Pantomime Doll

"These are my last treasures, my Son," the man said, sweeping around the room towards the dolls, much to my amazement and awe before he continued.

"I'm an old man, and I don't have much time left. So I'd like you to take care of them when I'm gone," he said dimly and with a wistful look about his face.

Where could that child have come from? I asked myself whilst listening.

"I know you'll have only a short time before this world must end, but a new world I shall give to you and your keep, a new world where wickedness will not take root,"

I watched as he talked to the newborn in hushed tones, as if to keep it in a comfortable slumber, before giving out a soft sigh. All of a sudden, I could feel the ground begin to shake with great intensity; the whole building trembling from the immensity from such shaking was unimaginable. Candles fell, dolls shook and trembled, chairs, tables tipped-over, and walls began to crack. I could barely hear the faint screaming of terrorized individuals from the outside as the windows glow a bright and angry orange, as if the skies had burst into flames. It was terrible. The piercing sounds of an inhuman screaming punctuated it all, as if some unearthly beings were reaping the souls of those unfortunate enough to be caught.

But I wasn't afraid for some odd reason, I was calm and was comforted by an unknown and unseen force that held me to its bosom like a loving parent. Just as I felt the building was going to collapse on us all, my vision was engulfed by a bright, white light with the intensity of an infinite number of suns, all coming from the elegant old man and the bundle that he carried in his arms. And there was silence, once more.

I felt weightless, but not confounded. Content, but not empty. And it felt like heaven.

I always enjoy playing. Especially if it's with my best friends, and we're playing the games that we enjoy the most such as hide and seek, tag and leap frog. Today is always as fun as everyday, but I couldn't care less as long as we were all happy. And that was not a problem. Everyday, my friends and I would play in the wide and open plains and meadows of our home, under skies that were always bright and blue, interrupted only by pleasant wisps of friendly clouds, we'd explore forests and small hills and try and search for the cuddly animals that lived there, and we couldn't be happier.

We knew when we had to go back, because as soon as we turned a corner in our explorations we'd be back in front of our cottages, and Brother would be waiting for us there like the responsible adult he is. He's funny; he can get mad at times but you just need to act like you're sad and his heart will simply melt all over you., and he's always sitting on top of a small hill overlooking our cottages. He's firm, but gentle. And he's been there for as long as I can remember. He's really smart too, at night he'd tell us stories of fantastic worlds that he says were from a time beyond now. We would each ask him what happened to all those people, and he'd simply reply 'they've all gone to where they all belong' in a soft and gentle tone of voice and then tuck us all into our soft beds for the night.

During the day we'd be back at playing again; discovering new streams and valleys, exploring caves and talking with the animals that we would come across, with no inkling of what the next day would bring us, and being oblivious to the watchful, but loving, eye of Brother.

There's this one boy that I like, his name is Andre. We bumped into each other while I was playing tag with Marie and John one morning. I was running and we hit each other but only I fell down because I was a bit skinnier than he was. I thought I was gonna cry, but he helped me up, gave me a hug and gave me the best smile he could muster. I thought I was in love because I loved that smile; it was so sweet and affectionate.

He helped brush off the leaves, twigs, and dirt that stuck to my clothes before giving me that same sweet smile and bouncing off to play again with his other friends.

Later that night, we gathered in a clearing outside of our cottages, around a bonfire that big brother had set up for us earlier. He sat us down in neat rows, and I was lucky enough to be seated next to Andre, which made me giggle and blush. But I tried to keep quiet because brother was beginning to speak.

"A long time ago, there was another world that was fraught with things not so good. People had lost their goodness and kindness because of temptation...,"

I think I was daydreaming, because the last thing I heard was the words 'it'll come in time,' and with that, we were promptly ushered back into our respective cottages. I was heading back, when I felt a sudden tug at my sleeve urging me to another direction. I turned to look, only to realize it was Andre. I stifled a giggle before following him up the path to where Brother usually sat whilst watching over us play. We sat down next to each other in the slightly chilly air that made me shiver; huddled against one other while looking up at the cloudless night sky and the bright full moon that was the guardian of the night.

I felt his hand slowly creeping towards of mine, and I couldn't help but put my own hand in his. No words were spoken; our actions and emotions spoke for themselves. It felt like we were meant to be, for some reason, and it felt perfect. I felt him squeeze my hand firmly, but gently, and I could only do the same. Our love springs eternal. Andre, my beloved.