[FICTION] Porcelain Doll

It was already 10 PM. She stood at the Bund, near the bus terminal station. She should have caught the last bus one hour ago, fortunately the bus driver told her there would be an extra bus arranged for her.

Then the bus came. She got on the bus, and there was no one else besides the driver. The bus moved, but went in the opposite direction. The response she got from the driver was “You will see.” She was enshrouded in pitchy darkness gradually. Everything seemed to be wrong.

Eventually, the bus arrived at a courtyard surrounded by the bars. She left the bus, entered the courtyard but no one was there except an old woman wearing a pointy hat. The woman was only 4 feet high, dressed like a witch and started walking towards her with the stick. “It has been a long time since we met last time.” The woman spoke slowly in a deep trembling tone, “Now, let’s go.”

She had no clue about what was going on but followed the woman. What emerged before her eyes was a tiny wooden thatched cabin. The door was so low that she had to bow to get into the room. Inside, the tiny room was decorated elaborately; there was a cute droplight with a warm orange light and shelves around the walls. The strangest thing was there were so many pictures ornamented by delicate golden frames which were all of her family, including her parents, aunts , uncles, and even her brothers and their wives, but there was a special face missing and that was her husband.

The old woman stood over her and patted her shoulder softly. She gave her a large white paper with a picture that only occupied a quarter of it. It was a lovely porcelain doll with sparkling black eyes and a little blush on its cheek. “It looks pretty, doesn’t it?” The woman stepped away. “And now, imagine how ugly it could be.”

She tried to do that and concentrated on the photo. Nothing changed, only the red color on its cheek disappeared, and then another photo showed up beside the first one. On that one, the face of the china doll was terribly pale, and there was no smile anymore.

“Do not stop imagining, young lady!” 

Then, the third picture emerged. Some cracks and a weird smile appeared on the face, and the eyes became no longer bright. What you could observe was only endless darkness.

A few seconds later, another picture flashed out. This time, it was worms inching from the cracks, and covering the doll’s face. Some of them crept up to the eyes and then fell down on the shabby skirt of the doll. It was so nasty.

Disgusting.

She was frightened and scared of the picture she imagined. The old lady suddenly held her tightly, waved away all the pictures and whispered,” Imagine the beauty of it, right now!”

A glary light came through, then when she just saw a vague figure of the doll, her sight was blocked by a wrinkled hand. Now she could see nothing, though still could she feel the breath on her right side, and heard every single word from the woman.

“Whatever you have imagined, now will come true.”

She woke up, finding herself leaning against the ward bed. Her left hand was held by the man lying on the bed, and his eyes staring at her were fully filled with tenderness. Here was the man she loved, who had been dying for 3 months.

“Finally, finally, I can see your smile in my life again.”