After a moment Malina spoke in a much more carefree voice than the situation seemed to call for. "Well, I don't think she wants to talk to you.” As Malina said this, she adjusted herself in such a way that Lukaz was obstructed from The Dolls view.
Lukaz's eyes narrowed.
Malina didn't move an inch.
The tension in the room was so thick The Doll could feel it on her skin.
She ran through the scenario in her head numerous times and couldn't decipher the optimal outcome. Lukaz wanted her to come with him, and it would be proper for her to adhere to his wishes as his fiancée. However, Malina seemed very intent that The Doll not go with him, and as a royal, she was above him socially.
Suddenly a voice from behind her spoke up, “U-Uhm… PLEASE DON'T FIGHT.” Lila shouted out in her meek, high-pitched voice that rang against The Doll's ears.
Despite the loudness of her shout, the two didn't take their eyes off each other, seemingly not having heard Lila yell.
Lukaz looked over Malina's shoulder using his larger height to peek past her body block on The Doll. “I think I can decide what my fiancée wants now if you don't mind.” Lukaz said, taking a step forward.
Malina shifted once again to block his view and responded, "Well, I know what Dollie wants, and it's not to be with you.”
Lukaz’s face contorted into a more angry glare that The Doll had never seen cross his face, much opposed to the previous calm expression he had held. “If she wanted that, she would have said it. Now stop with this ridiculous insinuation.”
Was he under the impression she actually liked him?
Upon hearing this, Malina predatorily leaned closer. "Aw, what's wrong? Have you maybe heard this before?” The Doll couldn't understand. Was she trying to anger him? "Perhaps numerous people have already noticed what you haven't."
Lukaz’s hands clenched into fists at his side. “And what is that?” He said with a certain edge in his voice that reminded The Doll of Father's reprimands.
Malina leaned in even closer, getting on her tiptoes to properly match his height. “She. Hates. You." As she said this, she made sure to punctuate each word. She then leaned back to a normal standing stance and said, “And you can't handle that, so you refuse to acknowledge it."
Lukaz unclenched his fists and looked past Malina once again towards The Doll and opened his mouth as if to speak.
However, before he could, a stern voice suddenly echoed throughout the room, “Now I do believe that is enough of this unbecoming behavior. I am exceptionally disappointed in the three of you.” The Doll looked over to the source of this voice to see Sir. Aurum standing at the doorway with Lila next to him and a group of students from the next class behind the two.
She must have slipped away at some point when the argument got more heated.
Sir Aurum narrowed his gaze. “Now the four of you go off to class. I do have another class to teach.” As he said this, he turned to Lila and took a bow. “And I thank you for your alerting me of this unbecoming behavior. I will ensure that this tardy be stricken from your record.”
The Doll turned around and walked towards the doorway, grateful for any opportunity to escape that confrontation. As she walked, she could feel the gaze of both Malina and Lukaz pouring into her back as the two followed behind.
I was never asked what I actually wanted.
The four of them walked down the hall in complete silence. The Doll and Lukaz were on completely opposite sides, with Malina next to The Doll and Lila awkwardly standing between the two.
Despite the awkwardness, The Doll found herself much preferring the silence.
Unfortunately, Lila spoke up, ruining the blissful silence. "I-I'm sorry for in-informing the instructor Ma-Ma-Malina; it wasn't my place. I-I I ju-just.” She took a deep breath to steady herself. “I DIDN'T WANT ANYONE TO GET HURT.”
Malina shrugged and waved her hand. "It's not a big deal; I was going to take Dollie and leave shortly regardless. You didn't do anything wrong, Shyla.” Then she stopped walking and very improperly grabbed Lila’s shoulders. “And how could I possibly get mad at you or Dollie? You're both just too cute.” Lila's face got red for some reason as Malina continued to speak, “Unlike someone here.” She threw a sidelong glance towards Lukaz.
Lukaz clenched his fist but held his tongue despite the obvious insult as he kept walking along with The Doll, causing Malina to follow and leaving Lila to quickly collect herself and catch up.
Silence returned to the hallway for but a moment before Lukaz suddenly spoke up. “What if she hadn't wanted to go with you?” The question was directed at Malina.
Malina just giggled and said, “She obviously would've." Her tone sounded so certain despite The Dolls lack of confirmation.
Lukaz didn't back down. “But she didn't actually say that. It seems to me she only follows you out of a false sense of respect for your royal status.” He wasn't entirely wrong.
Malina once again dismissively waved her hand. “Even if that were true. Which it isn't.” She very purposely emphasized, “Shouldn't you adhere to this same sense of respect? After all, you're lower in standing than she is. I am royalty after all."
Lukaz simply said, “Hardly.” He provided no additional response, deciding to keep whatever opinion he had on Malina's royal status to himself.
This evidently annoyed Malina, who decided to prolong the conversation. "Well, it doesn't even matter; Dollie and I are friends. Real friends are something you wouldn't know.”
I've known you for less than a day.
Lukaz let out a slight chuckle whilst maintaining his noble composure. "Friends, you barely know her; I bet you don't even know a single thing about her.” He then took a deep breath and said, "What's her favorite color, Malina? What about her hobbies? Surely you know at least one thing she likes to do in her free time. Tell me a single thing about her that I don't know.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
I can't see color.
Malina responded with something The Doll could not make out as the world engulfed itself in quiet darkness.
I don't even have any hobbies.
Both of them they dont know me.
They poke and prod and claim to know what she wants, but they don't.
