Spellbound Heartwood

Summary:

Fib, an animated doll woman often fawns over the bookstore owner downstairs, Declan, but can't manage the courage to speak to him. Humans would be terrified of an animate doll. She sets out to make a concoction to change things for the better, only, a chance encounter with him sends her plans awry, with unexpected results.

_

"Do you? Do you know what you're doing? Hello? Fib?" a crow squawked.

"Hush, Berry," Fib replied. Her eyes spun around into a slanted annoyance. "I know exactly what I'm doing." Her wooden nose pushed forward. "I sort of know what I'm doing!" With a hand she jammed her nose back into place and looked into her all-too-large cauldron.

Berry hopped back and forth on the windowsill. "Ask Eloise! Ask Eloise!"

Fib scoffed, shaking her head. "She's not here right now, is she? And I doubt she'll be coming back any time soon."

Berry briefly stopped his hopping, crooking his head, before returning to his excited back and forth. Fib looked between the empty cauldron and the book laid out on a table next to it. Was she really going to do this? She nodded and focused on the book. Eloise, recluse that she was, wrote all her work in an elaborate code that Fib distantly remembered. Fortunately, Fib's anatomy gave her a bit of an advantage.

"Study time! Study time!" Berry said.

"Would you be quiet?" She snapped her mouth, creating an annoying clacking. Fib looked back to the tome. "Next would be a touch of the target's hair." Her nose remained still. "And then after that... The flower that they love?" It moved an inch. "No, the flower that shows love." Fib tilted her head. "What's a flower that shows love?"

"Rose! Rose of the heart!"

"Where am I supposed to get a stupid rose?"

"Declan!"

"I'm not asking him for a rose!" Fib slightly deflated. That's why she needed one in the first place. She brushed aside some blonde hair.

"Outside! Declan outside!"

Fib's eyes briefly rolled back in shock. Adjusting her witchy hat, she nearly stumbled off the chair she stood on and moved up to the window by way of a desk against the windowsill. There he was, walking confidently to work, a cheery smile plastered on his face. He was a ray of sunshine on the cloudy, rainy day. Only a few seconds passed before he was out of sight yet again, hidden away in the book store below.

"What do you think he's gonna read today?" she asked. "Do you think he likes romance books?"

Berry tilted his head. "No."

"Whaddya mean, 'no?' " She looked to Berry, eyes slanting angrily. "Look at him! He has to love romances!" The fire in her dimmed, eyes relaxing to a neutral. "Lots and lots of romance."

"Romances. Nope. Action, adventure!"

"Romance can be in those, too."

"Uninteresting!"

Fib rolled her eyes and descended to the floor. She stepped around a stack of books and approached a chalk square she had scribbled onto the floor. With one hand, she traced along the box, mouthing off the incantation she had said so many times before. Soon enough, the section of floor faded away, allowing her to peer into the book store below and its many aisles.

The book store was a cozy affair, with its soft lighting, carpeted floors, and quiet books. Not to mention the age of the building itself, giving it an almost tired yet happy air. Fib eased herself onto the floor, prone, legs kicking back and forth as she watched Declan. His morning routine was going through the aisles, arranging any stragglers, replacing stock, then returning to his spot behind the counter, easing into a chair with a book of his own.

Funny how with all the magical powers she held, the one thing she could not do was go down there and talk to him. Fib glanced back to the cauldron. Maybe the mixture didn't have to be finished. Maybe a simple hello would be possible with what she had.

Berry flapped down next to her, peering into the magical window.

"See? Action."

"Oh, hush, you don't even know that book."

"Ask him."

"You know I can't."

"Why? Do you think he would be scared of a puppet? Are humans like that? Eloise was not like that."

"I'm not a puppet!"

Berry leaned over and poked at her wooden head, producing loud thunks. She shooed him off with an arm.

"Doll," he said.

"I'm not a doll either!" Fib's nose grew. She immediately turned away, forcing it back in with a finger. "He would be scared of a weird girl-thing walking in. That doesn't happen every day."

"It could."

"You know what I mean!" Her eyes swiveled to anger. "Go back to your perch before I turn you into a pig."

Berry flapped his wings. "Better than a doll." He squawked, crudely mimicking laughter.

Fib huffed, turning her attention back to Declan. It would be nice if he was understanding. Of course, in her magical fairyland of an imagination, he would sweep her up into his arms and serenade her with all the things he learned in his many books. Then they'd return to his home to live out a happy little existence, far away from this damnable room.

