Welcome To The Dollhouse ~Style fan fiction~ {Complete}

25

I open my eye a fraction to see what's happening. Dad hasn't said anything or hurt me further since that kick.

I'm back in the dollhouse.

And I'm naked. Shit.

"He's awake." A familiar female voice announces.

"Thank God." Stan's voice sighs with relief.

I open my eyes fully and look around. I'm back in my bedroom in the dollhouse, Stan is now sat at the edge of my bed, a worried expression on his face, and a woman is sat beside me, holding a cold and damp face cloth to my forehead.

"How are you feeling, Kyle?" Stan asks.

"Fucking fantastic."

The woman next to me laughs.
She has long brown hair, tied back into a ponytail, brown eyes to match and braces. For some reason I feel like I should know her.

"Hey Shelly, could you leave us alone for a bit?" Stan asks the woman, "I want to speak to him alone."

Shelly rolls her eyes, but hands Stan the face cloth and heads towards the door.

"Five minutes," she tells him, "I'm only going because he needs some water."

When she leaves the room, Stan presses his lips against my slightly soggy forehead, then presses the face cloth against it again.

"What happened?" I ask, "I feel like a piece of shit."

"You were heading to your room with Annie after sitting in the library for a while and you passed out," stan explains, "my sister says you're quite dehydrated."

Good job Annie, making up a lie like that.

"Will I die?"

Stan laughs, but shakes his head.

"No, you're fine. You just need to drink some water before you pass out again," he lets go of the face cloth on my forehead and just leaves it there, "I can't be bothered holding that anymore. You look fine to me."

Before we can talk any more, the door opens again. Shelly and Annie walk into the room, Shelly carrying a large jug of what I hope is water and Annie carrying a pile of books and DVDs.

Shelly pours me a glass of water and hands it to me. After sitting up, I take a long drink. It's cold and tastes slightly of strawberry.

"Kyle, I brought entertainment," Annie smiles, dumping the pile she was carrying onto the bed. Some of the books and DVDs slide onto the floor due to her carelessness, but she just shrugs it off, "whoops. Anyway, how are you feeling?"

"I feel better now. Thanks, Annie, for helping me out." I smile, winking quickly.

She winks back and giggles.

"Hello again, Kyle," Shelly says whilst picking up the items Annie dropped, "I'm Doctor Marsh, but that's my father's name, so please call me Shelly. It's lovely to finally meet you."

Doctor Marsh... that's the guy Annie mentioned yesterday who runs this place.

Suddenly I realise where I know Shelly from, she's my mom's friend's daughter, which means Doctor Marsh is her husband and Stan is her son.

"Your mom's called Sharon, isn't she?" I ask, taking Stan and Shelly by surprise.

They exchange nervous glances that basically confirm my suspicions.
They both realise that there's no point in denying it, so they nod.

"Does she know you're doing this?" I know I'm pushing it, but I need answers.

"Yes," Stan finally says, "it's a family thing. It's been going on for hundreds of years. The next male in line to take the Marsh name takes girls he likes into this place to see which one would make the best bride. It's disgusting."

Disgusting?

"If it's disgusting why are you doing it?" Annie pipes up, "it doesn't make any sense."

"I'm changing it. I'm changing the rules against my father's will," Stan is being so hesitant to answer our questions that it's almost as if he isn't hearing them at all, "this may be hard to hear, but everyone here has been abused somehow. Annie, your mother is a raging alcoholic with a gambling addiction who neglected you for years. You might not remember, but she made you live on the streets and collect money for her gambling and drinking problems."

"Mom did that?" Her eyes are filling with tears.

"Kyle," Stan continues, "your father found out that your adopted brother was having a romantic relationship with another male and physically abused the both of you until I took you in. I couldn't take your brother since it was hard enough getting you, but he's safe. I can assure you of that."

"I saw my dad again, in a dream sort of thing," I admit, "it was of when I found out about Ike. I didn't see a lot, but he abused me in the kitchen that day."

Stan takes my hand in his and gives it a gentle squeeze. He rubs his thumb against the back of my hand and nods.

"That was the day you met me," he looks up at me again and smiles, "your mom put enough concealer and foundation to cover all of your injuries and let you go to the party so everything looked normal. I managed to pull you aside and take you with me."

"Thank you," I say, which surprises me as well as him, "thank you for taking me away. You could be lying, but I believe you."