Love Helps Life

Forever Falling

When the walls close in, what do you think about? The world outside? Certain death?

For Lou, it was the first. For three years now, he had been the butt of everyone's jokes. He meant nothing. The other dolls saw him as nothing.

Sitting in his new house, [he had no idea what had happened to his mansion.] he pondered his new life. Wake up, sweep, clean, clean some more, sleep, rinse, repeat. His everyday life consisted of nothing but.  

Lou pondered. He had nothing else to do. He lay on his bed, in the Supply Shed, and carefully fingered his wounds. It had been three years, and he was still subjected to surprise beatings. He'd been washing windows, brooding, and generally minding his own business, when they attacked. They pinned him down, and tore at his clothes, his hair, and littered the street with stuffing. He didn't even try to fight them. At this point, he was just happy that the Supply Shed was stocked with all the extra stuffing a doll could ever want.

Wincing as he stitched a hideous rip in his arm, Lou seethed. He had once been THE doll. And yet, the only happiness he could find was taken away from him. At this point, he was just another doll...another doll who could never achieve his dream. He had the same dream as any doll on earth; to go to the Big World, and meet his child. But no, he just had to be a prototype.

"It isn't fair," he growled again. "How can a bunch of rejects be allowed to go to the Big World, when I can't? How come no one understands?!" He was screaming now. Whirling toward the wall, he started to punch, letting out all the injustice. He pondered; why couldn't he just be another doll in the bunch? Why did he have to be the one doll that no one liked?

Why did he feel so awful about it?

Sighing, Lou stopped punching the wall. He'd been doing that for months, and it wasn't getting him anywhere. He looked around. Everything was the same; the crates, the boxes, the barrels that he didn't bother going through. The cleaning supplies that awaited him in the corner for this afternoon's labor. The door, that he only went through twice; once in the morning, and once in the afternoon.

He was hated. By dolls and humans alike. And he felt guilty about it.

He knew he'd made some mistakes. But, he also knew there was no chance of forgiveness. Sighing once more, he silenced those thoughts, and  lay down to sleep. He had a long afternoon of cleaning to do.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and a familiar voice floated through; "hey, Lou? Can I come in?" Lou rolled his eyes as the rabbit-thing, not waiting for an answer, let himself in. Ox sat on the bed, and turned to face his old friend. "Hey, Lou. You okay?" There was no answer. Lou stared at the wall, away from his former friend. Every time he looked at Ox, he felt like crying.

Ox tried again. "You know, you don't have to sit in here all day. You can do other things, like any other doll." He heard a sound coming from the prototype, and turned. "You wanna come hang out with me for a while?" For a moment, Lou didn't answer. Then, he rose from his bed, not facing Ox, but sitting up anyway. The rabbit-thing smiled. "Hey! Atta-boy, Lou!" He patted LOu's shoulder. "I knew you were still in there!"

"Like any other doll..." Ox paused. "What's that?" Lou tensed, his fists clenching. "Like any other doll..." he repeated. He started to laugh, repeating the phrase over and over, uncontrollably. Ox bit his lip, nervously. "Um..." Before he could respond, Lou whipped around to face him. "Like any other doll!" He screamed. "I'm not any other doll! I'm not a doll at all!" Ox jumped. He hadn't expected this sudden outburst. "Now, Lou..." Lou cut him off. "I was never mad for love, okay? Or can someone like YOU,  loved by everyone you know, not understand?" Ox glance at the floor, unsure of what to say. Lou continued without notice. "Every doll needs to be loved. I'M NOT A DOLL! I'M SORRY, OKAY?" Frowning, Ox cautiously stepped toward Lou. "Sorry? what for?" Lou grabbed his shoulders. "GET OUT! GET OUT! I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP! I DON'T NEED TO HEAR YOU RUBBING IT IN! YOU WON! I LOST! I'M NOT STUPID! I GET IT, ALRIGHT?" without waiting for an answer, Lou  shoved Ox out the door, and barricaded it behind him. The rabbit stood frozen. He'd never seen Lou act like that before. It was as if...Lou no longer trusted him.