Original Short Story "One More Doll"

This is a contest entry, finishing a story prompt by @improv, thanks for reading!

Penelope had too many porcelain dolls. Her father, Til, had warned her when she was a child, "If you get one more doll, they'll rebel! That many dolls in one room have a mind of their own!"
He had said it with the kind of serious face that meant he was joking.
She had stopped buying porcelain dolls anyway when she turned 13, thinking they were kids stuff. They all got put in boxes, because she wasn't willing to let go of them, and who knew, maybe when she had kids of her own, they'd want to inherit her doll collection. Or maybe they'd be worth something someday.
But he must not have been joking.

The morning after Penelope had purchased Hans, the Oktoberfest doll, because it was just so silly and it reminded her of the year she and her husband, Charles, had lived in Germany, she took it out of the Dolls of the World bag to show her 6 month old son, Jacob. He tried to eat its face, as he tried to eat everything's face. The dog, Cupcake, had growled and barked, as she often did when things that looked like they had eyes seemed to make intense, unblinking eye contact with her.

Charles, ever the practical worrywart, swooped up the kid and the pup, put on the wearable baby garment, and took them for a walk so Penelope could take a nap. Penelope set Hans in the closet where the rest of the dolls, all still packed away, were.
She took a nap.

“The tea is ready dear” a sweet bell-like voice announced. Penelope sat up in bed, her mouth open in surprise. 13 dolls were sitting in a circle on the floor drinking tea. Penelope thought perhaps she should be frightened, but they were so pleasant and polite that the fear seemed unfounded. “Oh dear, please excuse my manners, my name is Illiana, and we all know you Penelope”, a doll in a brown gingham dress said with a smile. Several dolls glanced at Penelope and smiled, then went back to their conversations.

Penelope approached the circle and joined them, and they politely made room for her. “Be careful dear, its hot”, said Illiana as she handed Penelope a tiny cup of tea complete with saucer. Penelope realized she was dressed like the dolls, in a long flowing dress with a rose print. She sat cross-legged, drinking her tea, and breathed in the quiet serenity. Everything in the room seemed to pop with color, as if color was going to ooze out of the very wallpaper. There was a pleasant breeze blowing the curtains lazily side to side, and Penelope realized her shoulder didn't hurt any more. She had hurt it the other day picking up Jacob.

“Where is Jacob?” Penelope asked Illiana. “Oh, he's fine dear, your dress is so lovely, I've never seen it before!” Penelope and several of the other dolls arranged the hem of her skirt around her so it was a perfect circle of roses surrounding her. The dolls continued to fuss with her dress, and Penelope began to chat with the other dolls. Everything was so perfect and polite, she didn't want it to end. There was something though... a small buzzing in her head, as if a very small bee had somehow gotten trapped in her skull. She dismissed it, and carefully lifted her cup to her lips.

After she had tasted it she laughed in surprise, it made all the tea she had ever had before seem like dishwater. It had a beautiful aroma, and tasted like a peppermint cloud. No sooner did she put her cup down, then the dolls would refill it with a smile. She couldn't remember enjoying anything as much as this tea party. Suddenly there was a “thump thump” sound and Penelope looked toward the door. Hans spoke up, “Oh it is probably just Cupcake, would you like a scone?”. Penelope was drawn into the conversation again, and was wrapped up in a story the dolls were telling about her childhood when she heard the thumping sound again.

Hans again dismissed it with a smile, but Penelope began to get up to answer the door, when she realized, she couldn't. She tugged at her dress, and upon closer inspection realized it had been sewn to the carpet. She looked up, and all the dolls were silent, looking at her with steady, unblinking eyes. Penelope said, “Illiana, please help me, whatever has happened?” Illiana smiled sweetly, “oh its nothing dear, we were just enjoying your company so much, and of course we didn't want your lovely dress to wrinkle, so we sewed it a bit. You look just as pretty as a picture, but please excuse us, we should have asked first”. The other dolls echoed the sentiment, and Penelope smiled back. “Could you undo it? I must see who is at the door”. The thump sound continued in a rhythmic beat, “thump thump, thump thump, thump thump...” The buzzing in her head grew louder, and the buzzing sound morphed into distant murmuring voices. Penelope looked at the group of dolls, and not one moved to help her. Their eyes were like still glassy pools, staring relentlessly. Penelope heard herself breathing, the only sound in the room. Penelope tugged hard at her dress with both hands, and the fabric began to rip, Hans sprang forward and grabbed her right hand, pulling it away from her dress. Penelope screamed, “get away!”. She was frantic now, her heart was racing, the murmuring voices grew louder, and she continued pulling, pushing Hans away with her other hand. She screamed as Hans bit down on the back of her hand and the other dolls rushed towards her. She flailed her arms, batting the dolls away. She drew her knees up under her and lunged upwards, tearing free. Everything went white.

Blobs of color pushed through the whiteness, and she began to make out faces looking down at her. “Hold her hand down please, she'll pull out the I.V.!” a man shouted. “Penelope, Penelope, can you hear me?” a female voice asked. Penelope was in agony, her chest felt like it had been crushed, her skin was cold and clammy, her body convulsed against her will. The vibrant colors had drained from the room, replaced by sterile white hospital walls. Beautiful porcelain faces rudely replaced by blood-shot eyes peering over hospital masks. In time she stabilized, and Charles rushed to her side carrying Jacob. Jacob's dimpled cheeks were flushed red. Charles touched her cheek tenderly, stammering “Penelope, you went into insulin shock. When I came home from the walk you were..., never mind that now, I'm just glad you're awake”. Jacob reached for her and Penelope embraced him despite the pain. Penelope looked into her husbands eyes, “Charles, please donate all my dolls before I get home. I... am ready to let them go”. Charles had questions in his eyes, but simply nodded. “Consider it done”.

Thanks again for reading, you can read the rest of the entries here. https://steemit.com/contest/@f3nix/finish-the-fiction-story-contest-week-10
Thanks @f3nix and @improv !

Image from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/en/doll-black-white-winters-hat-1915604/