Dreamer’s Delight
Orchid stood in field of barley, clover and a light scent of Baby’s Breath held thick in the air. Nearly six meters in front of her stood her precious dolls, only without carved joints, false hair and glass eyes. "Orchid, over here." They called, their sweet, smooth voices echoing in the clearing surrounded by fir trees and evergreens. "Tomi!" She returned in an absolutely delighted voice. Through the tall grasses she walked, meeting them in the middle. The stood several feet taller than her, so they crouched on their knees. "Hello Orchid." Bill spoke softly, "It’s nice to finally speak with you." He smiled genuinely, revealing perfect teeth.
"H-hi." Orchid stuttered.
"Don’t be afraid." Tomi spoke gently, "We’re your protectors, and we wouldn’t do anything to hurt you." There was a small outline of white light coming from their fair skin, and blood chocolate eyes stared lovingly at their treasure. As they walked through field after field they ended up in an amphitheater, "Wait here Orchid, we’ll be right back." Bill looked to Tom as they shared the same thought. They scampered off behind the walls leading to the stage. Bill and Tom walked out onto the cold cement while Orchid sat calmly in the soft, green grass. They sang her song after favorite song for what seemed like hours on end.
As the morning sun deteriorated into dusk, the boys finally took a bow, "Thank you, thank you." Tom said gingerly. Orchid raced up the steps, her white Mary-Jane’s tap, tap, tapping on the grey stone-like floor.
"Can you play me another?" She asked sweetly, knowing that they would.
"No, Orchid. We can't. The sun's going down, you have to leave soon." Orchid's hopeful eyes died, she shuffled her feet.
"Oh."
"But don't worry Orchid, you can always come back tomorrow." Bill gave a sweet smile with full, soft lips. "Don't forget to read to us, okay?"
Orchid nodded, "Of course not. I'll never forget." She gave one last squeeze to each porcelain boy. "Goodbye." She whispered solemnly, intent on getting to bed early the next night so she could spend more time there.
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Orchid woke up with a doll in each arm, "Good morning Bill, good morning Tom." Each doll batted their eyes, "Do you want to come to dance classes with me today?" Their heads fell into a nod. "Good." She beamed.
As Orchid continued her morning routine like usual, she couldn't help but feel a little excited as she spoke to Bill, "Bill, I just can't wait for the recital!" She exclaimed, "I can't even think right!" She squealed with giggles and chirps.
Just then Bill's index finger curled, relaxed, and curled again. Motioning for her to move forward his lips parted, a small gape opened between them.
Orchid leaned in closer, unsure of what was about to happen, that's when she heard the faintest whisper of a voice like tiny bells.
"You will be the best dancer to ever live." Bill's eyes closed and a smile spread across his perfectly pink painted lips.
Orchid grasped his hand between her middle and index finger, "And you will be the greatest friend ever." Bill's eyes opened, glossier than usual, teeming with emotion. Orchid grabbed Bill and Tom, hopped into her mother's Audi A4 Sedan. She fastened her seatbelt, sure to tie down her dolls with her to the carseat. "This is going to be so much fun." She whispered.
"I want to see you dance." Tom said in the similar bell-tone that Bill had spoken in. Orchid smiled and patted his bandana covered head. The cornrows felt smooth under her hand.
"Soon, Tomi. Soon!" She giggled. Elaine watched her daughter in the rearview mirror, her brows furrowing at the sight of her little girl talking to the dolls like they had souls.
"Kitty, who are you talking to?" She finally asked after twenty minutes of giggling and squeaking.
"Just Bill and Tom, Mama. They are excited for the recital, like me." Her lips parted to reaveal a toothy grin. Elaine had a look of confusion painted on her tanned face. Surely the dolls were just a fantasy of her daughter's imagination?
After she dropped her daughter off at the dance studio, Elaine immediately left to seek advice from her closest friend, Jade.
"I'm not so sure that it's healthy, afterall, crazy does run in the family, just look at Brandon's mother!" She screamed cattily.
Jade frowned, "Isn't Catherine the one who gave her the dolls?" she asked with a flicker of sin and attitude in her question. She knew how easily it was to manipulate Elaine in her worried state of mind.
"Yes, come to think of it, she is the one who gave Kitty the dolls." Elaine bit on her lower lip, chewing lightly on the flesh, "Perhaps..." She began, "Perhaps I should take them. Just until she's old enough to realize that dolls and animals don't talk." Her voice trailed off in thought.
Orchid took her last steps of the night, peeling her leotard off. It was drenched in sweat and loose hairs that had fallen off of her head from the tight bun she was forced to wear day after endless day. Her legs shook with exhaustion, she collapsed onto one of the wooden benches. Her dolls were across from her, their hands joined and seperated slowly. Like an applause. "Thank you. I'm glad you liked it, I worked really hard."
