All the Trinkets We Held Dear

In the darkness, of the blackest night, Frank Iero carried a large, rectangular box up a steep, dreary hill, where a gloomy, haunted looking mansion laid at the top. Inside the crisp, wrapped box, laid a beautiful, white porcelain doll, wrapped up in black lace. Frank smirked, looking down at the box wrapped up in the pretty, dark wrapping paper. “Gerard is just going to love you.” I could hear him, speaking to me, but I couldn't see anything. His voice was grim and sinister, and crawled into the porcelain dolls ears, and vibrated around in the hollow case that I was ensnared in.

Being trapped inside this doll wasn't anything I was fond of and I hoped whoever this Gerard fellow was, he would let me out of it. Frank never did. Frank had found me on a vendor's table, somewhere in the mess of people in the market of my home town. The vendor was a wicked witch, who had taken me from my family when I was a baby and trapped me inside this orifice. I've only been released from this cave once.

The night Frank had bought me, he took me out to inspect the treasure that laid inside. I stood in his revolting, filthy, dull apartment, in the center of the room. Frank had looked up at me with his dark eyes, and licked his bottom lip with his snake-like tongue, and revolved around me, his eyes groveling over every inch of my physique. I felt it, goosebumps running up my back, as he slid his spider like fingers over my curves, and when I felt his hot breath against my neck, and when he whispered in my ear, with his chilling, thrilling voice, “He will adore you,” I felt a sinking in my stomach, a sickness, almost, a fear.

“We're here.” I heard him speak, and his knuckles rasped against the wooden door, knocking. Almost instantly, I heard the door creak open and a new voice came into play.

A startled, but joyful gasp was heard, “Frank! It's so nice to see you!” A voice, with a deep Jersey accent spoke. “Come in, come in!” The new voice pulled Frank inside and Frank seemed to shake my box around, for a moved around a bit.

“The house looks nice.” Frank smiled, but in reality, the inside of the house looked horrible. It was grimy, and toys of all sorts filled shelves, and sat on the stair case, and were scattered on the floor. Some were broken, some where cracked, some had sharp fangs and teeth. Others had bright red eyes, and others were missing their eyes. One word described all of them though; horrific. They all seemed to be out of a horror movie, or maybe, … we were in one.

The location and the mood was right. All the dolls could move and make noises. I was trapped inside of a doll, and being given to someone as a gift for Christmas- I was in a horror movie, and one that I couldn't escape from. This horror tale had a tight grip on me, reeling me in closer, and faster with every step we took deeper into the house.

“Is that-” the unknown voice asked, and Frank nodded with a smile, “For me?” The voice seemed to grow more felicitous with every passing second. “May I open it now?”

“I would be upset if you didn't.” Frank handed the other man the box, and they both sat down on the couch. He set me down on the dusty coffee table, and slowly, precisely, removed the wrapping paper from the white box. A smile played on his lips as he lifted the lid off the box and unfolded the lace garment from around me. He gasped as I looked upon him.

This man was pale, with rose petal lips, a pixie nose, and dark circles around his glowing hazel eyes. Long black hair shadowed his face, and he wore a black suit with a red tie. The ceiling held cob webs in the corners, and dirt and dust fell from it every few seconds. Red, creepy, Christmas lights boxed the room, and the Christmas tree was black, with broken red and green ornaments. A full-fledged grin broke out on this man's face as he picked me up out of the box.

He ran his hand over the doll's porcelain face and stared into it's glassy eyes.

“Want to know the secret?” I saw Frank lean over towards him and I shuddered. I hated that man with a passion, and I wanted as far away from him as possible...

“Secret?” The man who was holding me questioned.

Frank nodded, “See, this is Ci, here.” He stroked the doll's hair. “She comes out when you're lonely, and goes far, far away when you don't want her, and hides once again inside the porcelain of this beautifully decorated doll. The first time you will hold her in your arms will be the best sensation you've felt in a long time, her fear and slow touches will bring a smile to your face, and all you need to have this is an easy-to-remember phrase....” Frank smirked.

The man's face lit up, “Tell me! Tell me, I want to see this beauty that you speak of!” His grin got even wider, which I thought seemed to be impossible.

“The witch that trapped her inside was Italian, and she told me all you need to get her out is to whisper, 'Bellezza, vieni fuori.'” Frank smiled, and looked up at his friend, Gerard. “Go ahead, try it.” He smiled, taking the doll away from Gerard and setting it on the floor.

Gerard licked his lips, and rubbed his hands together, eying me- the doll- with a sinister smile. “Belleza, viene fuori.” He smirked, in a perfect Italian accent.

As if by magic, I felt myself being pulled away from the doll, and I slowly started to materialize in front of the two men, naked, and shivering from how cold it was, inside the doll and inside this house. “Ci, this is your new master, Gerard.” Frank smirked, “Remember what we talked about?” He asked.

Yes, yes, I did remember the conversation we had in his apartment. He told me to do what Gerard wanted and give him anything he wanted. Anything. And on top of it all, make him happy. I nodded slowly in their directions.

“His name is Gerard, but you will call him master.” Frank smirked. “Isn't her body just marvelous? All one perfect, white tone...” I had adapted to look like the doll. My skin was snow white, and shined almost, like the perfect porcelain that the doll was made out of. My lips were rose red, soft and plush. My blue eyes were like glass, with a marble texture dancing around inside of them, bright and glowing. I looked like a living doll. I had the curves of a full grown woman, and the posture of a queen.

I saw Gerard's eyes shine and his lips parted slowly, in awe of how pretty I was.

“Just one thing, Gerard.” Frank snapped him out of it, making Gerard turn to look at him. “You must keep that doll safe, even if Ci isn't inside of it. Because if that doll breaks, so does you're precious little new toy.” Frank said, complete seriousness on his face.

Gerard nodded, as I let my eyes roam the room. All those scary little demonic toys started coming out of the shadows, and my eyes widened. I gasped and backed up, and Gerard stood, arms opening with a creepy smirk plastered on his face. “Oh, don't worry, love, these are our friends.” He helped me up and slid a hand down my curves, resting them on my hips. “I have a few rules that you need to follow.” He breathed and I nodded. “One, do not go outside with out me. Even more vicious, terrifying toys live in the woods. Two, do not go up in the attic, all the toys that I own that have went bad live up there and they would just love to tear you limb from live. And three, you must do as I say, no matter how much you don't like it.” Gerard smirked down at me, and pulled me to him as he placed a gentle, yet painful kiss on my lips.

“You're going to just love it here.”