Or maybe it'd be best if she could become real. Not that she didn't exist, but this little slice of the world was hardly living. Fib herself could become human, and aspire to be something more. That was the intent of her cauldron mixing, after all. Declan would prefer that, too, assumedly. Fib rubbed her wooden fingers together, feeling the varnished surfaces rub together. Hardly something any man would want to touch, unless he was some sort of carpenter. Declan was nothing of the sort.

"Talk with your mouth. You can do it," Berry said. "Say hello to him."

"And if he panics?"

"Panic from a doll?"

"People often make stories from the idea of a possessed doll. Would I look any different?" Really, was she any different, practically? She traced a finger along her jagged mouth. "What was Eloise thinking?" she said quietly.

"Eloise was thinking of study-study time. You're a study-study time doll."

And now that Eloise wasn't here, that meant Fib's one purpose would go unfulfilled. Essentially, she had no reason to exist. If she had no reason to exist, then there was hardly anything to worry about, right? Still... Fib watched Declan work his way through his latest book. He mattered, and messing her one possible chance with him was not something she would stand for.

Fib stood up, looking around the dusty, cramped workshop. It must have been at least a year since Eloise left to heavens knew where. What did it matter, anyways? She could take care of herself, so there was no chance she got into some serious trouble. Eloise likely just found some other, better place to practice magic and didn't bother to bring her tools or pets along.

Right, instead of having no purpose, Fib would have to make one of her own. Her eyes swiveled to downcast. She had told herself that so many times before, why would this be any different? She balled her hand into a fist. Because this time she would force herself into it.

"You go outside all the time, Berry. Tell me, how do humans talk to one another?" Fib asked.

"Meanly!" He hopped in place. "Get outta the way, moron! Watch where you're going! Easy, chump!"

"That won't work. I'll simply have to read books to get a better idea."

"Maybe they talk like you or me? And Eloise!"

"That won't do." She looked around. Every old tome in here was some sort of dissertation on esoteric knowledge and certainly didn't feel human in how they were written. Fib wandered into the hallway, looking at the tall doors before her. She tugged on the handle to Eloise's old bedroom. While she wasn't tiny, the doorhandles in this place specifically were still relatively tall.

Berry hopped after Fib as she walked into the abandoned room. It was fairly barren in comparison to the rest of the small abode. Aside from a bed and frame, a nightstand, a dresser, and the single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling, it was lacking in any sort of comfort. One single window lit the room with the dreary cloudy light outside.

"No books here!" Berry said.

"Eloise barely spent time in here, so it makes sense," Fib replied.

Berry waddled over to the bed, poking his head under discarded sheets. "Hello? Books?"

Fib followed him peering under the bed. Not a single thing underneath aside from long-forgotten dust bunnies.

"Seriously? Nothing?" Fib said.

"You didn't check? Before?" Berry replied.

"I don't like going in here."

"Ah, scared."

Fib held her proverbial tongue on that point, lest her nose get the better of her. Instead, she pondered just how long it had been since Eloise left. Was it really months? It could've been longer.

"Do you miss her, Berry?" she asked.

"I miss Eloise. Very funny. Very fun!"

That wasn't quite how Fib remembered Eloise, but technically he had been around a lot longer than she had. Fib looked around a little longer. Only emptiness.

"Alright, let's get outta here. This place is like a tomb," she said.

"Eloise always wanted to be like a mummy."

"I'm not even gonna ask."

Fib scooted out from underneath the bed, then huffed. The stuffy air was not good for her wooden hide. She stood up and looked around some more. Berry hopped over to the dresser and knocked against it.

"Books?" he said.

"No, probably just clothes and other unmentionables."

"Could be good."

"I definitely do not want to go through those. She can keep her secrets."

"Not a little? Not at all?"

It would be interesting at least, right? "Oh, fine."

Scampering over to the dresser, Fib greedily went through its finely folded contents. Clothes, clothes, clothes, more clothes. Awful lot of clothes, and not a lot of secrets. The final drawer was slightly racier, but only insofar as that it was all underwear. Some of it was admittedly fairly lacy. What was the purpose of that? Did it simply feel good to wear on skin, or did men like it specifically?

Fib looked down at the hem of her dress. She didn't really need anything like that, seeing as she was, well, completely smooth. But maybe it would add an appealing flair to her form? Carefully, she plucked out a lacier display, bright pink, holding it up. No, that was far too large for her smaller frame.

