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Description
It was a rainy afternoon, but Luxe never minded the rain. She welcomed it, actually. How could you appreciate the sunshine if there was never any rain?

Luxe was on a train headed to Ferrytown, Indiana. She was going to visit her aunt who was too sickly to travel, and no other relatives lived near Ferrytown. No other relatives lived in Indiana, even. Luxe lived in Brooklyn, so she had been on the train for quite some time. Her parents didn't want to send her on an airplane; the family had already had a traumatic experience with planes, which no one wanted to talk about.

She looked up from the novel she was reading to look out the window. Trees and fields passed by, with few buildings in sight. The countryside was always alien to her, and she preferred the tall skyscrapers to the mooing cows of the pasture.

About an hour later, the train began to slow, and soon it came to an abrupt halt. It had reached the train station in Ferrytown.

"Finally," Luxe muttered to herself. "I was beginning to think this train ride would never end." Grabbing her black and green backpack, she hopped up out of her seat and went down the aisle to the end of train car. She stepped off the train and pulled the hood on her jacket up to block the rain.

She pulled out the map of Ferrytown that she had printed out earlier and used her finger to trace the location of her aunt's house. It wasn't too far from the train station, so she figured she could hoof it the whole way. Besides, her legs needed the exercise since the train didn't exactly have a treadmill aboard.

In approximately eight minutes, Luxe arrived at her aunt's house. The rain had subsided and her feet were growing weary. She climbed the steps to the front door and rang the doorbell. Looking around at her aunt's yard, she noticed the garden gnomes and other yard decorations strewn across the lawn. The ornaments were in disarray, but they looked as if they were purposely placed in those positions. The chaotic arrangement gave an eerie effect.

After about thirty seconds, Luxe went to ring the doorbell again, but the door creaked open to reveal Aunt Judy.

"Luxe, my dear!" she exclaimed before coughing into a handkerchief. "Oh, how I've missed you! Do come inside, we'll get you dried up in a jiff." Luxe grinned and followed her aunt inside.

Luxe smirked at the quaintness of the interior of Aunt Judy's house. It was decorated with pieces you would find in an antique store, and it reminded her of the home of some elderly couple. She noticed a shelf in the corner of the room, facing the door to the kitchen. On it sat a row of porcelain and rag dolls. Immediately, she was intrigued.

"Hey, Aunt Judy, where'd you get those cute little dolls? They're beautiful!"

"Oh, those? Gifts from friends. Would you like to hold one?"

"Sure," Luxe replied, and Aunt Judy pulled a porcelain one down from the shelf, handing it to her. Luxe looked over the doll, and felt the cold, smooth porcelain against her skin. Its eyes were glassy and it seemed to be staring off into space, smiling at an unseen pleasure. "She's so pretty." She handed the doll back to her aunt and made her way to the bathroom to change into dry clothes.

A few minutes later, she reappeared in an oversized t-shirt and skinny jeans. Her brown hair had dried and she had combed it out. Returning to the living room, she sat down on the teal-colored sofa. Aunt Judy was in the kitchen. "Would you like some coffee, dear? I remember how much you like coffee."

"Yes, please."

"French Vanilla, your favorite."

Wait, Luxe thought. I don't remember ever telling her that French Vanilla's my favorite. Huh. She brushed it off, assuming her mother had told her.

She crossed her legs and leaned back into the sofa, and Aunt Judy came out with a mug and a saucer, handing it to Luxe before sitting in the armchair opposite the couch.

"Have I ever told you how much I wanted a daughter?" Aunt Judy asked, out of the blue.

Luxe shook her head no, somewhat confused. She had been told that Aunt Judy was a little eccentric.

Aunt Judy continued, "I dreamed of having a little girl named Emma. She would have brown hair, and blue-green eyes, and she would be the perfect daughter." She paused. "But when I was twenty, the doctors said I could never have children. I was always so jealous of your mother; she had you and your sister, both of you are so beautiful," she sighed.

Luxe was silent. She didn't want to say anything that would make her aunt cry. Her aunt coughed into her handkerchief again before stuffing the cloth into her pocket.

