Lost had caught her interest with his question. She shook her head, her long blonde hair swaying from side to side gently at the movement. "No, I don't." The only thing Isis had planned on doing after coming in from outside was to go back to her room to start on the book he had lent her. "What did you have in mind?"

He frowned, his dark face lowering. "I don't know." Lost glanced down at their hands, still entwined, and looked down the hallway. "Perhaps . . ." the doll trailed off. His black eyes suddenly raised to hers. "Follow?"
Gently pulling Isis after him, the tall youth led her to his room. When they got there, he tugged the door open, making sure to close it after they were both inside. He pointed to his bed, which was unmade, and pulled a large book off of a shelf. It was a small human book, large enough to spread across both of their laps.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, Lost patted the spot beside him.

((hehe, picture book time! :XD))

Isis followed Lost to his room and shut the door behind her. When she saw him sit down on his bed and pat the spot next to him, Isis smiled and sat down. The book was quite large, but it looked rather interesting. Isis was curious as to what the book was about.

Selma's eyes widened at the bushes opened up, reveling a squirrel. She let out a sigh of relief and laughed at the animal appeared angered. The small noises it made were very funny at it seemed to yell at her for intruding on his home. He went back into his home after a bit. still chirping away. She looked at Life.

"I did not hear a thing... Well besides the rustling of coarse" She assured him. Looking back towards the bushes where the rustling stopped.

"I thought they normally lived in trees. Is winter coming already? Selma asked Life. Wondering if maybe the creature was collecting nuts.

"They live in trees," Life nodded. "But I'm sure it gets boring up there. Who could resist being down here in the garden?" The youth's pale eyes lingered on the bushes for a few moments before returning to Salma. He dismissed his temperamental hearing - no one had called him, not if his friend hadn't heard it as well.
There's one more place to go," Life said. "This way." Leading Salma further into the garden, under a low arch of blooming roses and vines, he smiled when the reached the middle of the ring of flowers. A large fountain sat in the middle, it's water shining in the sunlight and dazzling the surrounding area with drops of light.
"Mother sits here sometimes," the tall man said, stepping up to the stone rim. "I heard that she used to do it all the time. She's never here now."


Lost blinked slowly when Isis sat beside him, and carefully set the large book across both of their laps. Flipping the thick pages open, the doll's black eyes softened.
"Mother," he rasped, coughing gently. "This is Mother's life."
Pictures of the familiar woman passed slowly - from her infant years, passing childhood, and through teen years, and into adulthood. A few of the scenes showed Mother with different dolls; none of them familiar. In fact, without Mother in the photo album, none of the other featured people were recongnizable.
There were pictures of foreign lands, of dark forests, large fields, bright homes, cozy winters. Mother seemed to be enjoying herself . . . until the very end of the book. Every single photo was full of joy and happiness, friends and other dolls.

Selma followed life. Into the center of the garden. it was huge compared to them. But beautiful all the same. It looked very much like a picture. No, it was much better that a mere photograph. Her eyes shifted to the large fountain in the center. A bit of mist seemed to come right from it. Drenching the couple in a very small amount of water. Life brought up Mother. Mother was such a wonderful women. It then occurred to Selma, she had not scene mother in a few days now. Her eyes wondered back to Life. As he ascended the fountain. Taking careful steps. "Where is mother?" Selma asked him.

((lol, it is Selma with an 'e' I feel stupid for spelling it wrong in the profile xD))

"She had to go away," Life said slowly, frowning. "She said she'd come back soon, though I don't know when." He reached up a hand to brush a few droplets of water off of his face. "It makes me sad to know she's gone."
Without Mother, the entire garden seemed . . . darker. He hadn't noticed it before, but now that he looked about, there seemed to be a shadow overlaying the beauty of the scene.
Pulling himself up to sit on the edge of the fountain, Life started. His white eyes scanned the surrounding garden, and he frowned. "Did you hear that?" Someone had called his name again. And there, out of the corner of his eye, was movement. It could have been a splash of water, but it looked like another doll - an unfamiliar one.

((No worries. LOL, I'll fix it. :D))

Isis looked at the pictures, smiling at the sight of a younger Mother. She seemed so happy as a child, nothing had really seemed to change other than the wrinkles she had gotten in her old age. Isis felt a longing to see those places for herself, yet it was impossible to leave the yard. If so she would never be alive again. So, Isis settled for imagining what those foreign places would be like. Isis took care to look at each of the dolls that were in the pictures. There was one in particular that looked familiar to her. Once they had finished looking at the pictures, Isis flipped back to the middle of the book to lookat the doll once more. "Calla..." The doll there in the picture looked like Calla. The dool seemed to be wearing something that looked similar to Isis herself, yet the other doll had a slightly different hair color and rust colored eyes.

