Doll House

XIV. The Road (Pt.1)

 Throughout his life, the old man was marked by uncertainty. Long before the loss of his son, he'd struggled with making choices and even worse, the choices he'd already made. And he stood now, in the early morning, looking at his collection of salvaged toys and wondered if perhaps he wouldn't be better off just staying here, after all.

He didn't know what hid inside those woods and he wasn't particularly interested in finding out. But he'd promised and it was funny, because he hadn't expected he'd miss the toys so much. For months, he'd felt it coming. Retirement. And he thought he'd made his peace with that. But now, faced with the very real possibility of never seeing them again, he hesitated. Maybe they wouldn't go after all, or maybe he should wait until Miss Francine sent word again. The only trouble was, Miss Francine might not need him again for many months to come. Maybe not until the next year and he couldn't wait so long. He couldn't delay his promise to the doll for so long.

The Overall Man knew that place well. In all the years he'd lived here, not many children had tried to run away from there, and even less had come out through on the other side of the forest. Something truly terrible must've happened to make the girl run and chances were, she didn't have many months to spare in there.

No. There were no more choices to be made. Just consequences to be dealt with. He passed by each toy, which made the morning interminable. He would lay a hand on some and pat them gently on the head, smooth their hear back or bring them up to his old lips to kiss.

He'd cared for them all, deeply. You couldn't do what he did otherwise, all the long hours in that hard chair, all the mistakes and having to start all over again, when he would've much rather gone to bed. He'd loved each misshapen puppet, each discolored figurine.

"We must go now."

She hadn't meant it as an interruption, more of a gentle reminder. The clock was ticking and if they didn't get going soon, they would miss yet another day.

"Yes, yes, don't rush me. I've spent most of my life here. Sometimes, it feels as if I've spent all of it in this very room, on that very chair."

And it was true in a way, and not just after he'd come here. Part of him had always felt like it was waiting for something to happen, for him to arrive somewhere he was meant to be. And now he knew that place was here.

He picked up Tara, held her at eye-level.

"Are you ready?"

But before she could say anything, another voice answered for her.

"I'm ready, too."

The Overall Man looked up tentatively. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because. I need you to stay here and look after the others."

"And how do you propose I do that?' the bear scoffed. 'Besides, that's all I've done for years. It's the only thing I ever do, just look at the others, watch you bring in new toys and work on them and listen to the same story over and over. I've earned my place on this venture."

"Yes, perhaps you have," the old man smiled."But this trip is a very dangerous one. I wouldn't risk your safety."

"Oh, so I can stay here instead and wait for someone to find us? And what if that never happens? It'll be a good long while until anyone comes looking. You barely leave the house other than to go up to the orphanage. It'll be weeks until someone comes to look for you. And besides, what have I got to look forward? For some child to drag me around and then forget me on some shelf or up against some pillow somewhere? Pat me occasionally on the head so they feel better about growing up? I've done that, if you remember. And not just once. I want to come with you. If whatever it is out there gets you, I want it to get me, too. At least it'll be something worth remembering."