The Doll Maker

3rd in the 'Zapped! 2001' competition

The Dolls – this unattractive old-fashioned sign caught the girl’s attention. It was a small shop, dirty windows, and the sign half missing. Contrary to its appearance, the shop was full of beautiful dolls – you could just see them slightly through the dirty windows. The girl tilted her head upwards. She read the sign again. The young girl loved dolls and her curiosity grew as she stood there. She turned the doorknob and stepped in.
She walked into the shop – eyes wide open, staring at every little doll that caught her eye. Her mind was zooming with thoughts and feelings. It was the happiest moment of her life. The girl walked around a couple times, until an old woman’s voice stopped her. “Can I help you little girl? Which doll do you like the best? Hmmm? Show me.”
The girl stood on the wooden floor, face expressionless. After a couple of seconds the girl slowly walked towards the doll she loved the most. She kept silent.
“Oh this is a beautiful doll, one of my favourites,” the old woman said in an agreeable tone. The old woman stared at the young girl and chuckled to herself quietly.
“Why don’t you follow me and I’ll show you how I make dolls.” She took the young girl to the workshop behind the store.
Potions, bottles and many different books covered the room from top to bottom. The room was dark and smelt dusty. The girl started feeling uncomfortable. The old woman collected a bunch of bottles and potions, along with a spell book. The girl started feeling even more scared. The lady was busy, wrapped up in her own world – chanting and laughing like an old witch. While she was preoccupied with her potions and chanting, the young girl quietly tiptoed out. She came into the other room full of dolls. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Before she recovered from the tense emotion, the dolls started making strange noises. They were whispering to the girl.
“Help me, please help me! We’re trapped!” The girl felt her heart pounding. She didn’t know what was going on. She was totally confused. To make things worse, the old woman returned.
“Excuse me, but what are you doing?” The old woman startled her.
“I was…just…leaving,” the girl quivered.
“So quickly? I don’t think so.”
The girl felt dizzy. The dolls were filling her mind. She rubbed her eyes with her hands. Something wasn’t right. She looked closely at her hands. They were turning white. Her clothes – she was now wearing a nightgown. Her messy hair was nicely plaited and tied with a blue silk ribbon. She felt sick and tired. She couldn’t walk properly. The lady walked up to her and grabbed her hand. At that time the girl dropped to the floor.
“Ah, a new doll for my collection,” the woman whispered.

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