Faded Threads Draft 1 - Chapter 1

 ELENA

CHAPTER 1

That stupid bisque doll. She had brought in the stupid thing – she had had it for years, it was a gift and, handmade the clothes– in art class for a project. The class had gone silent, and not in the good way. No one had come close to her since. Except Orion and Lyra, no one had even looked at her.

Is it really that wrong?

Elena looked at the porcelain doll on her shelf. Dark hair in a long bob, white porcelain skin, so different from her, apart from bright purple eyes. It was dressed in a collared blue shirt and black trousers. It was such a beautiful doll.

It had to go.

She held the doll by its waist and ran out to the back of the house. Not anymore.

The sun was bright in the evening, and it temporarily blinded her. She wasn't watching where she was going, and dropped the doll.

OH MY GOD WHAT DID I DO?

She had dropped the doll. Her favourite childhood doll. And it must have broken! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE SO IMPULSIVE?

A bright flash of bright purple light came from where she dropped the doll.

There was no doll. There was a girl, disoriented, trying to steady herself on her feet. She had unnaturally white skin, purple eyes, and dark hair in a long messy bob with a fringe.

The girl looked exactly like her doll.

Elena had heard rumours, but they were taboo. You do not talk about this. But there were stories about toys coming to life, as far as she was aware, to help.

This flashed through her head in a moment.

She'd called the doll Selene, when she was six years old and loved the old stories.

"H-hello? Who are you?" She asked the doll.

"I'm Selene."

The stories are true.

"I'm Elena Chandra. Did you-- were you my doll?"

"Yes."

Elena's heart beat furiously. The stories were true, they were TRUE.

"Elena? Elena, what are you doing?" her mother called.

Elena twisted around to find her mother, watching her with a confused expression.

"Mum, you know about the Animates?"

Her mother looked perturbed. "You're not supposed to talk about them, Elena..."

"Mum. Look." She moved out of the way so that her mother could see Selene.

Her mother froze, her eyes so wide that you could see the whites all around. She mumbled something that Elena couldn't hear.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"I'm Selene. I'm an Animate. I was her porcelain doll," Selene said. Her voice was smooth and slightly breathy. Elegant.

She, weirdly, slightly envied that effortless elegance.

Her mother regained her composure in the blink of an eye.

"We're supposed to get her a medical checkup. And register her," she said.

Elena raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Animates are supposed to get registered for citizenship. And medical checkups for health reasons...but for now....we need a story for you. We have a room...come inside, both of you," her mother beckoned them inside.

To think, she thought, that I was planning to toss her. I am so sorry.

Her mother called her father and they all started to discuss what exactly to do with Selene.

"Selene, is it okay if we say you are a family member that has been living with different family members...and now have come here?" her father asked Selene.

Selene shrugged. "That is fine with me."

"Good...Selene, you can have the other bedroom. Elena, take her there," her mother suggested.

"Okay."

Elena led Selene to the extra room. "Selene?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but why are you here?"

Selene smiled. "The same reason all Animates are. Think of me….as your...sister....if you will?"

"That sounds...nice.."

She left Selene to the room, it was late, she needed sleep.