ALMA

Prelude

It was the dead of the winter. The sun was struggling to illuminate the snowed village; in which the
cold could barely let watch the remains of the local castle that has characterized this kind of
middle-age cities. The snow slowly still fell in the morning covering up the old houses roofs and
the very narrow streets; while the snowflakes ran against the little sunlight to get through the
wind.

A little girl was happily enjoying the day. She crossed a little gate that took her unto a small
snowed deserted way between two buildings. During the time she was playing and walking
around. She jumps to the side of the street so joyful and happy that she does not even notice the
missing kids cartels glued on the walls around her. She passes just under some of them, and then
crosses the street.

Chapter 1

A glass, divided in parts, separated by partitions of wood, divided it in three great parts and seven
little small parts in the middle above of the great ones. The figure that created those glasses
together formed a circular window. The window, is supported by a Socle, it seemed a little roof
made by green leaves upon the sidewalk. Side by side, this little roof had one upside-down half
kind ionic order forms made by wood. A very definite image of a girl crossing the street was
reflected in that window. It showed how this little girl took with her very thick brown gloves a very
used small chalk to write in a dark green board -almost gray because of the snow and the chalk-
her name among a lot of other unknown names: Alma.

After writing, she looks with her big green eyes at the little chalk she still had in her right hand and
throws it down. Then, she takes off her very red scarf that was covering all her neck and the face
under her nose to breath better and to appreciate her name in the very small little place she wrote
her name among the names. The snow stopped falling. The silence surrounding alma was broken
when a sound appeared right behind the glass of the building behind her and she could hear it.
Disturbed because of it. She slightly turned around and noticed something different through the
glasses in the place in the front of the street. Consternated because of it, alma around her to check
if anybody was in the street. When she realizes there was nobody near her. She got close to the
thing she could appreciate through the windows, because she noticed something familiar on it.
She was a little curious about it.

When she arrived at it. She had to clean up a little bit the snow on the window to watch it better.
She watched in front of her a very identical to her doll. It was wearing her same clothes, her gray
beanie covering her head but letting show her blond gold hair; Her red vest over her gray shirt,
that let see the sleeves of the shirt until the brown gloves. Her brown big jeans covered her feet
hiding her shoes. She looked herself to check and compare the similitude she shared with the doll.
She was amazed. She looked back anxious wanting to watch now every detailed setting in the doll,
put her left hand on the glass, and realized, after doing it, that her very similar doll was not in front
of her anymore.

Chapter 2
She was surprised and appalled, how could it have moved if there was nobody in there? she
thought, so she stretched herself putting her hands over the down part of the windows to see
inside where the doll was before to see if maybe it could have fallen or moved, but she was
concerned about what happened.

She proposed to find what had happened, because she could not believe that something could
disappear just like that. Looked in through the next glass, and her regard found a very little girl
doll, with a gray ancient dress, just like a princess. Its pink hair was perfectly prepared for a special
occasion. Its very big eyes lost themselves in the horizon and its great ear-to-ear smile seemed to
prevent those who see it from something. Alma, ignoring the doll, kept insistently looking through
the windows trying to find where the doll went. She moved from window to window until she
ended up in the front of the door. It had a big glass in it. Looking forward and deeper, she put her
hands over her eyes to avoid the light and concentrate in the inside, and finally, she found it.

The doll was in the center of the place, upon a table. Almas eyes were illuminated with hope
again, then she happily tried to open the door with the door handle, but it was stuck. She pulled
once and twice, and then again, but it was almost impossible to open the door. She got frustrated.
She looked angry at the door, Furious because of it she took three steps back and crossed her
arms. She frowned getting angrier because of her frustration looking at the door.

She decided to leave, not without release her anger. When she turned around, before start
walking; she realized there was a lot of snow underneath her feet. She formed a big snowball with
her gloves and threw it to the door, leaving on it a stain of snow. She was so irritated. Alma,
turned to the right after throwing the ball, and putting her left hand on the wall. She started to
walk and her face indicated her ire.

