The Nutcracker Bleeds (PUBLISHED 2017)

Chapter Two - Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

                                                            The Nutcracker Bleeds

                                                                    Chapter Two:

                                                          Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

                                                                               1

              Dressed in her pale nightgown, Olivia held the nutcracker in her hands with love, completely taken with the decorative doll.  He had strong arms; she liked that about him.  He was a perfect, though unconventional-looking soldier.  He would keep her safe.

              She ran her fingers lightly across his painted wooden chest, smiling down at him.  None of the other dolls would have this one.  He was too beautiful to share.  In her mind, she saw herself and this nutcracker dancing across a huge ballroom floor.

                But he will go to war first, she thought with satisfaction. Yes, he would fight for his lady without hesitation.

                 So infatuated was she, that she didn’t hear the door of her room slowly creak open.

                Or perhaps she simply chose to ignore it.

                A figure stepped inside, closing the door and locking away the light from the hall lamp.  Two human outlines were left in dim firelight.

                Feet stepped quietly across the inner rug and passed the bed, stopping before a shelf of dolls on the far wall.  Young hands lifted up a porcelain doll with exaggerated care.  Blue eyes traced over the toy’s curly red hair and green eyes of glass. 

                “You didn’t seem very social at dinner,” said Todd, setting the doll back in place. “Is your uncle the only one you’re happy to see?” 

                The boy with the dark hair turned to look at the girl on the bed.  She overlooked his presence completely, refusing him for the nutcracker in her grasp.  He noticed her absence and headed towards the bed, sitting beside her carefully, only to watch her a short moment before he spoke. 

                “I missed you,” he said. “Did you not miss me at all?” 

                The girl still sat, trotting the nutcracker across the bed in front of her.  She finally stopped, slowly drifting her blue eyes toward him as he sat silently, staring at her. 

                “What if I had?” she asked. “But then decided not to miss you.  I was perfectly fine without you being here.” 

                “You – didn’t think about me at all?” he asked, touching her shoulder. 

                 She shrank back a little at his touch, almost in disgust. 

                “I made it just fine without your company,” she insisted, managing to shrug him off. 

                Todd stood then, stepping to glance at the shelf of dolls in front of him. 

                “These kept you company?” he asked, staring at all the blank expressions on their lovely faces. “They aren’t making you better, you know.  Though I wonder how sick you are to begin with.”