Alice and Circus Baby had been raised together, identical twins. The only way to tell them apart was the mole Amy had. Amy always thought she was better than her sister. She'd call her names like Pigtails Girl, and Charlie. Because of Alice, nobody knew Circus Baby and was known as Charlotte. One day, it was almost Alice and Circus Baby's birthday. Circus Baby was the good twin, and decided to surprise Alice.

She knew Alice would be out at parties, and that gave her enough time to work on a gift for her sister. Circus Baby was stuck with a room in the attic at their house, and in the small attic was a wooden chest. Every day, Circus Baby raided the chest for items. She had seen Alice get porcelain dolls, plastic dolls, and even wooden dolls for holidays. Circus Baby thought she'd make her sister a doll that was actually family-made.

Circus Baby had spent hours at work, knitting and knitting. She worked hard, put her heart and soul into this one doll. She spent a few hours looking for the perfect colors for the hair, and then finding buttons for the eyes. Ocean blue, like the girl's real eyes. Sometimes, Circus Baby never got any sleep and forced herself to keep going.

Every day, Circus Baby studied her work. She felt like it had to be perfect, and almost ended up with blood all over her fingers from poking herself with the needle. That was just a thing she'd have to get used to. Maybe if Alice saw this, Circus Baby would be seen as more than a slave. She'd actually be loved.

Alice never saw her sister's work. She didn't even go into her sister's room, but why would she when she had so many things Circus Baby didn't have? But Circus Baby was grateful for that. She felt like every time she hurt herself in the process of making the doll, it was a knife to her heart. The blood would be her tears, but her heart was crying.

Alice never would see it, actually. At least, not until it was too late. Alice constantly abused Circus Baby, using her for everything from test answers to lunch money. She unfortunately wasn't aware that she was killing her sister, inside and out.

One day, the girls' birthday, Circus Baby came down the steps from the attic. She held the doll behind her back, being sure not to ruin the red and white dress, blue button eyes, or red ruby yarn hair. She walked up to Alice, almost scared.

"Uh... Alice?"

Alice turned around, glaring at her sister. "What is it, Pigtails Girl?'

Circus Baby slowly held out the doll. " I made this for your birthday, if you want it. There's a note in the-" Before Circus Baby could finsh, she was pushed down. Alice was furiosly kicking and slapping Sammy, talking about how Circus Baby ruined everything. By the time she was done, Circus Baby's lip was bleeding, there were bruises all over her arms and legs, and Circus Baby was unconscious.

Alice started to freak out. While her parents didn't mind Alice taking control of Circus Baby, they also didn't want to get in trouble for abusing a child too much. If they saw Circus Baby, they'd freak.

Alice shook Circus Baby, scared and worried. She still didn't see the doll in Circus Baby's hand, and tried to wake her sister up. "Get up, I didn't mean to..." Alice trailed off, but was slowly crying as Circus Baby still lay there motionless.

In a panic, Alice grabbed the nearest phone and dialed 911. "Hello? I just may have killed my own sister, please help!"

The ambulance was over there in a matter of minutes. Along the way, Alice insisted on riding with Circus Baby. She held her hand the whole way to the hospital, and still didn't let go when they arrived. The walk into the emergency room was filled with tears and panic.

"I didn't mean to! It's all my fault. Circus Baby was only trying to give me a birthday present." Alice explained tearfully what was going on. "I promise I never meant for any of this!"

The doctor tried to calm Alice down. "We've got your sister attached to machines now. Circus Baby, is it?"

Alice shook her head. "People who get hooked up to machines die! And it's Charlotte."

"Not all the time, Alice. And on her birth certificate her name is Charlotte."

"That was me! I changed her name!"

The doctor, in a last desperate attempt to calm Alice down, requested that Alice see her sister. Alice followed a nurse up an elevator, and into a room. Circus Baby was laying there, machines all around her. Alice could hear a steady beep from them, meaning Circus Baby was still alive.

"I'm sorry! I never should have done that, I should have taken your gift! It's my fault you're here. I don't think I can ever forgive myself! Please wake up!"

Alice suddenly saw her sister's eye move the tiniest bit. She cautiously asked, "Charlotte?" but nothing happened.

That only made Alice tear up more. She screamed out loud, "Please wake up! I'll never treat you badly again!'

A young-looking nurse entered the room. " Alice?"

"What? Will she be okay?"

"Not exactly. We called her parents and they told us they may not have the money to pay for the bill." The nurse's eyes were red with tears. "We have an hour left for her to wake up, or we unhook the machines."

Alice gripped her sister's hand. "No!"

"Yes. We're very sorry."

Alice looked at Circus Baby, then at her other hand. All this time, Circus Baby's handmade doll had been in her hand. "If you want it." Those had been Circus Baby's words before she gave the doll to her.

Alice cried more when she saw it. Nobody had done this for her before. No one had taken the time to spend hours poking themselves with a needle and picking the perfect buttons for eyes. They gave Amy things that didn't need to be made.

"I'm sorry!" Alice looked down at the doll, and at Circus Baby.

As if by magic, Circus Baby's eyes opened. She looked at Alice, confused and then saw Alice was holding the doll.

'Alice?"

Alice tightly hugged Circus Baby when she saw she was alive. "You're alive!"

"I am." Circus Baby hugged Alice back, and asked, "Do you like the doll?"

"It's perfect, Charlotte. Thank you.'