Rachelle, or, as she had come to be known, Miss Felicia French, laid among the semi-circle of toys around her, kicking her feet behind her, as she explained the day she had. All the other dolls were in rapt attention. “…and then Penelope Pincushion told Astro Ted that if he didn’t stop going to Mathilda’s tea pa—”

Just as she was getting to the juicy parts, the toy box lid creaked open on its hinges. Everyone went still, but Felicia risked a glance up. She wasn’t technically allowed to move, but a little peak now and again would never hurt. When Felicia saw who it was, her mouth gently fell open and she slowly waved with a thick mitten. “Henley, wow, I never thought I’d see you here. Or again. Wow. Bet you didn’t expect to see me like this.”

Henley’s now-giant eyes went wide as she took in Felicia and the tableau of toys stuffed in the toy box. “Oh, thank God I found you. I’ve been trying to track you down for two months! Rachelle, I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.”

“Been through…” Felicia said, trailing off, thinking about it. Then, she realized. “Right! Been through. I’ve been so much. I got bought, which you know, and then wrapped in a little box, and gifted to the brattiest little kid and she plays with me every day, can you believe it, giving me a new name—It’s Felicia, by the way—and giving me new friends, a new car, a new little job at the coffee shop…and…” The doll trailed off as she noticed the confusion on her friends’ face. “What’s the matter, Hen?”

“Just...just before I opened the chest, I thought I heard you talking. Who were you talking to? Is there another transformed person in there with you?”

“Oh, no we’re all dolls in here” She looked around to the sitting and standing collection of dolls and stuffed animals. Everyone was accounted for.

Something about the way Henley squinted told Felicia she had said something wrong. “Were you talking to the dolls?” She asked.

“Duh! Who else would I be talking to?” She asked with a laugh at her oblivious friend.

“Rachelle, those are dolls. They’re not alive, and they can’t listen.”

Felicia thought about it for a second, a long second, staring off into the distance. Her friends could listen to her, and they were as alive as she was. “Guys, I know there’s a whole ‘no moving in front of people rule,’ but could one of show my friend Henley that you at least can? For me? So she thinks I’m not crazy?”

Unfortunately, none of them did, not even the normally adventurous Miss Earmuffs.

Henley remained unconvinced. “Rachelle, I have to ask: do you actually like being a doll?”

“I feel like, if I tell you the truth, you’ll be mad at me.”

“Oh my God!” Henley shouted, throwing her arms up. “After all that time and effort and, and worry! I thought you were trapped here and going out of your mind crazy being played with, and here you are, living your best doll life.”

“Sorry?” Felicia said with a wince.

Henley sat back, falling almost out of Felicia’s view, while she mulled over what she was going to do next. She looked like she was mumbling to herself, but aside from a few words, like “ungrateful” Felicia didn’t make out what she said. After a little bit of that, she returned to view.

“Whatever. I didn’t go through all this trouble, even bribing a security guard, just to leave empty handed.”

Felicia’s eyes went wide as Henley reached into the toy chest with her huge, normal-sized, human hand. “Wait! You can’t just take me—” She said as steel cord fingers wrapped around her middle, squeezing down her springy plush.

“I can, and I am. It’s called stealing.” She said, hauling the Felicia doll into the air.

“But I’ve made a life here! I have friends, you can’t just turn me back.”

“I never said anything about turning you back.” Henley said, slamming the toy chest lid shut. In the darkness, stickers began to glow in the dark.

Slowly, the toys looked at each other, breathing out a collective sigh of relief. “It’s for the best,” Miss Earmuffs said to the assembly of toys in her sing-song

voice, “She was a cute doll, but really quite willful. And always skirting the most important rule of toys: don’t move in front of people.”

Mister Beary nodded in agreement, “Let’s hope that her new Owner teaches her to be a better doll.”