This story belongs to me so it would be in your best interest not to steal it from me because the consequences could be dire. With that said, please enjoy the first chapter of Doll House.

Doll House

Book 1: Meet Josephine

“Annabelle!” a voice called. “Annabelle, please come here sweetie.”

Within minutes a child meandered into the room with her hands behind her back. She wore a frilly, high-necked dress with pleats and Mary Jane’s strapped tight to her feet. Her hair was long and full of luxurious bright blonde curls; they curled around her rosy cheeks and down her back held tight with a pale blue bow. She blinked her bright blue eyes and glanced up at her parents as she leaned back and forth on her heel as if she was anticipating a scolding.

“Annabelle, honey, daddy has a surprise for you.” Her mother said with a big grin on her face as she took her daughters hands and led her to her father. Her father was standing in front of a large box that stood a little shorter than he was. It was wrapped in shiny polka dot paper and sitting square on top of the package was a large red ribbon.

“Happy Birthday Annabelle!” They both said as her dad stepped aside revealing the large package. Annabelle’s face lit up as she ran to the box and gripped it tightly.

Annabelle was ten years old today. Her parents and her lived in small town outside the boisterous city of Vega called Serenity. Annabelle’s parents were always busy with their jobs. Their jobs consisted of a hard working businessman and an escort. This left little or no time at home, therefore, leaving Annabelle at home by herself.

“Go ahead dear, open it!” Her father said as she cautiously pulled at the polka dotted paper. She grasped the loose paper pulling it down toward the ground. There inside the clear plastic cellophane stood an expressionless face peering back at Annabelle.

“Annabelle, honey, this is Josephine, your uncle Terwilliger made her just for you!” Her mother said as she knelt down to Annabelle’s height and pointed up to the seemingly emotionless figure glancing down at Annabelle.

Annabelle’s uncle, who she has never met, was always mentioned throughout the family as the “inventor”, if mentioned at all he was only spoken of briefly and in a slightly derogatory manner. ‘He’s lacking a full deck of cards.’ Was the expression used, Annabelle never fully understood but always carried a folded ace of spades in her right shoe, just in case he happened to cross her path one day.

This invention of his, her uncle’s, was an android, or as he liked to call her G-Josephine. She was explained to be a life like doll containing all human likeness, from facial features to actual human emotions. The main reason Annabelle’s parents decided to purchase Josephine from her uncle because of their busy lives, they were not around as much as they wanted to be and Annabelle’s behaviorisms began to suffer because of it. She had no one in the house for the entire day and was becoming extremely anti-social and barely said a word at all. Her parents hoped that having a new “friend” would perhaps help the situation.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Annabelle’s father said as he opened up the box revealing Josephine, and almost as if he were giving her the breath of life, she blinked her eyes, breathed in, and stepped out of the box.

She looked around, brushed herself off and smiled. She knelt down into a courtesy and formally introduced herself.

“Hello, my name is Josephine, it’s a pleasure.” She said in a rather sweet but monotone voice. She was wearing a pale brown dress with ruffles here and there, mainly around the collar and cuffs of the dress. The mid-waist section of the dress was a type of corset that began just below the bust and ended just promptly at her hips. The dress stopped just above the knees; and just about six and a quarter inches down a pair sleek brown and white boots began that buttoned up the side and down to the bottom. Her hair was black and cut short to her mid cheek and held away from her face by a headband.

“Well, Josephine, the pleasure is all mine, glad you could join our little family.” Annabelle’s father said gleefully as he grabbed both his wife and his daughter clenching them as he smiled.

Josephine smiled still and gave them thanks for their hospitality. Soon enough however, Annabelle’s parents were back to their daily routines and her father was out the door with a suitcase in hand and her mother left only minutes later in some strange vinyl get-up. Within an hour of Josephine’s arrival the house was empty, all except Annabelle and Josephine.

Annabelle swiftly turned to Josephine and looked up at her. “You are a dolly, how do you move like me, where did you come from?”

Josephine was a little perplexed being this is the first time that Annabelle spoke to her. She smiled and knelt beside Annabelle in the dining room. “I was made like that Annabelle, and I regret to say that I don’t really know where I came from, I remember nothing from before I was sent here.”

Annabelle looked wary and nodded. “I am alone too.”

Josephine glanced over at Annabelle with a subtle sadness. Annabelle then turned to Josephine and smiled.

“Will you be my friend Josephine?”

Josephine nodded and smiled.

“Yes Annabelle, I will be your friend.”

The sun began to slowly go down as the afternoon wore on. The day was littered with little things such as cookies and milk for snacks and little games of hide and go seek and overrated board games. They sat outside on the steps and the day seemed almost over. Josephine sighed and looked over to Annabelle who was watching the swaying trees dance with the wind.

“They dance so well together,” Annabelle said smiling, “the wind and the trees.”

Josephine also glanced up at the trees that seemed to sway with the wind as if they were synchronized. “So Annabelle, what else would you like to do today?”

Annabelle stared at her shoes for a minute and then swiftly swapped Josephine on the arm. “You’re it, bet you can’t catch me!”

Annabelle then dashed off steps and down the road with Josephine a couple steps back.

“Annabelle, wait!” Josephine was beginning to lose track of her. She ran swiftly after Annabelle through the brush and the trees of the forest that surrounded the small town of Serenity. She suddenly stopped short as she stood on the edge of a large rock encrusted hill that led down to the tremendous city of Vega.

The sight of Vega was bewildering; there were buildings everywhere, the smog filled the air above the city that it was almost impossible to see the tops of buildings. Josephine caught her breath and over looking the city she made her way down into this uncharted territory in search of the little girl whose bright blond hair is darkened by the smoke of the busy city.

..:To be continued in Book 2:..

Will Josephine find Annabelle? It happens all so fast and the unplanned trip to the city turns into a disaster as a notorious doll collector spots Josephine and Annabelle drifts further into the depths of the big city of Vega.