Nobody does.
“I don't understand why I associated myself with such people.”
What was that voice? It sounded so much like her own.
She looked around in an attempt to find the source of this voice, yet all she could see was darkness. Why was it so dark? She was just walking in the hallway, and now all that she could see was this void.
The Doll began to walk through this void in complete silence not even hearing the echo of her own footsteps. Despite her confusion she found this rather nice just pure silence yet she knew she couldnt stay here tenetaively she called out, “Hello?” Yet despite her speaking, not a sound escaped.
“Hello?” She tried again this time louder.
Silence.
“HELLO.” She tried again this time even louder.
Silence.
“HELLO!” She said again THIS TIME LOUDER.
Silence.
This was becoming concerning The Doll thought. She needed to get out of here, whatever was happening.
She needed out.
But did she want out?
This darkness, this silence, it was what she yearned for. To have no responsibilities, no constant noise from the outside world. To be embraced by this darkness, would it really be so bad?
No perhaps it wouldnt.
The Doll stopped walking and closed her eyes. It didn't change anything; all she could see was the darkness anyway. Yet this made her feel oddly at peace, as if she could simply rest forever.
Yet when she closed her eyes there was this light a contradiction of the darkness itself. A silhouette that glew so brightly it threatened to erase the darkness as a whole. A figure with twin drill pigtails a enigma in The Dolls simple life.
Why would she see her now?
Perhaps she needed answers. Perhaps she just wanted to see her again.
She wasnt sure why but she wanted out now she wanted to leave this comforting darkness.
She opened her eyes once more and simply said, “Hello.” This time her voice echoed throughout the endless void.
It bounced for a bit as though she shouted the word and eventually figure appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
Its skin was so pale it came off as white that almost melded into its pure simple white dress adorned with no form of embroidery. Its hair was silky and straight with black so dark it nearly blended into the void around them and so long it almost draped across the floor.
But the most disntect feature was this figures eyes. They werent gray or black or white.
They were blue.
A deep mesmerizing blue.
It was a color. The Doll could see a color. It was so… so beautiful.
The figure spoke without moving its mouth, “I seek the comforting quiet, yet for a reason I don't understand, I wish to escape it.” That voice sounded so much like her own.
The Doll collected herself and managed a reply, “Who are you?” She said cutting straight to the point pushing her shock at seeing color to the side.
The figure disappeared from The Dolls sight and reappeared even closer to her, being only inches away. “Surely I can recognize myself; it should be as though I am looking into a mirror." Its mouth once again did not move, and its eyes hadn't blinked.
This figure did look like her, but that wasn't possible. "No, who are you?" The Doll said in a question that resembled a statement.
The figure disappeared once again and this time appeared behind The Doll with its arms wrapped around her shoulder and its head leaning on her shoulder, similar to what Malina had once done to her. “I told myself already.” It reached down and picked up The Dolls hand brining it to eye level. “This is me.” It then dropped The Dolls hand leaving only its own hand in her view. “And this is me. We are the same.”
The Doll tried to move but found herself unable. "That's not possible. I am The Doll, the only doll. The only child of the Ashencroft line, it is my only identity.” Despite her saying this, she noticed an odd amount of uncertainty lacing her own voice.
In a single moment The Doll found her own position changing once again; the two of them were now both sitting on the ground directly across from each other with their hands interlocked. “You know you're right; I feel my own hand when I hold it like this.” It then disappeared again, now holding her once again whilst still sitting. “I feel my own skin when I hold you like this.” The figure's words echoed uncomfortably true against The Doll's heart.
“Stop.” This was all The Doll managed to say.
The Doll was moved again, this time lying on her back with this figure standing over her. “Am I at a loss for words? " The figure disappeared and reappeared once again, now mounted on top of The Doll. “I wish I could learn to accept me.” It moved once again, now leaning down inches from her face with its hair draping down over her head. “Learn to love myself.” It disappeared once again, reappearing even closer.
The Doll could only lie there and stare into the figure's eyes that perfectly mimicked her own in complete silence.
The Doll found herself moved once again, this time standing miles away from the figure. “But I won't. I can't accept myself. I can't love myself.” Her expression remained completely still.
The Doll took this distance to regain her composure and speak again. “You are not me. Nobody is me. Nobody can be me.” She then paused and said in a much quieter voice, “Because I am nobody. Nobody at all.”
Once again the two were moved. She did not lie on her side, being cradled by the figure. “I wish I wouldn't say such cruel things about myself. I wish I didn't hold such a deep hate for my inability to do something that day.”
It held The Doll even closer. “I wish I didn't blame myself for what I did to Mother.” The quite void somehow grew even quieter at these words.
The Doll felt a feeling she couldn't quite comprehend as she screamed a primal scream that didn't make a sound.
She thrashed and kicked, yet her body remained still.
Tears welled in her eyes, yet not a drop fell.
The Figure stayed the whole time holding The Doll as if it were a child in her womb. Its words cut through the silence of The Dolls scream, "It's okay; you needn't accept it. Not yet at least.” The two moved once again and found each other standing face-to-face.
Silence filled the void yet again as The Dolls' screams remained unheard. “I may call myself The Strings to my own doll. If that is what brings me comfort.” The figure that now called itself The Strings stated in a comforting voice not matching its still expression.
Screams remained unheard as The Doll thought a single thought.
I want out.
The black surroundings faded at this thought, and The Doll found herself completely still as if not a second had passed outside that void where The Strings resided.