"You're learning a lot?" Berry asked.

She dropped the thing and slammed the drawer shut. "Yeah, I'm learning she had real garish taste!" This wasn't getting her anywhere. The only other rooms were the workshop, which she had just slunk from, and a bathroom, which she had zero reason to visit. No wonder Eloise left. This place was small, even for Fib. She tottered out into the hallway to stare at that forbidden front door.

"Adventure? You're going to go on an adventure?" Berry asked.

"No. I don't want to go out there. It's filthy."

Berry twisted his head every which way. "More filthy than here?"

"At least I know the filth in here. I don't have a reason to go outside." Her nose jutted outward. "Alright, I do! I just don't want to!"

"Scared?"

"What? With my abilities?"

"Yes or no," Berry replied, hopping in place.

"I'll go outside. When the time is right." Fib smacked her nose back into place. "When I have a really good and logical reason to."

"Books? Fun? Declan?" He nodded. "Good reasons. It has to get boring here."

"I don't have my ingredients yet anyways."

"Are you going to get them here?"

Fib's eyes spun around. "I thought you could do that."

"That's not fun. You going outside will be fun."

"It's not about fun!" Fib said, throwing her arms into the air.

"Everything is about fun. Eloise said--"

"Yeah, yeah, she always talked about hard work and doing things on your own. I get it. No wonder she made you talk, she needed someone for conversation. Everyone else would've strangled her for that."

Berry let out his avian titters, flapping his wings. "You'll enjoy the outside, study doll!"

"Really doubt that."

"You need ingredients! Have fun anyways."

"Fine!" Fib glanced to the front door. "I'll get those stupid ingredients, just so you'll shut up."

Only problem was, she'd still look like some sort of freakish little doll. And money. Money was also an issue. Those funny humans and their funny coin. Eloise definitely had coin around here somewhere, right? Wait a second, she had a creature who loved shiny things.

"Berry, where did Eloise keep the money? Shiny, shiny?" she asked.

Berry hopped in place, then flapped over into the bedroom. He pecked at the corner of the bed. Fib walked over to it and gave it a firm tug, causing a pouch to fall to the ground as the bed shifted. Eloise must've hollowed out a small portion of the bed to hide away coin, she figured. Fib hefted up the bag and shook it.

"Is this enough for ingredients?"

"More than enough."

Fib tapped her chin. Now she just needed to hide away her strange form. Or she could go out under the cover of night. No, no, no. The human world was frightening enough. Adding a dubious nighttime would only make their frightening domain even worse. Magic was good, but it wasn't like she was invincible with it. Fib was still a wooden thing, after all.

Moving back into the bedroom, Fib riffled through more dresser drawers until she came upon a scarf. She wrapped it around her neck, snugly hiding her head away. Would that be good enough? Fib held up her hands, noting they were still visibly jointed and patterned with wood. There were gloves in those piles of clothes, but they were a bit large for her own hands. She slipped one on, with it loosely hanging around her hand. Adjusting the buttons on the thing helped a little more. It would have to do.

"How do I look?" Fib asked, turning around to Berry.

"Scarecrow."

"Never mind. A bird wouldn't know fashion." Hm. Scarecrow? Fib raised her arms. "Boo!"

"Not a good scarecrow," Berry replied.

"Whatever."

Unfortunately, the one mirror in the house was all the way up above the sink, and Fib wasn't about to stumble her way up there just to get a look at her new fashion. She seemed mostly covered, and that's what mattered. Instead of a strange animate doll, she would look like some sort of curious munchkin, or maybe a child. Fib didn't like either of those.

"Come on, Berry, we're going."

"Me, too?" he asked.

"Yes. You need to be my guide. Come on."

Berry flapped his wings and hopped onto her head, crumpling the pointed top of it. Not what she had in mind, but it would have to do.

"Onward to the human realm," she said, sliding her hand across the brim of her hat.

"Good luck, mighty steed," Berry replied.

Fib rolled her eyes and approached the front door. Her hand reached out for the handle and stopped. C'mon, do it. You'll need to eventually. Why not now? It'd make the bird shut up, and you do need the ingredients, right? You want to see Declan, don't you? Fib's eyes slanted to anger, determination bubbling in her. She grabbed at the handle and opened the door, stepping out into the cramped stairway down. It was a dark thing, illuminated only by the light seeping in from the small house.

