Welcome to Gaia! ::

Once Switch started to talk Victoria realized that she had spoken out loud. She shook her sheet of curls just so- mostly so it covered her face (to compose herself). She remained silent as the blue hair lady spoke- even she knew when to not speak when spoken to.

Suddenly she tossed her head upwards, 'flinging' her curls behind her. She shook her head left to right. She glanced up and towards Kay and then Switch when she felt the bed shift.

She was just about to speak when she heard her dad swear rather loudly (sounding startled, caught off guard). What worried her most was that his voice sounded like it was getting further away. She looked away from Switch and to the door way.

Suddenly (just like that) she was back in that dark place- her nightmare. 'It was just that a nightmare,' she questioned herself. Once she was inside the shop this morning and saw it for her own eyes everything appeared unchanged (with the exception of a few items that had come and gone and maybe a thing or two having been rearranged) .

All the people she loved the most (with the exception of her mother) was in this very shop. Her heart raced. 'no, no, no,' the words raced through her mind. "I gave you what you wanted," she screamed out as she found her voice and without care for her dress (manors or the like) she scrambled to get out of the bed. She got tripped up in the sheets and to her knees she fell. She forced herself to stand up (more or less crawl into a walking position).

Finally, heading up the stairs. Reckless as she was she was running into the walls and tripping over her own feet. "Dad! Dad?" She could see the light of the shops main floor, but she refused to stop to breath.

Finally at the top of the stairs she came to a sudden stop. The sudden stop nearly made her topple onto her knees again. But (with a wobble) she managed to catch herself from falling.

Where was her dad. 'No, no, no... He wouldn't leave me,' she told herself as she spun around as she quickly surveyed the shop.

Her eyes finally settled on the front doors of the shop. She was about to give up, collapse, and start crying... Then she noticed her dad who was just outside holding up something shiny.

"What the heck!" She screamed as she clutched her chest- she was trying to catch her breath. From what she could see there was nothing wrong at all... Nothing at all... Well with the exception that he was standing outside.

She figured that he had stepped out to get a better look at whatever it was that he was holding and that he would be right back in. ...So why the sream. SHe was confused but decided to wait it out for a few seconds.

A few seconds turned into minutes... 'Why isn't he coming back in?' She thought as she took a couple steps forward. More afraid than ever about loosing someone she loved or causing herself harm she was more cautious in her steps.

If this was her own private nightmare from just hours ago it was all wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong... Everything was just wrong. Why was she being tortured? She didn't understand it at all.

She gripped the handles of the shops doors. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the worst as she went to open them. She wanted to get her dad's attention so that he would snap out of that trance like state (why he was staring at the trinket was beyond her).

Locked. She let out a blood curdling scream. Something between anger, and a world of other emotions.

"Look at me," she hollered out to her dad who didn't seem to notice she existed as she began to pound on the glass. Tears began to stream down her cheeks for a number of reasons.

"I still need you," she whimpered as she crumpled to the floor. It shocked her to hear herself say those words... It was humbling when you could admit something... and know it was true.

Unaware to her was that the item was loosing its luster...

"Everything is all wrong. Upside down inside out. Just all over the place," Victoria said as she forced herself to stop crying. "And, that proves it," she said as she pointed the green tot just outside the doors.

"I don't care if I come from a violin... It is all wrong. Wrong. Look at me," she ran the back of her hand over her eyes. "I'm simply just a doll..." she sighed before starting to recite a poem she'd come across at some point in her reading.

"A Doll...
Envied. Adored. By many...
Dolls are given the appearance of false perfection.
Pasted smiles, bright eyes... But inside we are torn.
How to do this, and how to do that…
What else is there for a Doll?
Looking pretty? Being somewhat intelligent?
Being pampered and paraded?
Yes. That is a Doll.
Yes. That is I, a Doll.
Broken, but a Doll... A Broken Doll.
Dolls are meant to be pretty, pampered and paraded.
Not tousled, and tear stained.
But what happens when a Doll is broken?
Admiration? Desire? Being Condemned? By many...
I am that Broken Doll that hopes even begs.
Pretty Please... Won't you mend me?" It was at that moment that she so fittingly looking up and into Kay's eyes.

One event, a simple dream, could easily change everything- even a person's out look. She'd been from her item, her guardian that she was starting to loose her sense of self.

She looked away from Kay and out the window. "I guess I've been silly all over again." She didn't wait for any responses at all as she moved out of Kay's arms and stood up. "Thank you," she whispered as she opened the door. "I know my place," she looked over her shoulder and smiled.