You stood in your room, packing your suitcase knowing your new job demanded you be with the Lady of the House at all times, after all you were going to be a new maid there.
"Got everything, sweetheart?" your father asked from the doorway.
You gave a nod, smiling nervously as well as feeling slightly excited.
"Nervous?" he asks.
"That obvious?" you frown.
"We all go through the same thing," he smiles as he brings you in for a hug. "Come on then, better not be late for your first job."
You take a deep breath to steady your nerves, grabbing your suitcase you now follow your father out. He walks you down the path, knowing it off by heart as he usually did odd jobs for the household. Walking over to the door, he gave a knock. A young woman answered shortly after, looking a little sleep deprived.
"Yes?" she asked.
"My daughter's here about the job," he announced for you.
"Ah, yes." The woman nodded. "If you'll come with me, we'll get you settled in."
You gave one last look to your father before heading inside, the doors were then closed after you. Everything seemed normal and that was good in your eyes. It looked like a nice house from what you were seeing.
"This way," the woman beckoned.
You followed her upstairs to a room, but as you passed a doll you could have sworn it moved it's eyes to look at you.
"Creepy," you sigh.
"What was that?" the woman asked.
"Um, nothing." You tell her.
She gives you a look before opening the door to your new room. It was small, but cosy looking.
"This is your room," she announced as you walked over to the bed to place down your suitcase.
There was another doll in here, sitting on the windowsill and you thought about moving it to the wardrobe out of the way.
"The Lady will meet with you first thing tomorrow, for now you're free to settle in and get a good layout of your surroundings."
You give a nod in response, watching as she now heads out. Once she's gone, you turn to the doll sitting on the windowsill, reaching out you take it down to look it over. It's nothing special, but you'd still rather put it out of sight then have it sat looking at you, so in the wardrobe it sat.
"Better get unpacked before I see what this place is like," you now thought as you pulled your clothes from your suitcase to hang up.
Once that was taken care of you took a tour of the house by yourself, passing the other working maids, who just got on with their work. Heading for the kitchen, you find a woman slaving over a hot stove.
"Need any help?" you ask, hoping to start off with a good impression.
The woman wipes her forehead on her arm before turning to look at you.
"You're the first to ever ask that," she smiles before pointing to the table. "Got some veg that needs cutting up."
You nod as you roll up your sleeves to get stuck in. You're too engrossed in what you're doing to see the door open slightly. The feel of fabric brushes past your leg, making you jump and quickly look around.
"What was that?" you ask aloud.
"What was what?" the woman asks.
"I felt something like fabric," you tell her.
"Oh," she now realises as the familiar sound of laughing is now heard. "That's Miss Angie."
"Miss Angie?" you ask.
The woman nods just as you feel the fabric again before something climbs upon a chair to giggle.
"Oh my god!" you cry out in shock, seeing a doll in wedding dress standing upon the table now.
"Fresh meat," the little doll smiles. "You wanna be friends?"
You swallow hard as the doll asks you a question.
"Well?" she presses as she cocks her head.
You turn to look for support, the woman nods in response. Turning back you also give a nod to get an excited giggle again.
"Look forward to seeing you around," she says as she climbs back down to head out.
"What was that?" you now ask the woman.
She shrugs. "The Lady is a doll maker, these are her..."
"Toys?" you ask.
"No, her family." The woman replies.
You turn back to finish up, thinking it was all just weird to have dolls as family, but each to their own.
"I'm done with the veg," you now tell her.
"Good, thanks." She nods. "You'd better get yourself ready, dinner will soon be done."
You nod as you head back to your room to freshen up, you could swear another doll had turned it's head to you.
"You're being stupid," you frown.
Once you're ready you had back for dinner, everyone introduces themselves as if they have no other choice in the matter and things just go from there. Your nerves are now getting the best of you again as you can't help but think about what's to come when you see the Lady of the House.
"Just have to take it as it comes," you tell yourself as you close your eyes, but not before seeing the doll sitting back on the windowsill once again. "Someone's been in my room," you frown before falling asleep.
oOo
You find yourself laying in bed, it's dark but there's something sitting on your chest giggling.
"Hello," the doll greets.
In a panic you grab it and throw it across the room.
"Hey, that's not very nice." It now scolds you as it starts to reform into some deformed creature. "I only said 'hello' and that's how you greet me in turn!"
"S-Sorry," you splutter but it's far too late as the creature grabs you to eat you whole.
You wake up with an echoing scream, sitting bolt upright you pant heavily. The doll that was once on the windowsill is now leaned up against the wall. You reach out to grab it, wanting nothing more than to throw it again but think on to the dream and instead climb front the bed to set it back on the windowsill.
"Stay there," you tell it as a knock at the door has you jump out of your skin.
"Are you up?" a voice calls through the door. "The Lady awaits you."
"Yes. Yes, I'm up." You frantically rush to get changed and do up your hair, nerves getting the best of you again.
You now open the door to be greeted by the other woman, who looks you up and down as you fiddle with your fingers.
