Ib sat on her wooden dresser and stared at the door. As a china doll in the Fabricated World, she'd never been out of her room, much less the world. And she didn't want to leave the world. The paintings who she called friends told her about how terrible and selfish humans were. But what about her dad? He was going to paint her, but he didn't, so she stayed white. She felt rejected, but she still thought he was a nice man.
But he was the only exception. All other humans were bad.
Ib couldn't help her curiosity though. She's never seen a human before.
Maybe a human wouldn't be so bad. One like her dad. She was bored. And lonely.
She sang to pass time. Her small cracked hands messed with the hem of her satin red dress. She at least wanted to leave the room and go see the blue dolls-they were nice-but she couldn't reach the doorknob. Plus, if she jumped from the dresser, she'd surely break.
A scream from beyond the door interrupted Ib's thoughts. That voice didn't sound familiar. Could it be? Footsteps came towards the room and, just to be safe, she planted a fake smile on her face and went limp. The door opened and Ib did all she all she could to keep from screaming or gasping.
A man! A human man! She was excited and scared out of her mind. The man shut the door behind him and a Lady in Blue clawed at the door. He looked around the empty room, finding only Ib and her dresser.
"Is there a vase here?" he asked himself, clutching a beautiful blue rose. His face fell when he didn't see one. His flower needed water from the looks of it. Ib wanted to scream and tell him to leave, but she didn't dare move. The man turned to her. He stared as if to make sure she wasn't alive.
"I'm safe here," he said. He set his rose next to Ib and lay down to rest. Ib waited until he slept (which took a long time because he seemed scared to) and leaned over the edge of her dresser. The man's hair was purple. Was that normal for humans? She liked how it covered his left eye. She would've pulled her own colorless hair over her red eye, but it was solid and set in place. She looked at his blue coat. It was tattered. She found it strange and cool at the same time. It looked so soft too. Maybe she could leap onto it and avoid breaking. She shook her head.
The rose caught her eye. She held it in her small hands. She was a little taller than it was. She looked back at the boy. She didn't think it was smart of his to put the rose out of reach. For some reason, she thought it was very important to him. She had to give it back.
Ib took a deep breath and jumped off the dresser. She landed on the man's coat. He still slept. So far so good. She gently set it in his hand. His eye snapped open.
"EEK!" Ib screamed. The boy screamed too and jumped back, rose still in hand. Ib stepped back against the wall. The boy pressed himself up against the opposite side of the room. Was he scared of her too? Was he nice? Now was the time to find out.
"Um," Ib said. "Hello?" The boy flinched. "Are you a good human?" The boy relaxed a bit.
"I have nothing left!" he said. "Leave me be!" Ib stared. He was scared of her! A little china doll!
"I won't hurt you," Ib said. "I'm a good china doll." She stepped forward, no longer afraid. "What's your name?"
"Garry," he said hesitating. "And you?"
"I'm Ib!" she said happily. It was the first time she'd ever told anyone her name. "Are you really humans? Humans shouldn't be here. You talk like a lady. I like your hair. Wanna be friends?" Garry blinked a few times and smiled.
"So you aren't evil," he said coming closer. Ib stood on her toes and motioned for him to come closer. Garry's smiled flickered, but he bent down.
"Are you trying to leave?" Ib asked.
Garry nodded. "Yes. Everything here is trying to kill me."
"Kill you?" Ib repeated.
"That Lady in Blue was a good example," he said looking at the door.
"Oh," Ib said still smiling. She felt bad for this "Garry," but he was the first human she ever talked to. "I don't come out of this room, but maybe I can help you!" She hopped onto Garry's shoulder. "After all, you're a good human, like Daddy!" She looked at his rose again.
"Oh, this?" Garry said holding it up. "This is my life. As it wilts, so do I." Ib stared at him blankly. "It means that when all the petals are plucked off, I die. But if I put it in water, it becomes healthy again." Ib nodded.
"Well, we should get going!" she said. "I want to help you! Because you're nice!"
"How do you know I'm nice?" Garry asked her, standing up.
Ib shrugged. "I just know. Plus, you talk like a lady! You even sound nice!" Garry opened the door.
"This place isn't good for my mental health," he said looking at scattered mannequin heads. Ib grabbed his hair and held it like it was an anchor. The outside was scary already.