This originally was its own story seperated by 4 chapters. BUT since it's so short, it could be pasted into one chapter and so here it is. Enjoy <3

I found her at a yard sale. As I browsed through the tattered old books, the corner of my eye caught the shining of her stunning white dress. Her downturned lips almost called out to me, begging me to buy her. I picked her up with gentle hands and looked deep into her grey eyes. She was beautiful and the best thing was she looked like me with my own blonde hairstyle. This will be perfect for my next photo shoot.

“How much for the porcelain marionette,” I asked. The girl who sat at the pay table called her father over.

“Hey, dad! What’s the price for grandmother’s doll?” The teen chewed her gum obviously bored and dying to get out of the sun.

“How did she get out here? I told your mother not to… Never mind.” I stood there awkwardly as her father tried to decide how to price the doll. “For my mother’s handcrafted puppet, how about twenty-eight bucks?”

“Make it ten and you have a deal.” I smiled and raised my eyebrows. Even twenty-eight dollars would have been a deal for her. She was in mint condition, beautiful and exceptionally made. But I am a yard sale addict and could get anything for much less.

“Twenty.”

“Done.” I took out my brass studded wallet and handed him 2 wrinkled tens. I could have bargained for less but the father looked reluctant enough as it was to let go of the string-puppet. I placed her carefully in the paper bag they offered and walked to my car. I felt like I had just scored a great deal.

After hitting a few more yard sales on that summer day, I headed home with a brand new passion. I had just been inspired by that little doll so much, I can already tell I my new pictures will enhance my portfolio. These still-life portraits with the aid of some digital editing could finally get me somewhere. as a photographer.

I parked my car and unloaded my purchases one by one carefully into my small studio apartment. I placed my new little star on her new little rocking chair. She looked creepy and adorable. What a great concept!

Staying up later than usual with my nonexistent social life, I watch movies until I fell asleep. I dreamt of doll houses and silk lined boxes. It was so peaceful.

When the morning shone light into my sleepy eyes, I woke. Night passes too quickly in my opinion. I sat up in bed and wiped at my sleepdirt. Sunday meant no alarm clock. I quickly showered and started on my photo shoot.

The marionette, whom I had taken to calling Molly, was my center of attention today. She was perch on my bed while I set up her wallpaper backdrop and rocking chair.

I placed the marionette on the wooden chair and frowned. The chair looked so big compared to her. It threw off the whole shot. I rifled though some of my other things and found the perfect decorative pillow to lay behind her. I plumped her pillow and positioned her chair. She had to have the best.

“There.” I sat back and admired my work. She looked so dainty and regal. Her lace covered feet poked out from beneath her white organza dress. In a sudden mood of inspiration, I grabbed a fine point sharpie and added one dot beneath each of her eyes. Her blonde bangs hid her black eyebrows but framed her silver eyes so majestically. She had the most beautiful hair...

She was flawless.

I stood and took pictures from all sorts of angles. Every shot of hers seem to come alive. Her large eye sparkled with joy. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was smiling more and more by every second.

Looking through the photos, I saw exactly that.

Being 22 years of age, I should know better than to believe in anything supernatural but this doll had me fixed. Molly had changed facial expressions during the photo shoot. I haven’t altered any of my pictures yet there she was impassive in one shot and smiling the next. I peered closer at the doll. Her closed-mouth smile was harmless. She was too beautiful to be sinister.

I shook my head and left the house. Maybe fresh air would do me good.

After a walk around the park with my camera taking nature shots, I drove my car home and unlocked my door. If Molly was anything out of the ordinary, she would have had to do something —move something, go somewhere— in order for me to believe. The house was normal and she was in the same spot as she was when I left.

I hung Molly on display on my opened closet door. She added a sense of elegance to the room. I sat on my floor and stared at her. She was gorgeous. If I was a dude, and she was a real woman, I think I might have fallen in love.

Then I saw her finger twitch.

I screamed to no one and scrambled back until I could move any farther. My head banged painfully against my dresser, causing my vision to blur slightly. I felt my head buzz with pain as I watched the marionette lift her hand.

“Are you alright, Mistress?”

This time I yelled louder and jumped up, banging my head again. Damn it, I have to stop doing that. Molly began to wiggle on her wires still hanging on my closet door. I stared in disbelief as she stretched her arms and legs, getting a feel for moving.

“What… But… How?” The doll smiled at my attempts to speak and sighed sweetly.

“It takes love for a doll to come alive," she said. "You love me and I love you.”

