DOLL's✔

7...

EMILY

I eat the bread and butter I'm given. A chair scraped beside me, and Tanner ended up next to me. I looked at his profile and noticed the little hesitant glances he would give me while chewing slowly on his bread extending the time he has here.

"Why're....?" Candy spread butter on her own bread. She glanced between me and Tanner. It has been 6 days since i 'lived' here. Rooming with Candy was nice. she had all sorts of knickknacks and goods to keep her entertained. I met the other two, Brian and Ian. they're twins who ended up here out of regret. Candy wanted to die and ended up in here, and Brookes... he never told me why he was here.

"Why're what?" Tanner mumbled. Both Tanner and I talked for these past few days. It ended up swell, and even, could've started something more.

Candy rolled her eyes and opened the cabinet, our food appeared; once again. She put away the butter and closed the cabinet.

"Why're yall actin' like lovers," She snickered. "Pretty obvious with Emily blushin' like a rose in beautiful summers," She stepped off her stool disappearing behind the counter.

I kept on blushin' like a schoolgirl, Brookes passed us in the hallway, looking at me, nodding slightly before shutting the kitchenette door.

"About your question..." Tanner stopped chewing on his food and swallowed. He took my hand and swayed me towards his room. I followed up the stairs and to the attic, the open glass ceiling let in the white spaces light.

"Which one?" I ask, "God knows I've asked so many" 

I had the pleasure of asking him how he got here. He had died from drowning from obsessive revenge. The story though, is not mine to tell.

"The voices," Tanner whispered under his breath.

His room was different from the others. While numerous rooms looked abandoned and in disarray, his room looked neatly and fresh.

He had hardwood floors and light wooden walls.

Little plants that hung up on the ceiling , their tiny vines climbing down from the walls. The sunroof in the middle along with his bed, underneath it.

Stacks on stacks of books, rare for this era, lay down aimlessly scattered around it. I started to pick up some, placing them back onto shelves and pressing there pages back into their correct formal looks.

"Ah-ah-ah" Tanner quickly took a book away from me that had tags in them, "Sorry Em. can't uncrease this'un"

I nodded sheepishly at him and looked around some more. You can hardly hear Tanner, who creeped beside me, following me wherever in his room. "Ya see' Em, this right here is called galactaria," He flipped through the pages and landed on one, the sinking hole was pitch black. As pitch black as the beaded eyes of that doll.

"I may not know sum' bout whatever yur' on about," He pressed the book closed and revealed the cover. "But I realize that she' callin me. She is here, I know it. The big hole, Uncle Strife says so."

"Who is this, Uncle Strife?" I ask him.

"Why, he's the one who brought you here." He smiled at me, "He brung all of us lost folk. The only one who can walk out into the white space, too."

I nodded. So, there are 6 people besides me? I wonder where he'd been all this time? I think about it while Tanner sits me down on the bed with him.

"We've almost all opened up to you," Tanner said slowly, "i think it's high time you said sum bout' yourself, conversationalist" He smiled cheekily at me. My face can't help from turning red. He has been with me since day 2 and has been joined at my hip.

I don't know if its because i'm new or that he's just interested in...me.

"Well. i never knew much about my Mother, Father's been real sad after that." I choke back a hurtful sob, "An' i was just gonna go to a Camp. Bad one. Mrs. Marshall, a tough lady with no morale's runs it. Whips n' everythin."

Tanner hugs me awkwardly at first, not knowing where to place his hands. Knowin' nothin heads or tails about how to hug somebody. But he tried. He wrapped his arms around my neck. After that he slowly moved it down to my waist and pressed me to his chest for a firmer hug.

"Mmshorry" I muffle. My tears have subsided, eyelids closed. They burned with an emotional sensation—I just wanna cry. The need for it was strong. Nobody saw me cry in the Erford Mansion. Only time was when Mother passed. Nothin' became more sadder.

"It's alright," Tanner wiped my cheeks of tears. Resuming holding me in his grasp. "I have a past, everybody," he let go and shot his hands up, my eyes looked up as well to find makeshift paper stars hanging up on this home's ceiling.

"Has a past here. Has ah story. Life they lived. Wanna live. Found a nice girl took her out and made a home----," He lowered his arms back down, my eyes attached to their movement and emphasis of it all. He tilted my chin upwards and made me look into his eyes that were glistening wet from crying as well, maybe, for me.

"----Find love." he parted his lips slightly, tilting his head to the side and slowly but surely, making his way over to me. I get flustered and shift around on his bed, my feet curl up and my heart—god almighty my heart, is racing like horses stomping for freedom.

He hesitates a little after seeing me shift. When I don't get up and instead tilt slightly the opposite, he closes in and kisses me on the lips. An electric shock runs through my veins. The chaste kiss stops there and we separate, looking at each other wondering what's next.

"Em. Emily, I-"

Knock Knock.

"Come on! Time to eat!" Candy stood by the door waiting for their sappy moment to end, little did she know she had to put an end to it when Tanner was making his move on 'er.

"Oh, geezers." He cursed. He pushed himself up off the bed with a grunt, grabbing my hand and helping me, opening the door for candy to see us.

"Come. where havin' rabbit stew and garlic bread'' She turned around and left for the stairs, we trailed behind her in quietness.

Our hands intertwined underneath the dining table. Tanner passed me his rabbit meat while I said a quiet thank you and ate what was given, occasionally giving some back when I thought it too much.

Uncle Strife watched from the frame of ah door, lurking.