A Fairy Tale

A short story about a girl trying to get home.

Amy was distressed. She hadn't meant to hurt her mother's feelings, but she had. She had no idea why her mother was lying on her bedroom floor- hyperventilating. Clutching a small wooden box as a gentle melody wafted through the air. She touched her mother on the shoulder, “Mama..? What's wrong?” The woman just lay there for a moment, letting the music envelope her for a few more seconds. Then she responded.

“Don't ever touch this, Amy! If you break it I- I don't know what I'd do.” As she got back up to her feet and crossed the room she continued. “Your father gave me this the Valentine's day before- well, that's not important.” She opened the closet and put the music box on the top shelf, out of reach. “I mean, look around. You've got all these toys that you could play with- any one of them! Just... just leave the music box alone.” She closed the closet door with an audible thud, and then she departed the room; leaving poor Amy alone with her toys.

Her mother had been right about one thing; there were a lot of other toys to play with. There was a veritable army of toy soldiers in the corner, there was her writing desk that she never wrote on, and there was Amy the Doll- her pristine porcelain skin, and immaculately blue eyes reflected Amy's face as she picked her up. She held Amy Doll to her chest and started to cry.

She closed her eyes and made a wish- she just wanted her mother to love her again- the way she had before her father went away... “It's ok, Amy... it's going to be ok.” The voice was not that of her mother, but someone new. Amy looked up with surprise- but not fear- into the vibrant blue eyes of her doll, but she wasn't a doll anymore. She was a beautiful woman- her raven black hair flowed gently around her shoulders as she smiled back at Amy.

“Dolly?”

“That's me... I'm here for you.” She was a lot taller now than she had been. She put Amy down on the ground, but the floor was somehow different. Where a rough, matted carpet had once been a new earthy material now resided. Amy looked around in surprise as she realized where she was. She had been transported into an enchanted forest of some kind. “Amy,” Dolly's eyes were serious. “There's something we need to talk about.”

“Where am I!?” Amy was upset, she didn't really want it all to go away- she wanted her room back, she wanted her mother.

“We're in the enchanted forest, but don't worry.” She took Amy's hand. “I'm going to take you home.” The two began to walk together. The forest wasn't like any that Amy had seen, at least in real life. The trees seemed to be painted into the skyline, being made of vibrant shades of brown and green that never occur in real life. A bird, quite unlike any bird that Amy had ever seen, landed on a painted branch and began to squawk out a tune- an eerily familiar melody that wafted on the breeze like- sunshine.

“Where are we going?” Amy looked up at her guardian. Dolly didn't acknowledge her at first; she seemed to be looking for something in the foliage.

“I don't know, I'm just a doll.”

“But if you don't know where we're going... then how are we going to get there?” Amy looked at her shoes. They were made of a reflective black plastic; her feet were beginning to hurt.

“I was thinking we could ask the master wizard, Pen.” Dolly seemed to have given up on finding whatever she thought she had heard. “He usually knows these things.”

“Where is he?” Amy was a precocious child- sometimes sounding rude, but she never meant to be.

“By the clearing, in the tower of Desk.” Amy had no idea where any of those places were, but she didn't want to seem ignorant. She politely smiled the smile of knowing, and let her guide take her further. Suddenly she stopped. “Did you hear that?” Amy didn't acknowledge her. She hadn't heard anything. “Quick, get down!” The two dove to the ground. Dolly pulled up part of the ground and covered them with it; it was just a painted canvas! Then Amy heard them. At first the sound was soft, but it got louder and louder as they came closer.

“Who are they?” Amy asked. Then she saw them. There were a lot of them; dozens. They all moved like clockwork, and stared through unseeing eyes.

“The toy soldiers.” The green men stood in formation for a moment. One with binoculars grafted to his hand was barking orders, but it just sounded like a growl to Amy. “They've been sent from the closet cave to find you.”

“Why?”

“I don't know.” Dolly looked down. “Close your eyes, Amy... they'll be gone soon.”

“But I don't-” Dolly covered her face and held her close. Amy couldn't see, but Dolly was scared. She stared, unblinkingly at the soldiers as they tortured a stuffed rabbit to death in the clearing. He didn't know anything, he just kept screaming “I don't understand you,” but the plastic man wouldn't take that- he slowly sawed into the rabbit's chest cavity, he extracted his still beating heart and dropped it to the painted floor. Apparently done with the creature, he threw the body to one side. He exclaimed an order and the soldiers marched away.