Speechless. I could not put into words how I truly felt. First and foremost, I wanted to tell her that her explanation would only work on a three year old. Second, horror crossed my mind. Have I gone mad? Was this doll truly alive? Thirdly, I was calm. A part of me wanted her to be here. That part, however, was small and horror won out.

“No.” I cringed and cowered in the corner and stared at her while she looked around the room curiously. Her hair messed itself on the door as her head moved about and her dress hung over her moving legs. “You can’t be real.”

“Why can’t I, Mistress?” Her voice sounded sweeter than a vanilla cupcake.

“Stop calling me Mistress! And because dolls can’t talk!” I was screaming at a doll. I had lost my mind.

“I am a marionette.” She tried to tilt her head but her top string held her firmly in place. “Would you mind terribly in helping me down?” I nodded my minding and stayed where I was.

“Please help me, Mistr—I mean, Anna. Please help me down, Anna.” Her smile faded into a sad frown. My perfect doll had come to life; the least I could do was help her.

After five minute of forcing myself over to the opposite wall, I held her hand between my fingers. Her skin was still cold like porcelain but her fingers moved smoothly. I jerked my hand back and shuddered.

“Please don’t be frightened, Anna.” I shivered when she said my name.

“You know, I think I prefer Mistress.”

“Very well then," her head perked up with the knowledge. Please, do not fear me, Mistress Anna.”

I stood up, very slowly and reached for her crossbar. Once I had the thing off the door, I lowered her to the ground and placed the wooden thing behind her.

“Oh, how good it feels to be free of the stiffness. Thank you, Mistress. Thank you!” She twirled around with her new freedom as I watched, convinced I was dreaming.

When the shock wore down and I started to accept the weirdness, Molly told me of her life, or lack thereof. She remembers painting a porcelain face —her face— and lots of coughing. She was an elderly lady. With her last look and breath, she gazed into her marionette’s face and smiled. The next thing she knew, she had woken up on the yard sale table with a young blonde woman with bangs looking at her curiously.

I took in what she told me and sighed. What would I do if I had woken up, unable to move in something else’s body?

I put Molly back on the rocking chair. She said it reminded her of when she had a body. The movement soothed her to sleep. She had an old soul. I smiled in spite of myself. She was a living doll. My living doll.

I don’t know when I fell asleep but I do remember waking up. Molly wasn’t in the rocking chair. She had gotten up during the night and moved to the bed. For some reason, I had fallen asleep on the floor.

I stood up and stretch. My wrists and ankles kept tingling. I shook off the feeling and made myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast.

“Good morning, Mistress Anna.” I jumped at the sound of her voice. I half expected yesterday to be a fluke and that I had only dreamed Molly had come to life. But to my surprise, she stood two feet tall beside me holding her crossbar.

“Right... 'Morning.” I tried to get my breathing back to normal as she climbed the cabinets and drawers to the counter top.

“What are we to do today, Mistress? I do love the movies you watch. Or perhaps a game?” I shook my head quickly.

“I have work to go to. You can stay here and watch some movies, I guess.” The doll frowned but nodded. After showing her how to work the laptop, I sat it in front of her along with a pile of movies and headed for the studio.

Hardly anyone showed up for pictures that day. There was a couple who wanted pictures with their new baby and a girl getting photos for her sweet sixteen. The rest were orders from previous appointments. All in all, that day gave me a lot of time to think about my secret at home.

I couldn’t tell anyone. Who would I have to tell except my customers and coworkers? And even then I would surely be marked off as insane and be in the mental ward of the hospital by the end of the week.

What if I got rid of her? I threw that right out of the window. I’ve watched too many horror movies to know the marionette would come back for me with a vengeance.

As I left work for home, I decided to keep her. Stopping and making a right, I headed to the mall to find some new clothing for my Dolly Molly.

When I got home, it was dark outside but I felt good with my new things for Molly. Also the number from the cute guy and the large cheese fries might have had something to do with it. I opened the door and tried to step inside.

“Anna!” I jumped and nearly dropped all of my bags at the sight of her. My little marionette stood by the crack of the door holding a pair of scissors in her hands. Her eyes seemed larger than normal and her face was racked with worry. “Thank goodness you’re home, Mistress. I was so lonely.”

I pushed my way past her cautiously and clicked on the lights. My jaw dropped when I saw the mess she had made while I was away. My sheets and curtains had been ripped and cut to shreds. The floor was littered with pieces of cloth and bits of thread. Movies were thrown in a pile on the bed. My apartment was a pigsty.

