears show.

"Okay, maybe not but next time I won't attack her. If we just wait-"

But the heiress isn't listening. Donna is shaking her head, slowly sinking to sit on the bed. She holds her face under the veil, sniffing and blubbering quietly.

"Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

"Mother Miranda."

"What about her?" Natalya leans closer.

Donna reaches over to detach Natalya's legs. Her hands shake and her fingers fumble. Between the tears and her veil she can't see. She looks at Natalya, then around for a handkerchief, "Put this, over your eyes."

"Okay. I'll need help, you need two hands-"

With permission Donna ties it around Natalya's eyes as a thick blindfold before taking off her veil.

"Mother Miranda, rules us. We are, her family. She controls us, with the mold."

"I know about the mold."

"Alcina," Donna's shoulders hunch and her name comes out a bitter hiss, "Alcina is her favorite. She, gives her anything she wants."

Natalya is thrilled Donna is finally talking. She just wishes it wasn't about such a tender subject. So she nods and says nothing, hopefully enticing Donna to get it all off her chest.

"Alcina will tell her, and, Miranda will-" Donna's voice chokes off into whimpers.

"I'm not going anywhere," Natalya murmurs. She opens her arm and Donna drags her into her lap to hug like a doll. If she's not trying to be the tough soldier she's been for so many years it's nice to be embraced. And by such a sweet soul. She reaches up to touch Donna's cheek. Instead something squirming finds her finger.

"Donna," Natalya murmurs, "In case Miranda does take me away, or Alcina does kill me, can I see your face?"

"No-"

"It won't matter. I won't be afraid, remember?"

While Donna is seized with indecision Natalya slowly reaches up and removes the blindfold. For the first time, in the dim light, she sees all of Donna's face contorted into emotional anguish. And even then, she's beautiful.

One half of Donna's face is gorgeous with a jet black eye and skin like porcelain. The other, is mutated and gnarled by fleshy, cyst and worm like growths.

"Donna," Natalya smiles, "You're beautiful. Why are you wearing the veil? Are- Who are you mourning?"

"Hi-" Donna hiccups and scrunches her eye closed, "Hiding."

"Why? You're gorgeous? Everyone has scars and they're all different-"

Donna puts her hand over Natalya's mouth. It's not to smother her, just to quiet her. And it works.

"Not, helping," Donna gasps out between sobs.

Natalya nods, "Part of the reason you're crying is you're hysterical. You're tired."

Donna has been called hysterical. She's been called insane. Unstable. Mad. But she knows that somehow that's not what Natalya thinks, and she doesn't understand.

"Lay down and sleep. I'll stay right here so you can make sure I don't go anywhere."

Slowly Donna begins to drift off. She jerks awake. Natalya smiles, "Sleep, I won't go anywhere."

Without her legs Donna is sure Natalya isn't going anywhere. She sets the legs farther away before returning to bed. Slowly she lays down. Natalya lays next to her, shoulder bandaged and eyes soft. But she doesn't reach for Donna or move. Just like a doll.

Donna reaches out and moves Natalya's hair out of her face. She runs her fingers along Natalya's face and along her jaw. Then she is able to close her eyes and drift off. But it's not long before the nightmares come.

As usual it's desolate and cold. She begins thrashing against her clay figure attackers. She can't fight them, she's too cold and too weak. Voices hiss in her ears validating every fear she's ever suffered and cementing every doubt she's ever had.

Then, it stops. The cold is less cold. She's wrapped in warmth. There's a dim light. She snuggles into it and looks over her shoulder. All the fear and cold hangs back. It can't get close. She's safe.

As soon as Donna began speaking nonsense and crying out in her sleep Natalya recognizes the symptoms. Rather than wake her Natalya slowly pulls her closer until Donna has cuddled herself into Natalya's chest and body. She wraps around Natalya, digging her nails into her back.

Once they're snuggled together like puzzle pieces Donna slept peacefully. Natalya couldn't nod off. Her eyes remained open, watching every shadow waiting for Miranda to step out of it.