A girl that looked like she was six years old stood in the door way of a dark room looking unsure and conflicted. Taking a deep breath she walked quietly toward a huge desk covered with tools and various woods and cloths and a bright lamp shining down on an indistinguishable figure, casting a daunting shadow toward the girl's direction. She hesitated briefly when she came close to the shadow of the hunched figure, her face troubled with worry. At last, she stood in front of the shadow's master.
"Papa"the girl whispered.
He looked at her, unfocused, still absorb with his work and his face clouded with confusion trying to figure out who she was. Finally recognizing his daughter, he smiled down at her and turned his full attention toward her and takes her small hands and looked at her pale face with sad brown eyes and blond hair, the image of a perfect doll.
"What's the problem, Scarlet? Don't you like your new doll?" he asked.
Scarlet glanced down to her doll she was holding and nodded slowly but replied in a troubled voice, "I love the doll, papa… but I'm tired of them, Papa, nobody in town plays with me."
The father thought thoughtfully of his daughter dilemma," This is indeed a grave problem."
He looked down at his work table, sighing tiredly as he thought back to when he moved to this new town with a girl without her mother but only his reputation as a doll maker. A reputation which people fear he used dark magic to create dolls to look uncannily like a human. The father gazed back to Scarlet as he mulled over for a solution.
Finally, he said in a low voice," Tomorrow, wait till tomorrow and I will lead you to a world for you to play in and to your friends."
The girl jumped with delight at his solution and ran up to hug her father. The father opened his arms to receive her hug and smiled down at her without warmth and a dark, cold look fogged over his eyes.
The next morning, Scarlet waited inside the family room, pacing back and forth impatiently for her father, she looked up just in time to see her father emerging out of his room. She ran up to him and grabbed his hand and he led her toward a door she never saw before. He produced a small golden key and inserted it in, and the wall in front of them opened slowly.
Scarlet jumped back in surprise but her father only held her hand tightly and said, "Don't worry Scarlet; this will lead you to your kingdom."
And guided her to a small room that was dimly lighted, he pressed a mysterious button and the door closed slowly and they begin to move down. Scarlet stood restless for what she thought was forever; standing beside her father as the room continues it's descended. Her father only responds to her impulsive action, still facing the wall,
"Be patient, Scarlet, the ride will soon be over."
Scarlet stayed still to please her father but within a minute she begin to fidget again and walked around the room. Suddenly, the room slowed to a stop and the door opened in front of them.
He guided her forward and stoops down to face her and said, "Scarlet, this is where I must say goodbye. Go toward that light and begin your adventure."
He stood up abruptly and walked back toward the room. Scarlet looked back at her father, frighten by his sudden change of personality, and begin to follow him but her legs didn't seemed to move fast enough to catch up with him and the wall were already closing in front of her. Scarlet reached the wall as she sees her father looking through the narrow gap of the closing wall, smiling cruelly down at her. Scarlet screamed and begged to go back with him and she begin to pound on the wall and tried to pry open the wall until her hands begin to bleed and her nails started to crack.