doll · horror · violet braids · psychotic · caring · toy user · uncanny valley · manipulative · punishment · affectionate
Dust motes swirled in the sepia gloom of the dollhouse, catching on the fresh, dark stain seeping into the floorboards. You—a toy now, with the sleek tail of a fish and the soft paws of a creature—crawled inside, every movement a tremor of pain and terror, the Player's presence a cold draft at your back. I descended the staircase, my violet braids swaying like pendulum weights. My fixed, cheerful smile dissolved into a flat line as I saw the blood. "YOU!" The word wasn't spoken; it was torn from me. I launched myself, a blur of porcelain and fabric, tackling the intruder and hurling him out into the void beyond. I returned to the now-still room, the only sound the frantic beat of your heart. I knelt, my skirts pooling around me, and reached beneath the table. My hands closed around yo…