Regina sat on the floor.
Something was going to happen.
Her entire body felt like lead.
An image surfaced in her brain of the funny man in the drain she'd met.
An office.
A vent grate.
Was that where she had to be?
Was that man friend or foe?
Was the vision right this time?
It was better than hanging around here, that's for sure….
whip-SNAP!whip-SNAP!whip-SNAP!
Dollface cracked the leather snake across the bear's huge belly as he swiped at her.
"C'moooon, bear bear bear bear!"
Freddy howled with laughter and roared, "You'll float too!"
"I don't give a fuck!" Dollface yelled. "Ya scared away m'idiot sister!"
"Just imagine a trip to a wonderful land" Freddy breathed, whip slicing through his jelly belly covered in smog stains, "A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. A land of candy, and jam, and iiiiiiice cream!"
"And early onset diabetes!" Dollface flipped her grandfather's wool wide-brimmed hat from her eyes and dodged a dreaded blow to her stomach. "You ain't gettin' me this time!"
"Aren't we your friends?"
"No!" Dollface shouted as she ducked, then shot between the bear's peeling legs. She pressed against a tiled wall and panted, sweat bead on her forehead, pulling her foundation from her face as the room spun.
WHAM!
Dollface's eyes shot open as Freddy's fist slammed into the wall by her face and crushed it from the sheer force of titanium.
Eyes widening like a doe's, she stared at the fist and the face attached, screamed, and dropped down, sliding once more under her adversary's legs.
"Now where are you goin'?" He scooped her up before she could stand by the collar, "Wanna play?"
Dollface scrambled around in his arms and fell to the floor below and ran in her boots, whip discarded.
Damn, she'd have to get it back later...
...Watermelon headed Chica was singing loudly as she set out plastic tea cups at empty places on the pink, blue and yellow striped tablecloth.
With a licensed 'Chica's Magic Rainbow' staring wildly at Izzy from under a vase of yellow marigolds and moldy sandwiches.
And worse was that she found herself completely unable to move for fear of a squeaking blast of rotten furnace air attacking her with a fire in its belly.
And even if she could, escape was futile. She'd completely snapped her ankle!
Stupid heels!
Chica waddled over and raunchily burped in her guest's face with a blast of humid death, dropping a purple teacup at Izzy's place.
Great, her favorite color.
All of this had been so unplanned.
Izzy's head drooped as she held back a spew of vomit.
Or tears.
She'd messed up BIG time.
"This one's my favorite!" Chica proclaimed, holding up a pink teacup with Cabbage Patch Kids printed on its sides.
Well, that's one favorite collectable franchise ruined for Izzy. If she managed to get out, she'd toss her collection into the streets.
Or the GoodWill.
In Idaho.
Or Barbados.
Who cares if that was a lot of money?
As far from here as possible was perfect!
"Don't you just-" Chica paused, mid sentence, "-hold up a sec-" Chica burped and farted as loudly as possible by throwing her torso off-kilter and crushing her knees in.
"The real Chica the chicken wouldn't do that!" Izzy shouted indignantly.
"What did ya just say?!"
Izzy gulped.
Oh no.
"One time I saw a bird sleeping in the snow. It wasn't moving. I wonder if it was just that nice there. I don't feel very good. I'm cold and I want to go home. Things don't breathe when they sleep in the snow. I can't breathe."
Izzy looked at the little girl standing in Chica's place in a fluffy dress and a yellow oil slicker coat to match her orange rain boots. She looked rather petulant, with wide set purple eyes and fishy lips.
"Which is why you shouldn't be allowed to either."
"…Can't catch me!"
"What the?" Vinnie laughed as Dolli Mae shot up and ran in a blur away from him.
He laughed and give chase throughout the maze.
Damn was Dolli Mae fast for such a tiny little lady. Remembering lessons learned in track and baseball, hell, even soccer, Vinnie paced himself then hid behind a purple curtain. Cheap, sure, but whatever.
They were only playing.
He held very, very still, listening for footsteps and breathing.
And at last, he did hear her and jumped out.
Dolli Mae squealed and laughed, then flew out of his arms like a dove, begging for him to tag behind.
And he did, remembering being invited to a baseball game among a group of neighborhood boys. He'd come to the small diamond set up in the town's park, next to the overgrown dog park no one mentioned and avoided glances at, and watched Dolli Mae Jenson in sport shorts and sweatbands step up to bat.
That was when Foxy had been hooked.
A girl who could beat her seven brothers and run as fast as him was enough to grab his attention, and the fact she also wanted a Navy career was just icing on the cake. Want a cherry?
Vinnie could pick her up under one arm or put her in a duffel bag and carry her away.
(If she was okay with that, of course!)
Dolli Mae looked over her shoulder at him as he gained on her.
She threw herself down a corridor so fast Vinnie practically slammed against the wall. Barely managing to skid to a stop, Vinnie touched it with a bare metal hand and waited.
Dolli Mae tiptoed forward.
He spun and held her hand. She squeezed it back, affirming.
And then they danced...
"If this is our happiest day, then why are we crying?"
Regina stared around the Cowatch's sterile white kitchen. She drummed her hands on the stained wooden table and sighed, not meeting her sister's red, almond eyes.
"So, uh, nice weather we're having?" She finally looked up at Dollface, feeling very numb. The lank blue-black hair fell into Dollface's red eyes.
She looked so very much like Daddy.
It was almost scary.
Reggie turned in her chair, no answer from Dollface.
It was inky black outside the little window over the kitchen sink that drip, drip, dropped onto a pan. She could hear creaking upstairs and the house sette around her.
It was so painfully quiet.
Dollface cocked her head.
A lonely car passed on somewhere in the emptiness.
"Dollface," Reggie asked slowly, calmly, "Where are we?"
"Home."
"Dollface," Reggie repeated, then paused, hearing just the two of them breathing, "Dollface, do you hear the music?"
"The music is not for you."
Regina tried to listen for the music again.
It had been joyful, yet drawn out and dulled by what felt like miles.
Dollface's head mechanically moved back in its original position. The ragged yellow bow slipping in her plasticky hair bristled in the motion, ribbon tails stained and fluttering.
"Dolly, my leg hurts." Reggie said, meekly, "And it won't stop."
"It will never stop." Dollface said flatly, "I am torment made flesh."
"That's great to hear."
Regina stared at the vase in the center of the table. It was full of such wilting, exotic flowers. She closed her eyes and started to nod off, just rest a little bit, and wait for the morning to come.
It was past her bedtime, anyway.