Polychromatic

A Boy Named Sven

The screams the boy heard in the doll-factory each night, he remembers them, each and every one, from a high-pitched girl to a mellow boy squealing as the life was taken from him. More so, however, the boy remembered seeing his parents be slaughtered the same way the children were, however, unlike the children- the kids who's organs and souls were shoved into the cold bodies of dolls- the boy's parents were burned, as they tried to protest the boy's "fate". The 3-year-old boy, named Sven, only knows this cruel world, he dreams of what the outside world is like, he dreams walls of colors, not the grayscale monochrome he's seen since his birth, he dreams of a world where he doesn't hear screams each night ring out as blood drips to the floor- another doll made. He wishes for peace and life in the world for all, happiness and color. Walking through the halls during the day, Sven sees the arms, legs, heads, and torsos of what was to be made into a doll... plastic, wood, porcelain, rags, clay, and ivory- he feared for which he would become. The boy, Sven, knew his fate- he knew one day they'd come for him, as they had come for his only friends- his green eyes the way they used to shine, lost with each friend taken, now only a dark green speck on his pale face, showing no glimmer of light what so ever. He believed he'd become a doll, a "perfect" being made of only darkness, and was ready to accept it.

"Mommy..." the boy said one night, staring up at the ceiling in his pitch-dark room, "please save me..." the boy began to cry as he heard footsteps nearing his door. He knew, it was time, he would die tonight, he said to himself that he was ready but inside he knew that was a lie.

The door swung open and there stood an executioner, they flipped on the switch and made eye contact with the little boy Sven.

"Come here, littling," the executioner said in a soft voice, in an attempt to make the child feel safe, however Sven knew he'd be taken to the slaughter room, "C'mere..." The executioner inched towards the child with their arms out, repeating "c'mere" softly, as they grabbed and picked up the child.

The boy Sven didn't struggle, he knew what was to come for him, and he was ready, he was ready to accept his death. The executioner carried the boy down the hall to the metal door of the slaughter room, the door opened and the boy saw the heads of the children on the ground as their bodies were being dissected and their organs removed. Sven felt close to vomiting upon smelling the bodily odors of the corpses paired with the sight of the organs being removed.

"Sit here." the executioner said placing Sven down and gesturing to a chair, "there be a long wait for 'ya." they said walking away from the boy. Sven sat in the chair and played with his fingers trying not to focus on the smell of death, which hung heavily in the room.

"Hey..." he heard someone whisper to him, a whispy but clear voice- which sounds similar to that of a bell. The boy looked around and noticed the figure standing in the shadows, a feminine figure.

"Come here, I'm going to get you out of here..." the voice said again, as Sven stared at the figure noticing the hand it stuck out for him, the boy cautiously rose from his chair and shuffled over to the feminine figure.

"Ello..." the boy whispered cautiously, "who are you?" he asked the figure, as he cautiously took the hand which quickly wrapped around his.

"Saturnina..." the girl's voice replied, "I'm a doll, and I want to save you, but I can't explain right now, so please let's leave..." she said as she darted towards the door with the child, who of which squeaked with shock upon being pulled getting the attention of a few executioners, however, they only noticed Sven missing from the chair.

"Why do ya wan' save meh?" Sven asked as he quickly walked behind the girl named Saturnina.

"I don't want you to suffer, chosen one..." she replied, as emotionless as before.

"Choicened?" Sven replied confused, "what do ya mean?"

"You were chosen by prophecy to save the dolls, to save the world, humans and dolls alike, to bring peace... I could tell by your pale skin, blonde hair, green eyes--" she cut herself off and stopped walking, she turned towards the boy.

"You're the boy of pure light..." she whispered to the small boy.

"Pure? Light?" Sven asked confused to Saturnina, "what ya mean Saterna?" She chuckled as she found it cute how he can't pronounce her name correctly, and she pulled the child closer to her.

"One day... when you're older you'll understand," she paused and began walking again, "but I've been watching you for quite some time..."

They walked silently together through the corridor full of parts of dolls, Sven was scared of these parts, he always felt they'd move and grab him up, even strangle him to death, sometimes he even thought they were connected to dolls who were going to shove him into the slaughter room to get him made into a doll. But, Sven felt safe in Saturnina's presence, he didn't know why, but she had a sort of motherly aura about her, though she appeared to be 17 or possibly 18. Saturnina stopped, turned and quickly picked up Sven, holding him close to her.

"What wrong?" Sven asked her shyly, but then noticed how serious her face was, and her pink eyes showing a slight horror. She began running as Sven's greatest nightmare came true, the dolls were on the attack. Saturnina- holding Sven, who was scared by the dolls and the fact that the corridor was very dark- ran down the corridor frantically from the dolls who were saying how they want a taste of the boy, and maybe one of his eyes as a threat to the humans.

"S-Saterna...?" Sven said shaking, but Saturnina only shushed him and kept running, however, Sven heard a paimful sounding crack from below him, he was worried and scared. "S-Saterna...?!" he said a bit louder this time, only to be shushed again, he didn't know why, however he heard another louder, and more painful sounding crack, even hearing what sounded like shards of glass flying and hitting the ground.

"My leg...." Saturnina finally said to Sven, as she jumped a flight of stairs, exit in sight. Though they were close to the exit, the dolls were quickly gaining on them. All Sven heard was the dolls creepy voices, and the cracks and occasional glass hitting the ground. Sven squeezed his eyes shut only to open them to a huge cracks.

"Saterna?!" Sven said, as he was thrown onto the grass, looking at the platinum haired doll. He notices the cracks on her arms and the chunks missing from her left leg, showing a shiny glass inside her leg, however the strangest thing to Sven was that she was bleeding.

"Sven..." Saturnina muttered weakly, as she got up and picked up the boy. "I'm taking you to the police station... I want you to go inside and say, 'I escaped from the doll-factory, my parents were killed, please find me a family member to stay with' okay?" Sven nodded, though he was a bit confused, mostly because instead of focusing on what Saturnina said, he was more focused on the city lights that he got to see as Saturnina carried him down the hill towards the city. Sven was tired, having a hard time keeping his eyes open. He awoke to Saturnina's bell-like voice telling the police to contact one of Sven's family members.

"Okay, ma'am, but who are you to him?" an officer asked her.

"I'm... not sure," she muttered, looking down at Sven, "did you have a nice nap?" she whispered to him, smiling for the first time.

"Oh my," another officer said shocked and staring and Saturnina, clearly, he noticed her wounds, "are you alright?"

"Yes." Saturnina replied, bluntly, cradling Sven in her arms- which Sven could feel they were getting weaker and more and more shaky.

"What's his name..." the officer asked, opening up his computer, "full, legal name."

"Sven Von Schmidt..." Saturnina clearly spoke, to Sven's surprise of course as he didn't ever tell Saturnina his name, yet she knew it, possibly even better than Sven himself knew his own name.

"A Von Schmidt," the officer retorted, shocked, as he looked at the boy Sven.

"Yes..." Saturnina muttered her reply as she collapsed holding the little boy Sven, who only squeaked as his head hit the ground, knocking him out. Though, he feels, as though he's formed a bond with Saturnina, so much so that, he feels it was destiny he'd be saved by her. And that his "fate", was now intertwined with the fate of this doll made of glass- Saturnina- and he, somehow felt completely safe around her.