“It's ok... They're gone...” She picked Amy up and began to carry her. She too had noticed the reddening of her feet. She carried Amy for another mile before they finally reached it- the tower of Desk. It was a massive structure held up by four steal pillars, and on top was a wooden plateau from which the entire forest could be seen. “Pen! Are you still there?”

There was no response for a moment, but then he answered. “That depends... who are you?”

“Dolly! I have... I have her!” Dolly wasn't sure if she could trust Pen, but she had no choice.

“Well, well, well, I suppose you'd better come in then.” A door opened on one of the steal pillars and the mighty wizard Pen emerged. He was a tall man, and he was incredibly thin. His skin appeared to be made of wood. He wore a long yellow robe and funny red shoes. His head was adorned with a tall, pointy hat that came to a black tip. Amy couldn't help but laugh at this impish man- though she tried to stifle it. Pen just looked at her and smiled with his rosy red cheeks.

The three ascended a metal staircase for what felt like an eternity. Amy took a wrong step and slipped, the edge of the stair was so sharp that it cut her arm. She held up her bleeding appendage- trying to put on a brave face, but some tears slipped through. “Oh dear, now that won't do at all.” Pen took her arm for a moment and he kissed it. The cut was healed instantly.

“How did you do that?”

“I'm a wizard.” He said with a cheeky grin, “Would you expect anything less from the great Pen Cil?” Amy thought about his name for a moment before she decided that it was very silly.

The three reached the top of the tower a few minutes later. The room that they had entered was spacious and mostly empty. A few pieces of furniture made of paper were the only things that broke up the otherwise vacant space. “Can I get you a chair?” Without waiting for an answer Pen drew the outline of a chair with his arm and, a moment later, a chair was there. “Please, sit down.” Amy was reluctant at first, but Dolly nodded the ok. Amy sat down. As she had expected the chair wasn't very comfortable, being made of paper and all, but she was too polite to say anything. “Now, let's see what we can do about those shoes...” Pen walked away for a moment.

“Pen! We really need to discuss...” Dolly started, but it was clear that Pen hadn't heard her.

“Ah!” He turned around holding a pair of bunny slippers. “Why don't you try these on, they should be more to your liking.” Amy put the slippers on without a second thought- they were exactly what she had wanted. “Now.” Pen turned to Dolly, “You wanted to speak with me?”

“Yes. We need to find a way to take Amy home.”

“Now why would you want to do a thing like that?” Pen looked genuinely offended. “She can be happy here... No, I think this shall become her home.”

Dolly gave him an angry look. “You know we can't do that.”

“Then how did she get here in the first place?” Pen was in a further- pacing back and forth, drawing strange and uninterpretable objects in the air. “She found her way here because this is where she belongs-”

“She was tricked! She didn't know that she was making a wish!” Pen stopped halfway through a drawing of a grandfather clock. “We both know that this place is too dangerous for a little girl.”

“Have you ever thought to ask her?” Both Dolly and the wizard turned to the little girl who had been completely silent for the exchange. “Well, child... what do you want?”

Amy stared at the two adults for a moment- it reminded her of something. A grown up man and woman fighting... “I want my mommy.”

“But my dear child, Dolly can be your-”

“Don't even try it.” Dolly looked at him in frustration. “You heard her. We need to take her home...”

“But- I... oh dear...” The wizard hung his head. Amy looked at him in confusion. She had never seen a master wizard cry before. “I suppose you're right. She must be returned home, it's just-” He moved in to Dolly's ear and spoke softly so as Amy wouldn't hear. “Why did you bring her here when you knew I'd have to let her go?” A tear stained his wooden skin as he spoke.

“I know, I know... It was cruel, but- I don't know how to take her back.”

The wizard moved in closer. His wooden hand cracked Dolly's porcelain skin. “Right... I'll make a show of it.” Then he spun around, a wide grin on his face. “So, Amy you want to go home now? Well, it's actually going to be quite easy. All you need to do is play your mother's music box.”

“That's it?” Amy's eyebrow rose. It all sounded so easy.

