Once upon a time, a rich man owned a priceless china doll. He loved the china doll so much that he kept her inside a box in a safe everyday, and he trusted no-one with the key to it except himself. 

Now, he did not know this, but the doll was alive. She only came alive when he went away, but each day when he was gone and she came alive, she always woke up inside a box. Trapped. Alone.

And so each day when the man was away, she woke up feeling alone for she was all by herself; she had no-one to talk too. 

The owner's routine was to unlock the safe and take out the box and open it, and take her out and clean her at the end of the day for he trusted no-one but himself. After he had done all that, he would put her back inside the box and inside the safe, and go and lock the door to the room that she had to stay in. 

But one day, he forgot to shut the door to the room. Now, this same man owned a cat - a male cat. And this cat - goodness gracious, this cat was jealous of whoever or whatever was getting the man's attention. For the cat had noticed for weeks that the man always, always went inside 'The Room' and stayed there for a long time, everyday. And so, dear readers - this cat was jealous, but ... he was also, curious. 

And at the time when the man forgot to shut the door, the cat noticed that the man had forgotten to close the door to 'The Room,' as he called it. And now! Now, he could find out what the mysetry was, and maybe . . . some answers to his questions.

But alas! How annoyed and disappointed he was when he saw nothing, but a library full of books and a giant desk at the side of the room, filled with what he thought was human's trash and just a safe. An expensive safe in the middle of the room, but that seemed to be nothing. 

And so, with an indignant puff for having found nothing, he stalked to the door and was about to leave when he heard something ... he stopped in his tracks and listened and when he listened, he heard sobs. Chokes of sadness, and tears falling.

For the doll was in grief. For she thought she was alone, and she felt alone. She was stuck inside her "home."

The cat listened. And dear people, I think I should let you all know that this cat tried not to feel and he was always, sarcastic; but when he heard the doll's cries, his heart stirred and melted a bit. His whiskers twitched for he was not sure what to do, but one thing he was quite sure about was that a living creature was inside that humongous box or safe as humans called it, in the middle of the room. 

But what had stirred in him and which had not stirred in him in such a long time, stirred again. And he followed his heart. He followed what he felt what he had do. 

"Are ..." he started to say, but he said it softly. Annoyed with himself for being too quiet, he began again by asking whomever was trapped in that wretched box, "Are you alright?"

The doll stopped crying, surprised. She was sure yet not sure at the same time ... but she thought she had heard a voice. So, she listened. 

And the cat - the cat did not want to quite admit it, but he was starting to get worried. Not just rather worried, but very worried. And again, he meowed, "Are you alright?" 

And this time, the doll heard his voice. She was still shocked, but this time, she answered back timidly, "I ... I suppose I am. But who is this or who are you, if I may ask?"

The cat gave a soft, throaty purr and told the doll, "I am a cat who wandered into this room to see if I could find answers to my questions that were in my mind, and who maybe you be, I ask?" And as he told her this and asked her who she was, he thought that she had sweet voice.

She smiled when she heard his laughter ... there was something in his laughter that she was drawn too. This was the first time she had ever heard of laughter. She thought laughter sounded lovely ... it had such nice sound to it. She was not quite sure where to quite put her dainty finger on it, but she was sure that laughter ... that this kind of beautiful laughter sounded somewhat similar to soft ringing bells.

"I am a doll," she told the cat, her smile in her voice. But then her smile faded as she said her next words, "I am a doll who has been trapped in this box for ... what seems to be forever," she said quietly; and the sadness crept back in her voice. 

The cat was silent for a few moments, saddened because she was. "What is your name?" he asked her after a few moments of silence.

And the doll ... the doll thought for a few moments and then replied back, "It has been years since I've used my own name  ... but I think my name is Sinomine." She was still for a few minutes, when she repeated his question to her back to him.

"What is your name, my friend?" she asked, waiting. Waiting for the voice that she had heard for the first time in years.

And the cat answered gently, "My name is Amicum." When suddenly, he heard the footsteps of the man at a distance. 

"I must go now, Sinomine," he told her anxiously as he scrambled quickly to the door for he didn't want the human to see him.

"Will you come back again, sometime? Please?" Sinomine begged, scared to be alone again, now that she had talked with someone for the first time in years. 

Though, Amicum could not see her, he turned his head towards where her voice came from and promised, "I will. I promise."