The Dollmaker
This is a whumpy short story I wrote long ago. Enjoy.
Late at night, something knocked three times on Ruby Valentine’s window. As if under a spell, she found herself walking towards it. A pale moonlight glow shone through the curtains and lit up her slow steps.
“My dear, will you open the window for me?” A man's sweet voice asked from the other side.
She stood in front of the curtains, swaying in a half-lucid state.
“Let me in.” The voice reverberated deep inside her soul, commanding her with supernatural authority.
Her mind slipped further into unconsciousness, and yet her body still moved under a will other than her own. A sliver of her tried to stay grounded and fight against it, to no avail. She could only keep conscious long enough to see her hands opening the curtains.
Ruby woke up with gentle shakes from her mother. The haziness of her memories denounced their nature – a dream, and nothing more.
“Come eat,” her mother said with a sweet smile.
She didn’t have time to dwell on the odd dream, so she quickly stood up to follow her mother. Suddenly, her vision darkened. Her head felt light and she fell to her knees. She wasn’t unaccustomed to the weakness starvation brought, yet she could barely stand. Her mother rushed back to her with worry.
“I’m fine. Only a tad dizzy.” Ruby tried to reassure her.
However, that wasn’t enough for her mother. She touched Ruby’s forehead to check her temperature, worrying over her as if she were not an adult but still her baby.
“You’re awfully cold.” She exclaimed. “Do you feel ill?”
“No. Mother, you don’t need to worry.” Ruby held her hands and smiled.
Despite her attempts, her mother seemed to grow more concerned by the minute.
She pulled her hands from Ruby’s and touched her neck. A tinge of pain spread across her skin.
“How odd, there’s two pricks on your throat. Do you remember being bitten by a spider?”
“No, not at all.”
Her mother shook her head with a concerned frown and helped her up. She held Ruby close as she led her to the dining room. As she sat down, her mother put a sparse amount of food for her and then sat down to an empty plate.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” Ruby asked.
“You need it more than me.”
“Mother-” Ruby tried to protest, but her mother cut her off.
“Eat. I’m going to work.”
Ruby stared down at the small serving of bread and water, none of the fruit, eggs, and fish she used to eat long ago. She ate slowly, filled with guilt. A mother always puts her children before herself. However, Ruby was no child anymore but an unmarried burden. The pennies she got from cleaning Mrs. Cooper’s house were not enough, but if her mother didn’t allow her to work alongside her in the factory for income, there wasn’t much she could do.
Eating helped with her intense weakness, but not much. As if the dizziness wasn’t enough, Ruby felt extremely cold on her walk to Mrs. Cooper’s house. Despite being early in the morning, horses pulled carriages down the street and match sellers offered matches to the passersby.
“I’m sorry honey, Mrs. Cooper can’t afford to pay you anymore.” Her servant said. It was the last day of the week, after Ruby had cleaned for five days, and it was supposed to be payday. She looked apologetic, and yet Ruby couldn’t find the pity to care for anything but herself and her mother. The realization they would have to get through the next week without this money churned her stomach.
Knocking on the neighbours’ doors to ask for work proved unsuccessful. Although they were middle-class, they couldn’t afford to pay one more salary. As she stared at the two-story houses, she reminisced on the time she too lived like them, with servants to do the housework and plenty of food on her table. All it took for her to fall into poverty was the passing of her father, their breadwinner. She learned fast that the salary of a working-class woman couldn’t compare to that of a doctor.
For the time being, her only choice was to go back home and prepare dinner. Her mother came back home late, as usual. Ruby waited to break the news when they both sat to eat.
“Mrs. Cooper sent me off. Without pay.”
Her mother stopped eating and rubbed her forehead with a concerned expression.
“It will be fine. We will get through this, God will provide.”
Her words didn’t comfort either of them. Lies wouldn’t put food in their mouths. Ruby abandoned table manners and hugged her mother, selfishly looking for solace in her arms. Her mother cradled her in her lap as if she were still a child.
“Everything will be fine.” She repeated, playing with Ruby's hair. “You won’t have to live this way much longer.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re already of age. It’s past time I looked for someone to take you for a bride. Someone who will have enough money that you won’t starve as we do.”
“I’m not ready to leave you yet.”