“Well, almost anyway. You see the music box is being held in the Closet Cave by... by Mr Cuddles.” A shudder went down his spine as he said this. “But if you can get past him, then you're free to go.”

Amy looked down. “Why does this have to be so hard.” She began to sob softly into her hands.

“Hey, Amy... it's ok.” Dolly sat next to her and put her arm around her. “We're not that far away...”

“She's right. If you take the east road, across the River of Dead Frogs, past the Forest of Finery you'll be there.” His voice got softer, “Although you may have to fight them, Dolly.”

“What?” Dolly was surprised. “I'm a doll! If they hit me I'll shatter.”

“I know, I know, this isn't even close to a good situation, but I can make it a little better- with this parting gift.” He reached into a paper treasure chest and extracted what appeared to be a needle. “The sword of thread.” He handed it to her. “Sharp as any spear, fast as any sword... use it well Dolly.”

Dolly looked at the weapon in her hand. “When did I become a warrior?” Then there was a banging on the door below- the ringing sound shot up through the metal pillars and into the mesa. “What was that?”

“I was wondering how long it would take for them to figure out that you'd come here.” Pen began to walk towards the stair case. “I'll try and buy you some time.” He leaned in to Dolly's ear. “Save my little girl.” With that he descended the stair case.

“Come on, Amy! We need to go!

“But what about him!?”

“He'll be fine.” She grabbed her arm and pulled Amy away. “He is a master wizard, remember?”

Pen slowly opened the door and faced the plastic soldiers head on. “What's the meaning of this!?” The captain grunted something in his incomprehensible voice, and the men began to attack. They hit Pen with their plastic bludgeons. They beat him to his knees and then restrained him. The plastic captain stepped to one side, revealing a plastic cube with a hole in it- Inside the hole Pen could see rotating blades. The device growled at him as the blades got up to speed.

Dolly covered Amy's ears as the screams rang out across the valley. “It's ok, Amy... it's going to be... ok.” The two hurried on. Dolly knew that the soldiers had blood hounds, and now that they had a trail it would only be a matter of time before they caught up.

In a matter of minutes the two had reached the banks of the River of Dead Frogs. It was a thick black current that trickled slowly along its coarse. A dead frog surfaced for a moment, before slipping under again. “What is this?”

“It's... nothing... we need to find the bridge.” The two began to run along the bank. Amy almost slipped in, but Dolly caught her hand in time. “There!” She pointed to a rickety bridge that looked like it was made of stone, but a few nicks in its exterior revealed that it was in fact hollow. Some soldiers stood on the bridge- Dolly knew that they always guarded this place. “Amy, I want you to stay here for a moment.” Amy nodded as Dolly advanced on the men.

They both looked up just in time to see the needle like blade dive through one of the soldier’s faces. The other one was alarmed. He tried to call for help in an incomprehensible gurgle, but Dolly was to fast. She blindsided him with her sword, sending him into the railing. Had it of been made of stone -rather than plaster of Paris- it may have broken his fall, but it didn't. He, and part of the bridge, plunged into the sludge below. Just before his head fell below the surface a few, green shapes dove in after him. As his screams were muted by the slime Dolly wondered why they called it the River of Dead Frogs- when the frogs were so clearly alive.

Dolly gestured for Amy to come. Amy didn't say anything for a moment. “Please, Amy... they were bad guys... are you ok?” Amy didn't make any expression, but then she smiled.

“I love you, Amy Dolly” She threw her arms around her. Dolly wasn't sure how to respond for a second- she had always thought of her duties as just that: duty. She didn't expect gratitude... but she like it.

She looked up and saw two soldiers just up the river. “Alright, babe, we've got to go.” Amy nodded. Dolly picked her up and put her on her shoulders, and then she started to run. The cave was getting closer with every step that she took, but so was the moment- the goodbye. Dolly was starting to understand what the wizard had meant; she knew she was wrong for thinking it, but she wanted Amy to stay too.

They had just reached the border of the Forest of Finery, when Dolly stopped. She had only ever heard of this place, but had never seen it with her own eyes before. She had no idea what kinds of dangers would be inside. She took a deep breath and stepped through the canopy.

