Page 44 of Barbie: Dreamscape

Somehow, something in me pulled strength out of her. And maybe… maybe I can let her strength become my own, too.

This world is ever-changing.

So am I (let’s hope).

I look up at the light above. I focus all my attention on it. I try to sprout wings, just as she did. I almost feel my feet lift.

But something weighs me down.

Has it… gotten darker down here? I look around, only to see that the shadows have lengthened.

Now that they don’t have Posey in their clutches… it seems like they’ve turned their attention to me.

No. I’m going to get out of this. I look up again.

And something blocks my vision.

A memory.

No—not just one. A flurry of them, like a wall of bats.

My worst moments, crashing into me.

I’m seven years old, and I’m yelling at Robin, You’re not my mom! when all she’s doing is trying to help me.

Her lips are parted in shock, eyes full of pure pain. “I know I’m not, Barbie,” she answers quietly. “Trust me, I wish she was here, too.”

Her look of devastation instantly melted my anger, back then. I never wanted to disappoint her again.

So I didn’t.

Next memory: my first and only stint in detention, thanks to one of Sunny’s pranks that went momentously wrong. It was innocuous enough, but when I saw Robin’s look of consternation and disappointment that evening, my heart sank.

She already had so much on her shoulders. I didn’t want to be a burden. Or more of one than I already was.

So I never got in trouble again.

Then… of course, I’m walking to the window on Boxing Day, Fateless.

The worst part is, Robin doesn’t even look concerned about my lack of Fate. No, she looks concerned about me.

And that’s worse.

She took me in. She told me I could live with her in the school; she always gave me a home.

And look at how I thanked her. By failing her, in the worst way, publicly.

Then going directly against her wishes and fleeing Heartland through the mists.

She looked devastated. Terrified.

It’s all my fault.

Everything is my—

I shake my head against these dark thoughts. This place is trying to bring out the worst in me, but I won’t let it. Robin loves me. She’ll understand why I had to finally take a risk.

And look where all this risk got you, a dark voice says, seemingly from the shadows. You failed. Again.