"You are a fantastic dancer." Whispered Bill with his windchime voice.
"A real star." Tom chirped in.
"I want to be a Prima Ballerina when I get older. So I have to work really hard. Harder than anyone else here." She stated with well defined determination in her high-pitched voice. The conversation was cut short though when one of Orchid's class mates, Maddie-Claire, strode into the changing room. She was only two years older, but for Orchid it felt like fifteen.
"Well, well. Still playing with dolls Orchid?" She reached for Bill, "What an ugly looking doll, I mean honestly. Who dresses up their Barbie like this? A freak, that's who."
"He's not a Barbie, Maddie, he's magic. And if you don't put him down now, bad things will happen."
Maddie's face became a twisted, darkened expression, "Fine." Her hand opened and Bill sped for the hard industrial floor. With a loud crack, he lay still and motionless.
Orchid jumped from her bench, her legs collapsing beneath her with fatigue. She crawled on her knees on the dirty floor to her precious Bill. To her horror, when she picked him up, an arm was left behind. The elastic string that held him together had snapped under the force of the fall. "Bill!" She cried out of shock. His eyes were full of pain, glossy with anger laced with fear.
"Dolls are for babies, Orchid, might as well thank me."She sneered viciously.
"I will never thank you for this Maddie! How could you do this?" She screamed with a flush of fury, making Maddie-Claire's eardrums ring.
Madame Zoe came running into the changing room, her hefty body jiggling the entire way, she breathed out in a huff, "What's wrong, why are you screaming?"
Orchid, now reduced to tears spoke between sobs, knowing she could make Maddie-Claire pay for what she'd done, "M-Maddie took m-my doll a-and then she broke him!" She whimpered helplessly, her face screwed up into a relentless sob. "My Granny gave m-me this doll for my b-birthday!" She pressed on.
Madame Zoe's face flushed with dissapointment and anger, "Maddeline-Claire Kensington, I expect better from a student like you. I'm taking out your lyrical solo from the recital as punishment." She said with a stern voice and colder body language. Almost too cold for Orchid's comfort.
When Orchid slammed the door to Elaine's Audi, she crumpled in her carseat, holding her precious, broken Bill in her arms, being sure not to move him too much, "Does it hurt?" she asked in a voice that was barely audible.
"Only a little. Not as bad as it was." he whimpered back.
"Good." She sighed. If losing an arm wasn't bad enough, having him in horrible pain would be unbearable. When she reached for the bag she kept her hair-ties in, she couldn't find it. She'd left her dance bag in the studio, "Wait, Mama! My bag!" she cried before Elaine pulled too far out from the street.
Elaine let out a sigh,"Be quick, Orchid, I have places to be." Orchid took off for the studio, holding Tom in her arms. Intensely she whispered her chant, "I know that every time I say these words you become more alive, and Tom, I need your help." She quaked.
Tom nodded, more evenly than ever, "I'll always help you." His voice was no longer a windchime, it had increased volume to a murmur.
"Alright, if she wants to break Bill, then we'll break her." Orchid grit out through clenched teeth. She set Tom on the the second step of the staircase leading from the practice room to the changing room, "When she comes, just pull her slipper, and she'll come crashing down." Orchid snickered evily.
Tom was unsure, "Orchid, are you sure that's what she deserves?"
"She broke Bill!" Orchid exclaimed quietly. "She caused him pain, which I know hurts you as much as it hurts me."
Tom pondered for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh, "You'll need to say the prayer a few more times then." And so Orchid said the prayer from memory exactly three times. No more, no less. Tom walked freely now.
"So when she comes down, I just pull on her slipper, then what?" He asked unsure.
"I'll come get you and we run." Orchid stated matter-of-factly. She smiled as she stood at the top of the stairs, "Maddie, can you help me reach my bag? You're taller than me!" She knew a bit of flattery would work well. Sure enough, Maddie-Claire came barreling down the stairs, Orchid hid behind the door.
As Tom prepared himself to grab onto the slipper, a sensation of tingles flowed throughout his body. He was confused, but that was subsided once he caught sight of Maddie's feet. He gripped the edge of the silk fabric and pulled- pulled as hard as he was capable of. When he saw her tumbling down the stairs, a feeling of satisfaction filled him.
Orchid's small hand gripped his torso gently, "Let's go." And she ran for her mother's car, her dance bag slapping the backs of her knees. When she was buckled in, she put Bill's arm in the hair-tie bag for safe keeping. She ran her finger over his wound.
"I'm so sorry." She choked out, "I should've kept you at home."