It wasn't at all what she had expected. The trees were adorned with dresses, not leaves. “Open your eyes, Amy... there's nothing scary in here.” Amy looked around in amazement. Every branch had another dress on it, each more beautiful than the last. There were red ones, green ones, blue ones- and then she saw it. The most beautiful dress of them all. It was white, with little flecks of diamond embedded into the stitch work. It was just her size.

Amy climbed down off of her guardian's shoulders and walked towards the tree. “Can I get it? Please, Dolly, please!” She was ever so sweet, and Dolly couldn't say no. She nodded her approval- not a moment later the girl was climbing. It was so easy, too. Like every branch had been placed for a girl of six to climb them. When she reached the dress she took it off the hanger and held it in her arms for a moment, but before she could try it on she saw another dress- this one was red with sapphires wrapped around the collar. It was so much more beautiful than that common piece of fabric that she had just taken- and it was only a couple of branches higher. She decided to climb just a bit more to claim her true prize.

Dolly shook her head with a smile. She sat on a dress that had been crumpled up into a pile. She knew that they had to get going, but she didn't want to disappoint Amy. She sort of wished that she could try on some dresses too, but her current one would suffice... but what about a hat? She had always thought that she would look good in one- and then she saw it. Just a little out of reach was the most extravagant hat that she had ever seen- it wouldn't be that hard to reach it... and Amy was probably going to be here for a while anyway. No. Dolly decided that she should just wait.

Then she heard them. The soldiers were just behind the canopy of dresses- they were grumbling at each other, but they weren't entering. Dolly was suspicious. If she could understand the soldier's gibberish she would have learned why they refused to enter, why the Forest of Finery was dangerous, and why the wizard had told them to go past the forest and not through.

Amy had just reached the veridian dress that she had always wanted- it's silky green folds were set with emeralds, but before she had a chance to try it on she saw it. It was the dress that she really wanted. It was every colour- even some that she'd never seen before, and it was set with a jewel so beautiful- like a star on a string. It was adorning a manikin- probably because that was the only way whoever had made it could guarantee that it wouldn't get creased. Clearly the master designer who had created this forest only cared about that dress- the magnum opus. All others were just so much stitch work.

Amy climbed greedily towards the garment, knowing that she would look so beautiful while wearing it. She reached out and grabbed the dummy's shoulder- when it spun around. It's face was nothing but a hole, filled with a thousand rotating needles. Before Amy knew what to do, the dummy had spun her up in thread. She hung a hundred feet above the ground. A long, metal straw extended from the monster's mouth. Just before it made contact with her neck Dolly stabbed the creature. It recoiled and stared at her for a moment. “You don't touch her!” Dolly stood with her sword at her side.

The monster didn't attack, so Dolly attempted to cut Amy free. Just as she succeeded the creature struck. It wrapped a string around Dolly's neck and threw her across the chasm. “Run!” Dolly yelled and Amy obeyed. She descended, but as she got further the branches got narrower. In a moment she was dangling- fifty feet up- from a branch that was getting thinner and thinner.

Dolly yanked the thread and pulled the manikin off of it's perch. Then she threw the line at Amy. “Grab on!” Amy didn't question it. She took the string as Dolly lowered her safely to the ground. Just as her feet met with the carpeted floor, Amy saw the creature behind Dolly.

“Look out!” She screamed, but it was too late. The creature pushed Dolly down and, with no branches to break her fall, she plummeted two hundred feet to the ground below. The moment she hit the floor her arm shattered into a thousand pieces. Amy ran to her. “Dolly! Dolly, are you alright!?”

There was no response for a moment- the only sound either could hear was the hissing and spluttering from the manikin above. Then she took a breath. “Amy! Are you alright?!”

“I'm fine... but you- your arm is...” Amy began to cry... “I'm so sorry... I didn't think- I didn't-”

“Hey... Amy... It's alright... It's going to be alright.” She stroked her face with her remaining hand. She drew a handkerchief and wiped away a tear. “We need to get going, Amy... you're almost home.” She smiled a sweet smile and the two walked away. The forest attempted to offer up many more temptations: Food, clothing, toys- all of them useless, because Amy knew that her Doll was all that she needed.

They exited the forest not too long afterwards, and were met with a disturbing sight. The Closet Cave was being guarded by all of the toy soldiers; not one, but hundreds. “Dolly? How are we going to make it?”