Suddenly, she perked up. "How's the coffee, dear?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"It's delicious," Luxe replied. "It's-"

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, I...I... I feel a little dizzy."

"Oh, maybe you should rest. It's been a long day." Luxe laid down on the sofa, her legs hanging off the side. At once, she began to lose feeling in her limbs.

"Wha-what did you do to me?" Luxe stammered. "What'd you pu-put in the coffee...?" Her vision was fading out.

"Shhh," Aunt Judy hushed. "Go to sleep, Emma."

"Emma...? I'm not...Emma..." Luxe passed out.

Luxe awoke to see that she was in a pink room. She was tucked into a bed with pink pillows, pink sheets, and a pink bedspread. Pink, pink, pink everywhere.

"Aunt Judy!" she yelled, sitting up in the bed. The woman rushed into the room.

"Emma, Emma dear, don't yell. It's not polite."

"I'm not Emma!" Luxe yelled in frustration. "What's going on here?"

"Don't raise your voice with me, missy. It's past your bedtime, dear. I'll be right back, if you're not in your bed by the time I'm back in here, I'll be very angry." Aunt Judy left the room and closed the door behind her. Luxe rushed after her, but when she tried to open the door, she discovered that it was locked.

"What's going on, Aunt Judy? What are you doing?" She screamed, pounding on the door. The door flew open, knocking Luxe backwards. "What are you doing?" she shouted again, louder.

"Get into your bed!" Aunt Judy yelled back, and the intensity of her voice made Luxe recoil. "Now!" When Luxe didn't respond, she forcefully lifted the girl into the pink bed and removed the roll of duct tape from her wrist, ripping off a long piece. "Put your hands behind your back," she ordered. Again, no response from Luxe, so she grabbed the girl by the shoulder, pushed her down onto the bed face-first, and grabbed her wrists to tape them together. "Feet together!" Luxe finally complied and put her feet together. Aunt Judy ripped off another long strip of tape, wrapping it around Luxe's ankles securely. "That'll teach you not to disrespect your mother!"

"My mother? What are you talking about? You're not my mom, you bitch!"

Aunt Judy leaned in. "If you ever say that to me again, you'll be sorry."

Aunt Judy left the room. "You bitch!" Luxe called out after her. "I hate you, you whore!"

A few seconds passed, and Aunt Judy stomped back into the room. She had a single, small strip of tape, which she placed over the girl's mouth. She grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the bed, then dragged her by the arm out of the room and towards the door to the basement. Luxe, who was panicking, yelled incoherent words behind the tape.

Aunt Judy swung the basement door open, revealing a long flight of stairs. Luxe's panic increased, and her eyes were darting about in fear. She struggled in the tape, but her aunt pushed her through the doorway and she tumbled down the wooden steps.

At the bottom, Luxe was curled up in a ball, moaning in pain. "I told you that you'd be sorry. But no, no one ever listens to their mother anymore." Dragging her to the wall, she kicked the helpless girl in the stomach and the child whimpered. "I'm sorry I had to do that, Emma darling, but you need to learn to listen to your mother. Maybe a night in the basement will teach you a lesson. Good night, sweetypie." Aunt Judy bent down and kissed Luxe on the forehead, then left her in darkness.

Luxe sniffled in the dark. Her abdomen was killing her, and she couldn't do anything about it since her hands were tied behind her back. The concrete floor of the basement wasn't very comfortable, but it would have to do for the night. She wiggled in to a more comfortable position, and drifted off to sleep.

Luxe awoke the next morning with a sore stomach. The tape from her mouth had been removed. Aunt Judy was sitting in a chair near her, sewing something bright pink. "Where am I...?" she groaned. "...What happened?"

"You're in time-out, dear. You've been a very bad girl, and mommy had to hurt you to make you listen."

"You're not my mother..."

"Why of course I am Emma, why would you say that?"

"I'm not Emma...I'm...Luxe..."

"Who's Luxe, dear? You must be hungry, how about some breakfast?"

Luxe mumbled something under her breath, but her aunt picked her up from the floor and brought her upstairs to the kitchen. Sitting the dazed girl down, she pulled out the duct tape and taped her tightly to the chair. "What are you doing to me?"

