Elissa had been keeping Maria safe for a year or so now, though it never did entail much. The Doctor pretty much did her job for her. She had seen things that she had rather not, if she had had the choice. Her soul was bound to Maria's, and so it wasn't as if she could just leave the room whenever these moments took place. She could turn away but then she would have that jolt of fear whenever he pushed Maria onto the table. She didn't like leaving Maria with him, even if it meant simply turning her back and giving them some privacy. She couldn't trust the Doctor, especially as she knew just how unpredictable he could be…
Elissa followed Maria into the doll room. She looked at all the dolls sitting in their flowing frocks. Her eyes fell upon the large red and gold armchair which stood in pride of place and the back of the room, in the centre opposite the walkway separating the left shelves from the right shelves. She gasped as she saw the majestic doll which sat on this chair, the golden haired doll wore a long white dress and a lacy collar, much like her own. Elissa's eyes grew wide, she knew who this doll was. It was her. She knew it was, the heart shaped scar was visible where the top of the dress ended, a pink curve engraved in the skin. Elissa crept up to the doll with caution… what exactly did he do to her after she had died? She pulled back the top of the dress with her dainty fingers, revealing the heart-shaped scar he'd left in her chest. Her fingers brushed the pale skin of the doll and she felt a strange feeling, almost…painful. She closed her eyes as all the events leading up to her death flashed before her.
It took her a while before she dared open her eyes. Stiff clouds of red stuffing surrounded her, falling to the floor as she felt the feeling return to her. She was…alive? Her eyes darted around the room in search of Maria, who appeared to be looking at her in the strangest way, and slowly backing out of the room. Elissa raised her hand to stop her, and Maria froze in fear.
Elissa forced herself off the chair in which she sat, her joints stiff with not having moved many years. She walked slowly towards Maria, until she stood just a metre or so away, and spoke.
'Maria, c..can you…hear me?'
Maria nodded, shaking with fear.
'Do you know who I am? Can you recognise me? Tell me you do, please!'
Maria shook her head.
'You don't?' Elissa's eyes began to fill with tears, how could her best friend, the girl she had been next to all her life, hardly know who she was? If Elissa had a heart, it would have been broken.
' Are you sure? My name is Elizabeth, remember? We used to play together on the streets when we were young. I used to sit by you and help us get food, do you not remember? You used to think my name was Elissa, because you hated the 'beth' part, remember? You were so funny!' Elissa forced a teary smile to show on her face. She watched Maria, searching her eyes for a reaction, anything that would tell her she knew who she was. After a while Maria's eyes began to fill with tears too, and she ran towards Elissa and hugged her. Elissa hugged her back. At least now Maria knew she wasn't alone.