Attempt number 121
Attempt number 278
Attempt number 56
Dark photos of disfigured human figures are stabled over every attempt as I lean closer, squinting my eyes and trying to read the words written.
I huff out in annoyance then a jar of white hair strands catches my attention. Wrapping my hand around it as I hold it up firmly, tilting my head to the side, inspecting it curiously. The glass reflects my face as I look at my own white hair.
I put the jar aside as I found a sealed file. I put the candle down and open the file slowly. I blow off the dust as I see information written and I glide my finger on each letter as I read slowly.
Name: Elsie Beaumont
Date Of Death: December 1st
On the left top corner lays a picture of a young girl with silky straight white hair, pale skin and light blue eyes, her eyelashes match her hair.
My heart drops.
I look back at my reflection in the jar as I see the same girl stare back at me but her eyes are more hollow and skin paler.
This young girl isme.
The jar shatters on the floor as I grab the candle frantically and turn around to light the rest of the room. My gasp echoes as what I see makes my heart skip a beat. Two huge tubes stand vertically beside one another as they are both connected with smaller tubes. Green liquid bubbling as two naked corpses float inside. A woman with short platinum blonde hair, pale skin and her eyes are shut as the man in the other tube has his body covered in tattoos.
Their skins are almost green as they float in the water, lifeless.
Tags underneath each tube reads their names.
Annette Beaumont.
Koa Kozlov.
I press my shaking hand onto the glass tube, my mouth hanging open in shock as I process.
“Step back from the bodies, Doll.”
His voice has a slight edge as I don’t dare turn around to face his wrath.
“I-I have a family.” My words break out of me as I turn my head back slowly and face him.
He stands tall in the darkness of the room as his glasses glisten from the candle I’m holding. I never truly saw his true form.
A monster lurking in the shadows.
He rests his hands in his pockets as he shakes his head.
“No, I have a name. My name is Elsie..”
“No, you’re not her.”
My heart breaks further as my mind goes into a spiral of questions. “What…am I, Clayton?” Tears well up in the corner of my eyes.
His gaze softens a bit. “Doll, you’re a version of the hundreds I have created over the years. A version of the girl I loved. Elsie.”
My heart turns on itself as I feel like something sharp pierced through my chest.
“I created you, doll. To relive with Elsie all the years I lost with her. You’re attempt number 421, I named you Doll cause it felt wrong to call you by her name. It felt like I’m betraying her with another woman. Your eyes were never as bright as hers. But, I will accept any version of her to be mine.”