“And I’m not ready to let you go either. But you must. Your mother can’t give you the life you deserve. Don’t worry. I will find someone nice for you to wed.”
Ruby always knew this would happen eventually. Every good daughter marries a man and leaves her family. But knowing it would happen soon kept her up the next few nights. Conflicting feelings plagued her mind. Her hard-working mother was her safe haven, the only one who she knew, no matter what, would care for her. At the same time, she wanted to stop being a burden to her loved one.
But what if she would suffer more with a husband?
Three knocks at her front door interrupted her attempts to sleep on one of those restless nights.
Who could it be this hour of the evening? She lit up the candlelight, hurrying to the door before they would knock again and wake her exhausted mother.
No one was on the other side — only a crimson, decorated gift box, with a letter on top, rested by her doorstep. Ruby looked for whoever delivered it. The gas lamps illuminated the deserted street. When she found no one, she took the envelope and gift box inside and closed the door behind her.
At first, she thought these were destined for her mother, for who would ever send her a gift? But the words ‘To Ruby Valentine’ written in red on the envelope suggested otherwise. She returned to her room and opened the envelope. The letter was written in red.
‘My darling, holder of a delicate beauty.
From the moment I laid my eyes upon you during a moonless night, I’ve been enamored. You’re such a poor, helpless thing, as pale and fragile as a porcelain doll.
Accept my gift to you, my dearest, until I’m ready for our meeting.
From your love.’
The letter ended without the writer’s name. Hoping the gift could perhaps clear her confusion, she opened it.
A beautiful gold necklace rested in the decorated box. The pendant’s large ruby glistened under the candlelight. Ruby picked up the necklace and touched the stone. None of this seemed real. Who would give someone as plain and poor as her such precious jewelry?
But it was real. Someone admired her to the point of sending a beautiful letter and expensive jewelry. Ruby laid on the bed, the necklace in one hand, the letter in the other, and a smile on her face.
Perhaps she had nothing to fear regarding marriage. Of course her mother would have found the best suitor for her. Her late father had been nothing but a loving, hardworking man, after all. The community treasured him as a beloved doctor. Surely his reputation would have attracted someone to her family. She slept with a smile on her face for the first time in years that night, holding the necklace like a good luck charm.
And on that same night, she found herself in front of the curtains once more.
“Oh, my love, let me see you.” The voice called.
In a trance, she opened the windows. Something got in.
The tall figure took her in his arms before she could take a good look at him. Cold, pale hands began removing her clothes. She stood powerless as he undressed her, staring and unflinching like a doll.
“You need not to be awake. Go to sleep, darling.” He commanded as he planted soft kisses on her bare neck.
The next moment, she woke up in her bed. The bright afternoon sun shone through her window. Her mother apparently had let her sleep. After all, she didn’t have a job to attend to.
What an indecent dream she had. The fantasy of this mysterious man whisking her away must have taken hold of her in just a day. Instead of her usual dreariness and weakness, today she felt robust and energized. Ruby hummed as she cleaned and waited for her mother to be back to tell her about last night’s mysterious gift. The house had never been this pristine.
Unlike how she broke out the bad news, she waited until they finished eating to take the gift and correspondence to her mother.
“I received this last night.” She beamed. “Thank you so much for finding someone like this for me.”
Her mother didn’t seem to share her excitement. Ruby only found confusion in her expression while she read.
“I haven’t found anyone yet.” Her mother examined the letter again. “Who writes a letter with red ink? How tacky.”
Her confusion infected Ruby too. She took the items back from her mother, defensive of her secret admirer.
“I think it’s charming.”
She sighed. “I have no idea who could have sent you this. But I hope he sends you another letter, and that he remembers to sign his name.”
Ruby shared her mother's hope. Days passed, and more often the words written in red crossed her mind. Who could this man who called an emaciated girl beautiful be?
Unfortunately, her joy became tainted by hard reality. Her mother tried to ignore it while they dined, but Ruby knew how to read her. Food was running out, as her mother’s salary alone couldn’t feed them both for an entire week. The man hadn’t sent another letter. And each day she went to sleep, the necklace by her bedside reminded her of what she could do to give her mother a meal.
Ruby entered her mother’s room while she prepared for bed. Her heart ached. But she pushed herself to do it, remembering it was for the best. She put the necklace by her mother’s bed.
