Chapter 1

"Okay, Mr…Dominic, was it?" Mason tried to think of something to say as Laurence grasped him but the upper arm and steered him out of the room with his gun pressed to Mason's temple. He was about to speak again but then caught sight of the Police Station. Ever single person was lying on the floor. There was blood on one woman's face. Mason, though a fairly tough guy shut his eyes tight and let Laurence take him outside. Once he felt concrete under his feet Mason opened his eyes. The sun seemed oddly bright after being in the dingy station. Laurence took him right up to a black van. There was another man waiting there, and he slid open the door for Mason, who clambered into the van only to see six more men holding what looked like machine guns.

"Okay, what the hell is—" The last thing he felt was the butt of one of the guns smashing into the side of his head. He was out so quickly he did not feel himself hit the floor of the van.

The next thing mason knew he was lying on something soft. His eyelids flickered as he tried to open them, but slowly a face above him swam into focus. It was a woman with brown hair and eyes, and she was heavily scarred. Letting out a yelp, he sat up, nearly bonking heads with her, but she drew away quickly.

"Good, you're alive." She said. "I was afraid Mr Dominic had you hit too hard. You seem fine though. Ms DeWitt is waiting for you."

"Who?" He rubbed his head and felt something crusty in his brown hair, and saw a few drops of red on his white and blue striped collared shirt and on his baggy gray jeans. He was sitting on a padded examining table in an unfamiliar room with windows, but from where he was sitting he couldn't see what was on the other side. "Why did that guy take me away from the police?"

In a sudden rush he remembered why he had been at the station and he put his face back in his hands. He couldn't believe that Jacey was really gone, let alone that he was the one who made her go away.

"You're in trouble, aren't you, Mason?" The doctor lady with scars asked softly. He nodded. "Ms DeWitt can make it go away."

"Too right I can, Dr Saunders." A beautiful woman had just strode through the door. Her voice lilted with an accent, and Mason looked up at her to see her smiling. "Come with me."

"Is this because of…" He couldn't bring himself to sat Jacey's name. He could hardly think of her anymore. Shutting his eyes so tears wouldn't come, he wrung his hands.

"Yes." Ms DeWitt said. "We know you have a problem. We're going to solve it for you. Give you a whole new life." While she was talking she strode over to the door and opened it. "Welcome to the Dollhouse."

"What do you think?"

"I think you're insane is what I think!"

"Do you have a better option, Mason? The charges you face will only be worse now that you've been taken form the police."

"And whosefault is that? I hardly understand any of what you're telling me anyways!"

"I'm talking about a clean slate."

"No, I get all that. But what you're saying is that I get to do everything? I get to have every experience and live every life?"

"That's the idea."

"But I won't remember it."

"No."

"And after five years, if I get the jobs done, you release me."

"Yes."

Mason's head was aching harder than ever. He couldn't believe what was happening. Adelle DeWitt had taken him all over the place she called the Dollhouse and explained it all.

"But why did you pick me?" He wondered.

"Because you're physically fit and only twenty-one. It's one of the best ages for our Actives." Mason nodded slowly. Adelle leaned across the table they were sitting at. "Are you volunteering?" Mason put his palms over his eyes and pressed hard. Little lights blinked at him, and when he drew his hands away the bright Dollhouse swam before him.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" He mumbled. Adelle pushed a piece of paper across the table at him.

"Actions have—"

"I know." Mason cut her off. "You said it all before." He picked up the pen. "Actions have consequences."