Self Blame.

Dolls.

  The shack had a floor of colorful blankets. One or two boards were removed from each of the windows letting enough light in to make the most of the room visible even when the new door was closed, but not making them vulnerable to attacks. There was no dust or dirt or shards of door in the shack.

  Screech carfuly placed Adorabella's basket of potions on the far side of the shack. "Don't touch those," she warned in a voice cold enough to freez a ponie's blood.

  Strawberry smiled at Adorabella. Her tounge poked out from between her lips.

  "She invited me to play with you guys," said Frames as she nodded toward Screech.

  "Do you know how to play dolls?" asked Bluberry with a bright smile.

  "Do you know how to play dolls?" questioned Strawberry with a glare.

  Adorabella whimpered and backed toward the door.

  The twins jumped off the fluffy blanket on which they sat. "We can teach you," they both assured with smiles and extended hooves.

  Adorabella was out the door and in a tree.

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  Adorabella sat on the branch of a big strong tree. She was surounded by leaves and completly hidden from sight.

  "They didn't mean to frighten you," said Screech from below the tree.

  Adorabella was not hidden from smell. She stayed perfetly still despite feeling a little silly.

  "Do you like trees?" asked Screech. "I like trees. I like the sound of the wind blowing through trees. A lot of noises hurt my ears, but the wind in the trees makes me feel cozy. Like sounds will never be able to hurt me again."

  Adorabella looked down at Screech throught the leaves of her tree. She could not imagine the bat pony being hurt by anything. She imagined even losing the wing was no more eventful than getting a mane cut.

  "Did losing your wing hurt?"

  Screech chuckled. "Yes. Ofcourse it hurt."

  Adorabella slowly and carefuly climbed down her tree. All four of her hooves were on the ground. She stood close enough to Screech that she could be grabbed by her at any moment. "I don't like pain."

  Screech nodded. "Neither do I Freckles."

  "Will you teach me how to play dolls?" asked Adorabella. "I want to fit in with your friends."

  "Our friends," said Screech. "You are already one of us Freckles. We can't afford to set the bar too high."

  Adrabella laughed. It felt nice to laugh. Her heart slowed down. "Thanks."
 
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  Adorabella sat in a circle with the other girls. Screech to her left and Frames to her right. She sat on a fuzzy blanket with a lot of snags and pulls.

  Screech held up her custom doll.  "My doll is named Screech Stomchaser. Her home was not a happy one. Her special talent is fixing things, but to be fixed some things need to be broken. She is effectively uselss because she can't stop bad things from happening."

  Strawberry held up her average doll. "My doll is Strawberry Lemonade. She is a pony...  kind of. She was born in a shack a lot like this one. She has a sister. And she likes swimming."

  Blueberry held up her custom doll. "My doll is Blueberry. Her parents are horrible-"

  "Mom was good to you," interjected Strawberry.