“What did you do?!” I put the bags down and looked at my linens. Most of my sheets had been cut up but my old Dalmatian bedspread had been left in peace, along with my towels. “What the fuck did you do?”

“I wanted to make you a dress but I couldn’t go to get fabric. But when I opened the closet door, I found this beautiful black silk, these white sheers and those black and white pattern pieces. Isn’t it lovely Mistress?” Molly went to get the new gowns she had sewn. Her crossbar dragged behind her, scraping the floor with an eerie sound. The marionette held up her work. I admit they were incredible dresses but what she had done was unacceptable.

“Molly, you destroyed my apartment. And my sheets! How Am I going to pay for this? Maybe I should take all these back tomorrow. I still haven’t opened any of them...” I put the bags on the top shelf and looked at the porcelain figure. She looked like she would cry if she had the tears. I hated seeing her like that. “Well, maybe you can keep one outfit.”

Even as I said it I knew I was being a pushover. An hour later, she was going through her new wardrobe and trying on every single thing.

“I love this one Mistress. Oh, you do have a great eye for clothing.” She was wearing a lavender gown with silver rosettes on them. The silver collar framed her face so elegantly that I couldn’t wait for her next surprise. Turning her face from the mirror, she looked at me with beaming eyes. “Now it is your turn for your dresses.”

“My dresses?” I looked at the gowns she had made me and tried to smile. They were a little too gothic for my style but I stepped into the black one anyways and tied the lace in the back. I looked at the final product and gasped. The dress fit perfect. “Wow, how did you make it?”

“You had thread and needles in you photography kit Mistress.”

“You went through my camera bags?” I wanted to say I was shocked but with everything else, I was too numbed to be surprised. I shifted the strapless top and admired my figure. “It really is amazing.”

I turned around and saw her climbing into a matching creation. She pulled up her disconnected sleeves and fixed the tutu.

“Look Mistress! We match.” Having a mini replica quickened my breath. She was freaking me out a little too much tonight. I suppressed my fears and pasted on a fake grin while getting out her last present.

“And this is the grand finale.” I took a large box with black and grey paisley sides out of the last bag and placed it in front of her. “Tada!”

The marionette stared at me expectantly. I unwrapped the black ribbons and opened the lid for her.

“I do not understand, Mistress. Where is the present?” She crawled closer to the box and felt the inside.

“No, little Dolly Molly, this is the gift. It is your new home.” I lifted her up and placed her in the silk lined box. She ran her hands over the pink material and fidgeted around. I smiled as she tried to lie down. It was the perfect size for her height. “Do you like it? Now you have your own bed.” I put the doll box on the ground and grabbed the trash can to start cleaning up.

“No.” My head turned to face a very angry doll. “You want to pack me into a box? I will not hear of it. No, no, no, no, no!” She jumped out of the box and stamped her feet.

“But I—“

“NO!” The doll got out of the box and grabbed the scissors. “You cannot be my Mistress if you plan of stuffing me away.” The scissors shined in the orange glow of my lights, terrifying me.

“You’re a doll! You do what I say.” I was backing away from the porcelain figure slowly coming towards me.

“I was your marionette. Now, I do what I please!”

Backing up, my foot slipped on some remnants of material and sent me flying backwards. My head hit my dresser once more causing me to black out. The last thing I saw was little Dolly Molly putting down the scissors, rubbing my head and whispering strange words.

“I do love my stitchery, don’t you, Anna?” My head felt groggy and my wrists and ankles burned. I felt cold wind rush past me as I woke up slowly in someone’s arms. “And I do believe you wear black better than I do.”

My eyes tried to focus and see where the voice was coming from. Who was holding me? I tried to form words but my mouth hurt to move.

“It will all be well, Anna. You’ll see.” I felt myself lowered and placed on my back carefully. “This is your new home. Sleep tight little one. And when you wake, you will find your new life.”

I woke up somewhere soft and warm. I tried to open my eyes but it was as black as my closed lids. The silky material around me sent shivers down my spine. What had Molly done to me? My limbs remained motionless and my mouth wouldn’t move. I tried to scream out for help but my body wouldn’t let me.

Suddenly the lid of the box opened up.

“We found this little puppet at a yard sale and thought she looked so beautiful. Just like our little princess Scarlett. Happy birthday!” Scarlett lifted me out of the box and looked at me with her hazel eyes peeking out beneath her blonde bangs.

“Wow, she’s beautiful. I love her!”

I felt my fingers soften and my mouth twitch into a smile.