The Awakening of the Dolls

Chapter Sixteen

Akira dodged out of the way, hiding behind one of the drooping leaves. At the same time, Rosemary regained the little strength she had left to right herself. Amelia tugged at the silk of her kimono as she tried to jump off the pot, pulling her back.

"No! Don't," Amelia pleaded. "You don't need to end her life. Haven't you noticed? Just being around your owner strengthens you and weakens her."

The statement surprised both Akira and the porcelain doll. "Maybe you're right," Rosemary admitted. "I didn't notice last time, since my previous owners were already sick or dying."

Akira breathed a sigh of relief, which turned to a sharp intake of terror as the porcelain doll made eye contact with her again. "Which means it'll be even easier to take her life. I was wasting my time trying to, when I could just remain near her."

Akira crouched to the ground, gripping the leaves tightly as Rosemary narrowed her eyes at her. She turned to the rag doll as she clutched the back of her clothes, the same way Akira did with her mother when trying to get her attention.

"Forget about humans," Amelia pleaded. "We were wrong to try to take their lives. Even if we're not completely alive, that doesn't matter, as long as we're together. Being with you makes me feel more alive than everything else."

"It makes me feel alive, too," Rosemary admitted, her voice softening. She lost some of her strength as she fell back onto the windowpane, her voice becoming low and strained again as her body stilled. "I feel more strengthened whenever I'm around you than around humans."

"We can be together forever. Away from the humans. Please... Mama?" The rag doll's eyes shone with a kind of life as she stared at the larger doll. Rosemary's eyes regained some of the life that had started to dull at the words, craning her head to stare at Amelia.

Akira's heart alternated between thudding with terror and racing with relief. She still wasn't able to decide when the porcelain doll slumped over, her eyes rolling back as she became stiff and lifeless again.

"No!" Amelia let out a cry, leaning over. "Not again. Please get up, Mama. You aren't completely alive, but you'll be fine in a few minutes. You don't need to end the girl's life." Then the rag doll began to stiffen as well, slumping over her mother.

Akira felt a strange mixture of overwhelming relief, slight disappointment, and panicked trepidation at the sight. The dolls weren't strong enough to be completely alive the same way humans were. They hadn't taken enough of Akira's life. But they would regain life in a little while, would stand back up and move again...

Despite her terror at the prospect, she was slightly moved by the sight she had witnessed. She almost wanted them to be happy together, if only so they'd leave her alone. She'd almost felt guilty for weakening the larger doll when she saw the smaller one pleading with her to wake up. They had never seemed more alive than at that moment. Like a real mother and daughter.

The next moment, Akira jumped as somebody barged into the garden. She raised her head to see that it was her mother, walking slowly and carefully in her hospital gown but brightening at the sight of the plants.

"Mama!" Akira jumped out from her hiding place, making her mother jump as she wrapped her arms around her. "You... you're back. Are you ready to leave now?" She prayed that the answer was yes.

"It's nice to see you too, honey." Mrs. Miyamoto kissed her daughter's head. "To be honest, the doctors say I'll need to stay here for another day, but I can't stand the thought of being stuck here much longer. The truth is... I snuck off while they weren't looking."

"What?" Akira pulled back to stare up at her mother. "Really?"

Mrs. Miyamoto nodded sheepishly. "Your father told me you were here. I think this proves that I'm doing better than they thought. And you wandered off the same way, didn't you?"