They said there’s a beautiful young girl whose appearance is similar to that beautiful pale white bisque doll. As if she’s another different entity than an average human.

She is like no other, one of a kind. There’s no one else who is talented as much as she was for making any type of doll. Some rumors said if the girl has the blessing of the Gods attached on her delicate fingers.

Almost all of her handicrafts are in par with divine art. Her dolls are perfectly shaped and truly alluring for whoever catches sight of the Dollmaker’s product.

As if they can move and alive to greet the customer who stepped at the breathtaking doll shop, the dolls and puppets altogether, always smiling for whoever comes inside.

 

Her name is Allie. Blonde hair, pale white skin, and graceful smile. Although her creation is almost like the definition of perfection itself, her whole being is just another different level.

As if a divine angel has descended to bless humans with her flawless impersonation of the living being.

 

Allie’s rumor of being the most talented Dollmaker is spreading like a fire. Everyone would dare to travel a hundred kilometers just to make a request for her talent. The girl herself allows her customer to send a letter of order, but some of them would like to meet her face to face so they can admire her beauty as a person.

 

The Dollmaker doesn’t mind that. She earnestly listened to her customer’s needs and start to make the dolls immediately.

 

The creation of Gods, they said. But Allie thinks it’s just an exaggerated opinion. Still, she’s proud of doing her job, so she embraced that kind of view and living with it.

 

There are so many requests from her customers to create the dolls and puppets they desire. A small stuffed doll, beautiful bisque doll, or just a big teddy bear, which is almost as big as her front door. When the girl brought her creation in front of her customer, they would smile wide.

 

“Please make a cute lion cub stuffed doll so my daughter will be happy.”

She smiling widely with her hands full of coins for the payment. Allie nods and receives the order, so her daughter would be delighted.

The result is quite expected. The young mom genuinely grateful for her works and presented the stuffed doll for her daughter.

 

“Can you create a set of puppets for me? I want to make the most popular puppet show ever in this country,” asks the beggar who still has a big dream within him.

Then, Allie begins to proceed to make two puppets that resemble a servant and its master. The customer understands perfectly what the Dollmaker trying to say and accepted it with a huge grin.

Later on, his comedic tale about bullied master and its servant gets very popular throughout the country.

The Dollmaker smiles wide to see that her ability able to change her customer’s life from now on.

 

“Can you make me a lot of cute dolls enough for children at the orphanage. Don’t worry about the payment, I’ll transfer it right away to your account.”

Hence, Allie starts her work right away. Her mind only filled with the happiness of the children.

Her delicate fingers moving to sewn the doll as she’s starting to get absorbed by her work.

When Allie got into this state, usually, she’ll hole up on her workshop with no sign of stopping soon.

But that is fine. She knows very well to take care of her body so she would deliver her works without fail.

 

Later on, after a few months of successful work for a Dollmaker, a big intimidating man entering the shop.

Allie can’t see his face properly since he wears a mask, along with his big dark coat, which makes him more intimidating. He’s looking around the shop with a big brown suitcase on his hand. A few moments later, the customer starts to speak.

 

“Make me a life-sized puppet using this ash I’ve brought as the component. Can you do it?”

 

Her eyes attached to the suitcase he brought. Allie trying to examine if there’s a dangerous substance hidden inside as well.

The man has brought me a specific material he has requested. I shouldn’t ask more about it and accept the job right away. To make dolls is what I’ve been doing in my life.

Hence, the Dollmaker accepted her job to make a life-sized doll that resembles a male figure.

 

During the process of making this puppet, something bizarre always occurring at the doll shop. Especially when Allie trying to use the ash as the component of the said puppet, suddenly something out-of-logic tends to happen. Such as the light suddenly went out so she can’t do her work, or something fall and crashed, which makes her startled.

There are a few more unexplainable things that happened when the Dollmaker trying to focus on her work. But, she doesn’t let that get her and continue to focus on making her most excellent puppet.

Until approximately one month goes by, Allie let go of her satisfied sigh and wipes away her sweat.

Another puppet has been made. It’s looking very realistic, a perfect copy of a human being. One can mistake this masterpiece as a real human until they see the joints of the finished product. A crucial part that always shows the difference apart between an average human and a puppet.