"I'm giving you breakfast, honey. Open up wide!" She was holding a bowl and a spoonful of oatmeal.

"No." Aunt Judy frowned, and pinched Luxe's nose. She was forced to open her mouth, and the woman shoveled a spoonful of oatmeal in.

The oatmeal was scalding hot. "Swallow." She forced the food down and whined when Aunt Judy picked up another spoonful. "You're going to finish your breakfast whether you like it or not. Open up."

After breakfast, Aunt Judy cut the tape off of Luxe, and pushed her into the bathroom, tossing something pink at her. Luxe looked at it, it was a pink sun dress. "You've got two minutes to put that on and get out here." Luxe put the dress on and stepped out. "Good, now sit back down." Aunt Judy pointed to the chair. She reluctantly sat down, and the woman wrapped the silver-gray tape around her, securing her in the chair again.

Luxe glared at her. "What's on your mind, Emma dear?"

"My name isn't Emma. And you're a whore."

"That's it!" Judy yelled. "No more disrespecting your mother." She disappeared into another room, then reappeared with a small box in hand. Sitting down in front of Luxe, she opened the box and pulled out a needle and thread. She pushed the black thread through the eye of the needle and tied it off. "Don't squirm," she sid sweetly. "It'll only hurt more."

In and out, in and out, Aunt Judy pulled the needle through Luxe's lips, gradually sewing her mouth shut. Luxe tried to scream out, but her screams were stifled by the thread closing her mouth.

Judy pulled out another box, somewhat larger, containing various makeup and nail polish. After about an hour, she had applied makeup to Luxe's face and polish to her nails and toenails. Luxe stared at her in fear and anger.

"Don't look at me like that! I'm your mother!"Judy said. She thought for a moment, then perked up. She dug into the smaller box, and found two blue-green buttons at the bottom. "Close your eyes, dear!" Luxe's eyes flitted, but Judy pushed her eyelids closed.

Five minutes later, Aunt Judy's handiwork was finished. She stood back in admiration of her own work. "You're so beautiful, Emma. As pretty as a doll."

Description
It was a rainy afternoon, but Luxe never minded the rain. She welcomed it, actually. How could you appreciate the sunshine if there was never any rain?

Luxe was on a train headed to Ferrytown, Indiana. She was going to visit her aunt who was too sickly to travel, and no other relatives lived near Ferrytown. No other relatives lived in Indiana, even. Luxe lived in Brooklyn, so she had been on the train for quite some time. Her parents didn't want to send her on an airplane; the family had already had a traumatic experience with planes, which no one wanted to talk about.

She looked up from the novel she was reading to look out the window. Trees and fields passed by, with few buildings in sight. The countryside was always alien to her, and she preferred the tall skyscrapers to the mooing cows of the pasture.

About an hour later, the train began to slow, and soon it came to an abrupt halt. It had reached the train station in Ferrytown.

"Finally," Luxe muttered to herself. "I was beginning to think this train ride would never end." Grabbing her black and green backpack, she hopped up out of her seat and went down the aisle to the end of train car. She stepped off the train and pulled the hood on her jacket up to block the rain.

She pulled out the map of Ferrytown that she had printed out earlier and used her finger to trace the location of her aunt's house. It wasn't too far from the train station, so she figured she could hoof it the whole way. Besides, her legs needed the exercise since the train didn't exactly have a treadmill aboard.

In approximately eight minutes, Luxe arrived at her aunt's house. The rain had subsided and her feet were growing weary. She climbed the steps to the front door and rang the doorbell. Looking around at her aunt's yard, she noticed the garden gnomes and other yard decorations strewn across the lawn. The ornaments were in disarray, but they looked as if they were purposely placed in those positions. The chaotic arrangement gave an eerie effect.

After about thirty seconds, Luxe went to ring the doorbell again, but the door creaked open to reveal Aunt Judy.

"Luxe, my dear!" she exclaimed before coughing into a handkerchief. "Oh, how I've missed you! Do come inside, we'll get you dried up in a jiff." Luxe grinned and followed her aunt inside.