((Here's a look at Calla. The other half))

Lost watched Isis stroke a particular picture. She had mentioned Calla before; she was the doll that had been lost.
"Mother must have known her," he said in a low voice. His eyes followed Isis' hand, and he reached over to grasp in in his own. "I could ask about Calla when Mother returns, if you like."
His dark hair fell into his face, but the doll didn't seem to notice - he was far to intent on listening to Isis.

"What if she is just like us. What if she can not leave the place she is in?" Isis said, lightly tracing her sister's face. She felt Lost take hold of her hand and immediately felt comforted by this. "I would love it if you could. It would mean so much to me." She said, looking away from the picture to stare at the doll beside her. She reached over with her free hand and brushed his hair away from his face, blushing when she realised what she had done. Isis moved her free hand away from Lost and placed it back on the book. Her cheeks were a deep crimson color.

"I will ask," Lost whispered, blinking slowly. "As soon as I can."
Leaning over, he almost kissed her cheek, but paused - hesitating. The doll finally completed the action, brushing his lips over her blush gently.
"You should go," he said quietly, turning to look at the pictures again. Though his words were sudden, the tone he spoke them in was strained. With a cough, Lost lifted the album from their laps, carefully closing it and replacing it onto the shelf it came from.

Isis coul feel the heat coming from her face as he kissed her cheek. It had definately been unexpected. In truth she knew Lost was right. It would be best if she left. She nodded slowly and stood once he had lifted the book from their knees. "Thank you Lost." She said before walking to the door. Isis couldn't believe that she may have found her sister after so many years. Mother must have met her. Isis only hoped she would get to see Calla in person. She opened the door and glanced back at Lost before saying goodbye and closing the door.

"Me too" Selma said looking back towards the flowers. She noticed one that mother would put into a vase quiet often. It would always be surrounded by different grasses and other flowers. She walked over to it and touched the orange flower. It being much bigger than she. Mother called it a lily whenever she would cut them. She then heard Life's name being called. She turned back towards him and nodded. "I heard it-" Selma then stopped seeing the other doll walk up to them. Or at least the parts over one she could see from her angle. "Who are you?" Selma asked from the ground. Crossing her arms behind her back.

Watching Isis leave, Lost sighed when the door closed. Flopping down on his bed, the slightest of smiles graced his lips for the first time in years. He had finally found a friend.
With that thought in mind, the dark-skinned doll drifted into sleep - with the intention not to wake for many hours.


"She needs you."
The doll's voice was a whisper, and her gangly form stood as still as stone. Her eyes were glassy and lifeless, her gaze locked between the two of them.
"Selma, Life," the girl called to them without moving. "She needs you."
Life looked worriedly from Selma to the newcomer, confused. "Who?"
The sickly looking doll turned and stepped over to the fence. "She does." With her blue hair flitting about her lifeless face, she slipped between two loose bars, barely able to fit between them even with her paper-thin form. "She needs you."
With that, she slowly stepped into the tall grasses that swayed beyond the fence.
"Did you see that?" Life balked. "She left the grounds! And she's still alive!" The pale man leapt off of the fountain's rim and stepped over to the fence, trying to see where the stranger had gone. Pausing for a few minutes, Life frowned in concern. "Do you suppose she's talking about Mother?"

((For all question's sake, I'll make a character sheet for this new stranger. Here's a picture of her here, just so you don't have to look back to the first page.))

Isis smiled as she walked into her room and closed the door behind her, leaning against it. Lost was different in his own way, and Isis liked that. He was quiet, much like herslf and he loved books just like her. She finally had a friend, and she knew that this was the start of something. Sighing happily, Isis jumped onto her bed and picked up the book Lost had lent her and started the first page. She soom foumd herself fast asleep, the book laying open on her chest.

((I recieved Calla. She is posted now. ^_^ Thank you, Marie. ^^))

((You're welcome ^_^))

Watched the doll. Completely unsure of the situation. Selma had not scene the doll before. By Life's expression, she was sure he had no idea who she was. Selma watched as the doll started to leave the grounds. She even reached out her hand as if to say 'wait!'. . . but no words came. The girl disappeared and it seemed as if neither Life or Selma could speak for just a few minutes. Selma suddenly felt very comfortable. Life then spoke. Breaking the silence.

"I-I do not know" Selma stuttered out, regaining herself.

"Let's go inside," Life said, shaking his head. Pulling away from the fence, he stepped over to grab Selma's hand in his.


((Durr. . .. brain dead. :XD one liner . . . srry.))

