The Dollmaker

X.

Annie walked down the road, her heart clutched with terror and anxiousness. She wasn't going to return her knife and paperwork. She was going to Vincent's house. She was keeping her job and staying here. She was taking her life into her own hands.

Her bag felt heavy, weighed down with the sin of her lying and pretending, but she kept on. She wasn't going to break. She couldn't.

The stone steps that led to the village were as a wide as the gap between her and rest of society. Everyone looked up the hill and wanted to be the person who lived there, higher and socialized. Even though she loved her life, she wished people would see her as a normal person. She was tired of conversations where people hid things from her in fear of being "too deep" or sounding like they had problems. Nobody talked normally around her.

Annie was tired of being invited to fancy dinner parties and having to share her opinion of various stupid things. She wanted to help people and that was it. She didn't want the fame or fear, and she especially didn't want people to look up to her as a god. She just wanted to be a normal person who cared about people.

Annie didn't find her patients insane and unintelligent. She found their stories sad and seen broken people who desperately begged for help. She seen people so broken they thought that breaking themselves was the only option. She seen a chance to make sure each person knew their worth and would never let them forget.

Annie walked through the town and everyone nodded towards her. They smiled when they seen her and all wanted to talk to her. They loved her, or did they not? Did they just pretend to keep them on her good side? She let her doubt start to take over. This week was making her doubt everything...

Vincent's house was a soft white ( the paint was peeling though), with a grey patched roof. The yard was filled with the dead skeletons of flowers. Their was frozen bird paths that were just starting to melt, and it seemed like a safe and cozy place even though the house looked homely.

She smiled without realizing when she thought of the deep and thoughtful man tending the gardens. It was thought she found beautiful and perfect for his nature. She loved it.

She slowly made her way to the door, her footsteps slow and gentle as she examined the yard. She had recently moved here and had never seen the yard in the summer time. She tried to imagine all the roses and flowers and what colors there would be when it got warmer. The more she thought about it, the more desperately she wanted to stay to see it.

The door swinging open interrupted her thoughts though, and she gave a start. Vincent was standing before her, a pair of brown pants on, the suspenders hanging on either side of him. His white shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his shirt was un-bottoned, revealing a muscular and hairless chest. He was holding a stack of books, but gave a start when he seen her and set them down.

"Good morning, Miss," he bowed. "I'm sorry for my indecency..."

Quickly sliding his suspenders up his shoulders and buttoning his shirt, he gave an embarrassed flush. Annie looked away so as to not embarrass him, but she did have to admit she wanted to watch him. He looked rather pleasant...

"So you're here to investigate the house now," he said, turning in front of her and looking up at the house. He scanned it slowly, seeming to take it in like she had, and gave a small frown. "It's kind of trashed, I'm sorry."

Annie shook her head and frowned as well. Even Vincent wasn't talking to her normally...

 He led the way to the house, and opened the door. The two entered and he shut the door, leaving the books outside. Annie frowned again, thinking about how they might get ruined, but Vincent didn't seem to notice. She looked around the dim room.