dollface | melanie martinez

𝐭𝐰𝐨

two sisters,
stood in a hallway.

the younger by the staircase, tearstained;

her older counterpart regretfully by the front door that leads to the big wide world.

"please don't leave, angel," the younger begged the older. "i need you, to look after me. mama and papa are scary when you're not here. they always shout."

angel sighed, and ran a hand through her dark hair. "i know. i know- but i'm all grown up now. see?
i'm sorry, but it's time for me to go."

"why can't i be grown up too?" clara asked sadly. "i want to come with you."

"you can be grown up- by staying here with mama and papa, and learning how to look after yourself," angel said gently.

"no i can't!" clara began to cry. "i don't want you to go. please don't go."

angel took a deep breath.

against her better judgement, she spoke again more quietly.
"oh, but i have a present for you."

clara looked up through her tears. "a... present?"

"a special dolly, that will look after you while i'm gone. here, come with me."

angel took her little sister by the hand and led her up their house's winding spiral stairs, to her bedroom. the whole room was packed up now; the belongings that angel wasn't taking with her packed neatly into labelled cardboard boxes that stacked high around the room.

"hang on a moment," angel murmured, beginning to unstack a pile.

she took the largest box from the very bottom, with dolls scribbled on its front, and slit it open with a fingernail.
she gently pushed aside dolls with plain, placid faces to pull out one quite different from all the rest.

"why is she so... sad?" asked clara curiously, taking in the single tear drop painted onto the doll's cheek.

"because her heart is too big for her body," explained angel. "you see, this is not any normal doll. this one will protect you from all harm that could possibly come near you."

"really?"

"of course. and i am giving her to you." angel dropped onto her knees, at clara's level, and gently pressed the doll against the little girl's chest. "she's yours now."

"she'll keep me safe from... anything?"

"anything and everything. but- one thing, clara..."

"yes?"

"don't tell mama or papa about her. she's... our little secret. understand?"

clara wanted to question this, but she saw an unusually serious look in her older sister's eyes that stopped her.
"okay," she replied instead.

a short pause, in which clara took in the doll's features.

"angel?"

"yes?"

"what's the doll's name?"

"her name is crybaby."