Chapter 1.)
Violet gazed out of the orphan shack's small window, entranced by the snowflakes fluttering down from the sky and stelling onto the ground. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice her younger sister, Suny niblling her hand for attention. It was when Sunny niblbed Violet's hand harder did she snap out of her trance.
"Ow! Sunny!" Violet cried out, rubbing the spot where Sunny had bitten her.
"Sorro." Sunny said which meatn something like "sorry but I had to get your attention somehow."
Violet stopped rubbing her hand and looked down at Sunny. "Its okay. Well what is it?" she asked.
Sunny pointed over to the other side of the shack. Violet's gaze followed Sunny's pointing finger. What Sunny was poinitng to was Klaus who was pushing ina large, old, gradfather clock through the doorway.
Violet got up and walked over to hiim with her eyebrows furrowed. "Klaus what is this for?"
Klaus finally pushed the clock all the way into the orphan shack and shut the door behind him. "Well it was dumped out front of the shack, most likely Nero's doing. But I thought you'd like to work on it." Klaus answered, dusting the snow off his shoulders. "Just think of it as a Christmas present."
Violet's eyes lit up and she nodded gratefully. "Oh thank you Klaus! Thank you Sunny!" Violet took out her ribbon and tied her hair up. Soon all the gears and levers turned in her brain as she thought of inventions she could make with the clock. Violet felt a single bump as she ran her fingers over the smooth and faded wood. Feeling curious, Violet pushed on it and out came a small hidden drawer. Klas picked up Sunny and peered inside.
"Whats in there?" he asked.
Violet reached in and pulled out three dolls who looked the same but different at the same time. As if they were triplets. All three dolls had the same jet-black hair but their eyes and expressions had been different. The first doll was a girl with a sweet smile on her face as she held a small notebook.
The second doll was a boy who smiled half way and was wearing a black and white soldiers' uniform. The third doll really caught Violet's eye. He was wearing the same soldiers' uniform as the second one. His eyes looked as if they were playfull and laughing but his mouth wasn't a grin that matched his eyes, instead it was plastered in a straight manner. In his back there was a lever that moved his mouth up and down.
"Its a nutcraker." Klaus said as VIolet fiddled with the lever.
"Yes I know. But what are they doing inside this clock?"
Violet handed Sunny the girl doll and Klaus the soldier. "I guess those are my Christmas presents to you. I know Klaus your'e a bit too old for stuff like this but that's all i can give you. And Sunny you can bite on her if you want."
Sunny looked at the doll and shook her head. "Izzy" which meant something like. "No I couldn't. This doll is too pretty to ruin." Klaus took Sunny and sat her down on the bed and together he and Sunny played with the dolls Violet had given them. Violet smiled. She looked down at the nutcracker and fiddled with the lever once again making his mouth move.
Help Us... a small voice had said. Violet stopped moving the lever. It had seemed that tiny voice had come from the nutcraker she was holding in her hands. She put the nutcracker up to her ear that way she could hear better. Nothing. The voice was gone. Violet set down the nutcraker dismissing the thought of hearing him speak. She went on inspecting the clock, but the whole time she wasn't thinking of what she could do with the clock she was still thinking about that voice.