"Come with me," she gestures with her head.
You nod as you follow her on, she takes you through the halls and down on a lift to the Lady's study. Knocking on the door, she's greeted by a warm voice.
"My Lady," she announces as she steps into the room with you following. "The new girl."
You feel your heart beat in your chest as a woman in all black stands up. She has her face covered with an equally black veil.
"Please, take a seat." She gestures with a ungloved hand.
"Y-Yes, my lady." You nod and the other maid now leaves you to it.
"How are you?" the mysterious Lady asks as she takes a seat to have Angie now appear.
"She's here!" she smiles playfully, climbing onto her Lady's knee.
"I-I'm fine, my lady." You swallow nervously as you try not to look at the veil knowing you should never make eye contact even if there was no eye contact to make.
"Good," the woman nods. "I like all my maids to feel welcome here."
She now stands, allowing Angie to roam as she heads back to her desk, you watch as she lifts a tea pot to pour the contents into a tea cup.
"Tea?" she asks.
"Um, yes please." You smile taking it from her.
She then pours her own before sitting down to drink it. The veil never leaves her face as she sips her drink underneath it.
"So tell me about yourself," she now requests you start up a conversation.
"Um, there's not much to say other than I live with my father and that I love to draw and write and..." you cut off as you found yourself thinking up on your hobbies.
"Go on," she tells you.
"T-There's nothing else to say really, my lady."
She nods. "Nerves, my dear."
You nod in return. "I'm sorry, but yes."
"You're one of my ladies now and I will treat you as if you're family."
"T-Thank you, my lady." You smile as you sip your drink.
"Can I introduce her to my cute friends?" Angie now asks.
The veiled Lady nods, getting an excited dance from the doll. Quickly finishing your tea with difficulty due to it being hot, the doll is quick to grab your hand and pull you out. She leads you back upstairs and into a room filled with dolls.
"These are all my friends," she tells you quite giddily. "Do you like them?"
You don't want to hurt her feelings, but then again you are talking to a doll after all.
"Um, yes." You nod with a smile, whether you did it not.
"I like you," she giggles as she goes off to grab a doll to bring back to you. "This one's recent."
"Recent?" you ask.
"Yep," Angie nods. "Donna just made her after the Lady parted ways with us."
Your brows furrow as you contemplate what she's just said. "You mean as in tribute to one of the women?"
"Her soul is sewn right into the doll," she explained. "That way Donna can keep her maids forever."
You look back down on the doll, seeing it smile at you. In fright you drop it.
"That's not very nice," Angie now frowns as she picks it up.
"I-I have to go," you tell her as you run from the room.
You look for the exit, but for some reason the place has gone dark.
"I can't allow you to leave," a voice calls out through the darkness. "I won't allow you to leave."
Your hearts pounding in your chest, dolls are now swarming around you as candles flicker in the distance.
"I've taken a liking to you, my dear." You hear the Lady's voice once again. "And once I do, you're mine."
"N-No, please, just let me go."
The sound of laughter fills the room.
"Donna likes you! Donna likes you! Donna likes you! Donna likes YOU!"
The room starts to spin and you instinctively curl in on yourself.
"It's all a bad dream," you tell yourself. "It's just a dream."
Creatures move around you, drawing closer until you're once again envoloped in darkness. You come to some time later to a veiled woman again. Her hand is on your arm, but something feels off.
"I'm so happy to see you're awake," you hear her say as she now stands.
You can't help but look down on yourself, seeing a different body. One made of wood just like a puppet.
"W-What is this?" you ask in panic.
You try moving your arm, but it's no use its like someone is pulling the strings. And that's just it, someone is pulling the strings as you're now pulled to sit upright.
"What have you done to me?" you question angrily.
The Lady says nothing as she now takes hold of her veil to lift up and over her head. This is the first time you're seeing her and she actually looks normal looking, so why the veil. But then you notice a scar upon her face, much like that of Angie's and wonder if they're the same person.
"Why have you don't this?" you ask.
A giggle is heard before you now see Angie climb upon your legs.
"She really likes you," she grins wildly. "That's why she made you her puppet. She can control you in every way."
Tears start to form, which was weird if you were nothing but a wooden puppet. But no, you can feel something ununderneath, a beating heart, blood pumping under your wooden skin. You were still human under there?
"Please forgive my forwardness, but what Angie says is true. I do like you, my dear. You're special to me and I want to keep you with me forever."
"B-But?" you can't help but stammer. "M-My father?"
She lowers her head as she turns away.
"I thought you'd be grateful to me for doing this for you, as now you get to be with someone like me. Though now I see you don't share that same passion with me. I may have made a mistake."
"Aww, and she was so cute too." Angie sighed. "Oh well, let's incinerate her."
"N-No, please, I-I'm sorry. I really do like you," you quickly tell her.
She turns to look at you.
"In fact I actually love you, my lady."
A smile breaks out on her face now.
"I love you too, my dear."