Her face completely changed in the moment she heard the hinges making the sound, her
happiness in her face almost shined. She turned around to see it for herself, to see it with her own
eyes, she could not believe it, the door had opened by itself.

Chapter 3

As happy as she was, when she saw the door opened. She ran unto it, and watched through the
little space the door let see, so she pushes the door, and gets inside. Alma, first, admires the place.
She looks at the floor made by pottery, divided in very small pieces in all the place, some of them
painted differently in order to form figures. Then she realizes, looking to her right, that she was
surrounded for many incredible realistic dolls in many shelves in that room. It was a Dolls Store.
She saw the hundreds and hundreds of dolls around her, but after watching all around her. She
focused on the doll she saw since the beginning. The sun was glowing the dolls face, highlighting
its green eyes on its flat face. Alma, hypnotized for the dolls beauty, stretched out her hand and
walk towards the doll, but just before she could touch it. she traps with a little doll in a bicycle
down on the floor and scares herself when she activates it, so she jumps back surprised.

She lowers her face concerned to watch it, so she would see it better. It was a little doll guy black
dressed, with very short hair -also black- riding its bicycle. Alma crouched and took the little doll
that still was moving its feet like really riding its bicycle and moving the wheels too. Alma, puts the
little funny doll over its wheels, and as soon as she did it, the little doll rode its bicycle in the store.
The doll turned around Alma, and rode towards the exit, like trying to escape from her, but the
door closed itself right in front of it. So the doll crashes the door again and again, like if it was
alive, like if it was trying to break that door and run away, but the door made it get back once
again, and again, and again, and repeating that cycle. Alma, innocently watching what was
happening, drew a smile on her face and she stands up never taking off her sight from the doll,
and supporting herself from the table where the doll she got in the store to look for has been. She
turned around and realize that the doll was not there anymore. Surprised, alma starts looking with
her eyes and head in the store to find it again, but she could not find it. She looks under the table,
beside her, beside the table, but her struggles were in vain. Looking desperately without moving,
she saw it.

The doll was in the shelves in front of her, among many other dolls in the upper zone. Her
happiness came back to her. As fast as she could, she surrounded the table, and walked towards
the shelf, hypnotized by its perfection, she got on the couch right down from the shelf, to get it.
She ignored everything around her even the two dolls that turned their eyes looking at her when
she passes next to her, then she stands up on the couch and thinks in getting the doll, but she
realizes that it is not going to be possible if she tries to catch it with her gloves. Alma, takes off her
right-hand glove and stretches her hand to get the doll. The bicycle rider doll is still bumping
against the door, and it seems to do it as its sound increases louder and louder. Alma ignores it.
Alma stretches even more to get the dolls face. Happiness is drawn on her face in the time she
gets closer and closer to touch the dolls face. Her right-hand reaches the dolls face and she gets
closer to the nose of the doll. When she is ready, she touches it.

Chapter 4

Everything is new now. Almas despair was clearly visible. She could only move her eyes. She felt
confused, strange, very weird. She could not understand what was happening. She looked around
her with her eyes trying to remember how she got in this situation. She remembered. In the
moment she touched the doll with her very soft finger. She felt something strange, that had pulled
her out from herself. She saw how the doll moved her eyes towards her when she touched it. She
felt going through the dolls eyes and watch everything dark. Lots of lights. Lots of voiceless and
soundless screams. She felt a lot of baby dolls falling over her. A nightmare.

Next thing she knew is that she did not know what happened. She suddenly opened her eyes, and
she sees herself trying to look with her eyes, but she didnt have eyes anymore. She could not see
well because her eyes had to focus according to the light. She wanted to use her arms, but she
could not move. When her eyes could already see well. She was surprised. She was in the same
place as the doll. She could not move. She moves her eyes, the only one thing she could move. Her
eyes were different now, they were not wet and sensible as before. Her eyes were now made of
plastic, hard. Around her, many other eyes were moving. The dolls around her were watching her
after the mistake she made while a new doll appeared before the glass waiting for its new victim.

Everything is new now. Almas despair was clearly visible. She could only move her eyes