House of the Dolls

Prologue

Once upon a time in a mansion there lived a wealthy gentleman named Joaquin who lived with his loving wife Carmela and their little daughter Maribela. Together they were very happy until one day when Maribela was still a child her mother became fatally ill and on her death bed she said to her daughter.

"My dearest child, be patient, kind, and have faith in the Lord and he will reward you for all you have suffered in life. Promise me that you will do those things, Can you promise me that Maribela?"

"Yes Mother." The little girl sobbed at her side. "I promise."

It was truly a sad day when her mother died. She and her father mourned her for many years and during that time it was just the two of them. Until one day when Maribela was a young woman she meet a intelligent yet nervous man named Juan Luis who came from a wealthy family.His mother was the refined and high class, local widow Carmelita who had two pretty daughters named Sophia and Zoe before Juan Luis was born.All three of them were dreadful and they were very jealous of Juan Luis for he was blessed with musical talent.

Once their fathers died, Carmelita sized control of the household. They took away all her nice dresses and clothes and made her wear a old dress.

Though Maribela wore a old dress and was covered in ash she only seemed to grow more beautiful with each passing day. While Juan Luis' older sisters seem to only grow more ugly and spiteful.

She sees a old dollhouse filled with dolls.

    As she finishes with the sketch with some very good details, the last to see are a pair of beautiful blue eyes as they hold a light of nothing but pure innocence and strong inspiration.

    Now that she has completed another sketch for her collection, 16-year-old Maribela places her sketch pad against the wall with her other sketch pads and watch the very butterfly she had sketched that is fluttering around in the bell jar she keeps on her desk.  As she gaze out the window and into the clear, blue sky, Maribela all of a sudden became anxious and nervous.

An idea coming to her mind, Maribela stands up to open the window before removing the bell jar lid, allowing the butterfly to fly back outside.  Watching the butterfly flutter away happily now it's free, Maribela could hear a ghost singing a creepy yet beautiful song.

 By around five o'clock, Maribela arrive at the manor.

 But Maribela stops in front of a large silver harp, gently running her fingers against the strings, causing a beautiful sound to echo in the room.  Running her fingers over more strings to make a little tune, Maribela glances up to make sure no one heard the harp being played. Since it seems that no one heard the harp, Maribela sits in the stool and starts to play with the beautiful instrument.

Unknown to her, just as he finish with getting ready, Juan Luis hears the music being played.

Juan Luis heard his mother's cruel voice '' Juan Luis get your butt over here!

Juan Luis sighed and said '' In a minute mother''

Making his way to the foyer, Juan Luis sees Maribela playing. Loving the music she's making, Juan Luis slowly approaches the playing girl until he stood just right behind her.

Glancing over her shoulder for a quick moment, that's when Maribela locks gazes with Juan Luis for the very first time.  To see each other for the first time after a few years since their forgotten first meeting, Maribela admires how handsome he appears and Juan Luis is completely surprised at her beauty.  Realizing that she had been caught playing something that belongs to another family, Maribela scurries off the stool, causing it to waddle a bit but luckily did not fall on the harp. She then immediately bows low.  "Do forgive me. It was rude of me to do that."

   Juan Luis then raises a single hand and made a gesture to get Maribela to face him as he said with a kind tone, "Actually, what you played was very beautiful."

    "That was still rather rude of me, but the harp is just so beautiful I couldn't resist." Maribela says as they both glance at the harp.

    "I agree it's beautiful.  That was the first time I heard the harp ever since I last listened to my father playing it when I was a little kid.  He hadn't played it for so long I nearly forgot how beautiful it sounds."