Its facial features show that there’s a white mustache, wrinkles here and there, and a sharp nose. The Dollmaker trying her best to follow the customer’s order. At the initial production, He gave Allie an old photo that resembles a man on his fifties. Therefore, the physical features of the puppet must be similar to him.

Still, it’s rare for someone to order a puppet with an old man’s appearance. Usually, they’ll go with fun or refreshing look. Nevertheless, I won’t judge.

 

An appearance of a live-scale puppet of an old man is somewhat intimidating. Yet, Allie feels that she has achieved her objective. To make every of her creation as perfect as possible.

All that left is to contact the customer—

 

Out of nowhere, the door’s bell in Allie’s shop is ringing loudly.

 

“Excuse me, sir. But the shop isn’t—“

“You finally made it! A perfect mirror of someone cruel, wicked, and ought to be punished until the end of time!”

“W-what—“

 

It’s the customer who ordered this precious piece of this puppet. Allie can’t find any logical reason for how the hell this guy able to predict, such as the time she finished the product. The Dollmaker can only observe when her dear customer walks in to check the puppet carefully.

 

“Yes... yes! As expected for the title of Dollmaker of Bucuresti, you’ve made it with every excellent detail. That crafting skills of yours… surely it can bring him back!”

“Dear customer, is that means you’re satisfied with the final product?”

“Do you put the ashes as I requested?”

“Indeed. I’ve spread it on this puppet’s whole body, as you instructed. I’m certain all of the ashes inside the suitcase you’ve borrowed to me has been used.”

“Very good.”

 

The customer pulls out a small jar filled with a dark-red substance. Without really waiting for Allie’s response, he opened and throws away its content towards the puppet, so it’s smeared with that dense, mesmerizing liquid.

 

“Dear customer! What are you—“

 

He isn’t finished yet. This time, his left hand pulled something sharp from his coat and impaled the puppet’s chest area. Allie put both of her hands in front of her mouth, witnessing something bizarre right inside her shop.

Just what kind of customer she’s dealing with? It’s her first time to see her creation get impaled right away after its completion, and surely Allie can’t forget this kind of sight for a while.

She’s aware of the possibility for her customer to continue his damage. Furthermore, he can split everything apart and making a mess at her beloved doll shop. The worst case is when he has the chance to do the same thing towards the Dollmaker. How would Allie make her way out?.

Therefore, Allie has to do something. Perhaps to convince him to stop is the best thing?

 

“Dear customer. Please calm down. I, humbly don’t know what kind of ordeal you’ve been through. But we can talk with cool heads about this,” said the Dollmaker while slowly approaching the guy.

The beautiful lady carefully watching her steps, as if one mistake can trigger another unwanted damage. Finally, she able to grasp the situation clearly and noticed that something is dripping from her puppet—

Fresh blood, along with its unbearable stench, infiltrates her nose.

 

“Why you bring me back to this world when I’m enjoying my death leisurely, you goddamn son!”

 

The puppet spoke.

That scary artificial old man able to utter cursing words using a plastic mouth of him towards a human being!

 

“I won’t forget the moment you’re treating me like I’m a sewer rat at my own home! You deserve more pain! I won’t let you escape to death!”

“Let me go, accursed son! Let me go!”

 

A few stabs are going through at the puppet’s plastic chest, along with the old man’s groan of pain. The customer has no sign of stopping and keep stabbing his supposed-to-be-his-father.

 

“Damnit! It hurts! Aah! Why I can’t move? What the hell with this body, you bastard!”

 

The head of the doll moving frantically in agony. To witness such as a Kafkaesque scene in front of her eyes, Allie starting to cry.

Until the doll’s gaze meets with hers.

 

“You! You’re the cause of this absurd confinement. You must be responsible for the deed you’ve done. Aah, damn, Dollmaker!”

 

Allie definitely can’t forget the malice she feels when her eyes fixated onto the doll’s eyes. The moment she realizes there’s no escape, something like an octopus tentacle leaking out from the puppet’s eyes and showing its many sharp teeth.

“—Ah...”

This is the day when the Dollmaker regrets her creation for the first time.