Luxe smirked at the quaintness of the interior of Aunt Judy's house. It was decorated with pieces you would find in an antique store, and it reminded her of the home of some elderly couple. She noticed a shelf in the corner of the room, facing the door to the kitchen. On it sat a row of porcelain and rag dolls. Immediately, she was intrigued.

"Hey, Aunt Judy, where'd you get those cute little dolls? They're beautiful!"

"Oh, those? Gifts from friends. Would you like to hold one?"

"Sure," Luxe replied, and Aunt Judy pulled a porcelain one down from the shelf, handing it to her. Luxe looked over the doll, and felt the cold, smooth porcelain against her skin. Its eyes were glassy and it seemed to be staring off into space, smiling at an unseen pleasure. "She's so pretty." She handed the doll back to her aunt and made her way to the bathroom to change into dry clothes.

A few minutes later, she reappeared in an oversized t-shirt and skinny jeans. Her brown hair had dried and she had combed it out. Returning to the living room, she sat down on the teal-colored sofa. Aunt Judy was in the kitchen. "Would you like some coffee, dear? I remember how much you like coffee."

"Yes, please."

"French Vanilla, your favorite."

Wait, Luxe thought. I don't remember ever telling her that French Vanilla's my favorite. Huh. She brushed it off, assuming her mother had told her.

She crossed her legs and leaned back into the sofa, and Aunt Judy came out with a mug and a saucer, handing it to Luxe before sitting in the armchair opposite the couch.

"Have I ever told you how much I wanted a daughter?" Aunt Judy asked, out of the blue.

Luxe shook her head no, somewhat confused. She had been told that Aunt Judy was a little eccentric.

Aunt Judy continued, "I dreamed of having a little girl named Emma. She would have brown hair, and blue-green eyes, and she would be the perfect daughter." She paused. "But when I was twenty, the doctors said I could never have children. I was always so jealous of your mother; she had you and your sister, both of you are so beautiful," she sighed.

Luxe was silent. She didn't want to say anything that would make her aunt cry. Her aunt coughed into her handkerchief again before stuffing the cloth into her pocket.

Suddenly, she perked up. "How's the coffee, dear?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"It's delicious," Luxe replied. "It's-"

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, I...I... I feel a little dizzy."

"Oh, maybe you should rest. It's been a long day." Luxe laid down on the sofa, her legs hanging off the side. At once, she began to lose feeling in her limbs.

"Wha-what did you do to me?" Luxe stammered. "What'd you pu-put in the coffee...?" Her vision was fading out.

"Shhh," Aunt Judy hushed. "Go to sleep, Emma."

"Emma...? I'm not...Emma..." Luxe passed out.

Luxe awoke to see that she was in a pink room. She was tucked into a bed with pink pillows, pink sheets, and a pink bedspread. Pink, pink, pink everywhere.

"Aunt Judy!" she yelled, sitting up in the bed. The woman rushed into the room.

"Emma, Emma dear, don't yell. It's not polite."

"I'm not Emma!" Luxe yelled in frustration. "What's going on here?"

"Don't raise your voice with me, missy. It's past your bedtime, dear. I'll be right back, if you're not in your bed by the time I'm back in here, I'll be very angry." Aunt Judy left the room and closed the door behind her. Luxe rushed after her, but when she tried to open the door, she discovered that it was locked.

"What's going on, Aunt Judy? What are you doing?" She screamed, pounding on the door. The door flew open, knocking Luxe backwards. "What are you doing?" she shouted again, louder.

"Get into your bed!" Aunt Judy yelled back, and the intensity of her voice made Luxe recoil. "Now!" When Luxe didn't respond, she forcefully lifted the girl into the pink bed and removed the roll of duct tape from her wrist, ripping off a long piece. "Put your hands behind your back," she ordered. Again, no response from Luxe, so she grabbed the girl by the shoulder, pushed her down onto the bed face-first, and grabbed her wrists to tape them together. "Feet together!" Luxe finally complied and put her feet together. Aunt Judy ripped off another long strip of tape, wrapping it around Luxe's ankles securely. "That'll teach you not to disrespect your mother!"

"My mother? What are you talking about? You're not my mom, you bitch!"