“What are you doing?” Her mother asked.
“You should sell it.” Ruby faked a soft, reassuring smile. “I noticed there’s barely any food left, and you won’t be paid for a few more days.”
Her mother shook her head and tried to put the necklace back in Ruby’s hands, but her daughter pulled away.
“Ruby, it’s his gift for you. I can’t sell it.”
“Please. I’m sure he will understand.”
Ruby left her room before she could argue, lest she break her resolve. The next day, her mother brought home meat, and they ate like the upper classes. Ruby couldn't remember the last time she had felt this full.
Three knocks late that night startled her. Similar to last time, no one stood on the other side, but a larger gift with a letter lay on the ground. She picked up the gift and rushed back to her room, fumbling at the seal of the letter. The red ink greeted her once more.
‘My ephemeral, beautiful butterfly.
I hope you enjoyed my gift and thought of me as much as I thought of you. At long last, I’m ready for our encounter. If you desire to meet me, wear this dress and the necklace I gifted you, and wait for me by your doorstep tonight. I will come for you when the moon reaches its peak.
I must warn you, I may be uncanny to behold. I ask you to put first impressions aside and think of our wonderful future together.
From your love.’
Ruby squealed with joy. She opened the box, and as the letter said, she found a beautiful red dress. Such a lovely dress didn’t suit her, but if he wanted to see her wearing it, that was what she would do.
Worries ran through her mind. She had sold the necklace. And she would have to wake up her mother. Ruby walked two steps from her bed before stopping herself. The work in the factory exhausted her poor mother. There was no reason to interrupt her sleep. She could tell her about the encounter once she came back.
Ruby did her best to dress up and do her hair without the help of a mirror. She wished she could see herself, but her mirror was one of the first things to go when they needed money to eat. The blood-red color of the dress accentuated her pale skin, and the low cut of the top showed off her bony shoulders, with crimson bands hugging her thin arms.
Around what she believed to be midnight, she stepped out and waited. Fog covered the streets, so thick that she could barely see her hand in front of her face. The fog brought a chill that made her hair stand on end, though perhaps it was not just the cold.
The sound of a carriage approaching cut through the silent night. To her surprise, she saw it clearly through the fog. Black horses pulling a dark carriage embroidered with red spiderwebs came to a halt at her doorstep.
“Come in, Ruby.” The voice from her dreams called from inside.
Shivers of anticipation coursed through her body as she approached the carriage and stepped inside. The door closed behind her on its own.
The man sitting in front of her seemed out of her imagination. A man with long white hair and skin drained of color — the only color found in him was his crimson eyes and a scarlet web tattooed on his neck that reached to his right jaw. He emitted a soft glow akin to moonlight that lit up the dark carriage.
“What are you?” She blurted out, ignoring any etiquette.
The man looked away with a sad look in his eyes.
“What a disappointment. I was hoping you had prepared an open mind for me, as I requested.” He sighed. “I am the servant of a being beyond this world, to answer your question. He blessed me with this form.”
A passage from Sunday sermons crossed her mind. ‘And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.’ That thought made her bones ache with silent terror. Could he be-
“I am no devil, girl.” He smiled, showing a pair of sharp fangs. “What I worship is older than Christianity. A being your fragile mind wouldn’t be able to witness without breaking.”
The man sat by her side, blocking her from the door she’d entered from. She realized that the carriage only had one entrance- which he now guarded. By this point, no matter how much she wanted to run, she knew he wouldn’t allow her. He held her chin with a gloved hand and gently turned her head up to him.
“But you have no need to fear Him. He saved me from death. Gave me the power to acquire all the wealth I will lavish you with, and the time to indulge in my unusual pleasures. As long as I pay my dues to Him, He will bless me and you. Therefore, what I am won’t be a problem to you, right?”
And just like that, the ache in her bones dissipated and her heartbeat slowed down. She felt unusually calm.
“No, it won’t.” She answered.
“Marvelous.” The man looked down at her neck. “Where’s the necklace I gave you?”
“I’m so sorry.” Ruby gripped the dress in embarrassment. “We had to sell it for food.”
She observed his face, looking for a sign of anger. But his expression was unreadable. A second of silence lasted an eternity.
