When Lindsey saw the great man perform with his inventions, when she saw the living doll who danced to the self-winding accordion, she heard the cheers and laughter around her as though from a distance. She couldn't believe nobody else saw the sadness in the doll's eyes.
It was her third time seeing this show; she'd followed it here, to Memphis, Tennessee. It hadn't gotten any less sad along the way.
Lindsey stuck around after, hanging back as he signed autographs, the doll standing behind him, head tilted, unnaturally still. Lindsey couldn't stop looking at her.
Slowly, she backed away, sliding down to hide between two seats in the auditorium. When he was whisked away, the magician-inventor, taken to dinner by his entourage, she stayed, wedged uncomfortably and straining not to sneeze from the dust.
Then everything went quiet. Lindsey scrambled out, stretching her arms out to try and get rid of the strain, and looked up.
The doll was looking right at her.
"Hi," said Lindsey, wondering if she needed to be wound up to talk.
The doll blinked. "Hi," she said uncertainly.
"You, can you talk all the time?" Lindsey asked, unable to figure out how to say what she really wanted to say, which was, "Come away with me."
"Yes," the doll said. "I can talk all the time." She was fidgeting a little, fingers thumbing at the hem of her skirt.
"Do you," Lindsey swallowed, "Do you eat?"
"Not really," said the doll. "I can, but it's not necessary."
"Do you like to?"
The doll looked at her like she had no idea what Lindsey just asked her.
"Do you like food?"
"I don't. I don't know." She looked unhappy at that.
Lindsey bit her lip. "Would you like to find out?"
"I can't go anywhere," the doll said listlessly. "I have to wait to get stored away for the night."
No, Lindsey thought. No you fucking don't have to. "Come on," she said, smiling as widely as she could. "Come on, I'll take you for ice cream, we'll be back before they ever notice."
The doll hesitated.
"What's your name?" Lindsey pressed, and the doll looked at her.
"I don't have a name," she said.
"So pick one," Lindsey said, thinking, come on, come on.
"Perhaps I will go for ice cream," the doll said suddenly. "Perhaps I will, and perhaps I'll find a name on the way."
She stepped out of the spotlight, and jumped off the stage, landing lightly. Lindsey had been prepared to catch her, but grinned when she realized she wouldn't have to. The theatre seemed brighter when she came close, the shadows less heavy.
They walked out together, and Lindsey thought, I'm never letting you come back here, deciding she was going to give her freedom even if it meant she disappeared from Lindsey's life forever.
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Date: 2010-05-06 07:22 pm (UTC)It was her third time seeing this show; she'd followed it here, to Memphis, Tennessee. It hadn't gotten any less sad along the way.
Lindsey stuck around after, hanging back as he signed autographs, the doll standing behind him, head tilted, unnaturally still. Lindsey couldn't stop looking at her.
Slowly, she backed away, sliding down to hide between two seats in the auditorium. When he was whisked away, the magician-inventor, taken to dinner by his entourage, she stayed, wedged uncomfortably and straining not to sneeze from the dust.
Then everything went quiet. Lindsey scrambled out, stretching her arms out to try and get rid of the strain, and looked up.
The doll was looking right at her.
"Hi," said Lindsey, wondering if she needed to be wound up to talk.
The doll blinked. "Hi," she said uncertainly.
"You, can you talk all the time?" Lindsey asked, unable to figure out how to say what she really wanted to say, which was, "Come away with me."
"Yes," the doll said. "I can talk all the time." She was fidgeting a little, fingers thumbing at the hem of her skirt.
"Do you," Lindsey swallowed, "Do you eat?"
"Not really," said the doll. "I can, but it's not necessary."
"Do you like to?"
The doll looked at her like she had no idea what Lindsey just asked her.
"Do you like food?"
"I don't. I don't know." She looked unhappy at that.
Lindsey bit her lip. "Would you like to find out?"
"I can't go anywhere," the doll said listlessly. "I have to wait to get stored away for the night."
No, Lindsey thought. No you fucking don't have to. "Come on," she said, smiling as widely as she could. "Come on, I'll take you for ice cream, we'll be back before they ever notice."
The doll hesitated.
"What's your name?" Lindsey pressed, and the doll looked at her.
"I don't have a name," she said.
"So pick one," Lindsey said, thinking, come on, come on.
"Perhaps I will go for ice cream," the doll said suddenly. "Perhaps I will, and perhaps I'll find a name on the way."
She stepped out of the spotlight, and jumped off the stage, landing lightly. Lindsey had been prepared to catch her, but grinned when she realized she wouldn't have to. The theatre seemed brighter when she came close, the shadows less heavy.
They walked out together, and Lindsey thought, I'm never letting you come back here, deciding she was going to give her freedom even if it meant she disappeared from Lindsey's life forever.