It’s been about a year and a half since the client’s business with the witch concluded, and it was expected that she’d go off and live her life like most of her clients do.

 

This meant it was a surprise when she showed up again at the witch’s door in the late afternoon, all this time later, especially in the state she’s in.

 

The client is completely dishevelled, and appears to barely be holding it together. What appears to have once been a nice dress is now covered in dirt, and damaged in several places. The spark of hope and excitement in her eyes has disappeared as well, now they just appear empty and tired.

 

“Michelle my dear, what on earth happened to you!?” The witch asks while leading her to a seat.

 

“I-I’m sorry…” She squeaks out. “I have nowhere else to go and I don’t know what to do and-” She starts breaking down. Whatever happened to her since they last met has clearly had a devastating effect on her.

 

The witch helps the client calm down, with a bit of help from Ophelia who started preparing tea when it heard someone enter the cottage. It takes some time, but the client is finally coherent enough to explain what happened to her.

 

Just like she said she would when they last met, she set out to meet people and make some meaningful connections now that she could enjoy being herself, but whether it was due to bad luck or inexperience, it didn’t turn out that way at all.

 

She’d always end up with people who cared less about her as a person, so much as what she was able to do for them, and she kept putting her all into relationships that would always end with her getting cast out like some kind of toy. Each failure only making her more desperate to try and find something real.

 

She thought she had finally found the right person a few months ago, only to find out that it was all a scam, and they took everything she had, even her home. This last attempt to forge a bond had left her broken, both of heart and of mind, and with nothing to her name.

 

With nowhere to go and nothing else to lose, she decided to go back to the witch who helped her in the first place, but her search for love had taken her far from the town she started in, so getting back without any gold was an arduous journey.

 

“I just… can’t go on feeling like this, every time I get rejected it just hurts more, and now I’ve got nothing left.” The client is holding her head in her hands. “I don’t know what exactly you can do for me, but I need something to make this pain go away. I… I can’t handle this anymore.”

 

The witch can’t help but feel guilty about this, she had seen how pure and innocent they were, of course she’d end up being chewed up and spit out by the world if she didn’t have anyone to help her. There’s one thing the witch can offer to try and help, but she needs to make sure it’s the best option for the client.

 

“I’m truly sorry for the hell that you’ve been put through since we last met. I do know one thing I could do to help you, but it’s not a decision that can be made lightly, so I need you to listen carefully.” The client takes their head out of their hands, and looks to the witch with puffy eyes.

 

“I could cast the spell to turn you into a doll, and you could live here with Ophelia and I, in exchange you would need to help with chores around the cottage. It’s nothing too strenuous, but Ophelia would appreciate the extra help, as well as the company. We both would.”

 

The client’s eyes light up a bit, she’s about to say something but the witch continues.

 

“But as I said, this isn’t something you can choose lightly. The conversion process involves removing and binding a part of your soul, your humanity, to me. You will no longer have to worry about the part of yourself that is hurting, but that’s not the only part that would be lost.”

 

“It will be a peaceful existence, but it’s not the right choice for everyone. The process can be reversed, but no one who goes through that ever ends up the same as they started. That’s why I need to know that you’re fully willing to cast off the outside world and commit yourself to this cottage, to me.”

 

The client takes some time to take in all of this information, but in their heart they already know what they want.

 

“I’ll do it. This pain… The way I’ve been feeling… I don’t know how to describe it, but it feels wrong, and I’d do anything to make it go away.”

 

“Besides, you’ve already done so much, and if you’re offering to let me stay, I know you’ll take care of me. Doing chores around the cottage is the least I could do to return your kindness.” By this point the client has stopped crying.

 

“Very well, if you’re certain this is what you want, then we can begin.” The witch places some parchment and a pen on the table between them. “This is the first step, I want you to write down the names of everyone who has hurt you.”

 

“O-Oh, okay…” The client isn’t familiar with dolls, so she wasn’t aware that this was a part of the process.

 

“Try to put as many as you can remember, but it doesn’t need to be comprehensive, and I don’t want you to have to relive any painful memories. This is to help me identify the parts of the soul that were hurt.”

 

The client takes a few minutes to fill out the list, then hands it back to the witch. It contains more names than you’d expect for someone who’d only been dating for a year and a half.

 

“Now we can begin with the actual conversion, but I need to confirm one last time that this is absolutely what you want.” The witch has a serious look on her face.

 

“Yes, please, I’m certain. It’s not like I have anywhere to go back to anyway…”

 

“Very well…” The witch lets out a quiet breath and closes her eyes. “If that’s the case, then… It shall begin.” The witch opens her eyes and her voice suddenly starts to fill the client’s mind, as if she’s speaking from all directions at once.

 

“It will ease the pain, but the heart and mind must be fully willing to accept it in turn.”

 

“Yes, I’m willing.”

 

“It will remove the parts that hurt, to allow for a simple, peaceful life.”

 

“That’s all I want, all… I… ever wanted.”

 

“It will commit itself to its witch, and to its witch’s domain.”

 

“I… This… This one… is fully committed.”

 

“It will accept its new role fully, as it can never fully go back to how it was.”

 

“Of course, this one doesn’t want to go back.”

 

“...Then it is done.”

 

“...Really, that’s it?” The new doll says, snapping out of the daze that the spell put them in.

 

“That’s correct.” The witch’s voice has returned to normal. “One advantage of keeping your original body is that it makes the whole process much simpler, not to mention skipping all of the mess. How do you feel?”

 

“It’s like Miss said, this one feels… calm… peaceful… Most of all…” A few tears start to well up in the doll’s eyes again. “This one doesn’t remember what made it so sad in the first place.”

 

“It’s okay, come over here, doll.” They both get up from their seats, and the witch pulls the doll into a hug, its head resting against her chest. “I’m so sorry for all the pain you had to go through. You’ll be safe here from now on, and if the pain ever comes back I’ll do anything I can to help.”

 

They stay like that for a bit, to give the doll a chance to calm down and adjust to their new self.

 

“Do you mind if I keep calling you Michelle?”

 

“This one is happy with whatever name Miss decides.”

 

“We’ll keep it then, it’s a good name.” The witch releases Michelle from her embrace.

 

“Now then, we need to help you get settled in. Ophelia, can you come here?”

 

“What is it, Miss?” It sees Michelle and gasps, recognising the change that has taken place since it was last in the room. “Has Miss finally found a new sister to live with us?”

 

“That’s right, I’d like you to help get it cleaned up, and into some new clothes. Then you can show it the cottage and how we do things around here.” The witch instructs while putting on her cloak.

 

“Are you leaving, Miss?” Michelle asks, grabbing her hand.

 

The witch leans in and strokes her cheek. “I’m sorry my dear, I have somewhere to be, and I don’t expect to be back until the early hours. Ophelia will help you get comfortable here, and when I return I’ll find a way to make it up to you.”

 

“This one understands, and it will do as much as it can to help out here in the meantime.” Michelle lets go of her hand.

 

“Very good, I’ll try to be back as soon as I can.”

 

“Is this an emergency visit to a client, Miss?” Ophelia asks. “This one does not remember anything in your schedule for tonight.”

 

“No, nothing like that.” The witch says while picking up the list of names, looking at it for the very first time since it was written. “This is a personal favour for someone dear to me.” She opens the door and disappears into the night.