“Oh, you poor thing,” he answered, to her relief. “I didn’t imagine your situation had become so dire. But rest assured, my dear. If you come with me, you won’t worry about hunger ever again.”
“You’re not mad about the necklace? Do you still wish to marry me?”
“Yes, I do. In fact, I request that we be married right this instant.”
His request stunned her. Running away in the middle of the night with him seemed oddly romantic. But someone at home would be worried sick.
“I can’t. This isn’t right. My mother would faint once she saw I wasn’t home in the morning.”
“If she met me, because of what I am, she wouldn’t let me marry you. If I leave a letter with your dowry by her doorstep, explaining you’re happily married to me, I’m sure your mother will be pleased to know you’re being well cared for. But let me make myself clear — if you refuse to come with me today, I cannot marry you.”
The ultimatum nearly made her refuse. Then she remembered the burden she had been at home. How her mother starved herself to give her more to eat.
Her mother would understand her reasons. She would understand she did this out of love for her. Her loving mother wouldn't need to watch her only child starve.
“I will go with you,” she said.
“Oh, you have no idea how happy you made me.” The man held her hands. “Will you be mine for all eternity, my doll? Body and soul?”
“I will.” She hesitated for a moment before replying. “You have yet to tell me your name.”
“I don’t go by a name. I forgot it long ago. But you can call me love or any other sweet name lovers use.”
The man let go of her hands and tapped on the wall of the carriage. The horses began to move. He snapped his fingers, and her vision swirled. After what seemed like a moment, her mind cleared.
Darkness greeted her. She could feel a cold, hard surface beneath her. A coppery smell flooded her nose. Her heart skipped a beat once she recognized what scent it was.
Blood. She tried to get up, but strands held her wrists and ankles down. All of it sent her into a panic.
“Calm down.” The man said, patting her head.
“What are you doing?” She cried out in terror.
Fingers as cold as a corpse touched her lips and silenced her.
“Do not fret. Once you wake up, you will be reborn into something beautiful. For now, silence.”
Ruby tried to scream, but nothing came out. His command of silence had taken her voice completely. Helpless tears ran down her cheeks. A cold blade touched her throat.
No, she tried to scream, please don’t, she tried to beg, but no sound came out.
He slit her throat without mercy.
Pain and fear overwhelmed her. Her struggles against her binds grew weaker as her life flowed out of her. The man spoke in a profane, ancient language she couldn’t understand. Ruby spent her last moments regretting ever reading those letters and allowing herself to dream of a life of luxury.
“Wake up.” He commanded.
Ruby opened her eyes to find a mirror in front of her. She recognized the features in the mirror — long black hair, thin and pale limbs, and an underdeveloped body caused by starvation. It should be her. But there were several things wrong.
She moved her arms. The human-sized porcelain doll sitting in front of the mirror moved too. The porcelain of her face felt cold against the porcelain of her fingers, despite her having no skin.
The monster that killed her walked closer and held her ball-jointed shoulders.
“Getting used to your new body?”
What did you do? She tried to scream. But she had no voice, no lungs, and her mouth didn’t move an inch.
“I can hear your desperate soul.” He replied. “I made you perfect, eternally beautiful. You won’t have to worry about hunger, pain or aging. Shouldn’t you be thanking me?”
Her terror transformed into fury. His cold touch and sweet voice repulsed her. She thrashed against his grip. The chair tipped over and she fell to the floor with a sickening crack.
Ruby looked at the remaining half of her broken arm in disbelief. Its other half lay on the floor in front of her. Even with the piece broken and separated from her, she could still move her hand.
“Look at the mess you made now.” The man huffed.
He picked her up in a bridal carry once again.
“Once you calm down, you'll realize this is the best someone of your class could ever get. Until then, I won't let you break again, my love. I will protect you from everything, including your own stupidity. For all eternity.”
Even before calming down, she recognized he wasn't wrong. Once she fell into poverty, the only men who would want her were other poor men, and she would still starve regardless. It had been foolish of her to dream of wealth.
Still, she covered her face with her unbroken hand and broke down into cries of anguish at the unfairness of it all. But everything was silent. She had no voice to scream in terror. No tears to cry her suffering.
The monster left them in her body when he stole her soul.
@rabbit-flaying
