A/N: Hello! Thank you to those who already subscribed to my story, you don't know how happy it makes me! Like I put in my foreward, there will be some slight violence in the chapter, so be warned before reading! Enjoy~

Small hands flitted across the table as tiny eyes watched the woman across the room warily, watching every movement she made. The woman looked up and she stiffened, sitting straight as a stick, though she only gave her a soft smile. The fire behind her gave her face an eerie glow, one that made the simple smile seem so enigmatic. “What are you so worried about?” she laughed, motioning to come closer. Tentatively, small feet jumped to the floor and plodded over, falling into the woman’s open arms. Large hands ran through her hair and cupped her cheeks, eyes roaming over her face. “Did Seok-jinnie yell at you again?”

The great grandfather clock in the corner of the room chimed at the change of the hour, the deafening sound of its ring causing goose bumps to run across her skin. Her curious eyes slowly made their way back up to her mother’s face, biting the edge of her lip. Her mother just sighed as she effortlessly lifted her onto her lap, adjusting her so she could continue to go back to her work. “Would you like to help me?”

She looked at her mother in surprise, her entire body coursing with excitement at the idea of joining her mother in her work. She nodded her head eagerly, and her mother chuckled, lifting the rags off of the table and picking up the needle nearby. “Do you remember what Mommy told you about sewing? This is very important and dangerous. If you mess up, everything goes wrong. Watch Mommy.”

She watched as her mother’s hands gracefully floated to a gentle rhythm, the way she made each stitch so lovely. In no time at all there was a small, makeshift ragdoll sitting in her hands, the rough smile on its face delighting her. She rolled it over in her hands before hugging it to her chest, grinning covetously at her mother. “It’s blank right now. Whoever you want, just tell Mommy. I’ll get them for you.” She barely had time to nod when the door slammed open, both having to blink at the sudden light coming in from the sun.

A dark man stepped in, looking around before his eyes narrowed on the two sitting in front of the fire, her mother’s tools laid out neatly on the table in front of them. Loud, stomping footsteps echoed in the room as he slammed the door shut and stalked over, ripping the hat off his head, heaving, as he glared down at her mother. Something about the way he stared scared her, and she gripped the doll close to her chest as if to hide.

Her mother didn’t seem the least bit worried as she leaned back in her chair, the way she moved showing she wasn’t the least bit intimidated. However, she felt her mother’s arm protectively wrap itself around her waist. “Can I help you?” she asked patiently, a smirk growing on her lips.

“My brother,” he hissed dangerously, his voice low and scary. “My brother came in here a week ago and has been missing since. You have him, don’t you?”

“That’s a pretty serious accusation you’re spewing there, don’t you think? How am I supposed to know where your brother is? I’ve only known you for thirty seconds.” She shifted her on her knee, her arm around her waist tightening. “Would you like me to get you a cup of tea?”

“Cut the bulls***,” he snapped, and her mother’s eyes narrowed at the curse word that spilled from his lips. She looked at the man in worry; her mother had beaten her horribly the one time she had cursed. “Kim Seok-jin. He told me he was going to come here before he disappeared. Everyone knows what a cursed s***hole this is. I-”

“If this is such a cursed s***hole,” her mother said dangerously as she carefully lifted her off her leg and back onto the floor, “then why would your brother come here?” The man subconsciously took a step back when her mother stood up, moving over to tend the fire. She watched as tight hands jabbed at the fire, the flames dancing as they the edges of her finger and brightened her face. She scooted back as she hugged the doll closer to her. “Hmm? Why would he be stupid enough to come in here?”

“He didn’t know better. He was dared.”

Both she and the man jumped when her mother laughed, the shrill sound piercing through the cold, winter air. “If he came in for something as simple as a dare, well, then I can’t help him.” She haughtily pushed the man aside as she walked to the small heater in the back of the room, lifting her teapot off the top. “Would you like some tea?” she asked again, grabbing two tea cups, ignoring his protests as she continued to pour. However, when she came and handed him the tea cup, he arrogantly slapped it out of her hand.

Small, dangerously sharp fragments scattered across the floor, hot tea seeping through the old floorboards and running down the cracks.

The man wouldn’t have noticed, but she could see the small tightening above her mother’s brow, the look she gave when she was annoyed. The man didn’t move as she neatly bent down and grabbed a shard of ceramic and stood up, running the jagged piece between her fingers. “Come here,” she said quietly, and she knew that was meant for her. She wasted no time scrambling to her feet and running to her mother’s side, hiding behind the folds of her dress from the scary man. “Let me see your doll.” She hesitated, unwilling to part with her new toy, but eventually gave it up when her mother merely held a waiting hand out.

Long fingers closed around the doll’s small body, the other hand still holding the jagged cup piece like a weapon.

“I’m going to ask you one more time, where is my-” He never finished as he gasped in pain and shock, his eyes looking up at the stoic face of her mother. He staggered back, holding his side in pain as blood began to seep and stain the side of his coat. Her mother lifted the weapon up in front of the fire, a smile growing on her lips at the sight of dripping blood at the ends. She looked back down at her, a maddening, glistening look in her mother’s eyes.

