The room was dark and cold. Pale moonlight flooded the open window, but it barely lit anything. Not that there was much to see. The only thing in the room was a table and a chair. That and the many rows of shelves along the walls. The shelves that held the dolls.
The dolls were various heights and weights, and each one was unique. Some had short blonde curls, while others had long back hair. Some of the eyes were big and round, while others were slanted.
Not only were the bodies of the dolls all different, but so were their outfits. Each outfit bore the soul of the doll and their unique personalities. Some wore fancy hats and chokers, the finer of the upper class, while some wore simple, brown rags. All were beautiful, however, even the ratty ones.
At the table in the room sat a man, his back hunched over his project. String, paint, scissors, knives, and even pencils littered the top until there was barely any room left. It was mess indeed, but an organized one.
Vinny sat at the table, squinting his soft grey eyes to see what he was doing. The brush in his hand shook a little as he painted. It always happened after a long day of work. His hands would begin to shake and he would sadly have to retire to bed unsatisfied. Sighing, he set his paint brush down. Half of the doll's face was complete now.
Vinny held up the doll and examined it. It's dark brown hair had a soft wave through it, and the eyes were a gentle hazel. The lips of the doll were a gentle pink and they parted ever so slightly to show the front of a couple perfectly white teeth. Her name was Victoria. Victoria Reed.
Vinny examined the sketch he had made and then the doll again. The hair was same length, and the eyes were the same odd, but beautiful shape. They kind of sloped down at the ends, making her look eternally tired. Eternally wanting to rest.
Carefully bending the legs of the doll, Vinny set the doll down on the edge of the table next to the window. He smiled at his work, proud of himself even though he wished he could work longer into the night.
"I'll see you in the morning," he said gently, standing up.
The man cast a quick glance around the room at his life's work. Beautiful it all was, he thought, but tragic. Closing the door to the room behind him, he sighed and headed to bed.
YOU ARE READING
The Dollmaker
Mystery / ThrillerAnnie, an asylum doctor, is required to investigate a reported madman, but the man in question is said to do odd things like sketch the dead and carry around dolls. Reluctantly, she investigates him until one day she is caught. Held captive, Annie b...
