Meanwhile, the Red Queen sat on her regal, plush throne and surveyed her kingdom. Eleven other dolls including the new one, almost fifty automatons, even that smarmy maid Alexandra and her bleeding heart brother Maximilian; all were hers to command. She gazed at the fairy, wasting away her life happily swinging herself like a child. She was given such a beautiful gift; to move freely even while the Master was away, and she spent her days leaving the playroom? To do what? Try to become human?

The queen, once a model, could never understand that. They would all be young and full of vitality until the end of days, and beautiful to the last. Why was the fairy so intent on throwing all that away? But Isabella, the Red Queen of Dolls, had a plan. She would show that insubordinate fairy the error in her ways, and she would do it soon . . .

". . . and I cannot stress enough how important it is to curtsy to the Queen. She absolutely cannot stand it when she doesn't get respect." Alexandra finished. "Do you understand?" But Haley had fallen back to her frozen state and leaned against the wall. Alex touched the doll's cheek and brought her face and neck back to life.

"I understand." Haley said.

"Good." Alex said. "Now, when you get warmed up, just go find a place to sit and be a good doll. I need to get this stupid costume on."

Haley looked over at the brightly colored clothes. "Would you like some help?"

"You just want to be able to move a while longer, don't you?" Haley nodded, not embarrassed in the slightest. "Why not?" Alex said. They both stood up, and the maid began to pull on her costume. Haley was unbelievably calm while she helped Alex with the bright clothes.

"It's pretty," she said.

"If you're a toy, I suppose."

"Has, um," Haley said, "has any toy ever become human again?"

"Well," Alex said while she pulled her top on, "you know that music box ballerina out there?"

Haley nodded, a little afraid now, "Well, she got the closest. Now, she can never leave her little box."

'What happened?"

"Well," Alex began . . .

"Well...she was once a simple doll like you are now, but she has made some mistakes in the past.

When she first came to us, she was much like you, confused but understanding. Your owner chose to make her a windup doll, and she was a loyal trustworthy doll for many months. She never complained nor seemed to have a problem with being a doll." Alex smiled a little. "She even loved when we played with her." A hint of sadness entered Alex's lips.

"But we our employer went on vacation and had all of us join him. The trip went longer then originally planned, and the toys were left for a long time without able to move or be played with. She might have gone insane from unable to move for such a long period of time. You see, the longer you are a toy, the more you want and must be played with. It's almost like an addiction, the greatest feelings in the world."

"When we returned I felt bad for the poor thing, and I gave her the ability to move. You see I have a stronger power then my brother. I don't have to just touch a one of you toys to allow them to move, I can allow them to move by thought and concentration. But something had gone sideways in her brain, because the first thing she did was pick up one of the pawn chess pieces and charge at Isabella, the Red Queen. Max stopped her and knocked her on the ground so hard her key broke. But she ran out of the room.

I found her a few hours later, curled in a closet and crying. She began to say something to me, but she lost power and locked in place. I never got the chance to find out what she wanted, because my employer shooed me away. A few days later, she reappeared here, stuck to that awful music box."

"Oh." Haley said, sitting down, thinking over the story she had just heard, its implications racing through her mind. "That's going to happen to me. I just know it. I'm going to go crazy and I'll never be able to move again. Never be able to be human. I just . . ."

Alex was quick to kneel down and hug Haley. "That won't happen, Haley. After Maggy went crazy and was punished, Max and I vowed to never let anything like that happen again. We're here as much as we can be to keep you toys company. Heck, that's why I'm wearing this costume."

"I don't understand." The ballerina said.

Alex sighed, "Our employer found out that we were with his toys a lot, and figured we should dress the part, at least when there's company. So, in an hour or so, Max and I will have to pretend we're just like you."

"That's . . . weird." Haley said, and Alex laughed. The maid stood up and looked herself over in the mirror, and finished putting on the last of her frilly, pink costume.

It was a simple thing, and if Max or her employer didn't like it, then that was their problem. The last time Alex had dressed up, she was accidentally left hanging on marionette strings. Tonight's costume, however, was a simple cloth body stocking extending from her neck all the way down to her toes, though did not cover her hands, so she wore a pair of similarly colored gloves, though every so often, peaks of real skin could be seen. Rather than a traditional doll dress, she opted for a more sexy black dress with short flowing skirt, and cute black canvas loafer shoes.

With the small pink ribbon tied in her hair and teasing pink circles on her cheeks, she looked just as much a doll as Haley.

"So, do you th--"

"Haley, stop." Alex stroked the toy's hair. "You are a wonderful toy. Just follow your doll instincts and you will come to love it here."

"But what do I do?" The maid sighed and took the soldier ballerina by her cloth hand, and brought her out to the playroom.

"Just play with me." Alex said. She stood for a moment in front of a pile of pillows, then let all her muscles relax, and she faux-doll fell to the ground. She never moved, and never wavered from her gaze across the room. Haley stood there in shock for a moment, then she knelt down, sitting so that only the tips of her pointe slippers appeared from beneath her blue tutu. She carefully took hold of Alex's shoulder and pulled the doll up into a sitting position, her legs splayed out at odd angles and her arms fallen limp to the ground. She still looked past Haley to something far beyond the room. The ballerina snapped her fingers and the other woman turned and looked Haley in the eye. She smiled brightly.

"Hi, my name is . . ." her voice was high pitched and bubbly. " . . . I can't remember." She giggled, "I can't remember my own name." The rag toy bopped herself on her head and continued to giggle at herself.

"It's Alex. Your name is Alex."

"Ooooh! So pretty. Alex."

"Do you know any games we can play, Alex?" Haley said.

"Do I!" The rag doll said, wobbling to her feet. Haley stood up and steady Alex, who she had already forgotten was really a human . . .