Post by Theodosia Planchette on Feb 1, 2022 20:07:43 GMT -5
Nina's agreement to stay for the night filled Theodosia with a surprising sense of relief, but she couldn't quite determine its source. Was she glad that Nina wasn't going to have to walk all the way back, or was she simply happy that her friend had accepted her meager offer of help? Maybe she just didn't want to spend the night alone in her home again. In the end, she supposed that it didn't really matter. Nina was here, and she was pleased about it. Maybe that was the moral of what Nina was trying to tell her. If the story made someone's life better, did it matter if it stretched the truth?
"If reality is a canvas," she said, "I think we might have seen a rip in it today. A stray thread got caught in the gears of a clock and it tore a hole in the cloth, giving us a glimpse beyond. I...I don't think I like what I saw very much. But rips can be hidden with clever embroidery, can't they? Tell enough stories, and it'll be like it never happened at all."
The little doll raised its arms at her and she picked it up, cradling it carefully in both hands and carrying it over to Nina. The doll squirmed for a moment before relaxing in her grasp, settling into her hands and looking up at Nina with its black button eyes. Looking at it, Theodosia couldn't help but smile. Despite the horrors of the night, the little doll was still rather cute, especially when not carrying anything sharp or dangerous.
"Special or not," she said, "I'm glad I could help you, Nina. You've done so much for me, sometimes it feels like I'm just along for the ride...but if I can provide even a glimmer of hope in your stories, I'm more than happy. Thank you, Nina. For everything you've done. You've done enough now, you deserve the rest. Come, you can sleep over here."
Guiding Nina with a gentle hand on the arm, Theodosia led her out of the living room and away from the corpse of the doll. Moments later, Nina would find herself in a small side room surrounded by overstuffed cushions and warm blankets. The faint moonlight shining in through the window illuminated silks and jewelry and other things that Theodosia's patrons had gifted her. All the trappings and accoutrements of a fortune-teller were here and yet Theodosia wore none of them, still in her torn and slightly damp nightgown.
"If there's anything you need, I'm just in the next room," she said, the Gray-doll perched on her shoulder like a bird. "Good night, Nina. Sleep well. You need it. You deserve it."
Retiring from the makeshift guest room, Theodosia headed back up to her own bedroom. It seemed like so long ago that she'd woken up here, terrified of a nightmare that had followed her into the real world. Now, though...now she just wanted nothing more than to sleep. Placing the doll on a chair, she changed into clean nightgown and curled up beneath her blankets (after checking for stray needles), letting out a sigh of relief as the warm cushions enveloped her like a hug. At long last, the nightmare was over. Something told her that she wouldn't be seeing Gray again tonight...well, not the real Gray, at least. The doll wandered over and crawled into her nest-like bed, wriggling in beneath the covers like a chilly cat. Theodosia hesitated for a moment before letting it snuggle in, deciding that there really wasn't any way to keep it out anyways. Who knew, perhaps having the doll around would ward off bad dreams. Squeezing the little Gray-doll in her arms, she closed her eyes and relaxed, letting the waves of exhaustion wash over her and lull her into a deep sleep. Far off, she knew, a clock was ticking. Perhaps it would cause her more trouble later, but she was too tired to care. It had been ticking since before she'd been born and would be around long after she was gone. Tonight, though...tonight she'd brought herself a brief reprieve from its machinations. If she dreamed at all tonight, she knew, it would be of sunlight.
"If reality is a canvas," she said, "I think we might have seen a rip in it today. A stray thread got caught in the gears of a clock and it tore a hole in the cloth, giving us a glimpse beyond. I...I don't think I like what I saw very much. But rips can be hidden with clever embroidery, can't they? Tell enough stories, and it'll be like it never happened at all."
The little doll raised its arms at her and she picked it up, cradling it carefully in both hands and carrying it over to Nina. The doll squirmed for a moment before relaxing in her grasp, settling into her hands and looking up at Nina with its black button eyes. Looking at it, Theodosia couldn't help but smile. Despite the horrors of the night, the little doll was still rather cute, especially when not carrying anything sharp or dangerous.
"Special or not," she said, "I'm glad I could help you, Nina. You've done so much for me, sometimes it feels like I'm just along for the ride...but if I can provide even a glimmer of hope in your stories, I'm more than happy. Thank you, Nina. For everything you've done. You've done enough now, you deserve the rest. Come, you can sleep over here."
Guiding Nina with a gentle hand on the arm, Theodosia led her out of the living room and away from the corpse of the doll. Moments later, Nina would find herself in a small side room surrounded by overstuffed cushions and warm blankets. The faint moonlight shining in through the window illuminated silks and jewelry and other things that Theodosia's patrons had gifted her. All the trappings and accoutrements of a fortune-teller were here and yet Theodosia wore none of them, still in her torn and slightly damp nightgown.
"If there's anything you need, I'm just in the next room," she said, the Gray-doll perched on her shoulder like a bird. "Good night, Nina. Sleep well. You need it. You deserve it."
Retiring from the makeshift guest room, Theodosia headed back up to her own bedroom. It seemed like so long ago that she'd woken up here, terrified of a nightmare that had followed her into the real world. Now, though...now she just wanted nothing more than to sleep. Placing the doll on a chair, she changed into clean nightgown and curled up beneath her blankets (after checking for stray needles), letting out a sigh of relief as the warm cushions enveloped her like a hug. At long last, the nightmare was over. Something told her that she wouldn't be seeing Gray again tonight...well, not the real Gray, at least. The doll wandered over and crawled into her nest-like bed, wriggling in beneath the covers like a chilly cat. Theodosia hesitated for a moment before letting it snuggle in, deciding that there really wasn't any way to keep it out anyways. Who knew, perhaps having the doll around would ward off bad dreams. Squeezing the little Gray-doll in her arms, she closed her eyes and relaxed, letting the waves of exhaustion wash over her and lull her into a deep sleep. Far off, she knew, a clock was ticking. Perhaps it would cause her more trouble later, but she was too tired to care. It had been ticking since before she'd been born and would be around long after she was gone. Tonight, though...tonight she'd brought herself a brief reprieve from its machinations. If she dreamed at all tonight, she knew, it would be of sunlight.