The Doll

The End?

I looked at the toy maker holding Fey's cage over the large pit that formed in the floor. Fey was wide eyed and unsure what to do. I don't think I've ever seen him afraid.

I snapped.

Something took over and I saw my vision go red. The toy maker saw me but he only had a dark look on his face. Before I could do anything, he dropped Fey. I shrieked. The toy maker was just laughing. Hal sprung into action and kicked the cage out of the way. He almost fell into the pit, but I somehow caught him with shadow like arms. The toy maker just kept laughing. I was pissed.

I crawled up to his platform to faced him. Anger blinding my vision. I went to grab him, but he blocked me. I went for his legs but he jumped away. A smirk still on his face.

He appeared behind me and locked my arms down.

"Apple!" Hal called.

"Why did you take him?" I growled. Still struggling.

"My dear. You hardly know anything." He disappeared.

"Still so ignorant of the world." I swiped at where I thought he was.

"Never knowing what's lurking in the dark." His voice chilled my ear and I turned around quickly, swiping at nothing.

"You were created from me. Purely. Without any other soul to pollute your body." His voice was circling me now. "Unlike your predecessors. You were so pure. Yet, that was not enough to keep you."

"What are you talking about?" The red in my vision was fading.

"So pure, and yet, so deficient." He was saying that there was nothing left of my human soul.

"That's why I don't have a heart beat." I realized. The red was completely gone.

He kicked me off my feet with a solid kick to the stomach. I fell off the platform and landed with a thud.

"I'm ok." I said reassuringly.

"And so stupid. Shame, I don't have any more soul left to try again. Barely any left to sustain myself." He appeared from the shadows. His eyes shown brightly with insanity.

"He took me because he needed a new supply of soul. Us." I heard Fey call to me.

A quick glance showed that Hal was trying to get him out of the cage.

"You're dying." I realized. No wonder this all seemed faded and abandoned.

"No!" He grabbed his head and began screaming. I got up and walked over to him. He was whispering something. I punched him in the face. It was hard to knock him over. He just lay there, laughing at nothing.

"Will be paid." A familiar voice said.

It was the shadow figure.  It looked more put together, but yet still not...together.

"What are you?" I asked.

"Still don't know?" The toy maker said while still laying on the floor. I shook my head.

Hal and Fey began to approach me.

"Have come to collect." It said in its many voices.

"The demon I sold my soul to. Finally come to collect me after so long."

"Demon? Why not?" Fey said in an exasperated tone.

"You better start talking toy maker, there is too many questions you've left unanswered." I grabbed him by the collar.

"Time is up my little Doll. It seems like you'll have to figure it out yourself." He glanced over at the approaching shadow figure.

"You're not alone." He smiled a wicked smile. "You think I'm the only one making deals with demons? Stealing souls? Making dolls? Then you're more insane than I am. Except, I make my dolls with only the most quality of parts." The shadow surrounded him. He began screaming.

It dragged him to the pit and ultimately forced him into it. Once gone the pit resealed itself. Leaving nothing behind. The toy makers scream echoed through the shop still.

"Looks like we got a new home." Fey laughed and began skipping around. "You know, if we put this fire out." He began stomping on the flames.

"Fey, what did you mean by he needed our souls?" I asked.

"We have his souls, right? And part of our old rotted human souls, except for Apple that is. So, he gave us a lot of his souls in order to make us come to life. And by being with him, and helping him collect human souls, he was able to sustain his life and go on without having to pay for all of his demon powers with his soul. Hence the demon coming to collect him. Having us near helped with that somehow. But with all of us gone, he began to die, and all those years he stole from his "contract", or whatever it is, came back to him. Get it?" I nodded.

"So, since we have his soul in us, can't we control his workshop?" Hal asked. He closed his eyes and instantly the workshop began to transform.

The fire went out and the pieces of teddy bear creature disappeared. The walls came to life and the room became vibrant again. Except, all of the toys from the toy maker began to disappear and it became a somewhat normal looking home.

The walls were still like the ones in the workshop, but the floor became carpeted. A sofa appeared, as well as some more chairs. As well as a kitchen, a dining room, and even extra rooms. Three to be exact.

"Bleh." Fey gagged. "So boring. How about this." It became darker and the chairs began to vine out from the floor like dead trees. The lights dimmed and the carpeted floor became veined with black veining thing.

"How about a mash between." I thought of a web chair, a vine chair, and a couch. One room was like what Hal imagined. One was like Fey imagined. And mine...I'll think about it later.

"Mutual." I waved my hand over the living room and dining room. "But our rooms will be more of our own." They both nodded.

"Hey, do you think we'll have to worry about what he said about there being others like us?" I asked.

"Sounds like a problem for tomorrow. I've just been kidnapped and almost thrown into hell. I want to eat. Shower. Then bed." Fey left to do that.

"Yeah, let's worry about that tomorrow." Hal said. He plopped into his couch and closed his eyes. I just shrugged and went to figure out my room.