The Doll

"Where did you get this doll grandma?" Autumn asked. Her eyes were filled with wonder and marvel as she looked and gently touched the doll. "This is the most beautiful doll I've ever seen!" she said, a big smile decorating her face.1

"Oh, I got it from a very good friend once darling," her grandmother answered, smiling to herself as her mind ventured back to when she was young. She could remember quite vividly the man who had given it to her, a man she still loved, but one she hadn't talked about for years.2

"What does it do if I wind it up?" Autumn asked as she gently traced the face of the doll with her fingers. A shiver went through her as she touched it, the cold surface of the face was smoother than anything she had ever come across. The fabric of the dolls green dress also felt smooth, smoother than silk, yet thicker and somehow warm. Autumn leaned in to smell it, and was filled with a sensation of happiness and warmth, almost like the feeling of infatuation, one the girl had never before felt. However, in the very back of the scent lingered a smell she didn't quite like. She couldn't identify this smell, but it was so faint that she almost even questioned that it was there. Her grandmother knew what it was though, a faint smell of sulfur.3

"Why don't you try to wind it up then darling, and see what happens," her grandmother suggested with a smile. Autumn looked at her grandmother to see if she was serious, as she wouldn't want to do anything that would break the doll. "Go ahead," her grandmother said, nodding. Autumn slowly winded the doll, then let go. Holding it in her hand, the doll did nothing at all. 4

"Is it broken?" Autumn asked. Her grandmother took the doll carefully out of her hand, and put it standing on the floor. Slowly, the doll started to move her limbs. As if she hadn't been used in years, and she probably hadn't been, the first movements were jerky and strange. The arms moved one by one, and so did the legs, and finally the head moved from side to side. Then all the movements stopped for a second, before the doll suddenly opened her eyes. Autumn had assumed that the eyes were supposed to be closed, and let out a gasp when they opened. Then, the doll started dancing.5

Slowly at first, but then rapidly and fluid like a regular dancer, the doll started moving around on the floor. Dust was kicked up by her tiny feet, and sunlight from a nearby window lit her face and made it look real. Autumn thought she could see the redness in the dolls cheeks, and the sweat on her brow. The dance was beautiful, and looked almost like a ballet Autumn had seen on tv. The doll jumped and spun, knelt and skipped. Beautiful pirouettes were followed by tiptoe steps that had all the grace of a living ballerina. Then, as she landed a graceful jump, she suddenly stopped. Dust stopped spinning around her, her face suddenly looked white again, and she fell to the ground as she stopped dancing.6

"Can we do it again grandma, can we see the dance again?" Autumn asked. Her grandmother wiped a tear from her eye before she answered.7

"Let her rest Autumn, she hasn't danced for an eternity, we can watch it again later."8

"Okey grandma, but will you let her sleep at my room tonight? She doesn't belong up here in the attic." Autumn suggested, and her grandmother nodded in reply. A smile lit up Autumns face as she took the doll and followed her grandmother down from the dusty attic.9

Without much more to say, Autumn went to bed. She placed the doll at her nightstand, sitting her down against the wall. Before she went under the covers, Autumn kissed the doll on the forehead. Once again the wonderful feeling filled her, and once again the subtle smell of sulfur crept into her nostrils, too subtle to bother her this time, but definitely still there. Her grandmother might actually be right saying that the doll was tired, Autumn thought she looked tired, somehow.10

In the middle of the night, Autumn woke. She yawned and slowly opened her eyes, looking towards the doll. It was no where she had left it. She sat up, wide awake now, and looked around in the room. At the other side of the room stood a man, one she had never seen before, and he was holding the doll.11

"Don't worry Autumn, I'm a friend of your grandmother" he said, smiling. Autumn actually didn't worry, cause the man had a friendly face, and he carried a familiar scent with him, reminding her of the doll.12

"Who are you?" Autumn asked, as she sat up further in the bed.13

"I'm the one who gave this doll to your grandmother," he said, as he walked closer to Autumn, and put the doll back at her nightstand. "Actually, I build it aswell, it's supposed to look like your grandmother when she was younger" he said, smiling.14

"But, you're not that old, and grandma is old!" Autumn said, doubt in her face and voice. The man laughed, a beautiful laughter Autumn thought, it reminded her of her dads laughter.15

"I'm older than I look Autumn, and I met your grandmother many years ago" he said, sitting down at the side of the bed, right next to Autumn.16

"But how come you know my name, and look so young?" she asked, "are you a ghost?" she continued. The man laughed again, he loved the things a child could say, and how casually they could say it.17

"No, I'm not a ghost. But I'm not a regular person either. You see, I loved, and still love, your grandmother. I know everything about your family, you included Autumn, even though I've never talked to you before." the man said, still nothing but kindness showed in his friendly eyes.18

"Are you an angel then?" Autumn asked, provoking another laugh from the man.19

"You know, you're the smartest person I know of" the man said, running a finger down Autums cheek. "I'm sort of an angel, but you shouldn't tell people of me" he said.20

"I won't... They'll think I'm crazy" Autumn said. The man smiled again, really grinning.21

"And we both know you're not crazy" he said, winking at her.22

"But what's your name?" Autumn asked.23

"Some people call me the lightbringer, you can call me Light" the man answered, extending his hand. Autumn shook it, smiling back at him.24

"Are you my grandfather Light?" Autumn asked after a moment of silence. Another such moment followed.25

"The man you knew as Harry is your grandfather, maybe not naturally, but always in heart" Light said, after thinking a little. He was glad that the girl spoke as she wanted, but he wasn't quite sure how to talk to a child, as it had been ages since he last had. In his line of work, so to speak, he never spoke to children.26

"Why did you come tonight Light, was it because we found the doll?" Autumn asked.27

"Well, the doll was always supposed to be like your grandmother, and they are both tired today" Light said, gently stroaking hair away from Autumns face. "I'm here to say hello to you, and goodbye to your grandmother" he said, sadness suddenly appearing in his eyes as he seemed to remember his real reason for coming.28

"She's sleeping upstairs" Autumn said.29

"Okey, I'll go see her. Now, you take good care of that doll, won't you? I'll see you later Autumn" Light said, and tucked Autumn in as she laid back down. He smiled, then turned off the lights as he walked out of her room.30

Light walked slowly up the stairs, and entered the room where Autumn had told him her grandmother was sleeping. She was already awake with the lights on when he entered.31

"Hey Alma, it's been a long time" Light said, sitting down in her bed, next to her.32

"Yeah L, it has" she said, smiling. "The doll is tired" Alma said, a tear escaping her eye.33

"It is," Light said, "it is."34

"Well, have you come to take me down?" Alma asked.35

"Oh, heavens no. I love you Alma, I could never take you down there" Light said, laughing. "I'm just here to say goodbye, and wish you godspeed. I'll be watching over Autumn now."36

"Thank you L, and goodbye" Alma said, smiling as she laid down.37

"Tell the man I said hello" Light said, as he disappeared. Downstairs, next to the sleeping Autumn, the doll closed her eyes.