A Doll No More

Panel 1: In a void, a ghost rises from the broken doll spider. She is pale blue-green, with long smokey hair and distorted arms, looking down sadly at the smashed porcelain and spider pieces beneath.

Panel 2: Details settle into place on the ghost girl. She’s Duria, at thirteen years old, all her colors muted and cold. She has long, wavy brown hair and light skin, and her eyes are hollow pits with a glimmer of red inside each. Her hair floats almost weightless around her, and she’s dressed in a knit beanie, a plaid blouse, jeans with holes, and checkered sneakers.

The memories of her life after the age of thirteen are not just forgotten; the events remembered now have not happened at all, since the Saturnine Beast devoured her personal timeline beyond this age. Memories of her early adolescence surface for her: trading cards with friends, playing soccer on the school team, and taking a selfie with her twin as that twin stuck a tongue out to lick Duria’s cheek.

Her twin says, “Nyuuh!” while playing a gameboy.

Duria, holding the phone, says, “Don’t lick me! Gross.”

Duria’s ghost asks, “Where am I? Dezeree? Where’s my twin sister?”

Panel 3: Duria looks through existence to try to find her twin, extending her sight beyond the void where she currently resides.

Panel 4: She looks a little embarrassed and says, “Shoot, I’m sorry. I was years ago. Calvin! Where are you? The void is hella creepy, Cal.”

Panel 5: She finds Calvin as he is now, hanging out with Beov and Billie, all three of them high and relaxed. Calvin chest is bare and his hair is down around his shoulders. Beov leans on his head and Billie cuddles near Beov.

Duria says, “There you are! I think…You don’t look like you, Calvin.”

Panel 6: Calvin squints up at a ghost he doesn’t recognize. He mumbles, “Oh, weird. A ghost girl knows my name.”

Beov says, “Really? Creepy.”

Panel 7: Duria’s form begins to disperse and drift to one side. She asks, “Can you tell me where I am?”

Calvin replies, “Nope.”

She says, “Something is pulling me away.”

Calvin says, “Cool. See you later ghost chick.”

Duria’s voice begins to drift away with the rest of her. She says, “Calvin! It’s me! Your…”