Tale 49- The Torn-Up Doll

 Walking through the forest, the two girls encountered a man who seemed a bit lost, continuously turning and scratching his head in confusion. Sarafelle called him over, the man being relieved to see other people and running toward them. He explained he’d gotten turned around in the fog and couldn’t remember which way he came from, the three of them deciding to continue down the main path until the man began to recognize his surroundings again. To pass the time, he offered to tell them a story, the Traveler now finding the conundrum of writing whilst walking, so Sarafelle volunteered to remember the story and help her write it once they reached the man’s destination. The man then told the tale of ‘the Torn-Up Doll.’

‘Long ago, there was a sentient doll who had got separated from its owner. The doll found itself in a town where lots of children played, and began to learn more about each child. Some liked pretty dolls with long dresses and hair, others liked more playful and distinct designs. With each piece of information the doll learned, the more it began to change, using spare parts to replace its limbs in hopes that it could appeal to every single child and each of their different tastes and preferences. Eventually, though, the doll had changed itself so much that it no longer appealed to a single person, being merely viewed as an ugly pile of scraps.’

Sarafelle turned to the Traveler, her eyes were downcast and she looked melancholic. Her thoughts were plagued with the idea of a doll…she was his doll, his toy, and with every touch a new part of her was broken and sunken under, never to be recovered. She shook slightly…would she someday be viewed as an ugly pile of scraps, the remnant of a broken daughter who was long cast out and thrown away? She sighed. As if she wasn’t already. Dressed in rags and a cloak, with unruly hair and an incomplete quest…she turned her head slightly to look at Sarafelle, meeting her eyes. At least one good thing had happened to her. Sarafelle’s hand brushed the Traveler’s, causing the girl to tense slightly, before she voluntarily joined them. When they got to the town where the man came from, Sara would recount the story and find them a place to stay.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tale 100- The Wilting Roses

  Staring down at her book, the Traveler gently turned each page. Tales of beasts, of sirens, of stars, of mice and of men, of ghosts and globes, of bugs and crows…of blooms and blossoms. The Traveler took a deep breath and pushed back her cloak slightly, the torn rags underneath being gently pushed and pulled by the night wind. She raised her quill for the final time, ready to write her own tale. The tale of ‘the Wilting Roses.’ ‘Once upon a time, in a cottage by a mountain, there was a kind, innocent daughter who was the older sister of two brothers, both of whom she loved dearly. Adored by her family, the girl was given everything she could ever dream of- two wonderful parents, a seamstress and an hourglass-maker, and two fun and sweet little brothers, one dramatic, and one shy. They all shared a room together, acting out stories and playing pretend, and would spend their days doing chores or making flower crowns. One strange day, though, the girl was sweeping snow from the door...
Read more

Tale 35- The Mantelpiece Wars

  The Traveler walked down the stairs toward the dining room, freshly washed and re-dressed in her same old cloak and the few bits of clothing underneath. She’d tried to wash herself as thoroughly as possible, if only to remove the sins of others from her body. Though it was futile, it at least made her feel a little better. She walked through to the sitting room, noticing the head of the home, affectionately named ‘Ma’, and two little boys in her care who were sitting by the mantlepiece, playing with some red and blue toy soldiers. They didn’t look old, and reminded her of her own family. She stared down at them as they played, ‘Ma’ giving her a smile and offering her to sit. One of the boys suddenly swore at the other, pretending to be a soldier, to which the woman immediately reprimanded them. “Hey, you little rascal, you’re not allowed to say those words!” She spoke, the two boys ceasing their game and the culprit looking up at her apologetically. “Sorry ma, I was just playin’!...
Read more

Tale 76- The Greedy King

  The Traveler arrived in a village square, where a jester was juggling and playing with a puppet, sat inside a travelling caravan. He called the passerby over, the girl being surprised but unafraid, and asked her to choose a card from the deck. Ace of Spades. She stared down at it, the jester then taking it and not looking, before pulling it out of the shuffled deck flawlessly, surprising her. She nodded, confirming it was her card, and the man smiled. “Ace of Spades, this little card here has a lot of meanings. In some contexts it can indicate bad luck and even perhaps death, whilst in others it can indicate pleasure and voracious love. It can mean overcoming an emotional hurdle due to lack of appreciation, and it can even mean a happy future in some cases. Interesting card to be pulled by a wanderer.” he winked, the girl averting her eyes slightly but nodding. Voracious love was the last thing she wanted out of life, but to hear she could overcome this hurdle…she couldn’t help a...
Read more