Broken Doll

Prologue

I lifted my face to the wind and took a deep breath. The smells of nature washed over me. I didn't know where I was, but my surroundings were calm and peaceful, free even, much different from the usual, tense surroundings of life in Docharia.

I moved forward. I was surrounded by green on either side, tall trees that I have only seen in movies and read about in the Old Books. Birds and other small animals called out in the stillness of the day. Sunlight broke through the canopy and lit my path.

I walked barefoot over the undergrowth. The moss was soft and damp. I didn't know where I was going, but it didn't really matter. I would figure it out sooner or later. I just wanted to enjoy the sights and sounds and smells while it lasted. Who knows how long this would last.

The sound of falling water filled my ears in the distance. I moved a brisker pace, trying to reach the sound. I had never seen a waterfall before. The idea of seeing such a sight thrilled me, and the sense of curiosity that had taken hold of me multiple times in my childhood flared up. I missed that feeling, being that each time I shared it with anyone, they would tell me to contain it. But no one said a word and I continued on my way.

I reached a large clearing arched by overhanging branches. Just ahead was a cliff. I moved towards it slowly. When I reached the edge, I looked down and my breath caught in my throat.

Crystal clear water cascaded down the hillside into a glistening pool at the bottom. The pool spanned out a short distance until it reached the doors of a white castle. The castle's spears twisted high into the clouds, and the exterior appeared polished and well-kept.

Figuring it was safe and not caring if it wasn't, I lept from the cliff and laughed blissfully as I fell from the high grounds and down the slope of the waterfall. I landed with a soft splash in the pool below and let it carry me to the opposite shore where the castle stood.

I climbed out of the pool and dried in the sun before approaching the castle. It glistened and sparkled in front of me almost like a mirage. When I reached the doors, I lifted my hand to open the great wooden panels, but before I had the chance, they opened themselves.

I was startled for a second. But once the doors were fully opened, it became clear the means by which they opened. On the other end, standing straight and proper on the marble floors, stood a girl of my apparent age and height. She wore a white dress that hung loosely around her knees. She had pale skin accentuated by long blonde hair that trailed to the middle of her back. She had clear blue eyes and beautiful features. The only flaw apparent on her otherwise smooth and clean skin was a large, blood-red spot that took up half of her neck.

When she spoke, her voice was calm and had an almost musical sound to it.

"Who are you?"

It took me a second to find my own voice. When I did, it came out cracked and slow.

"My name is Victoria," I said quietly. "Everyone calls me Tori."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tori," the girl said, stepping aside and waving her arm to invite me inside. "My name is Clarielle."

I stepped inside and Clarielle closed the door behind me. "Is this your castle?" I asked, in awe.

"I guess it is, in a way." Clarielle turned her clear eyes on me. "I wish it wasn't."

She gestured to her surroundings. The outward appearance of the castle was stunning. The inner appearance, however, was dismal. Everything within was broken and tattered. It seemed as if the castle had been abandoned for years, with only groundskeepers tending to the outside keeping it in existence. Otherwise, the castle and everything in it was left to ruin.

"Tell me, Tori..." Clarielle's voice was somber. She studied me carefully. I said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

"Have you ever felt like an outcast?"