Dolly was ahead of her. She knew there must be a way- there had to be, but how? She knew that her sword was worthless here, just as her charms were... “We need to... sneak past them.” She had no idea if that was even possible, but then again the she did know that the other ideas weren't.

The two crept around the armada, and quickly reached the mouth of the cave. Just before they entered Dolly stopped her. “Amy... there's something you need to know... I- I can't go in there...”

“Why not?”

“Mr Cuddles... the thing in that cave... has the power to shatter any toy with his gaze... If I go in there, I'll be gone in a flash...” Amy looked down. “Look, I'll be right here when you're done... just remember, you don't have to be afraid of any of this.” Amy nodded and walked into the cave. “Take care...”

The cave wasn't at all what Amy had expected. The walls were neatly lined with wood, but the floor was slippery and slimy. The only source of light in the entire room were two red lanterns, hanging at the end. “Hello! I've come for my mother's music box.”

There was a voice. “Who are you?”

Amy looked around for the source of it, but it was too dark. Shadows danced around wildly for a moment, and then there was nothing. “My name is Amy.”

“Amy?” The voice sounded puzzled. “My soldiers have been looking for you- but you came here anyway?” There was a loud crash. The lanterns moved closer. “Why?”

“I-I was told... that my mother's music box was here...”

“Oh, I see... You didn't want to visit your old favorite- just the box.” The lanterns light directed itself towards a small, wooden object on the floor. It was the music box! Amy ran towards it, but a gigantic paw landed in front of her. The fur was matted and muddy- the claws were marked with dried blood. The red light pointed back at her. “Why are you in such a hurry to leave this place?”

“I-I want my mommy...” The voice laughed a deep belly laugh.

“You mean she didn't tell you!? I guess she wouldn't, would she.” The paw withdrew, taking the music box with it. “You've been looking in the wrong place.”

“Who... are you?”

“Me? I'm Mr Cuddles!” He slammed his paws on the ground, splintering one of the wooden panels that adorned the wall.

“My teddy bear?” Amy remembered owning a teddy bear a few years ago- one that she had loved so dearly-, but it had gone missing. She had searched and searched, but eventually gave up on it. Her mother had bought her a dolly instead. “Why didn't you say so?”

The red lanterns blinked. “What?”

“I looked everywhere for you... do you mean to tell me that you were in the closet all along?” Amy stepped towards the lights. They looked somehow sadder.

“You... you didn't abandon me here?”

“I couldn't find you.” She shrugged. “And if you let me go I can find you again- in the real world...”

“It's a trick!” The paws thrashed around violently, Amy ducked seconds before one whizzed by her. The lanterns moved right up to her face. She could just make out the outline of his muzzle. His pearly white teeth reflected the red light. “You just want to leave me again!”

She placed her hand on his nose. “I would never leave you.” Then she wrapped her arms around him. He tried to struggle at first, but eventually he relented.

“Here...” The music box floated into view. “Take it...” Mr Cuddles turned around and walked away, far back into the depths of the cave. The red light slowly faded in the distance. Amy emerged from the mouth of the cave, box in hand.

Dolly threw her arm around her. “Amy! You're alright! I was so worried.”

“I got it.” Amy handed her the music box.

“This is great! You can... go home now.” Dolly blinked quickly before a tear could fall.

“But... if I do... if I play the music box... I'll never see you again... You'll go back to being a doll.”

Dolly got down on one knee. “Amy, baby- I've always been 'just a doll.' You should go back to be with your real mother...”

“But you are my mo-”

“Hey... there's no need to... no need to say that.”

Amy threw her arms around her. “I'm not going to leave you...” Dolly looked down at her daughter. She knew that she had to do it... but she just wanted another moment.

An eerily familiar tune began to waft through the air. “Dolly?”

“I'm sorry, Amy.” As the music played the world around her was transformed. In a moment Amy was back in her room again, with the same crashing sounds from below, the same carpet beneath her feet, and the same, one armed doll in her hand. She picked up the music box.

“I want to go back.” She played it- she played it over and over again, but nothing happened. And then she heard a voice from behind her.

“I knew you'd come back.” She turned around and saw her mother standing there. Her raven black hair gently glancing off of her shoulders, her paper white skin flushed with emotion, and her single arm outstretched to bring her home.