The Doll

Just a doll. Nothing more.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful doll. She had porcelain skin and long, flowing blonde hair. This special doll was alive. She could blink and sleep and wake up. She could have dreams, have thoughts, and speak-though heaven forbid she share any of these, for she was a doll. A beautiful doll whose one job was to be beautiful in appearance and in her actions. She had to listen and do all that she was told, for that was the condition of love. 

The doll had secret thoughts. They were secret because nobody ever listened to them. She liked black, but wore bright colors as she was told. She disliked crowds but spoke in them as she was told. She liked quiet moments when she could read, but she was surrounded by events. All around her the voices of her owner told her what to do. "Be like me!" it called, "Do what I want!"

"You are nothing more than a doll so become what I see as beautiful in a doll."

"Because you are beautiful I will be your friend. Careful not to let your ugliness show."

Surrounded by these voices that she couldn't escape hatred started to boil deep within the hollow shell that she was. Except she wasn't hollow. She couldn't be. She could think. She could laugh. She could smile and dream and wonder. But people around her seemed to think she was. They kept filling her with more of what they wanted to. Little did they know they were only filling her with hatred. A hatred so deep that it threatened to destroy the strands of twine that controlled her. 

Little by little. Drop by drop. Her heart was filled with anger and resentment. "I can speak!" 

"Ugly."

"I have beliefs."

"Stupid."

"I like this!

"Such a waste. You are a doll. Look beautiful and be what I want. There is nothing more that you need."

And as tears glistened in her glass eyes she let her head fall. The painful words weren't supposed to hurt her. For she was a doll. Nothing more.

"No... I am not a doll," her eyes glazed with anger that shadowed the pain, "I am not," and she turned and walked away. Far away from those controlling her. Far away from what they saw as lovely. Far away from the false love she received by obedience.

The string was broken. 

Reviews

[Aella Magne]

It's such a refreshing and wonderful story!

At first, from the title up to the first few lines, I thought it was going to be a horror story about the doll getting her revenge. But, this is even better!
I love how you used the doll to illustrate the people - especially girls - and the society and their family's expectations of them. And it really is saddening that such events like having to maintain beauty and social expectations and to keep putting on masks and pretending to be something else to be 'accepted' is strife in our world now.
I loved how you showed that all the others' taunts and insults didn't bring the doll down and instead made her stronger and more determined, and inspired her to speak up. And how you showed that if speaking up won't work with those kinds of people, then it's time to leave them and be really yourself rathen than stay and live forever pretending

Strings can break. We can choose to be free. I love it!

[KanaDream]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed the message I was trying to get across. ^^

[Pancake Bunnykins]

Lovely story. It simply shows how people's expectations affect a certain individual. It's sad in real life.

[Nadia Gerassimenko]

No wonder there's so many haunted and possessed dolls out there today! All the hatred we put into them, causing the demons to come alive!

Very fresh and compelling story. A perspective from the doll! That is alive with consciousness and feelings. We think that just because inanimate objects don't talk or move that they don't feel. I can't really say if they do in fact, but wouldn't that be grand? Doesn't matter if it is an inanimate object or not, we should think before we speak. Fill holes with love, not hatred.

[Dara]

Your story paints a picture that is sad but too often true. The words just flow and your images are vivid. Great job!

[KanaDream]

Thank you so much for your comment! It really means a lot to me! ^^

[Reichel]

Are you the Doll?

[Dara]

Hi, I am not sure if you are asking me or the author, but I can definitely relate to much of what is written here.

[Reichel]

Oh I was asking the author.Made a mistake!xD

[KanaDream]

The doll is based after real events so I guess it could be looked at that I am. ^^