"You are almost outside!" Berry said.

Why did they live in such a scary place? Fib closed the door behind her, letting the darkness cover the entire stairway. She felt for the lock, letting a dribble of magic snugly lock the door behind her again, giving her a little bit of relief.

"This is a deathtrap," Fib said.

"Eloise loved it! Very witchy!"

"Yeah? She should've lived in a swamp if that's what she wanted." Fib clacked her jaw. "Let's get moving."

With careful steps, Fib made her way down the dark staircase. She might have been made animate out of some sort of magic, but her wooden form sure didn't harbor any supernatural powers. As far as she could tell, her eyesight was just as dull as any old human.

"You can see, right, Berry?"

"I can see dark!"

Fib finally made her way around the curving bend of the staircase and bumped into the front door. Now was the true test. She fiddled with the handle and opened up the door, just enough for her eyes to peer out into the open world. Strange seeing the square from a whole new angle. Berry tapped his beak on the edge of the door, next to her uneasy fingers.

"Out! Out! Let's go!" he said.

"Fine!"

With a heave, Fib swung the door open and stumbled out into the world. The grandiosity of reality hit her. The huge imposing sky sat above, with large buildings surrounding her. It was almost like existence itself was going to fall down on top of her. Fib froze for a moment, then tightened the scarf around her neck. She promptly closed the door behind her.

"Where can we get ingredients, Berry? It's not far, is it?" she asked. While Fib was prepared to face the world, she did realize in that moment that actually going through it physically wasn't going to be easy with her smaller frame. She turned to her right and began walking, only to stop again when she noticed exactly where she was.

The bookstore had somehow gone completely past her hurried thoughts. Sure, Fib had spied on it several times before, but seeing it in person cemented its place in a physical space. Her eyes immediately glued onto Declan, who quietly read away at his book. There he was! Right there! You could talk to him! Touch him!

"Ingredients?" Berry asked, tapping at her hat.

Fib snapped back forward. "Yes. Ingredients. Where are the ingredients?" She scurried forward before Declan had a chance to spot her. No doubt that embarrassment would make her spontaneously combust.

"Forward. Many ingredients ahead. Stores many!"

"Let's just hope they have something of worth."

"Everything of worth. Humans have everything!"

The tottering forward wasn't so difficult. The stonework path was clearly made for larger people, and not those who would stumble more easily over small imperfections. But that was no matter! Fib was not about to be stopped by the road itself. She got the hang of it, eventually, and she was already nearing what seemed like shops.

"Smell that? Food!" Berry said.

"We don't need food. You already eat trash anyways," Fib replied.

"You do not need food. I love food."

"I'm just that great."

Fib, admittedly, never bothered to check what it was that kept her animate. A small fear that it was limited or somehow easily broken. Ignorance is bliss, and she quickly realized how true that was walking through the town. She had no illusion that the human world was great, but seeing all the miserable people plod around put more of a damper on her mood than she expected. Granted, her only real measure of human interaction had been Eloise, and when she watched Declan from a distance. Maybe these people weren't so steeped in misery. They certainly had weird expressions when they looked her way, though. Furrowed brows and narrowed eyes.

"Do they usually stare at other people?" Fib asked, snuggling into her scarf more.

"Only strange people."

"I'm not strange." Her nose nudged against her scarf. She grunted, pushing it back.

"Not many small people walking around with birds, study doll."

Why did illusion and polymorphic magic have to be so hard? That was why she was on this stupid trek anyways, all for a chance to seem like a regular creature. Human. Though she was beginning to think she had it very good tucked away in her miniature observatory. Being a doll wasn't so bad if you were free to do as you pleased in your own little abode. Right? With only a crow to bother you every now and again.

Fib broke out of her stupor as she passed by some flowers. Roses! Right, she needed one of those. She looked up to see a plain sign reading "FLORIST" on the brick building next to her. See, this was easy, she told herself. She stumbled her way into the flower shop, immediately being assaulted by all sorts of clashing aromas. Not even the scarf was a good deterrent. Berry let out his own huff of displeasure.

Alright, no screwing around, she had a job to do. Fib went around the short aisles, looking for her rose. All sorts of weird plants were on display. Some she knew from random books, others completely alien to her. The world was truly filled with many things. Eventually, she did find a rose and brought it up to the counter, who was presided over what seemed like a kindly, older lady. Fib placed the rose on the counter. She was just barely tall enough to peer over the thing.