A child peered back at the stranger from among the trees. Dark, unblinking eyes stared straight forward, weighing and studying the woman. The child held a doll against her chest, it's porcelain face also staring right at the woman. The doll's eyes were a perfect match for the girl's, twin gazes staring forth, until it was almost hard to tell which eyes were alive and which were made of glass.
Trinket hopped down from her perch in the trees, landing on dirty, bare feet. She wore a stained gray dress, which matched the doll's simple clothing. She stood silently, unmoving for a long, long moment, so still she could have been a doll herself.
But it was the doll, not the girl, that moved first. Its head turned, its glass eyes peering up into the tree towards a bird perched on a branch. A moment later, almost as an afterthought, the girl turned her head as well, looking up at the bird.
She looked back to the stranger, putting a single finger to her lips. The doll's porcelain hand rose to mimick the gesture, putting a finger to its delicately painted but unmoving mouth.
"Shhhh," the girl whispered.
She stood still, unmoving, unblinking, waiting.
Trinket hopped down from her perch in the trees, landing on dirty, bare feet. She wore a stained gray dress, which matched the doll's simple clothing. She stood silently, unmoving for a long, long moment, so still she could have been a doll herself.
But it was the doll, not the girl, that moved first. Its head turned, its glass eyes peering up into the tree towards a bird perched on a branch. A moment later, almost as an afterthought, the girl turned her head as well, looking up at the bird.
She looked back to the stranger, putting a single finger to her lips. The doll's porcelain hand rose to mimick the gesture, putting a finger to its delicately painted but unmoving mouth.
"Shhhh," the girl whispered.
She stood still, unmoving, unblinking, waiting.