“I’m going to give you a present. Would you like it?” She looked back to the man, the man leaning against the wall as he attempted to run away, sweat glistening on his face. The fire made his face glow a bright white, the sweat almost as decoration. Her mother put a hand on her head tenderly. “Yes, that is your present. Shall I make it for you now?” She knew better than to say no, so she nodded her head obediently.

“You…you’re insane!” the man shouted weakly, his knees buckling under him as he gasped for air, rolling over in pain.

“Your brother had the exact same look.” She ignored the shocked look sent her way as she turned the doll face up, her thumb running over the crudely stitched heart on its chest. “He begged me to let him go, to spare him.” She meticulously dabbed the bloody edge of the chip onto the heart, filling it in completely. “Hold this for me.” She dutifully took the bloody chip from her mother, making sure not to get any of the blood on her fingers.

“You…you…b-b****…” he whispered, his eyes lighted with rage but his body too weak to move. Her mother just gave her an amused smile before walking over to the bleeding man, kneeling in front of him. He took a swing at her, though his arm bent before he could touch her and it merely fell uselessly by his side. She tsked him chidingly, then reached out and plucked a handful of his hair.

She came back in front of the fire and grabbed her needle and thread again, now carefully stitching the tufts of hair to the top of the doll’s head. Her mother glanced down at her. “What are you doing still holding that? Throw it in the fire before you dirty your hands.” She obeyed as she tossed it in the fire, pulling back when the fire jumped and eagerly the shard.

The man, the pain now numbing as he held his wound the best he could, was now watching what her mother was doing. She finished the last of the stitching, using her teeth to cut the string. “W-what….what are you doing…?”

“Hmm?” She looked up from her handiwork, feigning innocence before waving the doll at him. “Don’t you see? I’m making a doll for my daughter.”

“Why…why? My blood…and hair…”

“Ah, you’ll see in a minute.” She turned back to her, grabbing another shard off the floor and kneeling in front of her. “Let me see your arm.” She hesitated, knowing exactly what her mother wanted to do, but in the end held her hand out to her. Her mother gave her another smile, taking her hand before slashing a large gash into the side of her forearm.

Pools of blood rushed to the opening of the wound, rivets of the warm liquid rushing down the sides of her hand.

The man yelped at the sight, struggling to sit up and crawl towards her. “What are you doing…? You’re crazy….!”

“They always say that, don’t they?” her mother laughed again, using the bloodied shard to collect some of her blood, this time using it to drip over the doll’s eyes. “They don’t understand that it’ll heal eventually.” She finished the one eye and moved onto the next, circling the large eye until the once pale circle was now a dark, thick red.

“You…you crazy, insane, mental-”

“And...done.” The moment she finished the man’s voice cut off, and when they both looked up they saw him frozen in place, his mouth still hanging open from speaking. He was completely frozen, though if she looked closely she could see his eyes filled with fear, looking around in panic. “There you go, he’s all yours now.” She handed her back the doll and she hesitantly accepted it, hugging it to her chest and looking back at the man. His expression frightened her. “Ah, you’re still bleeding. Let Mommy clean that for you.”

She felt herself lifted up and placed in her mother’s chair, one hand hugging the doll, the other lifted up for her mother to tend. She winced at the antibiotics dabbed onto her wound, looking away as her mother stitched up the wound. She didn’t like the sight of being put back together like the dolls. She finally looked back when a pretty, white bandage was wrapped, numbing the pain. “Now, doesn’t that feel better?” She nodded and her mother smiled, ruffling her hair. “I’ll go get you some milk. Stay here, okay?”

Her mother walked around the man’s figure as she made her way back to the heater, bending down to the small refrigerator and pulling out a glass bottle. As she poured her a cup, she looked up with a chuckle. “Are you going to leave him like that forever?”

She started in embarrassment as she quickly pulled the doll up to eye level and pulled both arms down to its sides, watching as the man did the exact same. His eyes looked from the doll to her in horror, no doubt realizing what was happening. She grabbed its torso and straightened its back, allowing the man to finally stand up. “Good girl,” her mother said approvingly, handing her the glass of milk. In her excitement she dropped the doll in favor of the drink, and watched in surprise when the man fell to the floor. She hurriedly picked the doll back up. “Well. He’s much better when he’s not talking.”

The man looked to her mother with tears in his eyes, something that only seemed to make her mother laugh. “Do you realize what’s happening? You’re a doll now, and you belong to my daughter. So be a good boy for her, will you?” She turned back to her and kissed the top of her forehead. “I’m running low on fabric and thread, so I’ll be back in a little bit.” She whimpered at the idea of her mother leaving without her. “Don’t be so upset. You have your doll here now, he’ll keep you company.”

Tears ran down the man’s cheeks.

Her mother’s mouth opened in surprise when the man suddenly moved forward, arms outstretched, and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She looked down at her to see her holding the doll in the exact same position, turned in a small frown. “Come back soon…”

“Come back soon…,” the man said in the same tone as her, his eyes wide when his mouth moved on its own.

She smiled as she patted both the man’s and her head, peeling him off of her. “I will. Don’t leave this room while I’m gone.” She nodded, and her mother wasted no time grabbing her things and running out the door.