Aunt Judy leaned in. "If you ever say that to me again, you'll be sorry."

Aunt Judy left the room. "You bitch!" Luxe called out after her. "I hate you, you whore!"

A few seconds passed, and Aunt Judy stomped back into the room. She had a single, small strip of tape, which she placed over the girl's mouth. She grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the bed, then dragged her by the arm out of the room and towards the door to the basement. Luxe, who was panicking, yelled incoherent words behind the tape.

Aunt Judy swung the basement door open, revealing a long flight of stairs. Luxe's panic increased, and her eyes were darting about in fear. She struggled in the tape, but her aunt pushed her through the doorway and she tumbled down the wooden steps.

At the bottom, Luxe was curled up in a ball, moaning in pain. "I told you that you'd be sorry. But no, no one ever listens to their mother anymore." Dragging her to the wall, she kicked the helpless girl in the stomach and the child whimpered. "I'm sorry I had to do that, Emma darling, but you need to learn to listen to your mother. Maybe a night in the basement will teach you a lesson. Good night, sweetypie." Aunt Judy bent down and kissed Luxe on the forehead, then left her in darkness.

Luxe sniffled in the dark. Her abdomen was killing her, and she couldn't do anything about it since her hands were tied behind her back. The concrete floor of the basement wasn't very comfortable, but it would have to do for the night. She wiggled in to a more comfortable position, and drifted off to sleep.

Luxe awoke the next morning with a sore stomach. The tape from her mouth had been removed. Aunt Judy was sitting in a chair near her, sewing something bright pink. "Where am I...?" she groaned. "...What happened?"

"You're in time-out, dear. You've been a very bad girl, and mommy had to hurt you to make you listen."

"You're not my mother..."

"Why of course I am Emma, why would you say that?"

"I'm not Emma...I'm...Luxe..."

"Who's Luxe, dear? You must be hungry, how about some breakfast?"

Luxe mumbled something under her breath, but her aunt picked her up from the floor and brought her upstairs to the kitchen. Sitting the dazed girl down, she pulled out the duct tape and taped her tightly to the chair. "What are you doing to me?"

"I'm giving you breakfast, honey. Open up wide!" She was holding a bowl and a spoonful of oatmeal.

"No." Aunt Judy frowned, and pinched Luxe's nose. She was forced to open her mouth, and the woman shoveled a spoonful of oatmeal in.

The oatmeal was scalding hot. "Swallow." She forced the food down and whined when Aunt Judy picked up another spoonful. "You're going to finish your breakfast whether you like it or not. Open up."

After breakfast, Aunt Judy cut the tape off of Luxe, and pushed her into the bathroom, tossing something pink at her. Luxe looked at it, it was a pink sun dress. "You've got two minutes to put that on and get out here." Luxe put the dress on and stepped out. "Good, now sit back down." Aunt Judy pointed to the chair. She reluctantly sat down, and the woman wrapped the silver-gray tape around her, securing her in the chair again.

Luxe glared at her. "What's on your mind, Emma dear?"

"My name isn't Emma. And you're a whore."

"That's it!" Judy yelled. "No more disrespecting your mother." She disappeared into another room, then reappeared with a small box in hand. Sitting down in front of Luxe, she opened the box and pulled out a needle and thread. She pushed the black thread through the eye of the needle and tied it off. "Don't squirm," she sid sweetly. "It'll only hurt more."

In and out, in and out, Aunt Judy pulled the needle through Luxe's lips, gradually sewing her mouth shut. Luxe tried to scream out, but her screams were stifled by the thread closing her mouth.

Judy pulled out another box, somewhat larger, containing various makeup and nail polish. After about an hour, she had applied makeup to Luxe's face and polish to her nails and toenails. Luxe stared at her in fear and anger.

"Don't look at me like that! I'm your mother!"Judy said. She thought for a moment, then perked up. She dug into the smaller box, and found two blue-green buttons at the bottom. "Close your eyes, dear!" Luxe's eyes flitted, but Judy pushed her eyelids closed.

Five minutes later, Aunt Judy's handiwork was finished. She stood back in admiration of her own work. "You're so beautiful, Emma. As pretty as a doll."