Selma nodded. Her mind was swimming with questions for the girl. Every one pointed her to, how did she know our names?.... Selma rubbed her eyes a bit as they entered. Everything seemed blue from the sunlight. She still felt uncomfortable from the girl. "I am going to sit down" Selma told Life. Heading into the main living room. There were a few other dolls in the room. Each doing their own thing.

((Its okay xD))

Isis woke up some time later to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. She felt her hands start to shake as she sat up, Lost's book tumbling the floor at the sudden movement. Isis didn't like the thunder. She never liked it when she had neen a normal doll, and that hadn't changed when mother came along. Usually mother was there to makeher feel better, but the woman had left for a few days meaning there was no one to comfort her. A flash of lightning lit up the sky outside her window, her heart beating wildly in fear. Not even thinking, Isis jumped from her bed and grabbed the blanket and picked the book up off the floor before bolting for her large wardrobe. The thick oak wood would muffle the thunder enough to keep Isis from having a panic attack. She quickly sut the doors behinnd her and pulled her blanket around her shoulders as she held the book to her chest. The fact that it came from Lost gave her a few moments of comfort as she waited out the storm.

((Aw. . . poor thing. :cry:))

Lost listened to the gathering storm. He himself moved out into the hallway, pushing the shuttered window open to let the downpour dampen the sill. Pushing his dark hand out into the rain, the doll let his eyes light upon the small puddle in his palm. Contrary to Life, Lost enjoyed the feel of rain.
After standing in the hallway for many minutes, he glanced over his shoulder and headed back into the kitchen, from where he ended up standing on the front porch. Stepping out into the drenching rain, he took a deep breath, closing his dark eyes as the rain fell in sheets all about him.
Lost.
With a frown, he slowly opened his eyes. It was hard to see through the rain, but he could have sworn there was someone standing a few feet away from him. Lost shook his head, blinking a few times before looking closer.
She needs you.
There they were again. The vague shadow of a doll standing not three feet from him. Lost tilted his head slightly, pondering who it was.
She needs you, the voice repeated, no more urgent than before.
Who? the dark-skinned doll mouthed, his hair plastered to his face as he frowned at the newcomer.
She does.
Looking behind him, Lost looked back to the house. He could see it's bulk, even through the rain that poured about him. Was he dreaming?
She needs you.
Turning his back to the stranger, Lost headed back to the house. He figured this was just another of his strange illusions - a dream, or the phantom of a thought; a hallucination. Life was always ranting on about how often Lost fell into the the strange visions, but it had never truly bothered Lost.
Instead of giving in to the strange bit of fear that ebbed within his mind, Lost headed inside, back to his room.
It was about an hour later when he found himself still sitting on the floor beside his bed, still wet. It wasn't a dream.
Getting to his feet quickly, Lost headed over to Isis' room, knowing she would be inside. Knocking lightly, the doll pushed the door open.
"Isis?" he rasped, looking about the room. Empty.

((I actually used to do that when I was younger. No one was home during thunderstom save for me, so I used to hide in the closet.))

Isis hadn't even heard Lost open her door. She thought she had heard his voice, the rasp in his voice was hard not to recognize. Another flash of lightning lit up the room, showing that Isis was in fact not there at all. The following crash of thunder was so loud that Isis squeeled and moved farther into the wardrobe, accidentally knicking the door open a little bit. She felt a few tears slide slowly down both cheeks as she hugged her knees to her chest, hiding her face in the blanket. How she hated being alone during thunderstorms. Isis was alright when someone was with her, ususally the other person distracted her enough to not even know there was a storm. But this time mother was gone, and Isis didn't feel brave enough to leave her room to search for someone else.

When he saw that Isis wasn't in the room, Lost frowned . . . until he heard her frightened outburst from the wardrobe. Moving over to her hiding place, the damp doll slowly opened it a bit, looking inside to find his friend. "Isis," he whispered, moving to sit beside her in the small space. The expression on his face was one of worry, a rare show from Lost - but worth it. Reaching foward, his dark hand brushed against her cheek, and he pulled her toward him. Whispering a few words of comfort, he hugged the girl to him gently, running a hand through her hair.
She was frightened. He didn't want her to be so.

Isis jumped when she heard her name. She could feel warm arms around her and immediately felt comforted. She opened her eyes to find Lost there. Her tear filled eyes looked up at him, greatfull that he had found her. She blushed, feeling a little silly for overreacting over a thunderstorm, but she could do nothing to calm herself. She sniffled softly into his shirt as he held her close, running his hands through her hair. Just his presence alone calmed her a little bit. "Lost." She said softly, her voice cracking to a whimper when another crash of thunder sounded. She threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest.